I slouched back in my chair and admired my big stomach, full to the brim. So this was what it was like to have a rich boyfriend. Speaking of which, was I his girlfriend? He was my boyfriend, at least in my head but was I his girlfriend?A bell went and Khai's expression went from relaxed to disgust. I watched the young woman who walked in. She had the small frame of a little girl but her mature face gave it away - she had definitely been through life, the rough part of it. The woman wore a black beanie and black denim."Hi."She waved happily at Khai.I turned back at him."A friend of yours?" I asked with a brow up.He rolled his head back and she approached."I'm sorry, has he already slept with you?" she teased.The girl patted my shoulder and grimaced."I'm sorry to come onto you like that, I'm Bonny, Khai's ex. Lol, one of his hoes like others would say. Welcome to the club."Her black hair turned with her when she grabbed a chair to join us."Are you lost?" Khai was trying to ho
I couldn't understand my feelings for Khai or our relationship. The stars had so perfectly aligned to make this pairing yet we fought at every turn and kissed at the second. It didn't make sense. Was this how love unfolded? In ebbs and flows?"So was that a promise? You're going to get rid of them?""All of them," he confirmed.He didn't face me but I could tell he was remorseful."How?" I asked."I'll tell them and cut communication."I hated that we were having this conversation at all. Why couldn't things just flow between us? Why couldn't we just be in love and have an uncomplicated relationship? Why weren't we just normal wolves? I hoped for something different, something perfect but I couldn't say what that looked like. All I knew was that it looked nothing like us.Khai reduced the speed of the car as we approached the house.He was ready to turn into the path of the shed when the car rapidly swerved and stopped near a t
I watched them speaking through the window. It made me sick that the bastard was even breathing around me. I wanted to put his head between my teeth and grind his bones to dust and make his family some bread from it. He was such an asshole. How could he do that to Linda? She had given him everything, her love, her life, her body and now he wanted her kids? Why now after all this time? Had he returned for an encore?You can't just leave forever and come back."Calm down, Khai," Roman said sweetly as she rubbed my shoulders.She made me feel better but I still wanted to be angry. I held her hand on my shoulder and sighed in agreement."Oh, I want him. I really do," Yolanda growled as she punched the air.We were all watching from outside. It was like our own family drama. Eddie and Kyle stood inside next to their mother, listening to Greg talking a load of bull while Linda stuck to his side like a magnet.Poor thing couldn't help it, she misse
At least here in the room, his temper fizzled out. He was so worked up about Linda and Greg that I wondered if they had a history. He assured me it was familial at most even though they weren't related. I believed him. Nothing outside of his passion raised alarm. Eventually, I'd have to accept that he cared for a lot of people, a lot of women who were not only me. He was a leader after all. But I would never make space for his side pieces.We'd come up here for a nap but then we started talking again. He told me everything about his inner workings. Slowly but surely he was becoming an open book.We were dosing off in each other's arms when something downstairs banged against the cupboard.His eyes shoot wide open. I gripped his arm and pinned him firmly to the bed and asked him to let me handle it. He tried to test me but I assured him he needed the rest more than I did. He made a guttural sound and rolled his eyes. Reluctant, he stayed in bed.In the hallway, banging fists on the cupb
As I tried my best not to hurt him a putrid scent invaded my nose. I reeled back and Eddie ran away. Kyle ran past me, in pursuit of his brother. I tried to pick up the same velocity, ignoring the stench.The smell began covering Eddie and Kyle's scent and I thought I had lost them. But behind a thicket of trees, I found them at a halt in the midst of nowhere.I stopped as the scent became vivid at this specific spot. Their eyes were set on something. To my horror, I witnessed it once more. Greying flesh and flies feasting on it, dried bones and broken beams of roofs. The unfruitful ground and broken homes. I took in the village and blinked to try and steady myself. Kyle and Eddie stood frozen while I retracted, falling back.My legs felt weak and unable to move, I howled as the flood came to drown me again. Hollow grief, affliction, guilt and angst all at once. My body refused to function as I howled, replaying everything in my head. I shut my eyes and the replay became explicit.The
