Chapter 5 Unveiling the Wolf's Dilemma

A monotone female voice screamed out to me, "Nova," as it echoed off the confining walls.

I shook my head and blinked in opposition to the bright light. I licked my dry, gummy lips and dipped my tongue into the warm, sweet sensation. Looking at my paws, I could see that they were covered with a dark red liquid that had matted some of the white fur.

The strong smell coming from a nearby carcass that had blood pooling on the ground towards my paws made my nose quiver. I bent down and sniffed, taking in the earthy, salty aroma of blood.

Gross.

The same warm, sweet sensation filled my taste buds as I then ran my tongue down a damp area on my right paw.

Very good.

I licked at my paws until they no longer appeared hideous, like I had clawed through a crime scene. The endeavor had the same level of success as a child's finger painting.

The voice said, "Nova," firmly.

I anchored my paws into the puddle, blood squishing between my toes and soaking the hairs, and stood up. My eyes followed the blood trail to the goat's bones and the blood-spattered carcass, which was now just a mound of bones.

To locate the voice's source, my ears twitched. An intercom device in the ceiling appeared to be where Kira's voice came from. I approached it and took a few steps before inhaling. My steps were interrupted by compression and a pulling backward on my right leg. I only had to glance over my shoulder to see that my leg was fastened to the floor by one end of a thick chain.

"You must shift back," I said.

I tried to reply, "How," but all that came out was a snappy bark.

Lovely.

"Nova, you must shift back. You must maintain control. Visualize it in your mind. Retract the fur, and slide the bones back into place."

Is this it?

My eyes were tightly closed as I took a long breath that caused my lungs to expand. My mind was filled with visions of my previous shape, complete with bare arms and legs. The bloody white fur was replaced by smooth skin, and my blonde hair spilled out of my scalp.

My stomach started to throb faster than my heartbeat, and the sensation slowly extended throughout the rest of my body. My stomach churned as another round of terrifying cracking noises filled my ears, making me feel tense and pulling at my face.

Although the shift this time was certainly difficult, it was nothing compared to the first time.

Finally.

When the waves of dull pain subsided and the cement floor radiated cold into my skin, my lips parted in a gasp.

Skin.

My hands helped me slowly get back up off the ground. As my eyes roved over my body, I sighed whenever I looked at a human form. My knees were tucked up against my chest as I dozed off on my side. in the birthday outfit. My pale skin was covered in blood stains as I stood there bare-ass nude. My skin was clammy and sweaty, and it reeked of decay and metal.

Kira's words echoed through a seamless door as it opened, "There you are."

With each step Kira took, her heels made a louder clicking sound on the concrete. She towered over me and wrapped a blanket around me before raising my shoulders and helping me stand. My ankles trembled as I leaned on her and followed the guide down a cramped hallway with a cement wall to a lift.

My thoughts was racing, but the lift's low hum and the jiggling of my body seemed to quiet it. When the doors opened, I immediately recognized the staircase leading to my bedroom. Kira wrapped her arm around my back and cupped my ribs with her hand. With each stumbling step, my weight sank onto her side despite my goat's engorgement.

We staggered down the corridor, and as we did, my mind began to wander aimlessly, unable to absorb anything beyond the next stride of my machine feet. Kira placed me in my bed before I could even realize where I was. My eyelids dilated with exhaustion as I slept in a cozy set of pajamas. My damp hair touched the plushness of my pillow, although I wasn't sure when I'd taken a shower or a bath.

Her calming voice as she inserted something into my arm was the last thing I could recall. Just go to bed, Nova.

Her stern expression faded into oblivion.

A security guy knocked on my door and muttered, "Nova?" before entering. Your father is on the line.

"Oh my goodness."

I stood up and rubbed my fingers against my throbbing headache. My empty stomach rolled with nausea as my bedroom became hazy around me.

My body was spread out over my bed while my eyes took it all in. My backside was covered in wet sheets from sweat. I noticed that I was wearing pajamas, which stuck to my damp skin as well, and had no idea how I got dressed in them, which made me feel uneasy.

