KAYLA.
"Rafael" His name softly escaped my lips as my knees knocked to the ground. My body became feeble in a second but his arms were strong enough to wrap around me. I forced my eyes to remain open and I saw the same terror filled his."Rafael, what is happening?" There was a crack in my voice and a vein that protruded along my forehead. "I think you're shifting" He muttered with a voice overshadowed by a lightning strike."Shifting?" I echoed."This is your first shift?" There was a subtle hint of doubt in his voice as I cowered my head. "I need to get you away from here. I need to get you to the river" He quickly said and my mouth hung open with so much difficulty to even speak.When the temperature of my body burned through my clothes, Rafael knew time was not on our side.And so he sped out through the doors on his limbs and I clung unto the hemming of his jacket. He turned into the beast I'd seen before but his was a lot calmer—like he was used to this. The whole journey was a hasty blur through my teary eyes.I just wanted the pain to stop and Rafael had assured me the river would heal my troubled wolf. Turning as an Omega was usually like this but now that I felt it, I was convinced this was way worse. It was yet another reminder of how much we are hated by everyone.Including the Moon Goddess.Her spirit, they said resided in the Oakland Rivers on whose banks Rafael finally came to a halt. He stepped into the river and baptized my head inside of it. I jolted after a few seconds, rising to catch my breath but his hands firmly held around my neck."It's okay" He reassured me. "This will help.""I don't want to" I cried back to him. "I don't want to do it.""You have to, Kayla. It gets easier after tonight. I will teach you how to control it" He said but I shook my head. "I'm scared.""I'll be here" Rafael's eyes were suddenly luscious with a silvery hue, reflecting the moon that blazed the night skies above us. He could control himself but I was new to all of this.My wolf struggled to break free and I let out an ear-splitting scream.But he was there to guard me every step of the way, leading Isla to the surface level. She was my wolf who after a traumatizing first shift, barely made an entrance. But I was weak in my bones and after it all, I slouched my back against a piece of rock.My strengths couldn't lead me to fully transform but I could feel my wolf jump into my heart as well as the immediate tether to Rafael Cordero as he lifted me out of the waters.I remembered his words that preceded this."You are my mate." If I didn't believe before, now I did because I could feel him.The whistling of the waves were calming after so much chaos and I slowly brought my eyes to open. The first person I saw was him handing me a folded towel and then I realized I'd burned through my clothes and was now naked.Naively, I brought my palms across my bare chest and I looked shyly away from his dainty eyes."Here" His voice pierced through my ears and left a hollow in the depths of my growling stomach. My wolf was awake and Isla beckoned to him.Our eyes met and I could only wonder why my father antagonized this man like he was a violent criminal but all Rafael had shown me was kindness. He didn't have to but he looked away the second he saw that I was uncomfortable.I could hear a hard lump slip down his throat as well as the heavy stomping of his heartbeat. It was difficult to control himself around me.I reached for the towel from his hands and my fingers mistakenly grazed against his skin. There was a fiery spark that electrocuted me for a second but leaving me with an urge to touch him again.My teeth gnashed against each other as I shivered. Climbing upon the rock, I lifted my gaze to the moon with my hair drenched across my shoulders. I felt his hands smother my moist skin and tender to the moistness of my hair.I leaned back and Rafael was there.His skin was the warmth and his presence was the comfort that I needed. He wrapped his arms around me and I could fell his slow breathes along the arc of my back. The hairs across my skin shot to the skies as his hands circled the bruised spots still across my body.Rafael wasn't fazed, rather he was mesmerized."How is she this strong?" I could hear his thoughts.His claw dug into my skin and my eyes darted to his eyes. "I hope I don't scare you" He whispered but how could I tell him it was quite the opposite. Just sitting there, he was the strength my body needed."The wounds will heal. I'll give you something when we get back to the pack" Concern glazed his eyes as he brought his lips to the surface of my skin. He kissed the edges of my scars and left a trail of tingling stars and a faint moan escaped my lips."I want to mark you, Kayla" He growled hungrily as his hands drew the towel