Rudraksh

13 - You're Mine (Edited POV)

The night we made it to Kashmir from Venland was the night of Mahashivratri. The country was knocking at the doors of summer, but the sky of Kashmir had other plans for it was announcing rainstorms with thunderous claps of lightening. I was just a few miles from Somm. With a strong longing to see my father, I rushed on foot towards Somm when the horses of my carriage were no longer suitable to carry on.

With brother Akshat, Krishna and Rashmi by my side, I ran across the dense forests and didn't stop until that one moment when Akshat abruptly halted. Krishna too.

"Brother ? What is the matter ?"

"Shivanya.... The mindlink..." Akshat couldn't make it futher.

I turned to Krishna.

"Is in chaos. I don't know, sister. I don't know if it's Mahashivratri celebrations or some attack but something's up and we need to be careful."

"What are you talking about ? This can't be happening no... Tell me it's the celebrations... Brother please." Their expressions were too obvious. We were under attack.

"We should be ready for the attack, My Queen, I sense other packs here. Alliances. The Jatayus and Airavats. And packs don't usually leave their territories on days such as these just to amuse themselves."

"Krishna ? Run back and alert everyone to be on gaurd." I commanded and resumed towards home.

My heart was beating like never before, my mind racing like never before. I felt it all over my body in form of numbing sensations. At some point, I noticed it felt abnormal, it wasn't like anything I had ever experienced, not even when my father almost died of illness when I was fifteen. Everything was intensified a thousand times and I was convinced it wasn't just because of that unbearable fear and pain. It was more, something bigger for I felt something changing inside me and my heart reacting to it accordingly. I felt it in my very bones as cold chills ran down my spine.

I kept going still, ignoring all the warnings my body was giving me. After what felt like an agonizing course of five minutes, I fell. When I looked at my burning foot, it wasn't just a sprain. My ankle was dislocating itself, I watched it change shape and that pain was the strongest most merciless I'd ever felt.

"Shivanya !" Rashmi slumped down beside me. When I looked up at Akshat, he was standing there with strange expression on his face. He seemed to be suppressing a smile as he turned his gaze to his feet.

"Brother ! Shivanya--"

"Is turning. Be here, Princess Rashmi and see to the Queen. I'll round the perimeter." He said and disappeared.

I heard no longer what Rashmi was saying. The sounds of my inner self screaming in pain, the echoes of my bones cracking and changing shape were deafening. I had heard that the first shift was painful beyond imagination, but never in my wildest thoughts, had I imagined it to be like that.

It were a few agonizing moments before my clothes started tearing and I transformed into the beast I was destined to be. My howls and roars echoed through the darkness, piercing the night. I looked at Rashmi who was crying with pride and happiness.

Before I could introduce myself with the perks that came along with being a werewolf, before I could meet the wolf inside me, I heard them. Those chaos. Clearly. They were no celebrations, no temple bells, no chants of 'Om Namah Shivay'. They were only cries of fear, help and contempt. Akshat appeared in his wolf form, a majestic red wolf. I gestured Rashmi to sit on my back and we zoomed towards the Kedar Haveli.

For a strange reason, I wasn't feeling any fear, there was pain but not as strong, not as intense as the bloodlust. I wanted blood, the blood of whoever dared lay a finger on my land, my people... I would kill them all and with their blood, I would paint the soil of Somm red.

But it wasn't that easy, that simple. I knew it wasn't. I knew I won't even get to try when I approached the Haveli from the woods. The Haveli was intact, no dying humans, no fighting wolves, except for one thing...

Except for my father in his wolf form lying dead in front of me and beside him standing another majestic wolf. A dark grey, almost black wolf. It was when I looked in his brown eyes that I had realised that strange scent. It was fighting and destroying everything painful inside me.

But all I focused on was the devil in front of me. He was even bigger than my wolf, death danced in his brown eyes and blood was dripping from his huge canines.

Something inside me died and the bloodlust intensified but I couldn't do anything if I wanted to. I was frozen in shock.

"Mate." A voice come from somewhere inside me and I took a step back. I was just paranoid. That was it. That voice didn't belong to me, I tried to convince myself.

But then again,

"Mate !" Came that giddy voice again when I looked at the wolf's eyes. I felt the connection, the pull.

Akshat advanced towards the wolf that looked twice his size. I waited for the clash but instead heard a growl so menacing, the intensity of it made me feel cold. It was that overwhelming. Akshat abruptly stopped in his tracks and had taken a step back.

He was an Alpha. Who could he be ? I ran my mind back and forth to the dots, trying to connect them. Dark grey wolf... Brown eyes... Alpha... Enemy...

Rudraksh Rana.

The wolf let out a warning growl before he walked towards a tree. He had gone to take cover to shift and change. Not a minute later, he emerged from behind the tree, shirtless.

His body was covered in dirt, sweat and blood.

All that clung to the soft ridges of his muscled built like an armour of sin. His mouth was still covered in blood, painting that sinfully defined face into something colossally dangerous and savage. I didn't spare him another look as he neared me, walking straight past my dead father and shocked brother. I suppressed the urge to take a step back. I was an Alpha, my position and pride condemned such displays of weakness but everything except my heart and wolf screamed at me to run.

Rashmi was still on my back, confused, crying.

"Don't you think the King requires your attentions, Young Princess ?" He looked at her and Rashmi was down in an instant, scurrying towards the said King's lifeless body.

Before I could pounce on him or even run, he said, "Stop." His voice was as sinful as he was. Cold, rough and deep. I froze again. It was like my body got bound to his commands.

What is happening ?

It was my wolf. She was controlling my actions. In my broken state, she was overpowering me and was listening to him.

He perched down in front of me and caressed my cheeks, I let out a warning growl. There was this gleam in his eyes when he whispered in utter pleasure, "You're mine.... I can't believe it." His voice was soft as if he couldn't believe I was there.

It made my insides flutter, the softness of his voice. It sent sparks and shivers down my body, his touch. But they all faded against the shock and pain I was in. There was only anger and contempt I wanted to feel, only blazing fury that someday I would, hopefully, burn that monster to ashes.

"I won't ask you to shift, moon, I can never mistake those eyes."

I growled again but before anyone could say anything, a messenger boy ran in.

"Pardon me, Alpha, but... But..."

"But what, boy ?"

"Old man Giridhar... He..."

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Sindoor - Sindoor is a traditional vermilion red or orange-red colored cosmetic powder from the Indian subcontinent, usually worn by married women along the parting line of their hair. In Hindu communities the sindoor is a visual indicator that a woman is married and ceasing to wear it usually implies widowhood.

Mangalsutra - The word mangal means auspicious and sutra means thread - together mangalsutra means an auspicious thread uniting the souls. In India, the groom ties the auspicious necklace around the bride's neck on the day of their marriage. The necklace serves as a visual marker of status as a married woman.

Sahib - A polite title or form of address for a man in India.
Example : Lord.

Sahiba - A polite title or form of address for a woman in India.
Example : Lady.