ZARAMANNI (BOOK ONE)
PART TWO: CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Her lids fluttering hard to fight the watery feeling in her eyes, Zaramanni finally woke up from her slumber which felt like a long one.

Her toes twitched as she sat up while grabbing onto her pillows for support.

Her sight was still blurred by the tears in her eyes, so when she turned her head, she could hardly tell if Clarissa was in her bed or not.

Then, her clouded sight darted toward the huge doors of her room.

Zaramanni rubbed both eyes to get rid of the dimness they were exhibiting, but in the process of doing that, while her eyes stayed trained on the doors, she caught a glimpse of bright blue light from the little gaps of the entrance.

Creaking sounds from outside filled the air when Zara’s feet touched the cold floor.

Zaramanni got up and felt a weakness in her system. Her eyes trained intently on the doors, and she reached for the bed’s headboard for support.

Then, Zara attempted to take her first step.

But, her head swirled, and she instantly felt dizzy.

Her head turned towards her untidy bed and she contemplated jumping back into that haven, but there was something about the light that pulled her strongly.

So, while she clutched both sides of her head, she began to walk.

Her footsteps were sluggish and pitiful and her head wouldn’t stop feeling like it was about to split.

But, she kept walking regardless.

Suddenly, one of the windows on her right was pushed open by a strong wind that made Zoey’s shirt glue against her body.

Her entire self still feeling weak, Zara swallowed hard and looked towards the direction of the strong breeze that kept enveloping her as though asking to play.

As her sight lingered, the film that blurred her eyes came back, but, before she could rub those clouds away, her clear sight returned.

Her body still feeling as light as paper, light enough to be carried away by the wind, Zaramanni’s focus returned to the blue light that was waiting for her on the other side.

Once her sluggish steps ended at the door, her hands, which she had no idea were acting feverish, wrapped around the door’s handle which often proved difficult to push.

But, she was surprisingly able to open the door despite her shaking hands.

Once the entrance flew open, a huge ball of light stared at her, and Zara’s feet almost kissed the ground.

But, Zaramanni didn’t give in to her weakness.

She held onto the door’s handle and watched the bright body as it gave sizzling sounds while its roundness floated inches above the ground.

The light reminded Zaramanni of the dream she had before she went to college. In that dream, the illumination pulled her just like it was doing at that moment.

Zaramanni eventually gave in to the force calling her into the light.

She closed her eyes and began to walk into it.

Zara had no particular idea what was happening in that foreign body, but, when she finally opened her eyes, she faced an unexpected sight.

Her face deepened with a frown, and her eyes narrowed to make sense of what she was looking at.

Then, her sight did a quick tour of the room she had suddenly found herself in.

Thanks to the numerous sources of illumination in that room, she could tell that it wasn’t a room in the manor.

No, she was certain it wasn’t a room in the manor.

Before she could figure out where she was, her head swirled and her feet staggered.

And, she gave up.

Zaramanni decided to confront the unexpected sight in the room.

Swallowing hard, after her right hand reached for the man’s face, she found herself whispering his name, “Darren.”

~

The dagger in King Darren’s hand fell onto the ground, its metallic noise managing to distract the confusion he felt when the girl began to caress the side of his face with her slender hand.

She also wore a dreamy look.

The fact that the girl was in his room was strange to Alpha Darren. From nowhere, she walked into the room as though it was a normal thing.

It was just as it had happened during the council meeting.

Out of nowhere, she came, crashing the centuries-old table of the council sitting.

“Zaramanni,” Darren called with certain caution in his voice.

“Oh!” Her eyes lit up, one would think she was looking at something that excited her. King Darren followed the motion of her hand as she retracted her touch. “It’s King Darren, the jerk.”

Deep laughter followed her words, her eyes squinted with delight, and the look in her eyes seemed to mock him.

Zaramanni’s chuckles continued to fill his ears, and he noticed how her hands couldn’t stop shaking.

Alpha Darren knew then that something was wrong.

So, while ignoring the beast that was acting allergic to the girl, he reached for her hands and secured them in his.

Her laughter instantly stopped.

Darren shifted his gaze from her hands and his concerned eyes locked with hers.

He was watching her keenly while he tried to figure out what was wrong with her when she broke her hands free.

Zaramnani’s face wore a pout and she eyed him, a look of disgust on her face.

King Darren had no idea why, but the look she gave him stabbed a part of him.

But he ignored that feeling as the girl suddenly said, “Don’t you ever touch me,” with a stern voice, her finger pointing in his direction as a way of adding effect to her warning.

Her legs danced, and she almost fell onto the ground when her voice slurred out the words, “You don’t get to touch me. You are… an absolute jerk!” Her shoulders rose and fell significantly as her hands couldn’t stop giving random gestures. “You-” She hiccuped. It came again. Then, again.

Zaramanni huffed greatly at her failed attempt and she gave up trying to speak.

“Zaramanni,” Darren called her again, his mind now back to wondering how she found his room. “What are you doing here?”

“Shut up!” The king wore a deep crease on his forehead in reaction to her insolence. “I told you,” another hiccup interrupted her, “not to speak!”

“You are being rude, Zaramanni.”

”Rude?” Her unstable feet walked closer to him, their height difference a disadvantage for Zaramanni who had to tip her toes so that she could glare into his eyes.

As he watched her movements, the Alpha came to a conclusion.

She was drunk.

King Darren wondered who was stupid enough to give her a drink.

She was not from that universe, it was not likely that her system would easily adapt to the effects of any of their intoxicating drinks.

“You are the rude one. So, why? Hmm?” Her hands grabbed the end of his shirt and the look in her coloured eyes dared him. “Why did you look at me that way? Do I-″ She took a visible gulp and her eyes began to wear a film of tears. “Do I disgust you that much?”