to open. My head fell back into him and he grazed my rock hard nipples."I want you.""I want you too, Rafael" Came whisper from my lips. Isla was the cause my raging hormones and I knew it would take time to control this new side of me—the side that longed for Rafael Cordero."But you're wounded" His voice crashed my intricate thoughts. "I fear you wouldn't be able to handle it" He added and my hands almost grasped him in plead. But he was right and besides, his mind was already made up it seemed.He was well-intentioned as he was ruthlessly patient and Rafael had made it abundantly clear that he would never let anything harm me. And so with all the self-control he could muster, he tore away and left me an insatiable hole engraved into my chest."You need to get dressed" He cleared his throat. "We can still make it back in time" His eyes wandered as I stood. "Have this" He took out a leather coat he'd set aside and handed it to me.I reached to grab it coyly but was hesitant to strip naked in front of him. This was the man that had seen me in my most vulnerable state but somehow this was even more embarrassing."Turn around" I pursed my lips as blood pumped into my cheeks. Rafael grumped but he obeyed."I'll call Gerald to send a car" He muttered.I untied the towel to slip my slender frame through the soft, moist cotton and then I wore on his jacket. His woody citrus cologne trickled up my nose and when I threw a look over my shoulders, I caught him stealing a glance. A tainted smirk crept to my lips and there was one on his as well."I'm done" I buttoned across the coat and although the lengths barely scraped my knees, at least I was clothed in the crucial parts. My aching feet gnashed across the grounds to him and we towed to the top of the hill. There was already a parked Mercedes waiting for us and we took the backseat."That was eventful" I said to him and he returned a raucous hum. Without his consent, I then slipped between his arms and rested my head upon his thighs. I was so weak I was close to falling asleep.It caught him by surprise but Rafael obliged by letting his hands cusp the back of my head. I finally brought my eyes to close after a tumultuous night and I could really get used to this, falling asleep in his arms for the second consecutive night.It was with him that I felt the safest.Until that changed.The next time I snapped my eyes open, they were met with the roaring intensity of the winds gushing into my face. I was lying across a heap of mulched leaves with a migraine spearing through my head.The moon still shone in all its glory but the night was silent. It was as though I was enveloped with darkness.Where was I?Like a terrible hangover, my feet were heavy to lift up but somehow, I managed to stand. I took a moment to catch my breath and take in everything including the distant hills and the forest trees around me and then I straddled along a dark path.The only path."Rafael?"My first instinct was to call out his name but the forest returned back an echo and even worse. There was a thunderous growl that filled the air like I'd woken something aggravating. All of a sudden, the earth began to quake and fall apart and all I did was clutch my chest with a shaky grasp.I took to my aching heels immediately and there was not even a second to drown the confusion that dawned upon me. My body thrusted through the sharp, elongated leaves that were anything but ordinary.It seemed like a painful illusion as the ground was ethereally as soft as quicksand and the air was hazy, blowing dry the beads of sweat on my forehead. I ran under the moonlight and I didn't stop even as my ankles hurt and my lungs burned for air.Even as the leaves tore through my skin and my heart threatened to fail. I still ran.I ran out of the fear that whatever it was that was behind me would eventually catch up. I could hear the earsplitting footsteps draw closer and fear plummeted my entire body to move forward, but that was until my bare feet struck a shard of thorn."Help!" I came crashing into the ground."Help" I wiped my dirt-smudged face as i clawed my way backwards. I turned around to face the dark skies and then all of a sudden the creature came into view with its shiny silvery eyes and blood stained paws. Ivory fangs from the corners of his mouth and a tail that could sweep down a skyscraper.The screeches of familiarity made my ears bleed as he growled above me. I couldn't believe my eyes the moment they met his own."Rafael?" I whimpered, searching for him in this treacherous beast but by his dark, cold eyes, you could tell he wasn't there anymore. He howled into the winds and sharpened his teeth to dig into me like chunky meat."Don't do this, Rafael" I shook my head. "It's me."But without wasting a split second, he charged