On the verge of giving up, Hogan's rough voice came from behind. “Your movements were tense." A huge body overlapped mine as Hogan stood close. His chest rested on my back. And when he stretched his sturdy arms, I was locked in between. 'He’s too close.’ “The reason why you kept on messing up is because of your upper body’s posture. Keep your shoulders down,” he whispered, and his baritone voice bounced left and right in my ears. It sent shivers from my skin to my spine, and down to my toes. I wanted to move away, but I was rooted in my spot. “Bring the bow up to shoulder height. Like this,” he said, guiding my shoulders. I inhaled sharply, and when I did, Hogan’s earthy and minty scent penetrated my nose. It reminded me of a calm sea, but my mind was far from being serene. “Your arm should be fully extended, and turn away your elbow as much as you could,” Hogan said, pulling the wrist gently. He drew the bow back in a straight line that my hand touched the side of my face.
“WHY DID YOU OPEN THIS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION? WHY?!” His gruesome shout boomed in me like thunder that froze each of my active nerves. From his hand to his eyes, I could see wrath. They were clouded with a mixture of disapproval and disappointment. My breath went shallow, every time I exhaled, I felt my lungs drying. Sweat trickled down my forehead as I stepped back from Hogan. “H-Hogan.” After I called his name, there was an enormous silence, leaving only the sounds of his rough breathing and my huffing voice. I stepped back. He stepped closer without soothing his murderous gaze. ‘He looked so angry that I thought he would kill me right now.’ The rumors about him being a merciless murderer flashed back in my mind. And there was underlying proof behind those rumors now that I could see Hogan’s eyes narrowing vertically. His eerie eyes were enough to make me feel as if my skin was ripped apart. Innate fear took hold of me, and goosebumps rose the moment I faced a beast wit
Hogan’s POVElizabeth was really scared and sad after I yelled at her.When I saw her standing in front of the open door of that room, I felt so mad, I couldn’t control myself.I thought she deserved it since she did things she should not have done. But after I walked out and cooled my head, I realized that I was too rough.Even if she did it on purpose, I knew from the moment I saw her scared face that I would forgive her in the end. Elizabeth just opened the door, and she didn’t step in. That was on my mind at first. However…[“I am not l-lying. When I went there, I was surprised to see it open either. I thought you were inside, so I was trying to check if you were there.”]Recalling what she said, she seemed honest saying that it wasn’t her fault. I failed to listen and jumped to conclusions out of impulse.‘Maybe, I should apologize to her instead.’But how?After a minute, I went back inside and saw Elizabeth sitting on the chair. I told her to come out and continue her training
Elizabeth’s POV“I felt so sad and mad when you accused me. So, please apologize to me. Apologize to me, Hogan.”My heart was fluttering after I asked Hogan to apologize to me.Way back then, I had no guts to ask the people around me to apologize.[“Good for nothing!”][“It’s your fault because you’re unlucky!”][“When things went wrong, you need to beg for forgiveness, Elizabeth.”]My stepmother and stepsister’s words were still embedded deeply in me. I learned that even if other people wronged me, I should just lower my head, pretend that I am okay, and apologize. However…[“If you feel wronged and sad, you should express your anger. Shout. Say that you're mad and fight back.”]Hogan taught me to fight for myself. Feasibly, this is the first time I was encouraged to fight for myself ever since my mom died. And I wanted Hogan to know that I deserve his apology.Hogan’s eyes doubled their size but soon subsided.“I am sorry, Elizabeth,” he sincerely apologized.His face showed it all,
When Hogan’s tongue licked the honey dripping on my arms, it gave me a static feeling of being electrified. His tongue was warm and wet. The tip of it which was encircling my flesh made me ticklish, and there was a tingling feeling from my curling toes up to my scalp. Goosebumps. One-of-a-kind goosebumps. I don’t know how to explain how good it was to see him licking me. It was a pleasure that I had for the first time. Slurp. Hogan sucked the dripping sweet honey. When he gulped, his Adam’s apple moved up and down. My head churned in a fire. But I couldn’t move, as if I was toasted in my spot. I must pull my hands away. I must ask him what the hell he was doing. But Hogan seemed so into it, that if I stopped him, he might bury his teeth on my flesh. Imagining that, I gulped. The moment the sound of my gulping echoed around the kitchen; his heavy eyes went to me. Our gazes met. His pupils dilated and he gasped. “…!” As if he was also surprised at his own action, Hogan mov
[“I prepared a wedding for you and Hogan. You need to persuade Hogan to attend the wedding with you.”] Reading it once wasn’t enough. Therefore, I read it again with my voice. “I prepared a wedding for you and Philip. You need to persuade Hogan to attend the wedding with you.” I lifted my head and processed Philip’s command. I think the Alpha’s real power is to make me illiterate. Because every time I read the letter Philip wrote, I lose the ability to read. I can understand each word, but the whole sentence confused me. “He said he prepared a wedding for me and Hogan,” I mumbled. I could understand each word, but the whole sentence confused me. It was so strange that Hogan and I would have a wedding, and we were not prepared. Why would Philip arrange such a thing? We all knew that Hogan and I weren’t each other’s mates. And Philip even promised to let me go once he reached his goal. Then, it sunk it. The reason might be because Philip wanted to… “Kill Hogan,” bitter words
I promised Hogan that I wouldn’t give him trouble. But after walking for too long, I felt thirsty and hungry. I looked at Hogan’s back while following him behind. ‘Should I tell him or not?’ In the end, I could not tell him. I was afraid he would ask me to go back home if I complained. “I should have brought water and bread before coming,” I whispered, only enough for me to hear. Suddenly, Hogan stopped walking. If I didn’t lift my head, I might have bumped into his wide back. “The river is far from here,” Hogan said. He looked back and tossed a question. “Aren’t you thirsty?” It’s amazing that Hogan knew what I felt even if I would not tell him. I was insanely touched. “A little bit,” I shyly answered, biting firmly my lips right after. “Wait here. I’ll bring something to drink.” Hogan left me. Like an obedient kid, I stayed in my place moveless. After a while, Hogan came back with two large round things in his hands. “These are coconuts,” he said, placing one on the gr
Hogan’s POV Elizabeth was in deep thought. When I saw her walking back to the house and now that she was with me, I noticed that her mind drifted far away. Apart from that, it was surprising that she earnestly begged me to let her come with me to Alpha’s house. Sometimes she’s like an open book. Easy to read, easy to decipher. But at times like this, I have no idea what she was thinking. [“I wanted to spend more time with you!”] Funny, those words kept rolling inside my head again and again. Why would she say that? If other men hear this, they might misunderstand the meaning of her words. I heaved a sigh and decided to focus on traveling on the way to Philip’s house. When I looked at our surroundings, I recalled something very crucial. ‘Spiders love Yuronia berries.’ If I am traveling alone, passing this area isn’t a big deal. I can wolf out and use my speed to arrive within minutes. But Elizabeth is with me. She can run, but her stamina would not match mine. ‘But that i