✧

Chaos.

Everywhere I look is pure chaos.

My heart pounds against my wolf's ribcage as I race through the trees to fight off the trespassers on our land. We've been preparing weeks for this and I know I'm in safe hands when I battle alongside my brother.

Dead wolves scatter the forest floor and I refuse to let myself become one of them.

I might not be the strongest but I'm quick on my feet due to the size of my wolf. She's nimble and sneaky and I trust her with all my heart–even if we're running head on into danger. My family will protect me if I need to but I don't want to be a damsel in distress. I'm ready to let my wings spread wide and free.

Viola. Imogen's voice floods through my head. Everything okay?

A grey wolf comes barrelling towards me with blood dripping off their canines. I swerve out of the way at the last second before turning back to the intruder. I growl at the sight of them as they halt in the dirt.

Need back up. I state.

On my way.

My paws grind into the dirt before pushing off the ground and racing towards them. I duck beneath their sharp teeth and run straight into their legs, sending us to the floor with a tumble. I extend my arms and scratch my claws down the centre of their spine.

Imogen's larger wolf steps to my side and clamps her mouth around the back of his neck before twisting and ripping his throat from his body. The wolf falls onto me and I kick it off without hesitation.

I stand on my four paws and shake out my limbs. Imogen steps closer, a small gash across her cheeks. You okay?

Yeah. I got this.

Good. Imogen's head twists, sensing more wolves. Come on, let's do this together.

We both start to run off until a subtle smell has me stopping in my tracks. I flick my head over my shoulder but I cannot see anyone else. The sounds of growls and howls of pain echo in the distance but I'm alone.

The second I take a step to join Imogen, I'm flooded with the smell of damp wood and spice. My tongue burns as if I can taste it and my blood freezes in my veins. I gulp and look again but I can't see any wolves.

A tingling sensation forms around my head and I lose my breath. What the hell is that?

I shudder at the feeling and release a whine as it becomes stronger. My chest tightens and I attempt to use my lungs as deeply as possible but I'm blinded by the scent once more. I inhale and my wolf screams, eager to move closer. But I hold our legs back.

A branch snaps behind me and I twist my head in the direction. Blood roars in my ears and I know I should move but I can't. I'm stuck. I'm falling into a trance of the wave of comfort but deep down I cannot trust a single thing.

My back legs hit the stump of a tree and I turn around, only to be met with glowing silver eyes that resemble moonlight and a large black wolf. I gulp at the sight as he prowls closer. His steps are slow and precise, sizing me up like prey. I'm merely an insect compared to him. He's huge. He could crush me within seconds.

Move. Move. I demand to myself but I can't. I'm frozen stiff.

Those silver eyes gleam back at me with hunger. I breathe through my snout sharply. He steps closer and closer as his scent wraps around my sternum and suffocates me until I'm almost lightheaded.

I'm vibrating from the inside out with a mixture of emotions–some I don't understand.

I flinch when I hear a voice slip through my head like rough silk. This cannot be real.

Pleased to know you're not running, sweetness.

No. No. No.

His gaze roams over my wolf and he opens his mouth to lick across his canines as if he's imagining how I taste. My veins pulse aggressively until my legs start shaking pathetically. A zap against my heart is trying to tell me something but I refuse to believe it–this must be a mistake. A huge mistake.

Suddenly a rational instinct kicks in and I push off my back legs and into the trees. I don't look back, I keep running. This can't be happening. Bile rises in my throat.

He's a traitor. He's not one of us.

That is exactly what I didn't want you to do. His voice is like smoke and whiskey. Now I'm going to have to chase you and I will enjoy every second of it.

Panic erupts in my brain and I run faster than I ever have in my life. Only to be blocked off by a wolf baring his canines at me. I suck down a breath and move in another direction until a dark grey wolf sprints towards me.

I stare between them to find the black wolf with silver eyes appear behind me. I hate myself for not being able to take my eyes off him. He's mesmerising, in the most dangerous of ways. My wolf cries at me. I know who he is to us, but I don't want to admit it.

You think you can run from me?

My eyes widen and I stop breathing altogether.

Come on. Let me hear your voice. I bet it's innocent, sweet, soft.

