┍━━━━━»•» 🌺 «•«━┑
Fear can make you do things,

Don't let it rule you.   MJ

┕━»•» 🌺 «•«━━━━━┙

My daughter's emotions are as wide as the ocean, I hear it in every voice recording I have received. The last one was the worst of all. Each word is a wave that pierces the emotional shell I created for myself that I thought was indestructible. Everything I have done has been for her sake. Keeping her from the truth has kept her safe until now. No, she can't know about me or the magical world, she can't know about her father, about her heritage. Some things are better not said. She can never know the truth or the extent of my actions to keep her safe. To some, like the Resistance, I am a monster worse than Davon. I can't risk her hating me.

I would fix everything now if I could. It would be beneficial to remove her emotional burden, but I can't do that now. I am too weak. I stop the voice recording from her room, unable to hear any more, and open the surveillance camera from the office.

I look at her at her desk and zoom in on her beautiful face. She looks so much like her father. Having her work there was the only way I could be sure to see her since Richard refuses to put a camera in her bedroom and it's her favorite place. Richard is annoying about boundaries, it has something to do with mates and avoiding future problems for my own good. Still, I can't see Annie as much as I'd like. Giving her a job was the better way to see her.

Rummaging through the papers, Annie searches diligently for a file that has been requested. Since she has been working there, she has proven to be bright and in control of her emotions. She has had so many questions since she got her job, but for now she has been told that they are ill or that they have had some mental madness and that has been enough to calm her down.

Gradually, she will learn about our world and satisfy her curiosity at a slow and controlled pace. Whenever her second personality arises, or not, we will be there to do what is necessary and keep the animal from taking over.
One year.
No, I have less than a year to get healthy enough to deal with this for good. The 18th birthday is the day the beast awakens and no magic will be enough to get rid of it unless it is killed from within. I would have rid Annie of it if my husband hadn't come early and protected the beast with a bond between them. A bond between wolves is sacred, for they share a pattern of their souls. Since Annie's wolf was part of his pack, the beast couldn't be killed without harming my husband.

My head bowed over the destiny. My husband was angry that day, and our mate bond was living proof of it. My magic was acting up and I couldn't control it. I had to leave the house to protect my family. When things finally returned to normal after a few weeks, the children were left with Richard, but Annie wasn't. I knew then that I had lost her again, and I may have lost my husband as well. The feeling was worse than any other. It was like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest and left an empty space. My life would never be complete without her.

My eyes burn, I pound my chest, summoning my heartbeat to get it together. This is an old story and I should be over it and I hate myself for being so emotional about it. Finally, after so many weeks, she was taken back, but my husband wasn't. He paid the price for trying to keep her away from me. Now all I have is regret and an unfair price to pay as not a day goes by without my soul calling for its soul mate.

So does the devil within my daughter. For even in his absence, the bond is strong, so strong that the beast was able to contact me in danger months ago. It was something Richard did not know, which shows how treacherous the cub is.

My eyes return to Annie through the tablet screen. Something inside me stirs, I open the TV to get a better view of her eyes casting the image in my hand, but the beast isn't there. Just to be sure, I rewind the image and look back at it in slow motion. Was it a reflection or the wolf? It was so fast I couldn't be sure.

I massage my head. No, I can't kill the beast alone, but Annie can. All she has to do is reject the beast and the connection between the three of us will be severed painlessly. This will be the happiest day of my life. Without the wolf, her magic will be easily removed, and deprived of those gifts, Davon won't look for her anymore. She will be untraceable, she will be safe.

She will have the life I wanted. She will study and be what she wants and be with who she wants. Far from the supernatural world.

Pressing play again, I switch between screens only to find Tom coming to pick her up. He always does as expected. He is a perfect subject, well almost. I hope in time they will choose each other. Richard has been such a good friend, I wish our family could be together through marriage. It would be bliss.

I purse my lips, he doesn't know we know. Annie's magic has awakened. Lina didn't hesitate to tell us the details of her magical abilities. She didn't know the extent of it. Annie's powers are weak for now, but with Lina and Tom's help she won't hurt herself.

It's a relief that she's not so extraordinary. I have no reason to extract her magic yet and fuel her animosity against me. For now, I will continue with borrowed powers. The gems I collect are filled with the powers of other witches. They are enough to channel magic and keep me alive, but not enough to do powerful magic. They are also useless for healing my soul or my many concussions.

