FINDING HER
Drake's pov
"What happened again," I asked my beta Justin as soon as he entered my office. He and I have been best friends before I became the Alpha of the Blackwood pack following the death of my parents.
I made Justin my beta not just because he was a close confidant of mine but also because he was intelligent and as strong as I was. With him by my side, I knew my time as an alpha would be great.
"Why do you ask, must there be a problem before I can come into your office," Justin remarked.
I shook my head and chuckled. "I know you too well. Your face gives it away every time something is wrong. So, what's going on now?"
Justin sighed. "Well, since you asked. We caught another rogue wolf last night. It's the fifth one we've caught in the past two days. It's starting to feel like there's an outbreak or something."
I frowned. "This isn't good. We need to find out what's going on and fast. I want the rogue tortured and drilled for answers, something might be going on that we are not aware of."
"That is not possible, he was aggressive and hurt some of our men. We had him killed immediately."
I let out a deep sigh, feeling a sense of resignation wash over me. "We need to hold an emergency meeting with the heads of the security team," I said firmly. "This situation can't be ignored. Make it happen, no matter the hour."
"I understand, but they may not be available at this time. They may have already gone home to be with their families," my beta replied.
"That doesn't matter," I replied, my voice laced with frustration. "This is an emergency. Find a way to get them here, now."
Justin nodded before leaving my office to do as he was instructed. He knew that it would be futile to try and change my mind by arguing. Despite my understanding that my men had families and deserved personal time, as the alpha, it was my duty to ensure the safety of my pack and its territory. This was especially important after we had lost several young pups to rogue attacks.
I couldn't blame my father for his more lenient approach towards rogues when he was alive. Some wolves became rogues due to circumstances beyond their control, such as running away from their pack to find peace or pursue their own goals. However, some other rogues caused chaos by invading other packs and causing terror.
As I took on the role of leader of the pack, I made it clear that I would not be as lenient as my father had been with rogues. His compassion had ultimately led to his and my mother's demise and the entire pack had suffered as a result. I made it my mission to stamp out any rogue presence within our territory. Anyone who dared to cross into our land was either imprisoned or if they proved to be particularly problematic, eliminated.
Despite our pack being relatively small, we were strong and our territory well-defended. Over time, we were able to greatly reduce the number of rogues who dared to enter our land. However, in recent times, there has been a resurgence of these outsiders attempting to encroach on our territory. It is a threat that I am determined to extinguish once and for all.
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AN HOUR LATER
From today henceforth any rogue caught is to be executed immediately. No questions asked."
There were murmurs of discontent among the pack members. My beta spoke up again.
"Alpha Drake, are you sure this is the right decision? We have always allowed for the possibility of redemption for those who have strayed from the pack. Is it not worth at least hearing their side of the story before taking such a drastic measure?"
I slammed my fist on the table, my anger rising. "I will not tolerate any disobedience in my pack. Those who go against my rules will face the consequences. My word is final."
Silence fell over the room as the pack members looked at each other nervously.
"Who is on border patrol today?" I asked again, my voice cold and commanding.
"Erm...I don't know," Mark, my second beta, responded uncertainly.
I had insisted on having a sub-beta because I believed it was necessary, and Mark possessed the qualities that I needed in a beta. Additionally, I needed reliable help to run the pack while I was away.
"No problem," I said. "Justin and Mark, you'll be joining me on border patrol at dawn." I stood up and walked out of the meeting, my mind already set on enjoying the first snowfall of winter by crushing the bones of any unfortunate rogue that crossed our path.
**************
At midnight, Justine, Mark, and I headed into the woods. Our pack may not have been the largest in the area, but we were far from the weakest. In fact, we commanded the same level of respect as the other strong packs nearby. While we may have been smaller in numbers, our werewolves were skilled and powerful, and even our she-wolves were formidable.
We took up positions in the open space within the woods. It was a popular spot for rogues to pass through, and occasionally wolves who were lost in the dense forest ended up there. The tall trees and bushes made it easy for them to become disoriented. Dangerous creatures also lurked in these parts, but it was rare for them to appear.
In order to better stand guard, we shifted into our wolf forms. Our beastly sides made for more efficient guards than our human selves. We had been on duty for several hours when we heard movement approaching.
"Showtime." I thought to myself, whatever it was, was about to have its life leave its body now.
As the wolf got closer, I could feel the energy in the air shift. My body was on high alert and all my senses were heightened. The wolf's scent was intoxicating, a mix of chocolate, vanilla, and daisies. It was a scent that called to me, and I knew that I wanted it.