Was that a terrifying dream?

I looked around my room as my senses started to alert me. Every minute detail caught my attention, including the tiny dust particles sifting the air and reflecting the light in the window, the above ceiling fan's constant whirling sound, the click of a doorknob, and the hairs on my forearms standing up.

The guard pushed open the door, "Miss Nova?" The phrase "Your father."

"Sure," you say.

My bare feet padded across the velvety carpet as I slid out of bed. My chin sunk as I ran down the hall after donning the first set of casual clothing I pulled out of my wardrobe.

I had no idea how many men were on the security detail before today. As I walked through the corridors to his office, I could now distinguish the distinctive fragrance and deodorant shifts of each person, even the covert ones hidden out of sight.

Every summons to my father's office, which was gloomy and oppressive like him, seemed like a humiliating punishment. The woodwork on the walls, which were otherwise empty save for one personal item, was covered in the same black stain as the floors. a wood-carved Lykaois crest.

No, I wouldn't want any family photos.

He motioned to the chairs in front of his desk, a big, heavy wood form that occupied half the room, and said, "Sit." "You're running late."

I slumped into my chair and gave my trademark tight smile. He was the only one who could pull off those phoney smiles, so I had to work harder than usual to fake one. He didn't care about my happiness at this time, so the things he said after that came as a complete shock.

My father glared at me from behind his desk, his eyes as dark and lifeless as before, "Now that you've shifted, Nova." "You have to choose a mate."

'Mate...'

The phrase was repeated in the back of my mind by an unrecognizable voice. I quickly blink while attempting to identify the voice in my head. I chose not to argue with myself about it and instead focused on what my father had said.

I said, "I'm sorry, an Australian friend?" as I ran my fingertips over the metal studs that adorned the leather armrest of the chair.

I didn't believe acting ignorant would provide more information than simply asking what the hell he was getting at. Unexpectedly, he complied, saying, "No, a soulmate."

I returned his gaze with gaping mouth and wide-eyed expression. The longer I stared at him in shock against his expressionless face, the thicker the space between us became.

I need to find a job, according to the man who never lets me leave the house. soulmate?

My voice was dripping with cynicism, "You want me to... date?" "How am I supposed to do that? I'm afraid to ask."

Wasp Tinder?

My mind immediately went back to Flint and Ivy's... exchange of neck sniffs in the gym.

Was it a werewolf making out? No, I could do that to a tree or a water hydrant.

My father's eyes grew dimmer as the creases in his grey eyebrows around his eyes and mouth deepened. His brown irises swirled, his cheeks were sunk in and yellowed at the corners, and he breathed loudly. He made loud tapping noises with his fingers as he drummed them against the surface. "Don't be ridiculous, Nova. Your wolf is white. You must mate with a black wolf."

Oh yeah, what a great way to further deplete the dating pool.

'Mate.'

After hearing that voice again, I blinked and turned my attention to my father's tapping fingers. His gnarled fingers, sun-bleached skin, and jagged nails were all highlighted in dirt.

I mentally followed the strange yet recognizable voice from my nightmares. I shifted my gaze and searched the area for her before coming to a realization.

In my head, I heard... she spoke.

The answer is no...

Reya?

I was startled in my seat when she responded, sounding anything but happy.

'Yes.'

My nails dug into the worn-out leather armrests, which gave apart under the force. Each pounding of my heart against my chest walls was louder than the one before it.

You're... inside of me?

My train of thinking was cut short by my father's shouted command, "And, as your father, I will not allow your mate to have a rank lower than alpha."

We're beginning to sound like an arranged marriage now.

I'm not sure I could even begin to express how thrilled I was about that thought. I experienced a bolt of bipolar reaction. My heart dropped like though I had accepted a death sentence, yet I was also somewhat thrilled that I was deserving of a high-ranking partner.

"Father, I don't-"

His nails began to beat more loudly, which silenced me. "I have arranged for -"

Oh, this is it.