down to me, driving his hungry teeth into the skin of my neck. The moment it happened, an electric ripple soared through my body and I jolted up, awake.I gasped, arising from his thighs and he reached out to me."Are you okay?" Rafael asked.Disoriented and drenched profusely in sweat, I met his eyes and couldn't find the words to say. There was this strange feeling that all of a sudden existed between us and I pulled away from him."It was a bad dream" I lied."About what?"My heart jackhammered against my chest and I pushed a hard lump down my throat. "I don't remember" How was I to tell him that he’d killed me in that dream.And why did the sequence feel so real.A million unanswered questions filled my head and I no longer felt safe. An arch came between his brows and I couldn't tell whether or not he believed me. I know Rafael swore to never let anything harm me but what if he was the threat?What if he was the danger—How would he protect me then?After all, he was one of the most powerful apex predators to ever roam the planet—a Lycan King. A lethal beast in his most primal form.I feared my father's reasoning began to make sense but after everything, as I sat opposite Rafael, I still didn't know who exactly he was. Was the dream a past or a prophecy because it sure felt like one of them.Was Rafael Cordero not who I thought he was?Was the enemy my mate?The car came to a halt and my door opened. "We're here. We're home." His voice broke into my thoughts and when I looked from the entrance of the Blood Mountain pack and then back to his dazzling eyes,—I knew everything was about to change forever.KAYLA. The cold winds gushed into my face as I alighted from the car. The first thing to meet my eyes was the pearly resplendent gates of Rafael’s castle. The building was gigantic with a hundred narrow, open slits for windows. The scent of this part of Oakland was different as well. Way different from back home.As the evergreen trees danced to the tunes of the whirling wind, a colorful bird landed on the pavement right next to me and I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander until it flew back up into the skies. His tower was the heart of Oakland, a building that dated back to centuries ago.I’ve only heard about this place from people or read it in books. Never dreamed of the day I would be standing in front of the hundred feet beauty—the home to the Lycans. A diverse group of supernaturals that spent their whole lives exiled to this place.It was no wonder why they never complained.“It’s beautiful” I blurted out and Rafael’s hands wrapped around my shoulders. There was this state o
KAYLA.I opened my eyes after a rough night to see the sun setting in through the window. My eyelids were heavy but the pain in my body had subsided a large amount from the previous day. It felt magical waking up from a neatly laid, soft bed after living half my life sleeping on a rocky floor.The morning was beautiful until I suddenly felt an arm grope around my waist. I yawned and turned to the other side and behold, I was met closely with Rafael. He shot his eyes open and even when he realized his arms had slipped around me, he was still reluctant to take them off.I paused within his grasp, refraining my eyes from falling to his bare, hairy chest. There was a dragon tattoo spread sexily across his shoulders and it was the first time I'd seen it. His muscles were moist with sweat and even halting breathes escaped his lips.God, this man would be the death of me.His smirk stomped my heart and our eyes met for a few seconds. The morning was beautiful but it was also a time where the
KAYLA.The chirping of the birds echoed above me as I clung to the edge of the balcony. Below I could see where everyone was gathered, hands around their champagne glasses as they exchanged pleasantries. Time had passed and I was somehow able to forget about the whole Rafael thing.Heaving a deep breath, I just craved some much needed air and silence that I got from up here. The winds were colder on this axis, raising the hair across my skin as it gushed into me. Perhaps it was because of the acres of forest in the near distance.The Manila forest was home to many tales and legends—some of which were even too frightening to consider more than a myth. I tore my eyes away from the trees and looked down at the Blood Mountain Pack. There were about a hundred people or more in attendance and a quarter of them were women who came with the hopes of drawing the Alpha’s attention.Rafael.You could tell by the lascivious way they dressed and the large diamonds that fell around their neck. The