I shake my head once. He takes dominant steps until I'm drowning in his scent and my skin raises in goosebumps as if a draft has passed. My wolf wants to reach out and nuzzle herself into him but I pull her back. She wants him but I don't.

Fine. He grumbles. Play this the hard way. But I'm not leaving without you. You're mine, sweetness, and there is nothing you can do about it.

Then they pounce and I'm being dragged away. I kick and wriggle beneath their sharp teeth and claws but I can't escape them, not when I'm half the size of all three of them.

Nate! I scream to my brother. Nate. Nate. They've got me. Don't let them take me. Please. Please. I don't want to go with him.

I push my legs out causing one of the wolves to catch my flesh with his claws. I cry out in agony and fall limp at the deep cut.

Nate!

Blood oozes out of my leg and tears well in my eyes. They're going to take me away.

No. No. No. I want to stay here. At my home.

Despite my wolf howling at the sensation of being close to our... No.

You're mine. Only mine. His voice is in my head again, nuzzling his snout against my chin. You're not getting away from me that easily.

My heart bursts into flames and suddenly my windpipe begins to tighten. I struggle against them but it's no use. The gash on my leg stings and I'm becoming weaker by the second.

I don't want to go with him. I scream at my brother. But he says I'm his and... NATE!

A snarl erupts through the trees around us but I cannot see anything past the three wolves around me. Everything happens like the speed of light and I'm playing catch up. I swallow back the fear in my throat and tell myself to calm down–I'll make myself worse.

One of the wolves goes tumbling to the ground beside me. I barely have a chance to look before they continue dragging me away but faster. My brother's scent lingers in the air and I know he's close–he won't let anything bad happen to me.

When the second wolf is being ripped from me, I kick as best as I can without straining my leg. But those silver eyes above me catch me by surprise as we stop. He releases a growl and looks between the trees.

You might not be coming home with me today. He rasps and my eyes close at the sound of his voice. But you will be beside me one day, sweetness. Don't you forget it.

Then he rubs his fur against me with urgency before leaving me on my back against the forest floor. I whimper when I try to roll over, glancing down at my wounded leg.

Nate. I cry out. Nate, my leg. It hurts.

A large lycan standing on his hind legs crowds over me. I release a silent gasp.

It's alright. I'm here.

My brother's scent becomes stronger and after he inspects the injury on my leg, our eyes meet. I freeze. Nate?!

It's me. He murmurs softly.

Nate's large hand with the longest claws I've ever seen rests on my other leg.

I've never seen him in this formation. I've never known he could shift into a beast like this. I can't stop staring at him. My mind is swimming with a thousand different thoughts.

W-what? Why do you look like that? What is going on?

Breathe. His voice calms me. I don't know what happened but when my wolf was fuelled with anger, I shifted into this body.

I shake my head in disbelief. How?

I don't know. But let's focus on getting you back to the house and getting your leg healed, okay? We need to get away from here in case there are more wolves that haven't been killed yet.

My throat tenses painfully. Okay.

Nate helps me up and soon Elin and Zade, two of our pack members, help pull me up until Nate collects me in his arms. I watch Nate as he looks at Elin, his nostrils flaring. I presume they didn't get him.

A wave of relief and fear erupts inside my chest. I didn't want him to die but I didn't want to go with him either. All those intrusive words made me shudder and I'm finding it hard to accept that this is real.

Why?

Why him?

It doesn't make sense.

Nate carries me back to the pack house and I let my eyes close until he brings me to the infirmary. I shift back into my human form and let the pack doctors swarm around me to try and heal my leg.

I've been alone for the past hour as I'm propped up in a bed. My eyes burn and I cannot stop the tears that leak down my face. I shudder at the scent of his wolf on me and the way his voice wrapped around my mind like a delicate whisper.

But he's dangerous.

We don't belong together.

Nate steps into the room and without staying a word he rushes to my side and bundles me into a hug. I press my head into his chest and sob. I'm convinced that because we're twins, he can feel my pain–in ways that other siblings can't.

He brushes back my hair and keeps his arms tightly around me. "It's okay," he murmurs into the top of my head. "It's okay. I'm here and I've got you. Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise. I won't allow it."

And I believe him.

My tears don't stop and Nate pulls away to brush his thumbs across my cheeks.