TW: mentions of abortion and suicidal ideation.What if I finally die?That’s what I thought every day. Then I would stop being a burden to everyone and all the voices of the dead would finally shut up. I'd stop being a burden to myself. I would be better off with the Traga ancestors and, though they already plagued me day and night they would be the only voices. They won't be in my head anymore. I'd be a part of them. I'd ask Traga himself why he hated me so much. Why did he let me come into this world of rejection and shame? Incapable of love and passion.Nobody wanted to give me true love, not even my mother.This was when it all came rushing like a flood, overwhelming me and releasing formidable convulsive gasps.On the floor of my room, I coughed out angry sobs as I choked on every cough. Pain raced throughout my body, making me spaz around on the floor, fighting nothing but the air as I curled backwards. The daggers went into my back and heart.My stomach cringed as a migraine j
I was not afraid of the Azraels anymore, no matter how hard I convinced myself I was, I just wasn't. So, I made myself believe that it was Khai's presence. He'd been efficient in dimming my grief and he really thought I had not noticed how drastically my feelings had changed.He must've done it to my fear as well because I didn't have another nightmare since I saw Intiyago two weeks ago. I couldn't bring myself to cower in terror if I tried.I wondered what else Khai was doing to my mind, perhaps things I wasn't conscious of. Had he actually done what I suspected he did? Or was this the course of emotions? And why could he change the chemistry of my brain but not his own? His powers must've been like my blood.The way I had been at peace with myself was scary. It felt okay to be sitting back and worrying not about my life or anybody’s. It felt okay not to grieve and it felt okay to be unreasonably fond of someone. It felt okay to be here, sitting with Yolanda, Hannah and Linda, baskin
I pouted sadly at Yolanda, she was the first one I gave a hug and she whispered in my ear."I bet when we come back someone will be glowing."Then we both laughed."I'll be like the Sun," I joked.Although, I couldn't understand why she was obsessed with sex. Or even weirder, Khai and I having sex. She reeled back to give me a high five. Hannah followed, then Falcon then the rest. Yolanda gave me another, tighter hug and kissed my cheek."I'll miss you," she said."Me too."It would be incredibly quiet without her.When we were done, they loaded their packed bags from the house into the minibus, which I noticed was being driven by Walter. I waved at him and he waved back reverently.Khai and I stood on the porch, his arms around my shoulder, holding me tightly like I was about to escape. Edna sat in the front seat beside Walter and smiled at me."Don't do something I told you not to," Edna shouted.I laughed and Khai said we wouldn't. Hannah was the last one, carrying the rest of the
Malcolm was ravenous and relentless. The resistance I felt to fight him looked like it didn't exist in him. He clawed and he bit, he pulled and tried to tear but my body was too strong as an alpha. I turned to him as he was on me and bit into his shoulder. He howled painfully and kicked himself off me. Malcolm, surrender, please. Khai would want you to live.
We found ourselves outside, everyone had transformed into their wolf forms. The majority of the pack had already gathered to watch. Malcolm stood opposite me, snarling and growling.Traga wolves, please hear me. This is not my doing but that of your great ancestor and Khai. This is not my will but that of your own. Blasphemy! A wolf shouted.The pack was clearly split into sides. Those who wanted to remain Traga wolves were in the majority, standing behind Malcolm. I saw many wolves I thought would be on my side.The only one on my side was Grace in her brown wolf form which shone red under the sun. Her love for Khai brought her here and also a pack that never chose her. My heart expected Yolanda to be on my side, Linda or Edna but they stood fiercely behind Malcolm.A howl ripped from the forest and a grey wolf appeared. Audrey. Her blue eyes were like ice.I will fight as well. she growledTwo against one is hardly fair, even for an alpha, Grace said.She stepped forward and nodded
I had not seen her in months. Her absence even made me believe she wasn't around anymore. I never passed her anywhere.Even at the funeral. I knew she was there but I didn't see her.“You better sit down,” Whitney warned.Grace glanced at her without any emotions and walked toward me. I stood up as she approached. She looked tired and broken.“I heard him before he went away," she continued.“If you want to make yourself useful, do it by going back to that room!” Whitney shouted.Whitney charged toward Grace. I found myself running to block her from striking Grace.I gripped her hand in my hand inches from Grace's face. Grace had her arms up in defence. Whitney's wide eyes locked with mine incredulously.“You will sit down!” I said in my alpha voice and it brought her down to her knees."Oh!" Whitney grunted and she found herself crouched on the floor.My voice was so heav
