تسجيل الدخولMENODORA’S POVI take a step back, putting distance between us physically and emotionally, the only way I know how to.“You talk like you have learned the hard way and managed to come out unscathed." A dark shadow flits across his face, there one minute and gone the next instant.At that moment, I understood something. Like me, Orvax carries his own ghosts too. This realization settles uneasily between us."Arghhhhhhhhh!” A sharp pain slices through my head before I can think too hard about it. I stagger backwards, hands on my head in a bid to stop the relentless throbbing. The world tips dangerously on the edge of my vision and silver clouds flashes before my eyes.There's chains…and blood…and screaming…everywhere.“Please make it stop," I pleaded, grabbing hold of the nearest tree for support."Menodora!" I can hear his voice in my head, sharp and distinct, yet so far away.Another vision flashes across, women burning beneath a blood moon…hands are reaching for me…tearing at my ski
MENODORA'S POV My gaze lingers on him longer than is appropriate and I can't help but notice things that I should not. Things like the roughness of his voice when it's just us two, or the faint scar close to his jaw that I hadn't paid much attention to before. I also notice the way tension bleeds out of his shoulders when he laughs, like for a minute he is forgetting the weight of the world.A strange emotion twists in my guts and I force myself to look away before I do something stupid. “You good?" His voice is quieter now, a look of concern on his face. “You look a bit pale." “I'm fine." My answer comes out too fast and a tad too defensive. He notices and I hold my breath, expecting him to call me out on it, but to my relief, he lets it go."You can ask to rest, you know that right?”His words catch me off guard.“What?" My brows knit together, confusion written all over my features. “You look like you're always on guard…always bracing for something bad to happen…I mean, it's no
ORVAX'S POV “You're staring so hard at me, if I were butter, I'd have melted under the intensity of your stare," she says suddenly without looking in my direction.“I'm just assessing for threats." I didn't expect her to notice, she didn't even seem to be paying attention.“And by any chance, am I one of those threats?" A faint scoff leaves her. How do I explain to her that she is indeed a threat, but not in the way she thinks?“Well…you could be. Can't really tell." That catches her attention and she turns to look at me.“Yet here you are…still staying.” I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I can swear that I hear her voice break just slightly."She's never been chosen before or allowed to choose. This is all new and uncharted territory for her.” I have to constantly remind myself. “Yes. I am here, still staying." I meet her gaze steadily, mirroring her posture and parroting her words back to her.An emotion I cannot name, flickers across her face too quickly for me to ca
ORVAX’S POV“I don't like the idea of people who think that having power automatically means they have ownership.” Her voice is cold and detached in a way I have never heard her speak before. But her reasoning…absolutely fair. I lean against the nearest tree, eyes still watching her with a different lense now.“And is that what you think about me?" I ask carefully.“With you, I don't know what to think." I can see the slight furrow of her brows, the one she usually has when she's trying to pick her words with care. “I barely know you." Her words settle on my chest heavier than they should have because she is right. She doesn't know me nor does she know why I left my pack. She doesn't know that the very thought of councils and bonds and forced loyalty makes my skin crawl with a viciousness that cannot be named. Yet…somehow…I can not stand the idea of her looking at me the same way she sees the others.The weight of that realization is dangerous and it takes every ounce of mental stren
ORVAX’S POVThe first thing that stands out to me is their fear. They're not afraid of me, but of…Menodora. They try to hide it, but I still catch it in the way their shoulders tense at the subtle almost imperceivable shifts in her scent. It's there in the way their eyes linger too long on her hands, on the claws that she is trying so hard not to show.“Interesting," my wolf hums in approval. “It is good that they fear her." When most people look at her, all they can see is danger, a curse, an unnatural phenomenon that should not exist. But me, I see her restraint and that's even by far more dangerous than any curse.The rogues that stand before us do not understand this yet, but soon they will.“You claimed her as if she is yours now?" Dren asks casually, though there is nothing casual about the way his eyes keep track of her every movement and change in expression. I think of the best way to answer his question."How do I even give an answer to him when I don't have an answer mysel
MENODORA'S POV “Relax lupa," I hear him chuckle from beside me. The audacity of him to chuckle when I'm literally on my way to spiralling out of control. “They only attack if they sense weakness in you." My jaw braces, transforming my face into an unreadable mask.“So we don't look weak? Okay, noted." His intense gaze that had been earlier focused on my face momentarily loses its edge. Instead, it is replaced by a soft look of validation that is gone as quickly as it appeared."That's the spirit,” he says.A warm fuzzy feeling spreads through me, lighting up my insides. I hate that I hang on to every word of approval that leaves his lips, I hate that with just a few words, he can rile me up and make me calm at the same time.The sound gets closer now, the branches shifting with the disturbance. Footsteps are approaching, but I can't tell how many they are. They don't seem to be trying to mask their presence, absolutely confident in themselves.Purely on instincts, I adjust my stanc