RAFAEL. Tearing down the castle doors, I made my way through in search of my parents. "Mother!" I gritted through my teeth before seeing her against the throne. "Ohh Veronica has been looking everywhere for y—""Where's dad?" I interrupted her and she batted her lashes at me. I wasn't interested in Veronica nor was I in whatever she was about to say. And just then, the door opened to my father. "What's going on?" Carlos could scent the tension fill the room."I've decided that Kayla isn't going anywhere" I replied, darting a stare to the both of them. Ingrid was the most bewildered, taking a step down the throne. "What do you mean, Rafael?" She asked."We've already had this conversation and I assumed you'd make the right decision for the very first time" She snarled. "There's simply no way you're getting married to that woman, Rafael" My father chipped in as well and I shook my head at the both of them. Flashing behind my eyes were the memories from the first time I’d met Kayla.I
KAYLA.Ever since I was a little girl, I've found out that journaling was the best way to express myself. Having literally no one else to talk to forced me to pick up a book one day and start channeling my emotions into it. It was the best form of therapy and I usually assumed I was speaking to my mother.Whenever I wrote, it was almost as if I could feel her presence surround me and in the times of tears, I could fell her arms stretch out to comfort me. I usually told her about the wrath I faced in Archer's hands and how everyone hated me since she passed but most of all, I told her how much I wished she was still here.How my life would be so much different if I had my mother by my side.Then one day, my step sisters got their hands on the secret book and their first instinct was to take it to my father. He was furious when he found out all I’ve been saying. I could remember his exact words, calling me selfish and ungrateful for everything he'd done.It was that day he gave me the s
RAFAEL.The royal chambers were occupied with a number of us. Night had fallen and it was time for dinner. I’d called a meeting with the elder betas including Veronica’s father and I watched as he exchanged pleasantries with both Ingrid and Carlos. They took their seats around the table and Veronica set her venomous eyes on me.“I’ve been thinking” Her father started.“My daughter is really keen about the wedding preparations” He added and my mother chuckled. “So is the King” She replied. There was a contagious laughter that went around the table but it all silenced when the door drew open again. My eyes lit up as Kayla walked in.Veronica cowered her head and Ingrid didn’t hide the displeasure flash in her eyes. I ordered when we first got here that she have dinner with us but for the past few days, I hadn’t seen Kayla. It was so much of a relief to see her face and that she was doing okay but I couldn’t shake from my thoughts what happened the last time we spoke.As she took her se
KAYLA“Oh wow.”I marveled at the sight of the glowing pendant because I’d never seen something quite like this. A gazillion questions roamed behind my eyes, including whether or not Rafael knew about this. The tears seized from falling down my cheeks as I reached across to the necklace.Like an amulet, its light hit the ceiling and emanated a purple hue. I enclasped it like an artifact in my hands. narrowing my eyes at the hauntingly beautiful diamond. It was warm and embracing, like a presence flowed through the stone—a presence that seemed to choose me.What was this."Am I making the right decision?" My first instinct was to speak to it and after a moment, it beamed twice. I had no idea what that meant but a faint smile crept to the corner of my lips. It seemed like the crystal was talking back to me."Was Sarah murdered by a wild animal in the woods?" I asked the next obvious question and this time, it was hesitant although it still beamed. It was like an ancient artifact with
RAFAEL.“How did you never tell me you had a brother?”Kayla asked the first of the hundred questions that roamed in the back of her mind. She ran the towel through her messy hair and then took a seat on the same bed where I was. It’s been an hour since we got back from the forest and every second since then, I’d dreaded that question.How was I supposed to tell her that even the thought of Lucien was dead in my head. Ever since he left a long time ago, I’d killed him in my mind, thinking there was no way he would resurface. Thinking with him in the past, I would be able to finally move forward.I don’t go about telling people of my brother, Lucien because all he has ever done was ruin my life and ruin everything. “Rafael” Kayla’s soft voice drifted me out of my thoughts and I tied my lips to the corner, letting my eyes fall on her. We were the only ones in the room, excused by all the maids and guards. I just wanted to make sure she was okay after all that happened, and besides the