Daring Karina

XII

IT started when she was ten years old. The Raven Black pack had to go for the traditional run under the full moon of each month.

Karina stood along with her parents and siblings on a stage. She scanned her eyes across the hundreds of pack members looking at them and then she stared at the beautiful moon.

"I can't wait to run with the pack again," her younger sister whispered to her.

She looked at her with the same excitement she held in her eyes and smiled.

They always loved the monthly tradition as much as they loved the Moon Goddess. Whenever they run, she felt free and blessed. There was just something about it that felt magical.

"Do you think grandma would be going?" her older sister asked.

Karina pursed her lips and glanced at her grandmother standing at the farthest side of the gathering. The woman was wearing a floor length brown dress. She was pulling at her fur coat as she looked at the moon and uttered words nobody understood.

"Do you think she's even a wolf? I've never seen her shift," her younger sister added.

Karina shook her head and turned to her sisters.

"She has to be a wolf because she has a mate but I don't think she'll be joining us," she stole a glance of her parents and in a hushed tone she said, "I heard mom calling her a witch."

Her sisters shoved her playfully and laughed.

"Hybrids don't exist anymore, Karrie. Nobody likes to procreate monster babies. They're too dangerous," her older sister stated.

"Right."

She didn't know why but it irked her. Surely they weren't monsters, right? She had heard of faes and sirens bearing offsprings and they looked a hundred more magical. The only downside was that they were hunted, controlled and used to do whatever the captor desired.

They weren't born monsters. They were just taken advantage of by people who side with the evil.

"The time has come," her mother's commanding voice sliced through the chatters.

Alpha Lota was the first to shift, followed by her husband and then everyone else. The moon was glowing at its fullest and it was time to run.

Karina, shift, she heard her mother say through the link.

She was the only one among her sisters left to transform into her wolf. She did as told and started imagining her human bones break and form into her black wolf. Once she was done, her mother howled and lead the pack towards the hill top where all of them would howl together.

The thudding sound of paws hitting the earth could be heard. She was among them running and following their leader, her mama.

"Η θέλησή σας θα γίνει, βασίλισσα Λούνα. Θα εμφανιστεί ο διορισμένος. Ευλογημένη η προφητεία!" Her grandmother shouted.

Karina looked back noticing her arms were up in the air as if waiting for something to be given. She looked around at the other wolves and noticed them staring too. She growled, warning them to mind their own business.

Although the woman sometimes spat weird language and did weird things, she loved her dearly. She was still their grandma who baked them cookies and knitted them clothes.

She shifted back and ran to her, not minding the nakedness since no one was around anymore.

"Grandma, is everything all right?" se asked.

Her grandmother looked at her with wide eyes. She was frightened because her grandma looked worried and in shock.

"Oh, Goddess, no! My poor child! She's so young," her grandma then started weeping.

Karrie was not only afraid, she was confused now and worried.

"Sh-should I call mama?" She asked the old woman but she continued to weep.

She was about to embrace her mess of a grandma when she felt her body humming. The hairs on her arms were standing and she felt her ears ring.

"Granny, help!" She pleaded when she could not understand what was happening anymore.

Her grandmother knowing full well what was about to happen embraced her.

"I'm so sorry," her granny whispered repeatedly, "I should have known."

Her eyes started to burn. Her body started becoming sore so bad. She felt something inside her snap. Tears started escaping her eyes as she could feel and hear her wolf whimpering in pain. It felt like her insides were burning.

What was going on? Why was she in pain? Why was her grandma upset? Will she be okay after this?

When her ten year old body couldn't handle it any longer, she collapsed on her grandmother's arms. When she regained consciousness, everything was not the same anymore.

"Your wolf is there but she's not interacting with us. You need to find her and coax her out," she remembered Alpha Lota say.

She did not understand anything at all and her grandmother refused to tell her at such a young age what had happened. They only told her that her wolf could not be reached by them anymore.

She heeded her mama but it was no use because no matter how much she tried, she'd always undergo the pain she felt that night when she tried shifting. She was afraid to lose her permanently if she forced her out. She could not bear being simply human.

She sulked and sulked. She had no other choice but to accept that her wolf had become dormant.

"Babe?" Grey snapped his fingers in front of her.

"Huh?" Karina blinked away the memories of her past that had shortly snatched her away from reality.

"Are you okay? You haven't touched your food yet. Do you not like what I cooked for you?" His brows furrowed.

Her mind was clearly elsewhere as she did nothing but stare at the food he had cooked for dinner.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking," She replied and shot him a smile.

"My wolf can't settle down when we both know something is really bothering you," he looked at her concerned, "Tell me when you're ready, kitty. Okay?"

She smiled, reached for his hand and squeezed it. She could have not asked for a better mate. Her mate was too perfect. The Moon Goddess was never wrong when to have mates seek each other after all.

"Now eat, kitty."

She started devouring the delicious food her mate had provided. Tomorrow, she thought, she was gonna tell him everything tomorrow.

Her secrets would be out and it sent her heart thumping like crazy. He was gonna see her soul bare and her life unraveled. She was afraid he would not accept her but everything Grey had done since they met earned him the right to know the truth.

He was kind, caring, patient and sexy. The alpha got her falling for him which felt new and scary. A good kind of scary.

"Babe?"

Grey smiled at her endearment for him.

"Yes, darling?"

"Thank you for everything. I really appreciate it. I know it's hard to control your wolf especially when I'm not marked yet," she looked at him gratefully.

"You don't have to thank me, Karina. I'm your mate and it's what I'm supposed to do. Besides, the day will come when you beg for me to mark and make love to you," he smirked at the sight of her flustered mate.

He leaned over to her and caressed her cheek with his hand. He then placed a soft kiss at the corner of her lips and looked at her with his burning eyes.

"And when that day comes, kitty, I won't stop until you beg me to show mercy to your tight little pussy."

She gulped.

Alpha Andrin Grey was gonna be the death of her as she was also gonna be the death of him.