MasukSo I held her gaze, because while she may be right to an extent, I wasn't about to give her that satisfaction. I don't even have to yield to her authority
Neither one of us said anything, at least, not until one of the lord’s with black hair broke the silence, and our heated stare down. “With all respect, I believe we’re all forgetting something very crucial here.”“And what is that, Lord Richard?” Lady Hattie asked.The man turned to face Lord Angelo and smiled softly. “Three decades ago, when you lost your mate, Lord Angelo, you vanished for a month. You abandoned your duties and you didn’t speak to anyone. So don’t speak of Alpha Elian’s fear for his mate like its weakness. We’ve all experienced a bit of this once in our lifetime at least. And we all know that is the power of the mate bond, the purity of having a person solely for us. It isn't a weakness. It is power. It is love.”The room went still and Lord Angelo kept his head down. I res“Are you okay?” Elian finally asked. His voice was hoarse and scratchy, like he had been screaming for too long.I blinked, taking in everything around me yet again and then it dawned on me that I was seeing clearly in the dark when I’d never been able to. I could see the bowl of cold water sitting on the floor of the room, the blankets I’d discarded earlier on just sat there abandoned, and even the bowl of half eaten chicken soup was on the table. How was that happening? The only explanation was that something must have happened when Elian marked me. But I couldn’t dwell on it now, not after the very sinister dream I’d just had. My entire body felt rigid with fear. “Arwa,” Elian repeated, reaching for my hands. “Are you okay?” I shook the thoughts that were threatening to take over my mind and focused on the present. “No, I’m not,” I responded honestly and simply. I turned to my side of the bed and fumbled with the bedside oil lamp t
ANISA.I pried my eyes open to a bright sunny day, and the scent of lavender and Marjoram was strong and refreshing. In the distance, I could hear the sound of children playing hopscotch and laughing. I closed my eyes and looked up at the sky, feeling the warmth of the sunlight brushing my skin and neck. I’d pulled my hair into a high bun, so I could feel the warmth on my back too; it was a very good day.But how? Wasn’t it late at night? Wasn’t I asleep beside Elian? Where was I?I looked around, noticing the tall castles covered in green plants all around. Some castles, however, had water flowing from them, almost like frozen ice with water flowing through. There were also vineyards, and that was where the sound of laughter came from.I shuddered a bit as a whoosh of air passed through, as though beckoning me towards the laughter. Sighing deeply, I began walking down the vineyards where the laughter came from. The closer I got, the louder the la
I was about to respond, but stopped when two maids stepped into the room. This time, they were carrying a bowl of chicken soup and some freshly baked bread. Anisa took the bowl from them and sat by my side, spooning small portions into my lips. It was hot and a bit bland, but I didn’t even complain about it. I wanted us to just remain like this forever. “Thank you for sharing your feelings,” I began as soon as the maids had left. “And it is not weird, at least, not to me. It feels natural, just like breathing is. It feels great having a glimpse on your feelings so far. Heck, knowing you like me makes me giddy like a pup. I want to tell you all I feel for you, but right now, I feel too groggy to find the words to tell you, but I will do that soon. And when I do, I'll hopefully sweep you off your feets.”She laughed. “It is not a competition, Elian.”I simply chuckled. Of course it is a competition. Her words gave me the boast I never knew I neede
The words bounced in my head as she dipped a towel into the bowl of water, wrung the cloth out a bit and pressed it gently against my forehead. Her touch felt like balm on an open wound, and I moaned at the feeling. Lyall did too. “I am glad you are okay,” she whispered, her eyes glued to her work. “I wasn't sure what I'd do if something happened to you.” Then she sniffed. “Damn it! You turned me into a cry baby.” “I'm sorry,” I whispered back gently. “But isn't it wonderful that I have a wolf now? No one would mock you for marrying a wolfless alpha now.” I tried to joke. She looked up at me, a sad expression marrying her face. “You were never less of the person you were without a wolf, Elian. If time were to reverse and you asked me again, I'd still have chosen to marry you. The wolf was never the catalyst of what I feel…of who you are,” she finished, quickly averting her gaze. “From what you feel? You feel something?” I
But before I could answer him or Anisa, the door creaked open, and Milena walked in with my mother following closely behind her. Anisa straightened up at once, a dazzling smile on her face.Umma gasped as soon as she saw me, as she swept into the room and threw her arms around me, a soft groan escaping my lips. “You’re awake! Thank goodness you’re awake!” “I wasn’t leaving that easily,” I joked, forcing a tearful giggle from her lips. “I’m glad,” she let out, her eyes landing on Anisa. “We all are.” “I was just about to come get you, but Elian wanted me all to himself,” she said with a chuckle. ‘Typical,’ Lyall grunted. Milena set her equipment down and turned to me, a happy glint in her eyes. “I didn’t think you’d be awake this soon. It all seemed a bit uncertain, but I’m happy about this new turn of events. Do you feel different?”I almost snorted. “Of course I do. I have a whole wolf in my head. It felt
ELIAN. I have a wolf. The shift had happened suddenly, so sudden that I was in denial for a little bit before I allowed myself to be fully immersed in the process. It felt like playing tug of war with an invisible entity I couldn’t see or name, and somehow, I was losing. I could feel the power inside me even now, stronger than anything I’d ever experienced in my entire life. I was barely grasping onto the shreds of my own life, but my wolf seemed to be pushing me out. The headaches were bad, and the fever was even worse. My head felt like it was about to fall from my neck and roll away, and anytime I tried to let go, to find some sort of peace in the stillness, I thought of Anisa. She was the only thing tethering me to the present. The only person I could think about and willingly put up a good fight for. I wasn’t going to abandon her now, not when my heart and my soul craved her very being. And so I







