The only consolation is that human hunters might deem today as too inconvenient to go on with hunting us—werewolves who are imprisoned on this island. Hopefully, they postpone the hunting indefinitely.
I sit on a slab of stone that overlooks the angry ocean. It looks as if a typhoon is coming but we all know that it’s just the monsoon.
I take a deep breath. The atmosphere is oppressive, and truth be told, I want to hide too, but I can’t. Adults like me, especially the strong ones, are morally bound to act as bait for the children. They can’t fight yet, not until their training is completed. They still need a few more years to learn and to watch how we survive in this weekly turmoil.
I look around the area. There are only two of us on the beach, me and my best friend, Nowra. We don’t have any weapon except our strength and speed, and the fact that we can transform into wolves. It’s not a huge advantage though. Humans know our weaknesses. And besides, it’s a double-edged sword for most. As time passes, werewolves can no longer control it as efficiently as possible. And that only leaves us with one option, run from human hunters.
We hear the weapons fire–its sound reverberates throughout the island. It only means one thing, no postponement for us.
“Kaiya,” Nowra calls.
“Nowra,” I answer and bow my head to her.
Nowra and I stand up. We approach each other and hold each other’s hand with our palms towards each other. Then, we touch our forehead and whisper, “May we survive this tribulation.”
We close our eyes and say our thanks and wishes. And we hope that the moon goddess is still there, listening to her children. It’s been a hundred years since werewolves tried to take over the planet. We lost the war and now, all of us are either slaves, prisoners, or in hiding.
We open our eyes and look into each other’s eyes. It’s our ritual. A way to reassure each other that we will survive this. We prepare ourselves. Even separated, we can watch each other’s back. It’s been a long fifteen years since I arrived here. It’s Nowra who helped me get accustomed to being a slave prisoner in this hunting island park. At werewolves' age, we are still young adults. Five human years is equivalent to one year of aging for werewolves.
Then a silver bullet comes whizzing beside my ear. We both duck and look at the hunters. Nodding at each other, we transform into our wolf form. Like me, Nowra can easily control her werewolf. There is no problem with aggression and the need to kill as well. For us, it is a weapon to escape, to run, to continue hiding in the dark. It’s another story for the other werewolves though.
As we are running the length of the beach, we hear growls of pain and death. I clench my jaws and continue backing away from the humans. As always, they are using hoverboards created by the mages which makes them move faster. They fire another bullet in my direction. I jump to a slab of rock and use it as cover. I felt it cracking behind me, and I hope Nowra is safe as she runs to the other side of the beach.
Before the hunter fires another round, I run towards the next stone, then the next tree, until he flattens the surroundings. I face the human. There is a snicker on his face. He’s enjoying this faux hunting, just like how the island park owner wants it to be. I can’t kill him, because that will just place all the attention on me on the next hunt. All we have to do is to run and wait for the dark to come. Besides, this will only last for three hours.
I live on this island for years. I know the area already. That’s another advantage that I have. It’s the reason why, after fifteen human years, I can survive the weekly hunting. It’s also the reason why the children can still grow into adulthood. They can hide, while we act as bait.
“Are you tired of living now, little werewolf!?!” the human taunts as he stops a few meters away from me.
I scrutinize him. He’s a huge human. Seven feet tall. With muscles bulging from his clothes. This one is used to this–to hunting and killing. No. Not just hunting werewolves. I’m certain the human in front of me is a mercenary.
“This is my first time in this wonderful park! Now, come and let me enjoy this thrill!”
I take a step back. I know it. This man can kill me. My gut instincts scream that same litany over and over. He takes a lasso and whips the sandy beach beside him. I groan. He’s a mage hunter, worse than a simple human hunter. The silver whip he’s holding is something that can inflict pain on a werewolf. One whip is all it will take and it will siphon us of our strength.
“My little werewolf. Don’t be afraid. You can try to kill me,” he sneers.
