The Rogue Deity: Until Death Do Us Part

Strenuous breaths and suffocating kisses of pleasure echo through the bare room. She is helpless, though he has betrayed her, and threw her away even due to his selfishness, their bond has finally brought them together. She ran away, and when he found her, she desperately tried to distance herself from him with all her being, but here they are, bodies aligned perfectly, and now she is completely powerless against the mate bond. Yearning only for his love.

"You are mine Rebekah, you will never escape me again!" He growled determinedly, his hot breath caressing her face before he aggressively continued to devour her swollen lips.

"Roman," Rebekah moaned as he licked her neck with his seductive tongue, trapping her with the weight of his body against the wall. He unzips his jeans and starts pump...

"Nope, nuh-uh, I'm done!"

"Ah no please, don't stop reading. I beg of you Alinta!" The sound of a book slammed shut echoes through the empty library.

"You and I are done here Ange," said Alinta with blushing cheeks, an unsatisfied groan sounded in her head. "I am tired of these books! They start off so promising, and then it's a sex fest, where yet again the heroine proves to be a weakling, and the guy wins her heart; though I can predict he is going to stuff up a few more times before they become one and hopefully live happily ever after."

"I see those red cheeks," Angela hissed spitefully.

"You are such a naughty wolf!" Alinta retorted.

"No my dear person, I just enjoy reading how some humans describe our kind incorrectly, it's more entertaining than arousing," snickered Angela playfully.

"Finally something we both can agree on!" Laughed Alinta as she tossed the book on a small pile next to her.

"I am truly amazed at how much humans have learned about us, especially considering their limited resources," Alinta said reflectively. Angela remained silent, contemplating Alinta's words. "For example, while we do have destined mates, our bonds aren't as unrealistically powerful as one might think. They simply enhance our attraction to each other with the sparks and tingles, but that's as far as it goes. We love, desire, and experience pleasure just like humans do. Our bond only becomes stronger after making love and eventually having marked each other. It is such a sacred union and that is what irks me," Alinta concluded, lost in thought.

Angela snickered as she broke her silence. "Two things, poetic licence and sex sell, besides not all are that bad, the previous book we actually finished."

"So you don't take anything personally? The fact that they sometimes make out that we are unsophisticated crude beasts?" Alinta asked with a raised eyebrow.

Angela laughed, then her tone became serious as she continued, "Honestly, I do find it insulting how sometimes the wolf counterpart is depicted as an animal always leading to his or her primal instincts. I grew up with you these past eleven years and learned your ways. Us wolves have evolved so much from our lycanthrope ancestors. I mean we can talk for Pete's sake!"

Alinta giggled at her wolf as Angela got lost in her pet peeves. "I thought you found it humorous when they got the facts wrong," she smirked at her wolf.

Angela rolled her eyes, not wanting to grant her person a satisfactory victory in their banter, then continued on a serious note, "Given how much they have gotten right, I sometimes wonder if the government might have allowed some information to leak for these books to be published, to desensitize humans to our possible existence. Seeing it's becoming increasingly difficult to hide things in this digital age."

Alinta often appreciated her wolf's perspective, nodding in agreement. "If you want to distract yourself with some factual literature, why not visit Aunt Deanna? She has so many amazing stories and promised to tell us a new one we haven't heard yet," Angela suggested excitedly, wagging her two tails.

Alinta jumped at the gesture, exclaiming, "Yes! That's a great idea! But we first need to go to the café to..." Before she could finish her sentence, she froze at the sound of a sudden voice.

"Hello? Is there anybody here to help me?" asked a large-built gentleman, quite impatiently waving a few books in his hand. He wore a grey tailored suit that matched his hunter-piercing eyes. He has a long, stubbled van dyke beard accompanied by a defined jawline all composed perfectly on his square-shaped face. His slick jet black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. He was a handsome-looking man with a stern expression. Anyone who gazed upon him would assume he was in his middle thirties and someone important.

Alinta swallowed nervously, her heart racing with anxiety. "Oh for fuck sake, seriously? Out of all the days, this jerk shows up. Who comes to the library on a Sunday in this day and age? Especially him!" Angela growled fiercely in her person's mind.

When the man's eyes landed on Alinta, they softened, and he eagerly approached the visibly anxious woman. "Hello, my dear Alinta. Sorry to barge in on you like this. I hope I didn't startle you?" he cooed tenderly.