I stepped closer to the wolf and found myself face to face with a small creature with brown fur and sad, gray eyes. As I drew near, I could see the wolf recoil in fear. I could hear its heart racing with terror.
At that moment, a realization dawned on me. "Mate," the thought whispered through my mind. I knew that I wanted to protect and care for this wolf, to keep it safe and make it my own.
"What are you doing?" My beta, Justin, spoke through our mind link.
"I need to comfort her," I said to my beta through the mind link.
"But shouldn't we just kill intruders?" he asked in response
"I know what I'm doing," I said, blocking him from sending any more messages through the mind link.
I transformed into my human form and approached my mate, who looked terrified. I knelt beside her and began to calm her down by gently petting her fur.
"I am Alpha Drake," I told her. "And you are currently in my territory. Please don't be afraid. I promise I won't hurt you. I just want you to transform into your human form."
She shook her head, clearly distressed. I tried to reassure her that she had nothing to fear from me. "I won't hurt you," I repeated. "I just want to see you in your human form, that's all. I don't want to harm you in any way."
Despite my reassurances, she remained hesitant. But eventually, she shifted and lay on the ground before me. When I saw her, I was taken aback by how emaciated and haggard she looked, almost like a skeleton. My blood boiled with anger, but I managed to keep my emotions in check.
Without a word, I picked her up and carried her back to the pack. As we walked, I noticed Justin and Mark looking at me as if I had lost my mind. But I couldn't explain to them yet why it was so important for me to bring this small wolf with me.
"What's your name, little one?" I whispered to the woman in my arms.
She looked at me disoriented before passing out.
I raced back to my pack, worried that she was dead. When I arrived, I summoned the maid to fetch the pack's doctor, Rachel. Rachel had been the pack's doctor for the past 12 years, taking over for her father who had semi-retired.
As soon as Rachel arrived, she ran some tests on my mate and informed me that if I hadn't found her when I did, she likely would have died.
"She's severely malnourished and underweight, and I noticed some old and new bruises on her body. If you hadn't found her when you did, she would have died," Rachel told me.
"Thank you, Rachel," I replied, grateful for her help.
I brushed the sweat-soaked hair off her forehead trying to soothe her as she slept. She had dark circles under her eyes and her skin looked pale and sickly. I knew she needed good food and rest if she was going to recover.
I made a silent vow to myself to protect my mate at all cost and to deal with whosoever had done this to her.
SHE IS MY MATEDrake's povI paced back and forth, my wolf snarling and growling inside me. I wanted to find the person who had hurt our mate and make them pay. But I knew that wouldn't help anything. The best thing I could do right now was to make sure our mate was safe and taken care of.I stopped pacing and closed my eyes, trying to calm my wolf and clear my head. I took a few deep breaths and slowly opened my eyes, determined to be strong for our mate.I walked back into the room where she was sleeping, my heart heavy with worry and anger. I sat down next to her bed, taking her hand in mine and brushing over it, sending all my love and protection toward her."I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," I whispered, tears falling from my eyes. "I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and make sure nothing like this ever happens to you again."I stayed by her side for the rest of the night, watching over her as she slept and making sure she was comfortable. And as the daw
WHERE AM IZara's povI slowly opened my eyes, disoriented and confused by my surroundings. I was in an unfamiliar room, and couldn't recall how I had ended up there. My thoughts raced, trying to piece together the events of the past few hours.Suddenly, I heard a voice. "You are awake," the stranger said.I recoiled in fear, unsure of who this person was and why they were there."Don't be afraid," the man reassured me. "I won't hurt you."Despite my initial fear, something about the stranger's voice was comforting. And there was something about his scent that was particularly appealing to me - it was strong and earthy, like rain on the ground.Despite my better judgment, I found myself strangely drawn to this mysterious man."Who are you?" I asked, summoning all the courage I could muster."I am Drake, Alpha of the Blackwood pack," he replied, his voice deep and confident.I couldn't help but feel fear at the thought of being in the presence of an alpha wolf. They were known for thei
