ZIELLE
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"It left a mark," Leah says softly, her fingers brushing over the bruise on my neck. The mark—his mark. The Alpha's grip had been iron-strong, unrelenting. No wonder it lingered, etched into my skin like a brand.
"Zi, I'm scared." She grips my hand, eyes searching mine, "When he attacked you in that cage, I swear I had a heart attack. He definitely is not like any other alphas. He is stronger."
I give her a tight smile. Strong or weak, I really do not have a choice in this. I've been doing this for four years. And as each of these years pass by, I realise there is no going back from this. I'm way deep in this shit, too tangled to be undone.
They want alphas now. If an alpha has to step a foot into these high cities, they have to be tamed first. And, I'm the only tamer here. The only wolf who can trick with their scent.
"You know I can't do anything about this," I say, eyes fixed on the window of the library.
Whenever we need time alone, we come here—our little safe haven.
The sun is setting, slipping between the shoulders of the mountains. A gentle wind stirs the sun-kissed leaves, making them whisper.
From up here, Lyssomire looks the prettiest.
"You need to quit."
I give her a look, "You know that is not possible, Leah." I say, we had this conversation before, but she doesn't seem to understand. "Even if I wanted to stop doing this, the high omegas would never let me. They want me. They knew what I am capable of, so they would never let me go."
Leah lets out a loud sigh, her brown eyes brimming with worry for me, "But try. Tell them you can't trick with your scent anymore. That you can't change it. Just do anything. I'm done watching you suffer."
My heart swells, her love always kept me warm even in the coldest of days. Sometimes I would wonder why she sticks with me through all my sufferings, am I worth her concern?
I hold her hand, stroking her soft skin with my thump, "But what then? If I'm not working for the palace, they will kick me out of the city. How will I be able to raise Lily then?"
"I can take care of both of you! I'm a healer, and you know I make decent coins every month." She says, determined. "I can look after you, Zielle."
A smile blooms on my lips, "I know you will. You did look after me for years before I became a tamer. I can't burden you anymore."
Leah squeezes my hands, "You are never a burden to me. Don't ever say that."
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat, but I don't say anything. Her words settle in my chest like a balm, but they don't change the reality. I'm doomed. There is no going back from what I am today.
The heavy silence between us stretches as the last light of the sun bleeds out across the horizon, setting the sky ablaze in golds and soft pinks. Below, the city begins to glow with lanterns and flickering fires, preparing for another night.
"Just be careful." Leah whispers softly, "Don't underestimate his power."
"And don't underestimate mine too." I joke, but she doesn't laugh.
I hug her closely before leaving the library, it's time to get back home and make Lily something to eat. She must be home already.
As I walk through the hallways, my mind runs back to the new alpha. He definitely is not like the other alphas, not just by his looks but also by the way he carries himself. He seems less feral, less wild and more conscious.
More aware of his surroundings. More aware of me.
The others—those broken Alphas brought in from the lower territories—snarled and paced, driven by instinct and aggression. But this one… he watched. Every movement, every breath, calculated like a predator who already knew the outcome of the hunt.
And when he touched me—when his fingers closed around my throat—it wasn't just rage. It was control. Intent.
A shiver crawls down my spine despite the warmth of the fading daylight spilling through the arched windows. I shouldn't be thinking about him. Not like this. But the mark on my neck still tingles, as if his presence had etched itself deeper than just the skin.
I reach the steps outside the palace library, descending slowly toward the cobbled path that leads through the healer's quarter and down to the residential blocks. My block. Lily's probably curled up on the couch with her stuffed rabbit by now, waiting for me.
A breeze sweeps through the corridor, stirring my cloak. The scent of pine and burnt amber lingers faintly in the air, and I freeze.
His scent. Smoldering pinewood and midnight orchid. He smells like wilderness wrapped in the heart of winter midnight. It's tempting, nerve wracking. Nothing ever made me feel like this before.
It shouldn't be here. It's too far from the taming quarters.
I turn sharply, scanning the empty walkway. Nothing. Just flickering lanterns and the whisper of wind through ivy-covered walls.
But my instincts never lie. And they're screaming now.
He's close.
Not physically—no, the wards wouldn't allow that—but somehow, some part of him is reaching beyond the bars of his cage. Reaching me. Is this a game of his? I knew he wasn't stupid at the moment I laid my eyes on him. He isn't driven mad by his wolf yet.
My pace quickens. I need to get home. I need to see Lily. I need something pure to remind me why I do this. Why I keep taming monsters for a palace that sees me as nothing more than a tool.
I rush through the grassy pathways that guide right to my home but I can't shake the echo of his scent. It lingers in the back of my mind like a question I haven't answered yet.
Who is he really?
And why do I feel like my life will never be the same after meeting him?