He's In Heat?!

Cazriel’s POV

The first thing that caught my eyes wasn't the blood, no.

It was the way the snow heated up, burning and hissing from the impact of the boy's skin.

I saw as steam seeped from his skin, and inside me, something deadly and ancient stirred, baring its teeth at the sight not from anger, no, but from raw, primal hunger.

With fucking need and desire.

I hovered above his curled form, my shadow engulfing his petite, shuddering body. His knees were pressed to his chest, arms clutching tightly around his belly, eyes shut, hissing in pain under his breath. And under his skin, something throbbed again, a small kick that felt alive.

I didn't move, didn't even breathe.

What the fuck was that?

The wind seemed to shift behind me, my wolf howling in my chest, ears twitching slightly from the crunching of dried leaves through the snow behind me.

It was Kaan, my beta.

He approached, stopping just beside the boy. Then, he spoke up in a mocking, unimpressed tone. “Tsk…another rogue, huh?” He sneered. “Just give me an order and I'll slit his throat and feed his head to the vultures”

I said nothing, then he stepped even closer, his eyes scanning the boy's body. “Alpha?” He called.

Finally, I spoke up, my voice low. “This….this rogue isn't normal”

“Well…no rogues are, and that's why they are meant to be killed”

I clenched my jaws tightly, but said nothing. Instead, I crouched beside the boy, my hand hovering above his belly once again and even without pressing it down to his skin, I could feel it; that fucking heat, that strange pull I couldn't explain l.

“I said he's fucking different, Kaan” he snarled under my breath, more to mysthan to Kaan. “There's…..there's something inside of him, I can't explain it but there is”

Kaan frowned. “What does that even mean?”

I didn't speak, I couldn't. Not when my hand slowly grazed the boy's skin and almost immediately, the heat suddenly became even stronger, growling at me. It wasn't a sound but a hard pulse.

I pulled my hand back, my curiosity piquing.

“Are you okay, Alpha?” Kaan asked, his tone almost worried.

My brows furrowed as I stood up, then spoke up in a cold tone. “Tie the boy up and bring him back with us”

Kaan nearly choked on air. “You're bringing him into the pack?!” he sounded shocked. “But…but we don't keep rogues alive, you literally kill them before they can even breathe in your territory”

I tilted my head slowly, my voice hard. “Do you dare question my order?”

Kaan shook his head, straightening almost immediately. “No, Alpha”

“Good,” I said. “Then mount him on the horse….now”

*****

As we rode back to the pack house, everywhere was eerily quiet, except for the wheezing coming from the boy. His body was limp across the horse's back, tied down like an animal to prevent falling, blood streaks dripping from his chest down to his legs.

I occasionally glanced back, not because I cared about him, no, but because something else attracted me to him; his fucking scent.

As we got even closer to the pack’s gate, the air seemed to get thick, making it almost suffocating.

The guards stationed at the entrance stiffened, head held up high, chest puffed out as I rode in with the rogue behind me.

Everyone stared at the boy like he was a curse…an abomination that should have never existed, well…he was.

“But the Alpha doesn't keep rogues alive” I heard one guard mutter to the other.

“The Alpha spared him!” Another said.

“Why is it being brought into the pack?!” Another exclaimed.

A slight frown formed on my face as I got off my horse. One of the young, foolish guards that had just been hired recently walked towards me, his mouth slightly parted but before he could say one word, I yanked him forward, grabbing his throat then brutally slammed him against the wall, the stones splitting in two from the impact.

I snarled, my fangs elongating, grazing the corner of his neck in a low growl. “You dare to question me, huh?”

He gulped hard, vigorously shaking his head as he instantly broke into a cold sweat. I clenched my jaws tightly, then tossed him to a corner.

“Untie him and take him to the west cell” I ordered, shifting my attention to the most senior guard. “Make sure it's scrubbed clean with new blankets….and don't touch him”

I could see the guard’s hesitation as he fidgeted with his fingers. “I'll repeat myself….” I growled. “Don't you dare touch him”

*****

When he woke up, I already felt it.

Because his scent had engulfed the whole halls, spreading quickly like a widefire. I was halfway down the room he was kept in when I suddenly heard a thud of something crashing on the floor….his body, maybe. Followed by the loud sound of something smashing in pieces.

I walked up to his room, then slowly opened his door and walked in.

I had guessed correctly, he was on the ground, curled up, knees flexed tightly to his chest as he wrapped his hands around, gasping, heaving, his thin shirt soaked in his own sweat, his hair plastered to his cheeks and forehead.

His eyes met mine as he suddenly dragged his body back, eyes wide, lips trembling.

“Don't…. don't you dare touch me….” He yelled out, his voice cracked. “If…if you want to kill me then…then make it snappy!”

I didn't move even a muscle, just stared down at him. “What the fuck are you, Rogue?”

He shook his head, a deep frown etched on his face as he stared at me like I was crazy.

“I'm…. I'm nothing!!” He spat. “Just let me go or kill me already”

“Nothing….” I repeated with a sneer as I began taking slow, calculated strides towards him. “Well…. nothing doesn't heat up the snow…. nothing doesn't bite back and dares cross my territory without a death wish”

His lips trembled, but it didn't affect the sharpness of his tone. “You're insane”

“Say it again, boy” I snarled, closing the gap between us. “Say you're nothing again and look me in the fucking eyes while you say it”

“i have no idea what the fuck you're talking about!” He spat.

But suddenly, his body curled up once again, his arms clutching his stomach tightly this time around, rocking his body back and forth as he hissed in pain.

I frowned, my face darkening as I stared at not his face, but his scent.

Something had shifted in it again, this time thicker, more raw and sweeter and it literally made me go insane.

My frown deepened without having to shift my gaze, I roared out. “Get the old healer, immediately!”

After about three minutes, a guard walked in, bowing. “The healer isn't available right now. Her assistant said she travelled and would return next two weeks”

I said nothing, just signaled for him to leave.

He left, but I stayed back.

He was half asleep, talking nonsense due to fever. His fingers were holding the blanket tightly, trying to stop his body from shaking.

His scent was driving me crazy, it wasn't just a normal smell, it was a strong pull. The bond the healer mentioned was silent but felt strongly in my blood.

I walked towards him, my fingers shaking as I reached out. My wolf was growling in my head, desperate and almost petrified. I grabbed his jaw and forced his head up.

"Who did this to you?" I snapped. "Who fucked you?"

He opened his eyes, with blood on his lips. "You're disgusting."

"Tell me," I insisted.

"I said leave me alone!" His body jerked, like something was hurting him from inside. He whimpered, curled up, and sweat poured down his face. I stepped back, breathing heavily. The smell was getting stronger, crawling under my skin.

Then, I heard a loud crash outside and turned around fast. A guard was at the door, breathing hard, looking crazy, his teeth getting longer. “He's in heat….he's really in heat….I can smell it….!” I didn't think so. I grabbed the guard's head and slammed it into the stone wall so hard it made a loud crack.

Blood splattered everywhere. He fell down. I stepped over him and shut the cell door. The smell inside was even worse now. Sweet and stinky with desire. My hands were shaking.

I backed away from the boy. He was glowing with fever, almost unconscious. But still alive somehow. I stared at him, breathing heavily.

He was in heat and I was the only alpha strong enough to control it.