MY BODY FELT THE SPARKDrakes POVI could feel a spark pass through my body as soon as I touched Zara. I could tell that she felt it too because she quickly pulled back and removed her hands from mine.As a werewolf, I knew that I had found my mate. There are many ways that we can identify our mates, but the most unique is through our sense of smell. We can detect our mate's scent above all others, and there is a strong sexual connection that we feel around our mate.The moment I touched Zara, I was overwhelmed with desire. I wanted to hold her, touch her, and have her in my life. But I knew that I had to take things slowly. She was still struggling to understand everything that was happening, and I didn't want to overwhelm her.I had just brought her home a few days ago after she stumbled into my territory and collapsed in my arms. As she recoiled in fear, I knew it wasn't the right time to reveal the special bond that we shared. For now, my only concern was keeping her safe and help
MY SAVIORZara'S POV"Come back!" a voice called out to me.But I ignored the voice and continued running, the misty woods making it difficult to see where I was going. My legs felt heavy and I was gasping for breath.Finally, I collapsed, exhausted. The monster loomed over me, its eyes filled with hatred."Please, don't kill me," I begged, tears streaming down my face."Your life belongs to me. You are mine," the monster snarled, baring its teeth.Just as the beast leaned in to attack, it was suddenly thrown back by a silver sword that had pierced its heart.I woke up with a start, but my panic quickly dissipated as I realized I was still in the familiar surroundings of the past week. I had finally defeated the monster that haunted my dreams, and for the first time in a long time, I felt safe and secure.My eyes fell on the figure on the couch, and my heart skipped a beat. I got up from the bed and walked over to him, the man who had saved me and given me a new lease on life.His sce
MEETING THE BETA Zara'S POVAs I retreated to the bed, I sat down and grabbed hold of the pillow, feeling anxious that I might have upset the Alpha. However, I soon learned that Alpha Drake was not like my father or brother at all.For a moment, the Alpha simply looked at me, his gaze fixed upon me. Though I tried not to meet his eyes directly, I could sense from the periphery of my vision that he was watching me intently. I clutched the pillow tighter, feeling nervous and on edge. The thought crossed my mind to flee, but I knew I had to stay put and try to keep my composure."What is your name? I mean your full name." the alpha asked me. I thought he knew but I reminded him in case he had forgotten."I mean your full name." He repeated, and he also gave an example with his full name.He must think I am a dunce, was what I was thinking. Unfortunately, I did not know the other part of my name. My life had been a nightmare and I barely knew my full identity.What's your age?" the alpha
TONGUE TIEDDrake's POVI was very happy to see Zara engaging in conversations and games with Justin and me. Despite some initial reservations, she seemed more at ease now. I was also grateful for Justin's acceptance of Zara as my mate, which he demonstrated through his actions.The most poignant moment of the afternoon was when Doctor Rachel arrived and Zara retreated to the bathroom to hide. I could feel her anxiety and fear, and it was painful to see. However, when she emerged from the bathroom, I was touched by her effort to make me happy, even though it must have been difficult for her.And when she confessed the way she was reacting to me which she found strange I was dumbfounded, it was so une
MY MATES TOUCHZara's POVI am struggling to come to terms with the fact that my life has changed so dramatically within the past week. I made a rash decision that I thought would end in my death, but it ended up being my salvation. Drake entered my life and showed me kindness and compassion that I had never experienced before, even from my own family.He has made it his mission to take care of me and make sure that I am okay. It's strange to have someone care for me so deeply and do things for me that no one else has ever done. As I watch him go out of his way to make me food, I can't help but wonder why he is doing all of this for me. Despite the strangeness of the situation, I am grateful to have Drake in my life and to have a new chance at living."Why are you so kind to me.? I ask in between bites from the sandwich he had made for me."Why shouldn't I, you deserve all the attention from me," Drake said with a smile. I was beginning to get used to his smile, it made me weak in my
ALPHA WANTS A CAKE Zara'S POV Alpha Drake gave a loud and angry howl in response to my story about abuse. His eyes changed color and his fangs appeared, and he became visibly angry, trashing things on the counter. I had never seen him so angry before, and I was both surprised and relieved that he was angry on my behalf. I knew I needed to stop him from causing further damage to the kitchen, so I went to him and hugged him tightly. He held on to me in return, and as I held him, I could feel his heart rate start to slow down and his anger dissipate. Drake buried his face in my neck, inhaling my scent and running his tongue over my skin. I couldn't help but moan at the sensation, but quickly covered my mouth in embarrassment. After he regained his composure, he ended the hug and apologized to me. "I'm sorry you had to witness that. I feel embarrassed." "Don't be," I replied, genuinely touched by his concern for me. "I should thank you for caring so much about me. You're like a broth