Marco's POV
The forest was quiet except for the heavy sound of paws striking the damp earth. The moonlight spilled through the trees, cold and silver, turning everything into shades of shadow and light.
"What the hell was that, Serene?" I roared, my voice rough and sharp as I caught up to her in my wolf form.
She didn't stop. Her grey fur shimmered faintly under the moonlight as she darted between the trees, her anger burning so strongly I could feel it in the air.
"Ask yourself, Marco!" she shouted back, her voice carrying across the night.
"Stop!" I commanded. The word tore from my throat with the weight of authority, and she froze instantly. Her paws dug into the earth, and she turned to face me, her chest heaving with fury and hurt.
"I am still your Alpha," I said, my voice low and steady. "You will obey me."
Her golden eyes burned as she glared at me. "You are not just my Alpha, Marco. You are my fiancé. My first love. My childhood sweetheart." Her voice cracked, trembling between rage and heartbreak. "I told you what would happen if you refused to reject her. I warned you. But you didn't listen. You made me do it."
A growl rumbled in my chest. "You had no right to touch her!" I snapped. "No one is allowed to harm her, not even you."
Serene bared her teeth, her fur bristling. "I didn't plan to hurt her," she shouted back. "I swear I didn't. But when I saw her, when I looked at the woman you are about to marry, something inside me broke. My wolf took over. I hated her, Marco. I hated her for standing where I should be. For taking what has always been mine."
Her voice shook as she spoke, filled with anger and pain. The sound of it echoed through the forest, sharp and raw.
"Serene," I said, my voice firm but quieter now, though the fury still burned inside me. "You may be my fiancée, but you crossed a line. Whatever you feel, whatever instincts you have, you cannot let them control you. You know what happens when a wolf loses control. You could have killed her."
"I couldn't stop it," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I just wanted her to stay away from you. I wanted her to disappear."
"You wanted to destroy her," I said coldly. "And in doing that, you almost destroyed my trust in you."
Serene let out a sound that was half a whimper and half a growl. "You are still choosing her over me."
"I am not choosing her," I replied sharply. "I am choosing what is right for the pack. This marriage was ordered by the council, and I will not go against them. You think this is easy for me? You think I enjoy it? Every decision I make is for our people. For our future."
Her anger wavered, giving way to despair. "You are really going to marry her?" she whispered. "How could you propose to her without even telling me? I am your real fiancée. How could you humiliate me like that?"
Her voice cracked, and tears filled her eyes. I took a deep breath, forcing my tone to soften. "Because to me, you are still my fiancée, Serene. Do you really think I do not care for you? I do. That is why I am doing this. I will marry her for the pack, but it will not last. When it is over, I will come back to you. That is my promise."
She shifted back to her human form, her body trembling under the cold night air. I stayed in my wolf form, watching her silently. When she saw me, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around my neck, clinging to me as though she could anchor herself through me.
I stayed still, letting her hold me even as my mind burned with conflict.
"Just do not do this again," I said quietly. "Do not scare Lara. She has done nothing to you. She is still trying to understand what is happening, and I do not even know how to convince her to marry me. She does not want this any more than I do. It is only a deal, nothing more."
Serene nodded weakly, her voice small when she spoke. "I am sorry. I lost control."
I lowered my head slightly, the sound of my own heartbeat loud in my ears. "You must remember who you are," I told her. "And remember who I am. I am your Alpha. You will not defy me again."
Her eyes flickered with pain, but she nodded obediently. "Yes, Alpha."
The words were heavy with both respect and sorrow.
I could feel her need for reassurance, and though part of me hated myself for it, I gave it to her. I let her cling to me a moment longer before pulling away. She looked fragile in the moonlight, lost in her own guilt.
I brought her home and left her at the edge of the pack's land. But even as I turned away, the echo of her words followed me.
And deep inside, I knew that whatever promises I made tonight would come back to haunt me.
The forest thinned as I reached the edge of the residential area. The streets were silent, the moonlight spilling across the pavement like a pale river. My body ached from the run, but something stronger than exhaustion pulled me forward. I did not change into my human form. I stayed as I was, my wolf senses guiding me toward a scent that had already become too familiar.
Lara's scent lingered in the air, sweet and faint, mixing with the smell of night flowers and rain-soaked concrete. I followed it until I found myself standing beneath her window. The house was dark except for a faint light inside her room. She was there, I could feel her heartbeat. It was fast, uneven, as if she was still afraid.