The lights flicker in the room. I grab a blue gem and a flask with my other hand. My chest aches and I exhale all my worries and fears into the recipient. Davon's sick experiments helped that much. This borrowed ability comes in handy. I can use it to extract an active emotion. It doesn't disable my ability to feel, but now I don't have to deal with it when it comes up. Frankly, I would erase emotions if I could, they are annoying, useless and exhausting.

A movement catches my eye. Annie seems frustrated. She must be getting possessive of Tom. After all, he has been talking to the girl for a while. I smile.

Tom is earning their trust and I am pleased. I have been lenient so far, but he has kept secrets from us. I had to keep my mouth shut because I need them to trust each other. He will be the best bodyguard she could have. If only Richard could see what I mean, things would be easier. It's been a struggle to keep him from punishing his son like the animal he is.

My head drops to my hand, which grips the armrest of the chair and moves closer to the screen.

If I am right, they have growing feelings for each other and he will be the best weapon against the beast. Because if she has feelings, she will do anything to protect him and he will become Annie's greatest weakness. I will exploit this weakness in time and use it as leverage against the Beast. All precautions must be taken, Annie must get rid of the wolf by rejecting it, the wolf will die of its own accord, just as Tom's wolf did.

I watch them leave the facility.

Hesitantly, they wipe their hands as if it were an accident, which makes me smile.

Memories of my younger years come to mind until the name forms in my brain. "Damon."

My buddy.

《《《⚛ 
(Flashback)

That night, in the parking lot of the royal palace, my worst fear came to life. I was a werewolf mate. I would be marked, would inherit an extended life, and I couldn't bear the thought of it. My future was determined the moment he caught a whiff of the scent of my blood. I would become a trophy wife with an extended life, with no say in my life, my needs or my desires.

Gritting my teeth, I tried to get out of his reach, but I never had a fair chance.

"You," he said, pulling me into his chest. I lifted my head to see the dark circles around his eyes.  His arm held me tightly, "I looked everywhere for you. I thought I would never find you since that night." His deep, melodic voice was filled with emotions I couldn't describe. Was he angry or happy or maybe both?

Looking into his ragged face, his expression was betrayed by his storming eyes that wavered between gray and blue. There aren't many families with that gene. Who was he? There was nothing animal in his gaze, it seemed to be a look of adoration, twitching with relief. His wolf seemed more human than most.

His hand made contact, warming my back and pushing me towards him. Trying not to squeal under his touch, I pushed him relentlessly, trying to regain my freedom.

His face dropped to my ear.
"Do you know how hard this was?  Knowing that my mate was somewhere in the Ghetto Realm, but I couldn't get to you." The word "mate" made my insides twist.  "Worst of all, you ran away from me. Do you know how hard that was for my wolf?" His voice took on a lecturing tone that put my senses on high alert. Wolves have a bad temper and a quick mind, and I had to find a way to help his human side stay in control.

"What are you talking about?" I squealed, my body still shaking with fear, my forearms an obstacle between us.

Lifting his head, his free arm revealed my face, pushing the veil back and rubbing my face slyly, sending a chill through my body.

"Three years ago, during the red moon ritual. I came to your rescue."

Each word felt like nails building walls around my soul as he remained unmoved, studying my every move. The realization washed across my face, the great white wolf. It made me turn my face away from his gaze, hoping not to give myself away.

"No! I wasn't in the forest that night." 
I bowed my head sheepishly.

He leaned close to my ear, and his breath tickled my skin.
"Who said the ritual was in the woods?"
Then he kissed my earlobe, sending shivers down my spine.

"Come, our king will be pleased that I have found my mate. The last few years have been incredibly stressful for my family."  He was already pulling me behind him, now acting like an excited child, leaving behind his oppressive attitude towards me. He had beautiful eyes, but he acted like any other wolf.

Stuttering, words came out of my mouth in an incoherent manner. I had met the king before, he was a kind soul, but why did he have to acknowledge our relationship?

Then he stopped, and I crashed into his muscular back. Turning on his heels, he held my face under his chin and met my eyes.

"Did you know that I was your mate? Did you know that once found, the wolf in man becomes relentless and if he doesn't go through the mating ritual, he falls into madness?" He asked with a magnetic voice, holding my gaze as if he wanted to reach my soul.

I widened my eyes and shook my head in disbelief. He raised an eyebrow and wrinkled his forehead, his hand moving to grab my shoulders before he began to shake me like a leaf under a windy sky.

