Moon Bound [Undergoing Rewrite]

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Warning: Sexual Content.

"Release me at once!" As the faerie warrior dragged Ludovica toward the enormous white castle within the forest that appeared made of white stone, the growls of Dmitri tore through the air. Glancing over her shoulder, she wanted to rip the hands of the ones holding captive.

At the cracking of bones, the faeries released Dmitri. Dmitri fell on all four, his wolf claws digging into the forest floor. When the earth beneath udovica trembled like a small earthquake, she managed to wrench free and swung her opened hand, her wolf claws leaving bloody scratches on both Faeries.

An object wrapped around her neck and she dropped to her knees with a cry of agony. She tried over and over again to remove the object to no avail. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at her mate. Why had the fae not done the same to him to put his wolf asleep?

"I never thought I would ever have the pleasure to meet you." Ludovica lurched to her feet and froze the second she faced Oliver. The crown made of roots on his head was a good giveaway of his identity; however, now a memory came flashing back.

He had saved her life.

"You...you are Prince Oliver?"

He ignored her and knelt beside Dmitri when a loud growl escaped from his lips, making the birds hidden high in the trees around them to flee to the sky. "You must be thankful that thing was removed from your wrists. If you would have worn it any longer, it would have burst your heart and all your internal organs."

Dmitri's back arched as the bones beneath the skin snapped. Sensing his pain, Ludovica pushed Oliver away and placed a hand on Dmitri's shoulder, noting how much his body trembled, how hot it was to the touch. Still, her touch seemed to do nothing to abate his pain. Dmitri raised his hands and his knuckles struck the ground over and over. "What...have you done to me!"

Oliver circled Dimitri, staring at him as if he were a specimen under a telescope. "You are furious and are losing control over the shift. I told my daughter that you had to be brought here. Your power is too great and it can easily become too much for you."

A low chuckle escaped Dmitri. "When I was told that I looked a lot like my grandfather, I didn't expect for it to be this much." He glanced up to the sky. His eyes flickered amber and deepened, flashing against the dazzling sunlight. He growled, revealing razor-sharp teeth. Oliver stared at him as every bone in his body snapped, shifted.

I know you can control it. Don't allow it to control you.

Dimitri turned his head and met Ludovica's gaze.

Take deep breaths...allow your heartbeat to slow down. It's your anger activating the shift. Trust me, it is agonizing if you do not regain control over it.

With a clear struggle, he nodded, inhaling and exhaling. His wolf claws turned into short human nails as he flattened them against the forest floor. Within seconds, his golden eyes began to whirl to deep brown. Soft growls escaped his lips as he slowly regained control of his body again.

A wolf activating the shifting process because of anger most of the time ended up losing themselves to the bloodlust. If Dimitri wouldn't have regained control, Ludovica didn't even want to think about what would have happened.

As his breathing slowed down, she ran her fingers through his damp hair. Sweet glistened his entire body as he leaned his head on her chest. He raised his hand toward her cheek and caressed it, probably leaving a smudge of dirt. Her eyes narrowed into pinpoints as she glared at Oliver.

"Were you waiting for him to lose complete control?"

"When my daughter left her home for a warlock, I explained that crossbreeding could be dangerous. Yet, they ignored my warning. Their child fell in love with Dmitri's mother. I told his father multiple times that Dmitri couldn't live a normal life in a pack. However, once again my words were ignored and his mother remained in her pack—even lied about who his true father was. And all that ended up with everyone from his pack dead. If they would have listened to me, so much could have been prevented."