Chapter 1 THE BATTLE IN THE FERNDELL FOREST

WILLA'S POV

For nearly all of my life, I had dreamed of the moment I would finally meet my fated mate. But never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I would meet him in the middle of a violent battle, fighting for opposing and irreconcilable causes.

And yet... Here I was.

I stood frozen in place as my hold around my daggers loosened slightly.

It seemed as if the world blurred into nothing, while time took on an odd shift, moving sluggishly in slow motion. But my heart defied the seemingly slow ticking of time as it thundered in my chest, clamoring for the magnificent wolf standing in front of me.

His thick pelt that was darker than the gloom of the bloody night looked unfairly silky underneath the brilliance of the waxing gibbous moon. His eyes glowed a vibrant amber, so beautiful in their depth that they almost looked like an endless pool of liquid gold.

"My mate," I called out even though I knew my voice would simply drown in the noisy din of the battle.

But the wolf seemed to have heard me. He took a sure step towards me, and then another until the distance between us was close to nonexistent.

The need to touch coursed through my entire being, and it was so strong that I dropped my weapons to the ground against my better judgment.

We were in the middle of a battle! Only fools with no care for their lives would leave themselves unarmed. And if I had any working brain cells left, I would've shifted to my wolf form in the next heartbeat.

But I didn't.

Rationality seemed to evade me, because the next thing I did was touch the quiet black wolf, petting him on his head, right on the spot between his ears.

The thudding of my heart grew quicker and louder, and my blood seemed to burn as it flowed through my veins. Carnal desires awakened in the pit of my stomach, and wet heat slowly pooled in my underwear.

A low, reverberating growl erupted from the wolf, and I knew then that he was aware that he had triggered my heat, putting me at the precipice of my instincts to bond and mate with him.

All around us, the ruthless and bloody fighting continued, oblivious to the moment shared between me and an enemy wolf.

All except for my twin brother.

"What are you doing?" William hissed, tugging my arm so harshly that I staggered backwards.

But he wasn't looking at me. His eyes that glowed a vivid viridian were glued on the black wolf, staring with barely held fury. His tight and sure grip on his wharncliffe blade never wavered as he pointed the weapon threateningly at the enemy that was now snarling aggressively at him, baring all sharp teeth in warning.

A wave of pleasure ran through my spine at the reverberating sound, and my knees nearly buckled as the need for my fated mate grew stronger.

"Will," I began to say, prying my brother's hand away from my arm, and it was enough to earn me a bewildered look from my brother. "I must go. I'll..."

I sent the wolf a glance, my mouth growing dry.

"He is an enemy, Willa!"

"I know!" I retorted, my voice becoming almost shrilly. "But he is also my..."

William stole a glance at the wolf, his anger fizzling into defeat. "Fuck. Of all people..."

"I know," I repeated, softly this time and meaning it differently. "But our bloodline has always known the sacredness of such ties, Will."

Green eyed werewolves like us had been known as the descendants of the very first fated pair of werewolves. And while a coupling of two fated mates was irrefutably rare as it was precious among our kind, it was all the more sacred for my bloodline.

Just then, a piercing and harrowing howl rose above the chaotic cacophony of the battle. A wolf had just lost a mate in the fight.

"It's Strome," William breathed out in horror, recognizing the pained and angry howl of his best friend. Then for a moment, a torn expression crossed his face, and his grip on me finally loosened.

I quickly took the opportunity to bolt, and my fated mate moved in sync with me. He pivoted, positioning his body to allow me to climb on his back.

"Go!" I yelled at my brother, comfortably settling on the wolf's back, securely digging my fingers through the soft pelt on the back of his neck. "Do not worry about me. I can handle myself."

"He may be your fated mate, but he is still an enemy. Do not be complacent," William warned, giving me a hard look.

"You should be careful too."

And with that, the wolf dashed away, whisking me from the scene of the battlefield that went on in the middle of the Ferndell Forest.

The crisp night breeze hit my face as the wolf ran through the forest, heading east towards the neighboring human kingdom that had already been conquered by the Alpha King and his Culling Army that was headed by his son, Gallahan Wick.

'Of course,' I thought wryly, 'He is bringing me to enemy territory.'

But I didn't truly feel any dread nor any fear. There was comfort and safety in the presence of my fated mate, and I was confident that despite being on different sides of this war, he wouldn't dare hurt me. Much less kill me.

What I was confident of was how he would take care of me in all the intimate ways a good wolf would to his mate in heat.

The mere idea of it sent a shiver all over my body, and my need to be claimed and marked by him hit me like a truck.

A copious amount of wetness oozed out of me, and I had no doubt the wolf felt my slick on his back from the way he growled impatiently.

If I had no shame, I would've transformed in that moment and be mounted in my wolf form. But as heats usually lasted for a few days with the help of a mate, a proper place to be filled and knotted would be more ideal than a dirty ground in the middle of a thick forest.