Taking the opportunity, Alinta darted towards the pile of books on the ground before he could reach her. "No problem at all, Mr. Crassus, but Jenny isn't back here if you're looking for her," she replied coldly.

He looked at her with contentment as she gracefully picked up the books one by one and began placing them in their proper locations. "I wish you wouldn't be so formal. Please, just call me Bellinor. As for Jenny, I've been waiting at the front for fifteen minutes, which is why I came to check here. Would you be able to assist me with this, please?"

"After everything he's pulled recently, he expects you to act oblivious and buddy-buddy! Just tell him you were on your way out!" Angela spat angrily.

"I really want to do that, but I worry Jenny might be left to deal with the consequences. She never leaves her desk unless it's something urgent, and I'm sure Bellinor isn't aware of that," Alinta replied thoughtfully, ending the conversation with her wolf.

"Sure," Alinta said reluctantly as she placed the last of the books on the shelf and then held out her hand, which Bellinor took affectionately. Alinta became frigid and quickly pulled her hand away from his. "I was asking for the books you wish to borrow, Mr. Crassus," she hissed coldly.

"I'm so sorry, my dear! I misunderstood," the man laughed nervously while adjusting his gloved hands over the books.

"Misunderstood my arse, and what's with the gloves?" Angela grunted.

"Agreed, let's just get this crap over and done with. If anything weird happens, you do you," Alinta replied to her wolf.

"Yeah saving our arses as usual," Angela huffed, ready to shift at any moment. Alinta speedily snatched the books from Bellinor and made her way to the reception desk. She quickly scanned the books under his name but froze when one of the titles caught her off guard.

"Loved Until Death" was no mere love drama, but an actual documentary of a woman who was infatuated with her high school crush. As the years passed, so did her obsession with him grow, but the man of her desire rejected her countless times. Eventually, she snapped and devised a plan to kidnap and torture him up to the point where he fell victim to Stockholm syndrome.

She held him captive for three years until, fortunately, she became the main suspect in his disappearance and was ultimately caught. During the raid, as the police barged into her cellar, they found the woman sitting on her captive's lap, willingly holding her by the waist. She threatened that if the police came any closer, she would take both their lives. During the negotiations, the kidnapper was about to fulfil her promise when she was shot, and the man was saved. Unfortunately, the woman had psychologically ruined him to the point of no return. Two months after the incident, he took his own life, claiming he wanted to be with his love.

"Something tells me you have read that book," Bellinor said as he became aware of Alinta's uneasy gaze.

The woman snapped out of her thoughts and then replied uneasily, "Y...yes I have."

"A very interesting documentary, don't you think my darling?" asked Bellinor, grinning extensively the moment Alinta looked into his eyes.

"I for one think it's very tragic, no creature should be forced to love someone, no matter how the other feels about him or her," Alinta replied in her cold voice, trying very hard to conceal her uneasiness.

"But the question remains. In the end, did he learn to love her? Did she truly manage to capture his heart? Was it pure love from his side? A mere human woman, able to make a man love her so much he could not live without her. The mind and heart are fascinating things!" Bellinor responded too enthusiastically for Alinta's taste.

"Here you go Mr. Crassus, enjoy your Sunday," Alinta said and quickly turned her back and shot off.

"I think we must head back home via the back door and ASAP," Angela snorted in Alinta's mind.

"Ahead of ya, before anything else happens," Alinta hyperventilated anxiously. She started to run straight for the exit. Once at a distance, Alinta was able to relax once more but continued to walk at a rapid pace.

"What the fuck just happened back there?"

"I couldn't agree with you more Ange, that was just too creepy, it is the first in a long time he casually spoke to me like that, and where was Jenny? She never leaves the desk without leaving a note!"

"Don't ponder too much on it, let's just get home," Angela advised, Alinta mentally agreed and continued walking on.

Alinta is a twenty-nine-year-old werewolf with striking red hair and almond-shaped forest-green eyes. She has a medium build; while she isn't particularly athletic, her curves are in all the right places. Like humans, shifters come in various shapes and sizes, some beautiful and others not, though beauty is, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder.

Werewolves are somewhat stronger than the average human and possess a second spirit in the form of a wolf. This wolf can communicate with other wolves when they are nearby, or, if befriended, can establish communication over long distances. The wolves also reside in a spirit realm that resembles a beautiful forest designed according to their character. Werewolves have the ability to swap bodies or minds with their wolves and can exist in the spirit forest in either their wolf form or human form.

