Tonya The sound of heavy paw-steps thudding outside the tent made me stir. What was going on? It was still cold, and a faint breeze carried his scent of woodsmoke and pine through the fabric walls. I stirred slowly, blinking my eyes open to the canvas of my tent. Morning had arrived but the warmth beside me from the night before was gone. Surely, last night was a dream. I yawned and stretched lazily, but when images of Ezra pinning me beneath his body flooded my mind, I gasped, blushing hard and straightening like a ramrod. The flap opened only slightly and I saw golden eyes watching me curiously. Shade had pushed his face inside the tent, and was watching me as I yawned. The moment our eyes met, his tongue fell out slightly and… did he purr? Butterflies exploded in my belly violently. Shade had an unexplainable effect on me. And his human Ezra as well.Shade tore his gaze away from me and turned back, closing the flap. I took a deep breath to silence my thundering heart when all of
Tonya We ran through the night nonstop. Shade was powerful and tireless beneath me. His golden fur shimmered under the moonlight, mesmerizing me. I held on tightly, and once again pressed my cheek against his warm back. The cold wind stung my eyes, but I didn't care because the wind smelled of freedom. It was a thousand times better than the cozy fire in the cabin.Sometime during the journey, I noticed we weren’t alone anymore. Hundreds of wolves ran with us, their paws thudding softly against the forest floor. Some wolves flanked us on motorcycles, others in jeeps, headlights bouncing through the trees. They followed their Alpha without question, like an army answering only to their king.I wanted to ask about the challenge. Had it been postponed? Cancelled? But I couldn’t bring myself to ask about it. I clung to Shade, my fingers buried in the thick fur around his neck. I realized that I didn’t need answers. All I needed was this feeling of a safety net around me. And so I closed
Tonya A deafening explosion shattered the silence of the cabin. I screamed and ran, clutching my ears as the very ground beneath me shook. Dust fell from the rafters. Outside the window, I saw a cloud of smoke rising. My heart leapt into my throat at the sound of splintering wood and crumbling metal. The fence was gone. It was blown to pieces.“No, no, no,” I whimpered as I dragged myself across the wooden floor. I crawled to the darkest corner of the cabin and wrapped my arms around my knees, trembling. I was sure of it now. The rogues had come. And they attacked me. They’d heard my screams. They’d smelled my fear. I was going to die here, torn apart in a lonely cabin while the snow fell quietly outside. I prayed to the goddess as tears rushed out. Today was the day of the challenge. If not Zeke, then I would die at the hands of the rogues. The next sound I heard was the door being ripped from its hinges. It was torn from the frame like it was paper. I closed my eyes and shrank fu
EzraThe seventh day finally arrived. It was the day of the challenge. The full moon hovered at the horizon. It glowed larger with every passing second. I couldn’t help feeling restless, not because I had to fight Zeke. I knew I would take him down in less than thirty minutes. But I was restless because I couldn’t wait to meet Tonya. Or was the effect of the full moon?Werewolves’ emotions were at peak during the full moon. And this was a reason why all of us were adrenalin charged. Not only that, we were prohibited to go near the human towns because of our feral natures. I stood before the mirror, bare-chested, as I stared at my reflection, cursing myself for not even trimming my beard. I looked so rough. My hair had grown longer, and curled around my neck. Damn it. I should have got them cut. What was she going to think of me?My heart should have been focused on victory, on the power I would seize tonight. But all I could think of was Tonya. What was she going to wear? I hope not
EzraOnly one week was left before the challenge. And I was losing my damn mind.I stood in the center of the training grounds, bare-chested, bruised, and breathing heavily. My knuckles were raw, my arms bloodied from sparring without holding back. Around me, warriors had formed a wide circle and none dared to step in. Especially not after witnessing the last three go down brutally. I had cracked their ribs and probably left some with concussions. I knew that they would heal soon enough.But I didn’t care. Every punch I threw, every fist I blocked and every howl I let rip into the air wasn’t enough to drown the memory of her lips.All I could see, through the blur of motion and sweat and adrenaline, were her lips. The way Tonya’s soft lips, trembled under my lips. They tasted like desperation and unspoken promises. Her skin tasted like elixir I realized had been looking for all my life. That one kiss had fractured something inside me. It was mind-shattering. Like a lightning bolt that
Tonya I looked at the closed door with shock and disbelief as Zeke shut it with a finality."Zeke!" I screamed, rushing to the door and pounding on it with my fists. “Zeke, open the door! This isn’t funny!”His voice came from the other side. It was so calm and cold that it was eerie. “Scream all you want, Tonya. No one will hear you. We’re miles away from the nearest civilization. You’re mine now in every sense.” He let out a dark chuckle. “Only the wild beasts come here at night, but don’t worry, I’ll take care of that as well. I’ll build a tall fence around this cabin.”My knees buckled and I sank on the floor. He truly isolated me. I let out a scream that echoed in the cabin. The only response was his jeep roaring away. There was no temple, no wedding. Only lies. He had woven a perfect trap for me.Silence came too soon. It pressed against my ears until I could hear the sound of my own panicked breath. Slowly, I crawled to the door. At first, I knocked it lightly, like Zeke would