Darren didn’t expect her insolent utterance to take such a path.

Her reddened face wore different emotions but he could not ignore the pain in her eyes.

While their eye-lock abounded, the chilly night announced its existence just like it did when he had to rescue her from the rogue vampires.

Then, he recalled the details of the moment she was referring to and he further ignored the vicious animal within him that had been begging for a release.

Without thinking twice, King Darren decided to use that moment to right the mistake he made that night.

He didn’t hate the girl. He didn’t like her either.

But, the hatred he displayed on that bloody night bothered him so much. He knew that if someone looked at him the same way he glared at Zaramanni, he would feel pained, he would feel a bruise on his ego.

But, before he could say anything, Zaramanni wrapped her hands around his waist.

“Do you hate it when I touch you?” she asked and rested her head against his abdomen. With her lazy voice, she asked, “Is that it? Is my touch the reason you hate me so much?”

”I… Z-Zaramanni!” Before the man could make his mind known, she did something that made him feel flustered.

“Oh, you have such soft buttocks. Ouuu…” She squished his butt cheeks like she was honking an item. “So soft,” she sounded pleased with that moment, her small giggles were evidence. “So cute and soft.”

She chuckled and looked up at King Darren who looked absolutely embarrassed. With a broad smile that contradicted the earlier gloomy look on her face, she said with a childish voice that was unlike her, “Your butt is so nice, King Darren. But I think his own is better.”

’Has she been going about feeling men’s asses?’ King Darren asked himself as his entire being plunged into a state of great shock. “Wh-whose?” Darren asked, his mind damning the part of him that didn’t want to be curious about the girl’s words

“Zoey. Sham has nice-looking buttocks, but Zoey’s is wayyyy better.” She giggled again while her words confirmed King Darren’s earlier thoughts. There was something between her and those men. The signs he saw during the meeting were enough. “Do you want to know a secret?” Zaramanni asked when she gave his butt another squeeze.

King Darren tore his gaze from the embroidered curtain that shielded his dressing area from the rest of the room. With a voice unrecognizable to him, he asked, “What?”

“Zoey kissed me and I liked it.”

Her happiness was nearly contagious.

And the Alpha’s frown deepened.

“You don’t believe me?” Her lips immediately wore a sad smile.

Zaramanni was about to release her embrace around his waist when he suddenly stopped her. He did that without thinking.

While his hands gripped hers, Darren’s eyelids began to flutter and his mind tried to make sense of his reaction.

“You don’t believe me?” Zara asked again. “He kissed me everywhere and I liked it.”

”Enough,” King Darren commanded with a gruff voice. “Say no more.”

”But I want to talk about Zoey. I like Zoey so much. My heart-”

”I said, enough!” he hollered, rage building within him as his uncalled jealousy rose to its peak.

The sad look she had on before came back and Zaramanni finally broke their embrace. She took a few steps back. “I knew it,” she muttered. “You hate me.”

”Just leave,” the Alpha said, his entire system trying to make sense of the torment in his chest.

“I don’t want to see you either. If you hate me, I won’t look at you.” She gave a short laugh. “I have friends and a man that wants me. A man that kisses me. And a-”

Her presence disappeared from the room and her voice faded. It was just as it had happened in the council meeting room.

King Darren pushed the mystery of her ability to appear and disappear aside when a sharp pain filled his head.

His back slightly arched, and he grabbed the sides of his head to fight the feeling.

Alpha Darren could tell that his wolf had finally decided to use all of its strength, but this time something was different.

A loud thud echoed in the room when he fell on both knees.

Suddenly, his head began to play Zaramanni’s drunken voice.

He could hear her say the names, Sham and Zoey, over and over.

His face wore pain as the ache in his head got worse. Her voice kept repeating itself and he felt his rage increase as much as his ache did.

When he gave in to the moment and pleaded silently for that gruesome moment to end, he assumed a child’s pose and stayed like that. All he wanted was for the pain to leave forever.

’Let me out!’ A rough, demanding voice that made Darren shiver, spoke. ’Let me out now!’

Alpha Darren had never experienced a situation where a voice so clear would speak to him, so he wanted to hope that he was hallucinating.

But he knew better.

He was aware that the creature inside was the one that screamed at him while tearing his sanity apart.

“No!” Darren strongly refused. “You are a monster.” His head felt more pain as it continued to claw, its presence getting overwhelming.“Stop messing with my head.”

‘Let me out! No one must have her! We must have her!’

King Darren’s hands stopped clutching his head as the beast’s unexpected words sank in.

“Zaramanni?” he asked.

’Let me out now! We can’t let another man near her, we must have her!’

“No!” As the king screamed, he was certain his voice would have alerted a guard or two. “Don’t go near her. You hate her.”

Darren began to fear for Zaramanni at that point. His wolf’s fluctuating view of the half-fairy made him afraid that it had the intention to hurt her.

’We must have her,’ the wolf spoke with a softer tone that managed to sound demanding.

“How are you even talking to me right now? You are not supposed to have a voice.”

In Zenrada, their wolves were never gifted voices of their own.

’Let me out,’ the wolf ignored the Alpha’s questions, making the man look like a fool that was talking to himself.

“No. Stay put. You are dangerous. You… Argh!” The pain came again. Darren could not fight anymore. His entire body felt weak.

Suddenly, he could feel the beast taking over his body. And, he could feel himself changing into that murderous version of himself that he greatly feared.

King Darren’s voice was no longer audible, so he could not protest when his shifting wolf rushed toward the nearest open window and jumped out.

His body still transforming, the wolf began to race the path that led to Crown-Blood Pack city.