Unhinged:Taming Dante

The melancholic, suffocating air that fanned against my pale face drained what little strength I had left, fueling the fear and trepidation boiling inside me—threatening to burst from my chest. Today was the day of my doom—the day the kingdom of Arazona gathered in celebration, blind to the noose tightening around my throat. My imperial mother’s soothing, overly calm voice still echoed in my ears like the distant music played by the royal orchestra. Her words had stamped themselves onto my mind, much like the dancers’ feet etched their rhythm onto the marble floor. Everything about the ceremony made me sick—the way Father smiled indulgently from his high throne, the way Mother sparkled beside him in her finest jewels, her expression glowing with pride. They looked every bit the image of royalty—poised, perfect, oblivious. The way the people laughed and danced and cheered, as if this day were meant for joy and not the quiet slaughter of their princess. This alliance was not a union—i

"Dante." His voice glided through the air and into my ears, startling me. We had sat in silence for half the ride, which only made me more anxious—yet, deep down, I was glad the scarily beautiful man hadn’t spoken to me until now. "My name. Dante." He added it as if to reassure my thumping, trembling heart. If that was his aim, it did the exact opposite. His voice carried a compelling, autocratic weight—velvety, but commanding—which only made my heart thrash harder. I feared he could see it pulsing wildly beneath the cursed wedding gown, especially with the way he looked at me. His presence terrified me. I was married to a monster—and no matter how resigned I was to fate, it was still a hard truth to swallow. I shaped my lips to produce a reply, hoping they wouldn’t go numb from fear like the rest of my body. "O—" I cleared my throat; the word had come out shaky and cracked. I tried again. "Oh." But on second thought, it sounded too bland, too disinterested—far from what I mean

“Luna, you seemed curious about the carvings, didn’t you?” That cool—and may I say, sexy—feminine baritone swept across my ears, making my eyes widen like saucers. That taunting, playful tone was unmistakable, even though it had only been a short while since I met that person... or thing? “White wolf?” My jaw dropped. “Quite the description, don’t you think?” She flashed a teasing smile. “Blake,” I corrected myself, flustered. Questions marks ran wild in my head. Blake, right? In Arazona, Blake was definitely a man’s name. “My name? It’s a unisex name.” Blake raised her hand in mock surrender. If anything, I hated how effortlessly taunting she looked and sounded. “I didn’t say anything,” I mumbled, almost rolling my eyes. Did werewolves have the power to read minds too? “You had it written in your eyes, Luna.” She shrugged. “Ohhh.” That hit my ego hard. I always prided myself on being unreadable. Even back in Arazona, I was said to be one of the hardest people to read. Guess

He didn’t come.Two days and night crept away and he hadn’t appeared before my eyes, not that I complained at all, I had mixed feelings. As much as I wanted the handsome beast to stay away, a tiny winy part of me felt undesirable. I had gone through the vicious cycle of waking up, being dressed up by my handmaids like a doll and being locked up in a room; our matrimonial room, I’ve heard. I could only see the overview of the pack from the windows of the room, luckily the windows all had good sights of the pack and even beyond the pack gates and I dilly-dallied watching the animal-people go on with their daily activities. If only I had a sethescope, I could get a better view of the city.Usually, I tried to pry the girls for as little information as I could get but they were rather very tight lipped. They hadn’t warmed up to me one bit and they were almost afraid of me, or rather, what I was capable of doing. Day three and I sat at the dressing table, I had gotten used to some of the

As I watched her sleeping peacefully, my heart wavered between uncertainty and desire. I knew that trusting a human was risky, especially when my wolf threatened to break free from its chains. But there was something about her, something that called to me, something that made me want to protect her.Reluctantly, I tore my gaze away and moved towards the window, my senses attuned to any sudden movements or disturbances. As I peered out into the darkness, I caught a glimpse of a figure disappearing from view. It was him - the mysterious person I had spoken to earlier. I wondered what his intentions were and if he had any connection to the Vamps.Though my instincts warned me to stay vigilant, my thoughts drifted back to the girl lying motionless behind me. I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not even for a moment. With a heavy heart, I returned to her side and gently reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her face."You're safe with me," I whispered softly, partly to reassu