Unlike humans, shifters have destined partners. When such a partner exists, werewolves instinctively know how to find each other, regardless of the distance separating them. Upon reaching maturity, a fated mark in the shape of a crescent moon appears on their chest, which is visible only to other shifters. When the fated couple accepts each other and becomes one, this crescent moon transforms into a full moon. If they mark each other, their partner's name will become visible in the centre of the full moon. These beings have a lifespan of 450 to 500 years, which means that werewolves take longer to produce offspring to maintain balance in the world.

The government is aware of their existence, as well as the existence of all mythical creatures. They have agreed to keep this knowledge a secret on the condition that these beings cooperate in maintaining order and peace among all living creatures. This agreement stems from a tumultuous history; when humans discovered the existence of shifters in the past, chaos erupted, leading to war-a chapter of history best forgotten.

Some werewolves prefer to live in their wolf form, roaming the forests, while their human counterparts may reside more in their subconscious or take turns assuming wolf form. Werewolves are free to travel wherever they wish, provided they respect human laws when entering human territories and do not shift into their wolf forms. Each magical race has their own land and territory, allocated to parts of the world which are not documented or written on contemporary human maps.

Alinta lived in a small werewolf town called Umbre Vally, a friendly and close-knit community consisting of various families, both large and small, exactly like how humans reside in their distinct communities or culturally influenced groups. However, Alinta was not part of any specific group. She had lived in the same town her entire life, growing up in a cottage with her mother on the rural outskirts of the forest.

Alinta preferred to be a lone wolf, keeping her distance from other civilians. The only time she ventured into town was for work or to visit her friends. Alinta held the position of the town's librarian, a job she enjoyed immensely. It allowed her to remain somewhat isolated from others while having access to all the books she loved to read as she waited for the day to pass. Her income was sufficient to cover her necessities, and she was content. A responsible werewolf, Alinta had opened a savings account at the local bank where she would deposit money for any emergencies.

Living alone meant she only had to take care of herself and her mother's memory. After her mother passed away from organ failure nine years ago, Alinta inherited a substantial amount of money, but she used it solely to maintain the cottage and her mother's grave. Alinta was the type of werewolf who mostly kept to herself and had only a small circle of close friends.

"Ange, do you mind if we shift and you take over? I'm not feeling too strong," requested Alinta, out of breath.

"You sound terrible, Als, sure go rest," Angela responded concerned.

"Thanks," Alinta replied. With those words, she immediately teleported into her spirit realm. She made her way to a beautiful silver river, her favourite spot, and decided to rest there. Lying on the cool, lush grass with her eyes closed, listening to the sound of the flowing water.

"How are you feeling Als?" Angela's voice sounded.

"Strangely, as soon as I got here, my headache disappeared. Are you feeling anything?"

"Yeah, as soon as I took over, I started to get your headache. It's weird; it should have disappeared once I shifted, but it's not getting any better. I can manage, though; my pain threshold is much higher than yours," she said with a playful smirk as she quickened her pace.

"I hope our body isn't getting sick! I've been so careful!" Alinta complained dramatically, throwing her hands over her eyes. After a few seconds of silence, she added, "Oi, are you okay? Do you need to switch places?"

"I need... to... focus. Just about half a kilometre... left," Angela breathed heavily. Alinta closed her eyes to connect with her wolf, sensing Angela's discomfort. She tried to channel some of her energy to help ease the pain. She could see Angela's vision beginning to blur, and fear started to set in-something was not right.

"Almost there..." Angela panted, and Alinta saw a familiar wooden structure approaching. Just as she recognized it was her porch, darkness overtook them. Normally, Alinta would have been able to switch back as her wolf body reverted to her human form; it was a safety mechanism, a perk of having two bodies and souls. But strangely, darkness engulfed both of them.

As life stirred within her once more, a panicked voice cried out in relief, "Thank the Moon! You are awake!"

Alinta opened her eyes and nearly jumped when she saw a familiar face filling her vision. "Helen? What happened?" she groaned.

"You scared the life out of me, that's what happened! When you didn't show up at the café, Lilly tried to contact Ange to find out if you were still on your way. When she couldn't reach her, I headed straight to your place only to find a huge red wolf passed out on your doorstep! How are you feeling? Can you get up? I'm taking you to the doc!"

Alinta took a moment to assess her surroundings and mentally evaluate herself. "Ange you okay?" she quickly asked, before looking at her friend with a puzzled expression.

"Yeah, I feel fine now, but that was rough!" Angela grunted somewhat feral.