Wolves are known for their animal instincts, and when fury fills their hearts, there is no escape for their prey. His eyes might be different, but his mood swings were just like any other animal. Right now he had a good reason to be angry, and I deserved it, but why should I be held responsible for something I didn't know? Was his wolf so strong that it could control his body? Was he more animal than man?

" I didn't know, I didn't know. I swear! I just wanted to get away, I thought you were going to kill me." I said, noticing my weakness coming out of my eyes without my consent, I looked at the forest to my right.

To my surprise, he stopped, his hand raised in the air, but not touching my skin. Instead, his fingers brushed his hair, showing how much control he had over the beast.

But how much control did he have? Was he a high-ranking official? He could be, since he was on this side of the parking lot. Besides, only the best were allowed to serve the king, he couldn't be a brainless dog.

A pang of despair ran through my heart, I wouldn't be able to refuse him. The bond and his rank sealed my fate tonight. I looked pitifully at my feet and knew that I had no future.

His hand moved, making me look at him again.

"Then what's the point of this?" He fixed his gaze on my dress, then my veil and gloves. A smirk twisted my lips until his growl made me numb. "You hid your scent and your skin."
The wolf was impatient and lacked humor, but the human side of him did, as he smiled back at me.

"I, I didn't want to be mated with a wolf," the truth of these words brought my soul back into my body. I would never submit, I knew that.
"There is no way I will mate with a wolf, do you hear me! I hate this world and none of this is going to change what I think of this shitty place." I snarl bitterly.

Looking straight at me, his eyes alternate between blue and gray. For a second they turned black, announcing the worst of his wolf behavior, but I didn't care.

"Kill me, kill me now, or let me go." I urged him in the most serious tone I could manage under the circumstances. Looking at him, I held my breath and his gaze. The storm in his eyes subsided, revealing the blue in them.

His fingers squeezed my shoulders still under his grip, slowly closing the gap between us like a wolf on its prey. The gray in his eyes took over the blue, showing the inner battle between man and beast. They decided my fate.

Emotionless, determined to put an end to this nonsense, I remained still, holding my dress and hiding my trembling hands.

He tore my dress with a claw, exposing my neck in one swift motion, a chill wind blowing over my exposed skin, reminding me that winter was coming.

Feeling no change in his demeanor, I renewed my wish. "I said kill me!" A hint of desperation crept into my voice. I needed this to happen. "Please."

Looking at the forest behind the cars, I wished again for a life different from this one, where my opinion mattered. If I had made it to the human realm, my life would be my own now, but I was here. A prisoner of an archaic society, my mother blamed my father for teaching me how to fight. Had I been a son, things would have been different for me, but I was not, and my mother became barren after me. My education did not follow tradition, I learned to think and dream in a land where such things were impossible for a woman.

He pulled his face back for a second and looked at my face, letting me see his long teeth in my peripheral vision. He growled, but what could I do? This was all I had left. I was trapped and there was no option for me but to be a brainless woman, but I wanted more.

Unimpressed, I nodded into his gray eyes as he moved my head and met my eyes. Seconds felt like minutes.

Without warning, he closed the gap between us and bit me. I screamed under his grip, it burned like hell, but I didn't pull away. Then relief washed over me, soon I would be free from the bonds of life.

This was it.

My life had been traced long before I met my parents. As a woman, my life's work was to provide the kingdom with children until my body became too weak to do so. As a werewolf, the bond ensured a long and healthy life, condemning me to live longer than any other race.

Death was my last resort.

As I waited for my life to slip away, my body reacted unexpectedly to his bite. A moan escaped my lips, the pain replaced by pleasure and need.

I opened my eyes,
"What the hell!"
I pushed him away with my forearms.

Too weak for his strength, his bite went deeper, down to the bone, but no pain came from it, but something else happened to my senses. My legs turned to jelly and my arms looked under his shirt. I became aware of what I was doing when my ungloved hand sent a tingle through my veins that made me jump.

"What are you doing to me?" I couldn't hear my own voice over the pounding in my chest. He finally pulled away, dropping me to my knees like a rag.

"You can run now. If you still can." He stormed out between shaky breaths, then dragged himself toward the moon hidden behind the trees. The night was young, announcing the beginning of the Cupelling celebration, a bell singing into the night as other wolves joined the crescendo. He was some kind of Alpha and other creatures were celebrating his deed.