Thinking about getting filled and knotted by the perfect person birthed for my soul and my soul alone sent me bending forward, burying my face in the soft fuzz of the wolf's pelt.

"Faster," I pleaded, desperately wanting to see the man I was lucky enough to have as my fated mate.

'He is an enemy,' my mind unhelpfully reminded, but the caution blurred into nothing when he let out a possessive snarl.

"Yes," I moaned, rutting my hips on my mate's back. "Yours. Take me home now."

Whether it was his own impatience or the fact that I was getting wetter with every second that ticked by due to being on the cusp of a full blown heat, I wasn't entirely certain. But the wolf was spurred to run faster, all four legs working with fervor to bring me to a safe place where he can claim me.

Finally, after minutes that seemed to drag on for an eternity, the wolf came to a stop right in front of a simple but homey cabin, just on the outskirts of fallen human kingdom.

I slid off his back as gracefully as I could with my heat-addled mind and the juices that trickled out of me ceaselessly in preparation for our impending mating.

Anticipation thrummed beneath my skin, and desire coiled in my stomach, while my instincts clamored to override my logic.

This was a moment I have been waiting for. Enemy or not, this man was mine. Mine in body, heart, mind and soul. So completely and utterly mine that I absurdly felt like I am in the safest place in this world. Worries and doubts had no place in the moment, and I knew then that it was okay to succumb to my instincts and my wolf's desire to be claimed and bonded for life.

So when I was immediately caged by my mate, who had already shifted back to his human form, once inside the privacy and safety of the cabin, I didn't even bat an eye nor wince at the suddenness of the act. Instead, I welcomed him in my arms, his naked body pressing me against the door.

"Mine," he growled, his nose buried in the juncture where my neck met my shoulder. He stole a deep whiff of my scent, then moaned in sheer delight.

"Yes, yours."

"Call me Han," he murmured, his lips ghosting my ear.

"Willa," I managed to say while being utterly distracted by the way his hands were sliding up and down my waist and hips.

"Willa," he parroted huskily.

The sound of my name on his tongue had me smiling. How could anyone manage to make my name sound so sensual and oddly beautiful at the same time?

"Yes, Han?" I purred as I gifted his arms with feather-like caresses.

"You are driving me insane."

Suddenly, with eyes still glowing in its beautiful shade of amber, he pulled away and stood a good step away from me, uncaring of his state of undress.

But I suppose he wouldn't find any problem with it given the way his face and body seemed to be sculpted by an expert artisan's hands. His face was chiseled in an attractively masculine way, yet it retained a boyish charm through the vivaciousness in his gaze and the blitheness of the smile on his pink lips. His shoulders were broad and confident, and he was packing muscles, defined and strong, giving him exquisite lines I could spend a day or two tracing with my fingers. Then, the star of the glorious image of him, was the manhood he was endowed with. It stood erect, thick and long with a tip flushed and mildly leaking in clear arousal that I felt too.

"Are you interested in having a conversation right now to address the elephant in the room, or would you rather see what other things my mouth can do for you?"

"And by elephant, do you mean the fact that we are on different sides of this war?" I asked, tilting my head slightly to the side. It was a small and subtle gesture of seduction that got his gaze hungrily staring at the spot where he clearly wanted to bite me. "Even though I think now is not the ideal time for us to parley, I would definitely love to learn later on why you fight for the Alpha King for such a greedy and violent cause."

Han grinned rakishly, his eyes seemingly becoming brighter at the challenge of having an enemy as his fated mate. "Oh goodie. You are one of those deeply self-righteous heathens then!"

I shot him the deadliest glare I could manage while in an aroused state. I then retorted, "So what other things can your mouth do for me then? Because it's clearly not the best at dirty talk."

He was on me in a heartbeat again, pressing himself so damn close that I could feel his body heat permeate through the fabric of my clothes.

"And do you have a point of comparison, mate? Have you given yourself to someone else? Are you going to compare me to them? See who's better in bed? Hm? You don't have to. I'll make sure you forget them for good. I'll erase every trace of their kisses and touches on your body, and-"

"Have you taken a proper look at my green eyes? I am sure you know what these eyes mean for our kind," I interjected breathlessly.

Han grunted his affirmation before his lips found my neck and started peppering me with light kisses.

"It has been a strict tradition, rule actually, for green eyed werewolves of our bloodline to always wait for our fated mate. It is only, ah-"

A distractingly pleasant suck at a spot just below my ear had me moaning softly, cutting my explanation short.

He slid a thigh between my legs, pressing it upwards against my weeping cunt, making me moan once more.

Feeling the wetness that had leaked through the fabric of my breeches, he then murmured, "Maybe it's time for our bodies to do the talking."