I jumped lightly, landing soundlessly by her window. I pushed it open with my snout and slipped inside. The faint scent of lavender and clean linen greeted me. Her room was small but warm, the kind of space that felt lived in. My claws clicked softly against the wooden floor as I stepped closer.
Lara turned around at the sound. Her eyes widened the moment she saw me. For a heartbeat, fear flashed across her face, and she opened her mouth to scream.
But then recognition dawned.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She took a slow step back, her hand pressed over her chest. "You," she whispered, her voice shaking.
I stayed still, lowering my head slightly to show her I meant no harm. The scent of her fear slowly faded, replaced by something gentler. She was trembling, but I could see in her eyes that she remembered. She had seen me before. I was the one who had saved her.
Lara's breathing slowed. "It was you," she said softly. "You were the one who stopped that other wolf."
I took another step closer, careful not to frighten her. She did not move away this time. Her eyes met mine, and for a long moment, the world seemed to fall silent. There was only the faint hum of the city outside, the ticking of her wall clock, and the sound of her heartbeat echoing in my ears.
She knelt slowly, hesitating at first, then reached out her hand. Her fingers trembled as they brushed against my fur. I felt her touch like fire against my skin. Every instinct in me screamed to shift back, to speak to her, to tell her the truth that she refused to believe.
Her shoulders softened, and relief washed over her face. "You saved me," she whispered. "Thank you."
The words struck deep. I lowered my head slightly in response, trying to show her she was safe.
I took a step back, but she followed, still talking as if we had known each other for years.
"You know," she said, her tone lighter now, "my boss once told me he was a werewolf." She gave a small laugh and shook her head. "I knew he was joking. I mean, who would believe something like that? Humans turning into wolves? That's something you see in movies, not in real life."
She smiled faintly and ran her hand through my fur again, her voice softer now. "But real wolves, like you, are different. You live in forests and mountains. You're wild, dangerous maybe, but real." She paused for a moment, her eyes tracing my face with quiet wonder.
"Humans who turn into wolves aren't real, but real wolves are. I know they live in the wild. I've read about them and seen pictures." She tilted her head slightly, her hand still resting on my neck. "But you're not like them either. You can be wild when you're trying to protect me, but right now, you seem gentle and kind." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "One thing is for sure, you're not human, but you're a good and kind wolf."
Her words lingered in the air, light but cutting. She didn't know how close she was to the truth. I stayed still, watching her, trying not to give myself away.
She smiled as she said it, completely unaware of the irony. I stayed silent, watching her, caught between amusement and guilt.
"I still don't believe it," she went on. "I'm sure my boss and my best friend were trying to mess with me. Maybe it was all a prank.
She reached out again, touching my neck with a kind of tenderness that tore through every wall I had built.
Her voice softened to almost nothing. "I don't know why that other wolf wanted to hurt me, but I'm glad you were there. I think I just gained a friend."
She moved closer and sat cross-legged in front of me, her eyes studying my face with quiet curiosity. Then, slowly, she reached out and patted my head. Her fingers slid into my fur, exploring it as though testing whether I was real. I should have pulled away, but I couldn't.
"You're so warm," she murmured, smiling a little. Her hands drifted over my shoulders, tracing the line of my fur. Every brush of her skin against me burned. I felt a low growl rise in my throat before I could stop it.
She looked startled. "Are you hungry?" she asked softly. "I don't have meat here, but maybe I can find something."
I wished hunger was the reason for the sound that escaped me. It wasn't. My control was slipping, not because of hunger, but because of how close she was and how unaware she seemed of what she was doing to me. The soft fabric of her nightdress caught the light from the window, tracing the shape of her figure in a way that made my pulse quicken. I forced my gaze away, fighting the wild part of me that wanted to shift, to speak, to reach out and touch her just once.
I took a step back, my muscles tense, knowing I had to leave before my restraint gave way completely. One more second in that room, one more breath of her scent, and I wasn't sure what I would become.
She smiled then, small and sincere, and it was the kind of smile that could undo even the strongest man. I couldn't take it anymore. I leaned closer and brushed my tongue lightly against her cheek, a simple gesture of affection before I lost myself completely. She let out a soft gasp, surprised but unafraid.
I pulled back at once, heart pounding, fighting the human part of me that begged to surface. Every instinct screamed to stay, but I knew if I did, I would lose control. So I turned, ran toward the window, and leapt into the night before the last thread of restraint in me could break.