My heart pounded like a drum in my chest and I raised one hand to it, trying to calm myself, and touched my neck with the other.  The bite seemed alive, pulsing and stinging under my touch.

"What did you do to me?" I screamed, looking back at him in disbelief.

"I marked you!"  He announced, hovering over me before kissing my forehead. 

I opened my eyes wide in shock, my body begging for more.  "WHAT?" I snorted, feeling my body shudder as he pulled his lips away from another kiss that made me want more.

"You will now feel what I have felt all these years. Your body will yearn for mine and your dreams will seek me relentlessly. Until you are filled with physical pain and sickness. What you have just felt is just the beginning, you will soon feel my emotions and sufferings even though you are far away. We will share dreams and you will feel alone without me because our souls are connected. Leave if you wish, you know where to find me when you have had enough. I won't be the only one to suffer now, and that's enough until you come to your senses." Then he turned and left me behind.

"My life is a shithole.
There is no way out.
The day has come."
I looked at the forest, my safe heaven and my salvation. "I will become one with you, for dust I am and to dust I shall return." I whispered to myself.

There is a place of my choice in the forest. It has always been my backup plan. I always knew there was a chance I would be mated with a wolf.

I couldn't stop now.
Crying, I ran to meet my fate.
I couldn't believe that the time had come. After all, there was no such thing as freedom, and I simply refused to become an incubator for eternity.

Tumbling over a tree root, I managed to regain my balance and became aware that someone was following me.

When I turned to look at the figure, the same man was following me without any trouble. "Why are you following me?  You said I could go." I reprimanded him.

"You can leave, but you can't die." He clarified calmly, keeping a distance between us.

My anger forced my body to act, I walked over to him and punched him in the chest with my fist, sending a sharp pain over me. Then my second hand worked its way to his face, but he grabbed my wrist.

"I want to die! Let me die!" I screamed, my body shaking uncontrollably.

As he pressed me against him, kissing my exposed and tortured skin, my anger melted and I cursed the bond for it.

"Once the mate is found and marked, there is no turning back. If you die, I die, for we are one, blessed by the goddess." He said in a sad, hoarse voice. "So you see, you can't die."

"No. No."
Desperation filled me, my muscles clenched in my throat and no word could come out. With no way out, I cried silently, gasping for air.

He picked me up in his arms and carried me back to the parking lot.

Back in the parking lot, he pushed me into his limousine. Limos are quite rare, they come from the other dimension. The transfer is quite complicated, my father told me. This meant that his status was quite remarkable.

Wanting to make it there, I cried my despair while he rubbed my hair until I became quiet, then he said in a sad voice,
"What can I do to make it better for you, besides die?"

Lifting my head, I laughed like a madwoman between tears and despair, but stopped when I saw his straight face.

" I want freedom! To choose if I want children or not, I want to travel out of the gates, I want to go as I please."
I laughed at the absurdity of this.
"I want what I can't have."
My eyes filled with tears again, my heart twisted in pain.

He kissed my tears of defeat one by one as they fell. I couldn't fight the system. We were forced to comply, willingly or by force. The goddesses had spoken, I was to be a werewolf bride and live for hundreds of years.

" I can't give them all what they want right now, but we can find a middle ground. We can make them believe that we are trying to conceive without success." He suggested.

My eyes met his, filled with growing hope.

"I can't let you out of the gates alone, but I can take you out with me."
He paused, mesmerizing me with his gaze and deep voice.
" Will that make it better?"

I nodded, unable to utter a word.

He then took off my veil, which was still clinging to my hair, and the remaining glove.

"Remember, there is always a solution or a compromise that can be reached to find our happiness and contentment."
He said with lust in his eyes as he found his mark on my neck. Beast and wolf were present and in perfect balance. Something I had thought impossible.

My dress then made a ripping sound that made me squeal and break our eye contact.

"You are your own person regardless of the rules, you just have to adapt to the situation."
He said, moving away and nodding in approval of his new creation.

When I looked down, my dress exposed both of my shoulders, revealing his mark on my neck.

"I can't do better than this. Sorry about the dress." He added, rubbing his neck.
Confused, my eyelashes fluttered.
"I have to take you back and make our union public."

Nodding, I realized I couldn't take away his mark. I knew that following him was the only way and that my life would never be the same, but now he had given me hope.

"Breathe, I am here with you." He said, cupping my face before pulling me by the hand into the palace.

