CHAPTER ONE

MAVERICK

“I feel miserable.” I flex my arms as I walk past my pack members, watching them part ways for me. No one wants to risk setting me off; they all know it won’t end well for them.

Then I hear someone call my name. I turn, ready to see who’s daring enough to wake a sleeping wolf. And of course, it’s her—my mother.

I walk up to her and stop right in front of her without saying a word. She doesn’t speak either, not for a whole five minutes. I have no idea why she called me.

“Mama, why did you call me?” I finally ask, doing my best not to sound rude. I might be the Alpha, but my mama wouldn’t hesitate to quote “discipline me.”

“Why are you trying to scare everyone, Mr. Big Bad Wolf?” she asks, smiling that smile I know isn’t a smile at all, but a warning.

“Mama, how am I scaring everyone?” I respond after a few seconds.

“Mr Big Bad Wolf, why are you in such a terrible mood?” she asks as she touch my arms and pulls me into her arms.

“Mama! Stop calling me that and don’t hug me, I’m no longer a baby!” I said, pulling out of her reach. She put her hands on her hips, and she give me a lovely smile.

"How about you answer my question?" she said, still wearing a smile on her face.

Before I could answer, I heard a gasp of shock from multiple people behind me, and I knew the reason behind the gasp cause I played a major role in the cause of shock.

"Now what did this person do this time around to warrant this level of violence?" Mama questioned.

The person in question, being the spokesperson of the head of the werewolf council, was carried out of the council gathering after I beat him up for questioning me and trying to order me around.

"Mama, he spoke on the forbidden subject." I give my mother my only answer and walk away, as I'm not in the mood to listen to her leadership lectures.

I know you are curious about what the forbidden subject is, and I'll tell you. The council head spoke of taking another mate, as it's been over three years since I lost my mate during childbirth, and I need to move on and choose one of the pack women to be my luna so I can give the pack an heir. Everyone in the park is aware that the subject is forbidden cause everything someone brings up the subject, they end up at the pack hospital, and they spend weeks healing, even though wolves heal faster because of the level of wounds I inflict on them, and it was the council head's turn today.

My mum did not stop me because she knew how sensitive the subject was to me; the pain of losing a mate is for life, but now I'm still going to get a lecture later. I'm glad she is giving me alone time to reflect on my behavior.

JASMINE

I lay facedown on my bed, deep in thought as my mother move around my room doing nothing in particular, she's just trying to get my attention, but I'm not in the mood to listen to her new gossip about someone whom I can't remember as my brain has been foggy since that day, and I dread leaving my room.

I dread not just leaving my room, the curtains of my room are drawn shut, so no sunlight can penetrate into my room, and the door to my room is currently open because my mum refuses to sit in a dark room. I can't wait for her to leave so I can have my quiet room back to myself.  

I tried to reach my wolf, but she's not responding. Since that dreadful day, my wolf has been quiet and not even speaking when I talk to her. I know she is still somewhere in me, but she's not responding, and I know the reason. The loss of our mate made her weak, and I know that soon enough, I will lose myself too.

"Roseline, leave her alone. When she's ready, she will heal and move on, but she can't do that if you keep hovering around her without letting her sort out herself and her feelings". I heard someone say from the door, the voice sounded muscular and familiar, but I am unable to put a face to the name, even though I've heard that voice multiple times.

I'm still lying face down on my bed, but I can hear my mum and the newcomer exchanging words silently, but I pay them zero attention as I drift off into a restless sleep.