When the elders gathered in the living room, winter was coming to a visible end. Their eyes were still full of grief and heartache, but Raymond was as cold as stone.I told no one else about what Yaga and Khai told me to do after Audrey's reaction. I kept it to myself. Malcolm could read a difference in me but he couldn’t put a finger on it. Most of the time I avoided his advances and efforts to make something out of the proposed arrangement but I gave him no opening.My stomach turned; I could feel another war coming on.“Roman, the time has come. We understand that you may not want anything big but we will need it on paper,” Khai’s grandfather said to me.I sat alone on the single couch while everyone sat around me. This must’ve been how Khai felt when he led. All these eyes and weight on him. No wonder he was broken.My mouth remained sealed and I looked over at Malcolm who for once in one of these meetings was looking me directly in the eyes. Bold and immovable.“By the end of tom
I reached out for her and she moved her hand away. That's when I knew there was division between us."Do you know what you sound like?" she said as she glared at me.I shrugged helplessly."A colonizer.""Excuse me?" I breathed.I wasn't sure if I heard her right."I should've listened to Malcolm. You've made Malcolm a reliable source. Do you know how insane you need to be to make Malcolm sound reliable?" she shouted.The workers around us watched us and all the harvesting had stopped. Audrey saw the eyes and closed the space between us and lowered her voice."How dare you use Khai's name to justify your schemes," she said through clenched teeth."This is not my scheme Audrey. I don't want this either but Khai said-""How dare you?"Her eyes became glossy and she jabbed a finger in my chest."Doing that will eradicate everything that makes us Traga. You came in here and usurped our leader and now you
Winter covered the garden with its cold whiteness and a few months breezed past. The trees grew bare with leaves and frostbite crept up my fragile human toes.I never had to worry about these things when I spent every day and night as a wolf. My fur always kept me warm but as a human, which I spent most of my time as - I found sickness and shivering to be commonplace.They were generous with the mourning period but time was running out. I couldn't avoid the subject of marriage to Malcolm any longer. Eventually, the elders would end their kind silence and come to the house again.Intimidated and confused, I had said yes to marrying Malcolm under the condition that they would lend me the guard dogs in my fight against the Azraels. They had done that for me.This was against my moral code. Growing up, my father taught me to keep my word but then I felt Khai, heard him in my head and promised him I’d never marry Malcolm and see the plan through - my mor
It became apparent why I was here. Why it was the doorstep of the Tragas I fell upon. It was for this moment right here. Khai and I were nothing but collateral, a means to an end.I was but a small cog in the machine, a pawn in a chess game played by the gods. Traga was willing to sacrifice himself to Yaga so his children would get stronger and live longer. My blood would certainly guarantee that.After Khai left my mind and body I felt lonely. Lonelier than I’d ever been or believed was possible. I sat in the desert crying for what felt like an hour as the black hole in my chest gaped wider.I saw them looking for me in the distance and I ran to hide so I could cry all the cowardice out of me.I couldn’t continue like this anymore. I needed to take the first step. Move out of the passive and into the active.For the first time in a long time, I got on my knees and said a prayer.Give me the strength to see these plans through. Please soften the hearts of Traga Wolves so they may rece
The night went on and I left the crowd to sit alone with my fourth drink. I wanted to cry but my body felt too tired of all the sadness and pain. Also, I was tired of forcing smiles.I walked a mile off and sat on the dirt, gazing up at the moon.I’d never given the moon much thought till I came to Traga. All I cared about before was the sun and now I was of both the sun and the moon.As I stared the moon it began to glow. I kept my gaze fixed on it and I felt my blood rushing through my veins. I stood up to my feet as my heart pounded in my chest.What was happening?It went on for a while until my chest felt warm. Tears brimmed at my eyes as I felt it again. His love. His warmth, his presence glowing from inside of me.It was Khai. How?Roman. Khai?Yes. How? I laughed, a mix of joy and tears.How was this happening. I’d never felt so whole in my life. My
Ginos was a place out of town, randomly in the middle of the dessert like area. It was made of shipping containers huddled into a circle where people could sit and have drinks. They only served barbeque meats and alcohol. The air was heavy with spices, smoke and charred meat which made my mouth salivate.I couldn’t believe the Tragas had finally managed to get me off raw meat. I couldn’t imagine eating it.We joined two tables and sat together, the loudest group in the whole place. Hannah, Falcon, Jacob, Yolanda, Audrey, Malcolm, Linda and apparently Greg was coming. The idea didn’t excite me and I felt that it was disrespectful seeing as Khai was barely gone for a week and she was already going over his head.Khai never wanted Greg around them. He could do nothing about Linda’s love for him but he made it clear he didn’t want him around other wolves.I didn’t have the energy to argue and fight a losing battle. No matter what I said, Linda would justify his presence in her head. And on