Like a spectator of my life, I absent-mindedly acknowledged what followed. Only fragments remained in my memory, as if I hadn't really been there.

My mother was happy and proud. I was mated with the biggest wolf in the kingdom. The king was pleased, he had heard of my fighting spirit in the forest three years ago. I had proven to be strong at a young age, and he thought that with the right training, I could become even stronger and serve the kingdom.

Father warned them about my second power. The one to manipulate and erase memories. The king was astonished and asked many questions about it. While Papa told him what I had done to protect my secret, the King's eyes glistened as my husband placed a protective step between us, much to His Majesty's amusement. It was decided that night that I would undergo intensive training and serve a greater purpose, and I had no opinion on the matter.

Mother was thrilled for me, women are rarely trained after the ceremony, making me a rare exception. I have never been home since. Once mated, the woman follows her husband. My things were sent to the king's palace the next day.

As required by the rules, we had sex that very night. We didn't really, we pretended to. He wanted it to be on my terms. With our parents on the other side of the door, we played along with urgent cries of pleasure. The mark along with the emotions of his desires mixed with the sparkles of his touch helped me get through the night. I actually felt alive for the first time since I was old enough to understand the society I lived in.

I was lucky to have such a charismatic partner. He saved me from the worst that night. The next day, he made an incision in the mark he gave me and stained the sheets with blood. Just like that, they believed the deed was done.

Since then, regardless of the distance, I have felt his overwhelming emotions. We shared happiness and sorrow.  He always took care of me and kept his promise. He took me with him on his missions. Love blossomed, he wasn't a beast like the others, he was a gentleman with a second personality who liked to play fetch and hide and seek. Finally, almost a year after we knew we were destined, we consummated our union on our terms.

Years passed and I traveled, but never once did I find what I was looking for. The portal that would take me to the other dimension seemed like a fairy tale. Maybe it was, but I cared less now that I was finally in control of my existence.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

In time, they suspected something was wrong when I wasn't with a child. On the day of the red moon, we were sent to our room by decree. It was full of guards and my parents came in. They made me drink a potion, and we were ordered to fuck in a room where they could witness the act with their eyes. I hated it, I hated them and the whole kingdom, I wanted them to rot in hell along with my father who sided with them. But my mate wouldn't let me. He used the mate bond to calm me down and give in to their demands.

Later, when I came to my senses, I understood that THAT was the easy way out. It was a living nightmare, but the alternative was a royal decree that would have forced my husband to make me do it. An order from a wolf to a subordinate is binding; the worst effect is when the order comes from the king. The only way to avoid it is to be killed, and I would never harm Damon. He was the only light in a land of darkness. That night, Annie was conceived.

When I felt the movements in my womb, I cried for days.
" I can't bring children into this life."

Damon comforted me.
"Isa, I know, neither can I."

The planning began, it took almost nine years of planning.

In the end, we got out, along with a bunch of people.

⚛》》》(End of flashback)

Once here, we proceeded to create the Council that would protect our identity and freedom.

Damon and I are the founders of this society.

In the end, we were meant to be together, a match made in heaven. He made my dream come true for a short time. In his absence, I will preserve our way of life and Annie at all costs.

For our children,
For my grandchildren,
And for generations to come.

A knock on the door brings me back to reality,
"Come in."
I turned the chair away from the screens.

A man enters, avoiding my gaze, his chin bent. "Madam, we have a case. The deletion process was unsuccessful for the second time. It is ready for you to dispose of."

I nod.
"Whatever it takes!" I repeat to myself absentmindedly.

He takes the lead through the corridors. The stronger the magic or the wolf, the harder it is to tame it, to control it, or to bend it to our will.

Sometimes my magic is needed to tame or exterminate them. Looking at the picture of the subject, I see. She may die. My magic isn't what it used to be. Yes, it will probably die, but I need practice. I need to get better and take care of Annie's memories once the wolf is gone.

This damn concussion came at the worst possible time. Soon I will be better, I will get the wolf's rod, and I will get my family back together.

ೃ⁀➷
      Note

So?  Did You like it?

Some people don't understand the mother. She never felt like she believed and it worsen after a traumatic event that will be described in book two. I also use the mother as a tool to describe unbalanced parenting like Parental Projection, micromanaging parent and Emotional Cutoff.

REMEMBER
Vote and comment as a reward to the author.

💜