"How's your leg?" He asks, searching my face for an answer.

"Sore," I croak. "But they said it'll take a few days to heal, the claws got real deep."

Nate's mouth twitches downwards but he recovers quickly. "You're strong, Vi. You'll be better in no time, I know it."

I press my head further back into the pillow and release a sigh. He takes my hand and runs circles over my knuckles in soothing motions. My lips widen as my heart stings in my chest. I close them again and shake my head.

"I felt something," I whisper eventually.

"Felt what?"

My mouth trembles. "For him."

Nate's brows press together and I shut my eyes, waiting for the flashbacks to arise. I'll never get the sound of his voice out of my head. It was dark, wild and vain.

"My wolf was screaming at me, crying out for him," I murmur. "He said I was his, that he's my... my–" the words burn my mouth because I don't want to believe them. "M-my mate."

He raises our entwined fingers to his forehead. "And is he?"

The words won't leave my mouth and when Nate finally looks up at me. I blink once through my tears. "Yeah. He is."

"Elin and Zade didn't get to him, he's still out there. Was he the one who hurt you?" He breathes through his nose heavily.

I shake my head instantly. "I tried to fight them all off but one of the other wolves caught its claws on my leg, it wasn't him. He was too busy trying to convince me that I'm his, the other two wolves were being too forceful. It happened far too quickly, and–"

A ball lodges in my throat and Nate tugs me into his chest. "I know it's painful," he whispers.

"I didn't think we'd meet like this," I gasp for a breath. "I'm so scared. What if he comes back? What if he takes me away?"

Nate's head shakes vigorously. "You're not going anywhere, I won't let it happen."

I sniffle. "Why do I have to be mated to someone like that?"

"You'll find someone better," he states, tucking a piece of hair behind my shoulder.

But that doesn't make me feel hopeful. It makes me feel worse. I've been waiting for my mate for as long as I can remember. I've had to endure everyone around me finding their soulmate and now I'll have to find something else? No. No. It's not what I want.

"But my wolf might not survive not being with its mate, I might not survive the heartache." I blurt. "It might send me into a depression that I can never get out of. What if my entire life is ruined?"

"It's not. I promise it's not. Things will work out." My brother promises but I don't believe him.

I tug my body away from him and slump back into the bed. "My heart already hurts, I'm so confused."

"I promise everything will be okay. I'm going to be right by your side." He whispers but I can't bear to look at him.

I hope I'll wake up from this dream soon. This cannot be my reality.

Nate glances over his shoulder and I turn to see the figure standing in the doorway. I take a breath when I see my father with concerned eyes. I swallow and tell myself not to shed any more tears.

"Oh my goodness," he studies the bandage on my leg. "My darling, are you okay?"

Don't say a word about what happened with my mate. Please. I shoot down the mindlink to my brother.

Of course.

My father cups my hands before looking over my face with fear. "What happened?"

"I'm okay," I clear my throat. "I was cornered by three wolves but Nate, Elin and Zade helped get them off. My leg got scratched in the process, it was a little overwhelming."

Dad leans down to kiss my cheek and then perches on the chair beside me. "I'm proud of you," he says and then turns towards Nate. "I'm proud of you too."

I blink at my father's kind words. It's been a while since I've seen his soft side. Especially since our mother passed away. Nate looks at me and nods. "Get some sleep, hopefully it'll speed up your recovery."

"Be here when I wake up?"

"Of course." He nods.

My father kisses the top of my head and stands from the chair. "I'll make sure the doctor keeps coming in to check on you."

I flash him a half-hearted smile. "Thank you."

When they leave I break down again.

An unsettling feeling washes over me and I hear his voice repeat in my head.

You're mine, sweetness. And there is nothing you can do about it.

✧

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Author's Note

EEEKKKK I am soooo ready for this story. I'm so excited to share more and dive in! I hope you are too!🤭

If you read Desirable, you would have seen this scene from Nate's POV. Some details from that book might be slightly different compared to this one but I'll tie them all up once this book is complete.

What did you guys think of this first chapter?👉🏼

I'm buzzing to write a dark romance shifter book. It's definitely going to get dark and dramatic and angsty. I'm excited to write Viola's character and see her evolve!!!❤️‍🔥

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Love Savanna x

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