I am about to run when the man clicks his tongue. “That’s not a wise move. See, the one you are with? I think she needs your help. You see, my leader has a taste for beautiful werewolves. And he is so much more stronger than I am. My question is, do you think your little friend can handle that?”
I growl. This time, I bare my teeth at him. Nowra knows combat, but I am stronger than her. She’s smart, but my instincts move faster than her.
“I also notice that your friend is beautiful. Does she already have a mate? My leader can smell that too, you know. A werewolf with a mate. Nothing is more satisfying for him.”
I perk my ears. I can’t hear Nowra. That’s weird. We promised not to go so far from each other that we will cease to feel each other’s presence. If she needs help, I can just run in her direction and we will take care of the hunters.
“We’re only here to smoke out all the werewolves on this island. We just need to count you guys, but I think I will enjoy hunting you instead.” He trembles in excitement, “It’s been a while.”
He hits the beach again, and the whips crackle with electricity. I pull back, making sure that the electricity won’t travel toward me. And then there it is—an ear-splitting scream. I stop in my tracks. It’s not from Nowra, but from one of the kids that we are taking care of. It’s Apari!
Welcome to this story! This is a dark steamy romance with fantasy and action subplots, so expect some pretty flawed characters. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the read!
Apari continues to scream. Why though? He’s hiding in one of the underground shelters. What happened to their guards? And Nowra, why can’t I hear her? My heart thumps and I am about to go to Apari’s rescue when I feel a lasso going around my feet. It doesn’t hurt, but I can feel its magic. It’s snaking from my feet towards all over my body. I feel weak. My wolf form is fading, and I am turning back to human. I remember this. The weapon that caused the werewolves' defeat. It was created by a noble family, the Owusu’s. Later on, this whip becomes their family brand. But the Owusu is a high-ranking family. No. Nowra mentions that the Owusu family rules a Kingdom now. Is this guy royalty, then? It can’t be, right? With no clothes and weak, the human stands over me, his eyes raking all over my body. I never had a problem with nudity before, but the way his eyes scour my body sends shivers of disgust along my skin. I try to stand up but fail in the process. I feel sick. And yet, the r
The smell of clean sheets and lavender invades my senses before I am aware of my surroundings. Soft and hard, both contrasting features, but laden with comfort. I open my eyes to see a sleeping man beside me. I sit up and the blankets fall over my shoulders and his, revealing a half-naked man, peacefully sleeping next to me. I swallow as events replay in my head. This man is my mate. A human, but still my mate. Then desire washes over me as I watch his sleeping form. I want to touch him. I want to smother him with kisses. I am about to reach out to him when I pause and suddenly pull back. What the hell! Nowra warns me about this too. Heightened desire and being horny all the time. The need to touch my mate and the desire to make him happy. This is uncomfortable and yet very… what? Pleasing? I shake my head and look around the room. The bed is in the middle with cabinets on its side. A door is on my left. Crossing swords decorate the wall, but other than that, the room is simple. Th
I look at his face–there is a serious look on it. He changed a bit on the vow and I wonder if it will be alright? Will the moon goddess accept it or not? “Is there something wrong with my vow?” he asks. I shake my head. “It’s just different.” “You don’t like different?” he asks. A sheepish grin forms on his face and I breathe a sigh of relief. “It depends on what kind of different.” “Shouldn’t we seal the vow with a kiss or something?” Ah! Embarrassed, I look around. More than half of the humans on the deck are men. In truth, the vow is followed by a kiss, but doing it here, even if he is my mate… I turn my attention back to him and admit, “It is followed by a kiss.” A pleased smile appears on his face. He leans over to me and plants a quick kiss on my lips. “There. The vow is made. You are now officially my woman.” I nod, with my hands still on his. Nowra says that progress with mates is fast. Does she mean something like this? Nowra and her mate copulate on the first day th