- For the future Alphas of the four packs to have an equal opportunity to pursue you.

The moment my eyes opened their widest, I felt dizzy and my head start to spin. I would have needed to if I wasn't sitting down.

Great, I'm now going to hang from a tree and be hit with werewolf dicks like a piata.

Given how little information he gave, I assumed he was a blank piece of paper when he replied, "Four?". The blank stare he sent me from behind his empty desk top was more illuminating.

I now have to go out with four werewolves. Up until a week ago, I had no idea that I was one.

He said in a flat, emotionless voice, "You will meet all four applicants, from whom you will choose a mate.

"Like that?" My eyebrows furrowed as I questioned the catch.

Since I experienced a perplexing sense of mental agitation, like Reya was pacing about in my thoughts, I believed she appeared uncertain about that as well.

His eyes showed the first signs of life since I had sat down, "For an ordinary werewolf, yes." You may choose the sequence in which you entertain these suitors, but you must interact with all four before choosing a mate.

The mention of my mum piqued my interest. He never mentioned her, at least not to me. However, his ambiguous terms and circumstances caused me to mutter, "Entertain?"

While I enjoyed the concept of meeting new people, especially those my own age, I was not very skilled at wining and dining.

He said with finality, "I am sending you off," which made me recline in my chair. Each of the four packs-North, East, South, and West-will have you for a month.

Without any exposure outside the boundaries of this facility, the thought of travelling around the nation made my heart race. I was enthralled by the map that Ivy had shown me, but since I knew my father, there had to be a catch. "And do exactly what?"

His pale, thin lips twitched at the corners but did not grin as he breathed. Discover the alpha and pack you are most compatible with, learn about their history, family, culture, defence patrols, and fighting tactics, then choose a mate.

His remarks carried the last sliver of my remaining self-respect, so they hit me like an arrow in the chest.

That notion sounded better than playing Wolf Bachelorette. "Fighting styles? As in, train?"

In a severe voice, he added, "Originally, Ivy and Flint were to escort you, but given their current predicament, you will travel alone the first month," as he nodded and clasped his hands over his desk.

"Predicament?" I hoped they weren't having any problems.

Since they stopped teaching, both have neglected their duties. Whatever they had done, I guess. I was also to blame because I wasn't inspired to go out to the point of muscle breakdown and exhaustion after last week's bleeding out incident.

His flat, irritated tone conveyed that their mating was an annoying disruption to his objectives. "They're mating."

His absence of criticism caused my eyes to widen. As this travel excursion now felt like a 'quest,' I moved in my seat at the thought of going on it alone.

"I can't go by myself."

Both of us were shocked by my resistance, and my mouth hung open. As seen by the straightening of his spine, I never disobeyed my father on anything.

"I-I don't know what I'm doing, plus Flint is my trainer. I would like the extra security detail of someone I trust," I continued, feeling brave for the first time.

He evened his voice and said, "In their current state," with a hint of doubt that he didn't think their support would be useful. They are "a little bit... unstable, distracted to the point of bordering misguided," the author writes.

My chest became larger with a long breath, but I backed away and said, "Those are my terms."

Travelling alone was like disclosing a wound that had been open for seventeen years at home. Ivy was the first person-werewolf or not-that I felt at ease with, despite my short acquaintance with her.

Ivy wouldn't be able to harm a fly, but she is unable to leave Flint behind. They have a hip attachment.

My father's abrupt, "Done. You may leave," caught me off guard.

I didn't realize until I left his office that he hadn't previously said, "You are dismissed." I wasn't sure what I had done differently, but the new approach was appreciated.

The night before Ivy's next session, I did some of my own werewolf research. And specifically werewolf romance, as seen in free, internet stories.

A hybrid between a monster and a human... Would the human side have a romantic inclination?

I hummed as I clicked the 'werewolf' genre link on my favorite online tale site because I hardly ever read anything other toxic mafia romance novels. My eyes widened in surprise as thousands of stories with millions of reads appeared on my computer.

