Trouble in Paradise...or Hell?

Winter's POV:

A long line of trees lay up ahead, stretching on for what seems like forever. There are two owls on three trees, and they turn 360 toward me. My insight screams.

Where am I?

These are not parts of the forest I'm familiar with, and I have no idea when and how I got here.

Where exactly is here? I scan my surroundings.

The moon is blood red again, the sight making my skin crawl. My insight screams at me, telling me to get out of here, and fast.

I sprint, trying to find a clearing, an escape, anything away from the creepy forest. The trees are alive, or that's what it looks like. They have ugly faces and sing a creepy tune. The owls follow me, adding more bad vibes to the scene. The ground is soggy, like it just finished raining, slowing me down. It sticks to my feet and the bottom of the dress I'm in. My powers aren't working well, shooting me forward at times, other times pushing me back.

Finally, when it feels like I'm about to faint from exhaustion, I spot what seems like a building, its light pushing me on. I'm nearly there when I trip on a huge root that springs out of nowhere, and my ankle gets caught, twisting at an unnatural angle. Pain, sharp and endless travels through me.

I scream as I brace for impact on the mud floor, when everything goes black.

I wake up from sleep, my forehead damp with sweat, my chest heaving. My back burns in pain and I wince. Trying to sit up only makes the pain worse. I mutter my discomfort aloud. “Ow”

Warmth spreads through my body like someone poured hot tea into my veins. Not exactly painful, just really intense.

That's when it hits me. I've been marked. I'm mated to Derrick Blackbird, and his brother Keon saved me at the chapel.

I was his now.

To which brother though?

The one that marked me in the dead of night, when the forest bled, with only the trees as a witness?

Or the one who forced my hand into a mating, regardless of my feelings?

Fate versus fortune?

Moon-bound or man-bound?

This was hard.

If I had the choice, who would I choose?

The Alpha or his Brother?

Keon or Derrick?

Keon, on one hand, had saved me from certain death, jumping to my rescue. His brother just stood there. Though, maybe not being the Alpha made his reaction time slower. I couldn't even judge both of them evenly. I didn't know the first thing about Derrick, besides the engagement we'd barely said anything to each other. I sigh loudly.

This really was hard.

I inhale, trying to calm my nerves, when my nose picks up on a scent. It smelt like rain, wet trees in winter, like a wolf.

Like him.

My heart skips a beat, but my mind remembers what happened.

“You're awake, I have-”

“I'm still upset about what you did Keon. You marked me. Against my will.” I fold my arms in irritation, glaring at him.

His brows raise as he stalks towards me. “Haven't we done this already?” “Stop trying to change topics Keon.” He sighs. “Okay I'm sorry. I understand this is all new to you but…”

I interrupt him. “No Keon you don't get it. My people could start a war over this. All hell will break loose if anyone, and I mean anyone, hears about this.”

“They already might streghetta.” His voice is gentle, the usual arrogance in his tone absent for once.

I raise my brow. “What does that mean?” My brain catches up with the rest of his sentence. I frown. “And stop calling me that.” I get up, ignoring his curious stare, heading for the door he just came from. The floor is unusually cold, even though my body is hot. The nightgown I'm wearing sways to the side, its owner obviously bigger than me. I reach the door. “Whatever it doesn't matter anyways, I'm out of here, to my real mate, you know, your brother?” I have to remember, no matter what happened on that night, we're in-laws.

I ignore his scowl and reach for the doorknob, when pain shoots through my enter body. My vision turns white and I scream, my knees giving in to the force but he catches me before my body touches the ground. When my hand slips from the knob the pain disappears. My head pounds. What the hell just happened?

“What… what was that Keon?”

He sighs, his brows furrowed, clearly agitated. “It's what I was trying to tell you,” he hisses at me. “The mate bond, it won't let you leave me until it completely settles. It takes time, now please, go back to bed Winter.”

He drops me on the edge of the bed, his scent floating around me. It takes everything in me not to inhale. His mouth opens to say something, but someone enters the room suddenly.

I jump, trying to create distance between us, but he's already on the other side of the room, pretending to be working on something on the desk. I look up, realizing it's my sister Ariana. Her fiery hair looks weird, dull and soggy like. It's unusual. Ariana was the fashion queen at home, and never left home without taking care of herself. Even during a war her hair would be shiny and beautiful. This is unusual, to say the least.

In my chest, my insight beats around, like it knows something I don't.

It does, and that fact makes my heart beat loudly in my chest.

She looks worried, the panic making her seem centuries older than her age. I try to stand, but my legs won't allow it. I can feel Keon glaring at me. I ignore him. If my sister is in some kind of danger, I'm getting involved, damn some bond. “Ariana, what's wrong?”

She shakes her head. “I have bad news, Winter. Really bad news.”