The instant the door closes on our room, Theo touches my lips to his. It is a close-lipped, chaste kiss as if he is trying to make me familiar with him first. When he pulls back from the kiss, I wind my arms around his neck and ask, “So, what’s the story of the eye bags?” He unconsciously touches it and groans. “Too much work and I can’t sleep at night.” “Am I a noisy sleeper?” “It’s because you sleep so peacefully beside me.” There’s a knock on the door and we both go to the couch while the servants place our dinner on the table. “That Harbin. I said tea and snacks.” “It’s dark now, so it makes sense that they are giving us dinner instead,” I say. Theo sighs and orders the servant, “Bring in the bath, too.” Once the servants leave, I sample the dish. It’s delicious, but somehow, something is wrong. I look at it and then at Theo, who’s about to gobble it up. My hand automatically moves and slaps the food from him. He frowns at me, especially when the meat drops all over the
As Theo licks all over my body, I feel like someone else as the pleasure wracks my body. The cold on my skin and air, and the contrasting warmth of his tongue on my body create an enticing combination, until my back arches in resignation. My hands wildly touch his shoulders, his head, and his back, everywhere I can reach. I am already too lost on it, too aroused that when his lips touch my heaving mound, I make a squeal. Light flashes through my vision and my body moves on its own, as pleasure courses through my body. As my body trembles on my orgasm, he watches me, his hand gently trailing along my stomach and up again. There are tears in my eyes as if pleading him for something that I don’t know about. When my back touches the bed again, he asks, “Is this your first time having an orgasm?” “I don’t know,” I admit. “I forget everything except fifteen years ago when I arrive at the park.” Theo moves up and kisses my cheeks. “Why are you as
After breakfast and bath, I insist to dress up, thinking that I am going to Harbin later for my studies. But the way the day is going, it seems like Theo has a different plan for me. “Theo, it’s Monday, right? Shouldn’t I be with Harbin instead?” He glowers at me. “You prefer his company more than mine?” “That’s not it! You said it yourself, there is a certain expectation to a King’s lover.” “He took your yesterday from me. So today, it’s fair that I will have you all for myself,” he says and his mouth touches mine again. He pushes me down the couch and showers small kisses on my face, while my hands rest on his shoulders. When his hands go inside my dress, I squeal and cover my mouth. “Sorry,” I say. Based on Harbin’s lessons, it's unbecoming for a lady to make a sound like that. “Don’t be,” he says and kisses the side of my cheeks. “The sounds you make guide me on what you like and dislike.” “But Harbin says on our etique
Theo winds his arms around my shivering body. I can smell it again, lavender, and all I want is to stay right here in his embrace. When my tears die down, I whisper, “Should we go on with it then?” I ask. “The rejection.” “What are you saying?!” His features darken and I look away. “I am not meant to become a King’s lover. I think it’s better to stop this before this goes on.” Theo pulls away. I grimace as he tightly grips my shoulders. “Do you really think I still can let you go?! I just found you!” “But I’m—” “We will keep it a secret. No one would know that I am not your first. You are going to stay with me.” Then he scowls, “Don’t tell me you’re the one who doesn’t want to take an effort?! Are you going to give me up that easy?!” “But, the other people, they—” “Fuck them! I want you with me, only you.” I look longingly at him. “If you accept me for who I am, then I will be yours forever.” He take
Laughter erupts as Theo gawks at my form. He gets off the bed and lifts me, then sets me on the side of the bed. He takes a blanket that’s on the ground beside the couch and covers me with it. “Now, I wonder where are our sleepwear? It must have been a crazy night for us to lose it,” he jests. Before opening the door, he stoops over the side of the tub and wears his clothes. He greets someone at the door and then, two servants enter carrying food. “Harbin, she’ll go to the study room once she’s done eating and taking a bath. Now go, you’ll just be a distraction.” When Theo shifts his attention back to me, he’s already smiling and there’s no Harbin outside our room. He ushers me to sit beside him and while we are eating, two servants take care of the mess we’ve made in the room and prepare the bath. I study Theo as he languidly eats. “What’s wrong?” I ask. “Are you tired?” “I’m not tired,” he says. “I simply wish that we can stay in