Page 17 of The Wolf

“I can’t believe you just said that.” Tears push into my eyes again, not sure whether from hurt or anger this time. Perhaps the mix of both. All I know is that the honeymoon is officially over. It lasted way too short for my liking.

I push the covers off my body, get out of bed, and move to the closet to put on some clothes, ignoring his presence.

“I apologize if this is harsh to hear, but I can’t understand why you keep holding onto it after you’ve learned the truth.”

He just doesn’t get how it feels to completely lose an identity. In one short moment, the whole world as I knew it fell apart. And even if I pretend to be okay, there are still pieces of me that I need to glue back together to reshape into this new reality.

“I don’t like you very much right now,” I tell him, avoiding a direct answer because I honestly don’t feel like arguing about it at this time.

“Well, I’m not fond of you right now, either,” he barks back. “But youwilldo as I say.”

I stare at him in disbelief.

“Julia,” he whispers. I can tell he forces himself to be delicate, but it only makes his deep, unearthly voice sound more ominous. “I know you’re upset—”

“Get out of my head!” I snap when I realize he’s reading my mind.

He growls low in his chest, annoyed at my overreaction.

ButamI overreacting?

I need to get some fresh air. I literally feel like I’m suffocating in here.

Without a word, I leave the chamber. Thankfully, he doesn’t stop me. I swear, if he doesn’t realize he was out of the line, I…

What exactly am I going to do?

I’m stuck here for the rest of my life, tied to him by fate.

Weare stuck together. And I don’t mean the fun knotting part.

I love him and all, but he could be slightly more empathetic. To be completely honest, I don’t think I’ve evenbegunto process everything that has happened since the moment I saw his glowing yellow eyes fixated on me while I was masturbating in my room. And it’s been one trainwreck after another from there. The least he could do is try to be more understanding. Of course, I know he cares about me, but I just need a second to breathe.

I head downstairs and go outside to the gardens located at the back of the castle. The lush surroundings spread to the edge of the pine forest, which lines the walls of the Veil.A gentle breeze carries the sweet fragrance of flowers and the tempting aroma of ripe fruit, while the sounds of the river cascadingdownhill into a waterfall, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds, create a relaxing symphony. Colorful exotic plants intertwine with ancient trees, their branches heavy with harvest, glistening in the aurora lights. Various wild animals wander freely, with predators and prey coexisting in perfect harmony.

I rub my eyes, convinced it’s only just a dream. Or perhaps I did die that day in Alex’s arms, and I’m in heaven now. Surely, a paradise like this cannot be real. But when I regain my vision, the garden is still the same, the fresh air fills my lungs once more.

Right in the middle, there’s a tree, bigger than all the others, unlike any tree I’ve ever seen in the real world. Curious, I begin to approach it, passing an elephant and petting a lion along the way. When I get closer, the tree appears to be… shimmering. I reach my hand to examine it but am startled by a huge snake slithering past my ankles and quickly disappearing out of sight.

Then I hear a regal baritone coming from behind me. “What did he do to make you upset already?”

As I turn around, my breath catches in my throat. By the rose bush stands a half-naked, fair-skinned, super tall man, perhaps in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, radiating an ethereal beauty that leaves me speechless. He’s smiling gently, but there’s a deep sadness in his eyes—the eyes that are in the lightest crystal-blue shade, almost glowing like platinum. The palest blond, long hair flows down in big, loose curls past his broad shoulders, and his chiseled face is a work of art—soft, youthful, and gorgeous. He has masculine features and a strong, athletic male body with carved muscles, exposed by the absence of any shirt over his torso and low-hanging linen slacks. Yet, he’s so utterly flawless that he looks androgynous.

I stand frozen in absolute awe, unable to form a single word, overwhelmed by the sheer aura of the figure before me.

“I come here to think, too,” he tells me after it becomes clear I’m too flabbergasted to answer. “It’s my favorite part of this place. I tried to recreate it to resemble Eden.”

In an instant, I realizewhohe is.

7.

Queen

Holy Hell!

A wave of disbelief washes over me, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Surely this can’t be…

I gulp before I finally speak, “I didn’t know you’re a shifter.”

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