"We're good now, thank you, Helen. I don't know what happened, but on our way home, we started feeling off, and as Ange reached the porch, it was lights out. You mentioned you saw us in wolf form?"

"Yeah, but sometime after I got you into your room, you slowly shifted back to your human self. But wait, hold on, the two of you felt sick? Like both bodies?" Helen asked, shocked and unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah, but I feel fine now as if I had a good sleep."

"That's not normal! Come on, let me take you to the doctor, please," Helen begged, giving her the biggest puppy-dog eyes. Unfortunately for her, Alinta had grown somewhat immune to her persuasive powers.

"I am fine, Helen really. If something happens again, I'll let you know and go to the doctor, promise."

"You better!" Helen huffed and pulled her friend into a deep hug.

"I will," Alinta reassured her, enjoying the embrace.

"Good!" Helen replied warningly, then checked her watch. She pressed a button and began typing on her phone while glancing at the watch.

"What are you doing?" Alinta asked intrigued.

"I, little madam, am making notes for how long you have been passed out since I found you here. I'm going to forward everything to you to give to the doctor!" Helen declared, absorbed in her phone.

"You worry too much!," Alinta laughed.

"Negative! You are like a sister to me, so of course I will never worry enough!" Helen said earnestly, thinking about what might have happened if she hadn't gone to check on Alinta. She then playfully pinched her cheek with a smirk. "Now, is there anything I can get for you?" Helen asked, concern evident in her voice.

Alinta shook her head and was about to get out of bed when she realized Helen had dressed her and braided her hair. "You are just the best! How about I make you a cup of coffee as a thank you for everything you have done for me today?" Alinta asked, batting her long eyelashes.

"Oh no, no, no! You sit your bootylicious arse in bed, and I will make us some coffee!" Helen commanded. Alinta laughed, raising her hands in surrender, knowing she had already lost even before the war started.

Helen made coffee and returned to the room with a box of biscuits she had bought at the café while waiting for Alinta. The two women chatted until it started to get dark. Alinta felt concerned for her friend's safety and meticulously tried to convince her to go home. Helen only agreed once she was certain Alinta was okay.

The following morning, Alinta woke up early, feeling refreshed. She decided to contact Jenny, her employer and friend, to ask if she could work only half a day. Jenny was elated by Alinta's request, especially since Alinta rarely took time off. Although Jenny knew Alinta loved working at the library, she had often wished Alinta would take some time for herself to enjoy the things a typical person in her twenties would do. During this time of the year, Mondays were usually quiet at the library, with very few visitors apart from some schoolchildren looking for books to help with their end-of-year projects.

As lunchtime approached, Alinta made her way to Aunt Deanna's home. Deanna was a beloved figure in the community; everyone affectionately referred to her as their aunt. She was Umber Valley's national treasure, a dignified historian of werewolves. Aunt Deanna was the second-dearest person to Alinta, and she cherished hearing the old woman's stories about the past. Alinta arrived at Deanna's small house, which was only a five-minute walk from the library. As she drew near, Alinta quickly straightened her dress and knocked on the door.

From inside, she could hear the careful and graceful footsteps hurrying to the entrance. When the doorknob turned and the door opened, Alinta eagerly greeted her, saying, "Hi, Aunt Deanna!"

"Oh, Alinta, what a pleasant surprise! Come in, dear child, make yourself at home!" Deanna welcomed her with open arms. She hugged Alinta and gestured for her to sit down. Deanna was a tall, elegant woman with aquamarine-coloured eyes that seemed to see into the very essence of a person's soul. The warmth she radiated made anyone who approached her instantly fond of her.

"Now tell me, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Deanna asked excitedly, her voice brimming with warmth.

"I was reading some human literature yesterday and now, well..." Alinta began.

Deanna shook her head playfully, her long silver hair sparkling as each strand caught the sunlight. "I see, though I don't blame you, those stories are quite trendy," she said in a serious tone, whilst trying to hold back a chuckle.

"But yours are the best, Aunt Deanna," Alinta interrupted.

"And they are not based on fiction!" Deanna said proudly. "Though there aren't any new ones I can tell you, my child." She lifted her hand to her chin and tapped her red lips as she delved deeply into her ancient mental archives.

"But on our last visit, you said you had a new myth you wanted to share with us," Alinta pouted.

"Oh yes, of course! How could I forget!" Deanna dramatically pinched the bridge of her nose. "Have you heard the legend of the Rogue Deity?"