Torn between Wolves & Myths (Book 2)
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“I think we’re starting to get the actual reputation of fuckboy.” Fare commented as he dropped himself on the couch and leaned with his hands behind his head. Liv sighed as she ran her hands over her face. “I know, I’m sorry.” Chuckling filled her ears, before a hand landed on her shoulder. “Don’t apologize, Liv. We don’t mind.” She looked at Malik and gave him a small smile.

“If anything, the reputation of fuckboy gives us more opportunities. I mean if we are good enough to pleasure the Alpha, the women will fight to get a piece of us.” Both Malik and Liv looked at Fare with an incredulous look. “Do you hear yourself when you talk?” Fare snorted as he turned his head to look at them. “I’m just stating facts.”

“The fact is that everything she’s saying and how we act is a ruse, so don’t let it get to your head.”

“You’re such a buzzkill.” Fare glared at Malik who winked at him. She chuckled a bit as she sat down on the chair and leaned back. “Ruse or not, if Caden and I continue with this, I fear that we actually might end up fucking each other.” The words left her mouth before she actually considered them, which is why she was cursing herself as silence descended over them. She glanced through her lashes to see Fare looking at her. She could also feel the eyes of Malik on her. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed, but she was shocked that it was the truth. A truth that she knew she was going to be judged on.

“Are you actually concerned that we’re going to scold you?” Heat crept into her cheeks as she kept her head down and looked at her hands. Was she concerned? Maybe she was, she just didn’t want them to think less of her. No matter that they only knew each other for a few days, she cared about them and that meant that she didn’t want them to be disappointed in her.

She was an idiot. Not only because she was acting like a fucking child right now, but also because they can feel everything she feels and that they already know the answer to the question. Releasing a sigh, Liv clasped her hands together and looked up. “I just don’t want you guys to think less of me.” Something softened in Fare’s gaze towards her.

“Liv, after everything you’ve been through, we will never think less of you. The fact that you and Caden are more drawn to each other than you are to anyone else is there for everyone to see and we know your history with him, so don’t worry about our opinion of you.” She looked at Malik who moved to lean with his hip against the chair she was sitting on.

“You are an Alpha; you can do whatever you want.” Fare added.

“I’m not an Alpha who does whatever the hell I want. You guys made me your Alpha and I want to do right by you.”

“And what does that have to do with the fact of you fucking another Alpha?” Her gaze slid back to Malik. “The fact that he’s an enemy Alpha and one we want to take down.” Malik gave her a calculating look, before he spoke the words, she didn’t expect him to say, “How sure are you that he is your enemy? Lycaon and the Lycanthropes are your enemy, they will do anything to see you dead, while Caden wants to see you alive. Caden may be a fucking pain in the ass and distrustful, but he’s done nothing to actually endanger you. As a matter of fact, he saved you from a bullet that would have killed you.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he played me from the start and kidnapped me.” She snarled as she felt the wolf prowl closely underneath her skin. The wolf hated hearing Malik’s words as much as she herself did, and it was noticeable at the way her body has become rigid. “I know, but one thing we all can agree on, is the fact that we don’t really know Caden. He always has something up his sleeve and I know for a fact that he also has his own agenda now. You heard the words Nessa spoke to you, about how his pack is led by someone who’s not even in it. Do you really think that Caden will allow that to happen with no reason after everything that happened with his father and King?”

“So, what?” Liv asked as she got up from the chair, unable to sit still anymore. “He has proven himself nothing but an untrustworthy asshole and there is no way that I will see him as anything else but another villain in my life.”

“A villain, not an enemy.” Malik pointed out which made her wolf wanting to claw out and wreck something. “Careful.” Liv warned, the power of the wolf clear in her voice.

“Why? Because you cannot take the truth in your own words?” A growl escaped her throat and she could see Malik fighting his instinct to back down from her. “You are afraid that you will end up fucking the dude, why? Only because he is a villain or because you want him to? We are in a war, Livana. We have no idea what this war truly entails and to replace it out we need more that our pack of six, we need allies.”

“Don’t even suggest what I know you’re going to say.” Malik trembled at the strain he was fighting to maintain. His natural instinct to obey his Alpha was just as strong as he was, it appeared. “Who better than the only Alpha who risked his own life to save yours? Who told you the story of who you truly are? Yes, Caden has done things to you that you will not forgive, but being allies doesn’t mean that you need to forgive him for what he has done to you, it means that you both set your differences aside and work together. We have a common enemy and maybe even more than just one. Your plan to play them and get the answers you need, is a good one, but it will take time and time is something that is fleeting quickly. Even the Margyge has shown up here. We need to have allies before we replace ourselves out numbered and we need them now. You and Caden are drawn to each other, everyone who knows either of you can see it and who better to make an ally than the one who can also take care of your urge.” It happened before she knew what she was doing. The only thing to warn her was the fact that the smell of blood filled her nose and something red coated her hand as she held Malik’s throat. As if something snapped back in place, she quickly pulled her arm back and took a few steps back before she bumped into the chair. Malik held his throat that was bleeding as he fell to his knees. It wasn’t a deep wound, but it was one made by her.