I muttered as I scanned the book titles, most of which had names, "So many alpha stories."

Alpha Gauge was the first intriguing title that caught my attention. I clicked onto the preview page because it seemed like a decent place to start with 23 million reads.

My mouth hung open, and as I continued to take in the words, my voice grew higher, squeaking, and I finally uttered, "Oh my goodness." It... can't be like that, you say.

His big frame, tensed muscles, and strong, woodsy aroma overwhelm me. "Tell me kitten, how badly do you want me?" My body betrays me even while my head begs me to fight or run. My senses are heightened by... arousal.

"Arousal?" I wondered whether I had read that correctly as my eyes dilated and I turned away from the screen. They continued to drag back, though, and I was unable to turn away.

His big hands tangle my hair, cupping behind the nape of my neck, saying, "I'm going to enjoy this." My neck arcs in his grip as his teeth scrape across my supple skin. My eyes betray me when they catch sight of his enormous, protruding - when he lowers his trousers with his other hand, I take a sharp intake.

I gasped at my computer, "And, I think I can skip that part."

I clicked on a book with a cover of a powerful shirtless guy hugging a girl from behind, and thought, "Let's try another... Alpha Adam." "This appears to be a romance novel."

My mouth fell open in "No!" as one of his hands encircled my throat.

"Again with the throat choking," I muttered.

The ferocious roar was, "You. Are. Mine." As Adam's wolf emerges and challenges him for control, his eyes blaze. He rips the front of my shirt off with one hand, leaving me exposed with swollen breasts. His tongue flicks out and clicks in disappointment as my nipples tighten and tingle in the cool air.

Drop to your knees, mate, and as Blood Moon's Alpha, I will take you however and whenever I like.

My finger couldn't move quickly enough to hit "back" on the story and get away from Alpha Adam shoving himself into the girl's mouth. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no," I said. "Let's move forward with Alpha Bishop."

Alpha Bishop snarls, "Mate," in a low voice. My entire core area heats up as my entire meal tray falls and spills to the ground. Within a flash, he smashes me against the wall while grinding his hips into my pelvis. His eyes blaze into me. Although I struggle and wince, it feels so amazing inside every time he presses his hardness into my sweet spot.

My thumb and index finger pinched the bridge of my nose as I said, "Treasure spot."

He growls into my ear, "I know you're ready for me, pet," and presses his hips again firmly to position himself for my entrance. A tiny whimper escapes from my lips as they betray me. "I can smell it through your clothes," you said.

He carries me over his shoulder with a single arm motion, as though I were of no weight.

I shout, "Alpha Bishop!" and slam my fists into his chiseled, unyielding shoulders. He lifts me higher and slaps one palm against my buttock without blinking. My lips squeak when the sting occurs, and fluid flood into my pants.

"Little one, the more you fight, the more I'll punish you."

"Wattpad, you aren't helping me here," I said.

Click three times.

girlfriend of the alpha.

I am the Alpha's Mate.

I offer myself to the Alpha.

I am the Spank Daddy, The Alpha.

I sighed and hid my forehead in my forearms while folding my elbows over my bed. My cognitive process definitely had a whimpering tone.

That cannot be the case. Can it?

Not my mate.

Never had two words soothed me more, allowing me to relax my shoulders and return my eyes to the television.

There must be some truth there...

Even while I like Reya's sardonic perspective, skipping the last one based solely on the title provided no relief from forced dominant-submissive interactions.

After 15 stories and several hours, I was paralyzed and emotionless aside from shock and horror as I lay on my bed like a starfish. The list of unfavorable characteristics of an alpha continued to include territoriality, narcissism, sexual abuse, and emotional detachment.

"That's what... it's like?" I murmured up to the ceiling as if I were waiting for an immediate response.

My pulse pounded in my chest as I cupped my warm cheeks in my fists. I softly whimpered since I knew there was no chance I was going to get any sleep at all.

not right now.