“Alpha?” Fare’s voice filled her ears and it snapped her out of her shock. Her breathing started to quicken as she looked at the blood on her hand and Malik who slowly looked up and met her gaze. She hurt him. Her own pack member. Her friend. All because she couldn’t control herself. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I-” She started to tremble as she felt the wolf inside of her rise to protect her. The wolf wanted to take over, and she knew she had no strength to stop her right now. “Liv-” She was out of the door before Malik could finish his sentence.

“Livana!” Fare yelled after her as she started running to the forest. “Alpha!” He added, but it did nothing. She hurt him. Tears started to stream down her cheeks at the guilt and shame she was feeling, before the wolf pushed her way out. A scream left her as she fell on the ground, before her body shifted and took the shape of her wolf. The shift only took seconds and soon she was running in the woods on all fours as yells behind her started to fade. It had been a long time since she truly felt the power of being in her true form, but she couldn’t revel in it. Not as everything that happened ran through her head like a mantra.

She hurt him. The friend she had known since she was a child. Everything he said made her somehow lose control and she snapped. An Alpha doesn’t lose control. They have a better grip on themselves and their emotions. They don’t allow themselves to hurt their pack member because he was telling the truth! There was nothing else to say for it. It was the truth and it did make sense to have Caden as an ally, but she refused to let herself give into it and now she hurt Malik. Only because she willed her hate for Caden to be greater than what Malik was saying.

She truly was a pathetic excuse of an Alpha and she had her proof now.

Liv kept on running until she couldn’t go on anymore and literally collapsed due to exhaustion and pain in her paws. Trying to get up a whine left her as she put pressure on her ruined paws which were bleeding all over the place. Normally, the small cuts would have been quick to heal, but thanks to exhausting herself, everything had slowed down.

The moon shone brightly in the sky, and it was the only light she had around her. Looking around as she laid on her side, she could tell that she was close to a mountain with a small stream running close to it, there were a lot of trees that partly hid the night sky and on the ground were multiple white and blue flowers. It was peaceful here and it made her heart ache even more. She laid her head back down as she curled her aching paws and legs close to her. Looking at the stream she could see the moonlight littering off the water like it was made from starlight. She followed the stream until two emerald eyes met hers across from it. The immensely large black wolf walked closer to the stream and her and his scent filled her nose. Birch trees, but not the ones they had here. No, it was the scent she always smelled when the fresh snow had fallen onto the leaves in Greenland.

It was Caden’s smell.

She immediately lifted her head and barred her teeth as she growled at him. Warning him not to come closer. Caden growled lowly as well as he jumped over the stream and landed next to her. Liv immediately tried to get up, but she was too weak. Caden gently grabbed her neck in his muzzle and pushed her back down on the ground with a low growl, telling her to stop fighting. She snapped her teeth at his head, which made him growl again and tighten his grip on her neck, making his canines almost pierce her skin. A small whine came from her as she felt the sting and dropped her head on the ground. Caden released her neck and moved his nose to her paws. She curled them more against her, which made Caden’s eyes snap to her and growl again. He wanted to help her for some reason and she hated that he did. He was the reason why she attacked Malik and she hated him even more for it, but she was too tired to fight him. She was too exhausted to do anything. With a defeated huff she moved her paws towards him. He huffed as well before he looked at her paws. There wasn’t much he could do, or so she thought until she felt his tongue on her wounds. She yipped as she pulled her front paws back and lifted her head to look at him. A growl came from him again as he gently took one of her paws in his muzzle and put it back where it was before and started to clean the wounds again. The only pain she got was from the stinging, but that was quickly pushed away by the fact that she was more shocked that he was here and cleaning her wounds. Slowly she dropped her head on the ground again as Caden took his time to clean her paws. She didn’t know he was done until she suddenly felt a warmth behind her and on her neck, and noticed that he had laid down next to her. She wanted to object again, but before she even could, Caden growled and put some pressure with his head on her neck, telling her to go back to sleep. This was way more intimate than she wanted to, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she felt safe and before she could object more, sleep pulled her under again.