Hi *waves tentatively* I know it's been a very very very long time since I lost posted but, well, things have been tough. It's not really an excuse but my mental health had been kicking my butt big time, and my situation at home is sort of bad. Anyway, I spent some time re-reading the book and I'm able to get back into it. Those edits I talked about? I decided that I didn't need them. I think it was the medication talking at that time. I read ALL of your comments and I am super grateful for all of y'all support!
Warning: mature shakalaka ding dog ;)
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The moment that they passed the invisible barrier in the jungle, Alice felt her chest constrict. She couldn't explain the overbearing force that attacked her; her head felt as if it was being squished beneath Colden's heavy paws, her ribs felt like they were ready to crack and there was blood trickling out of her nose.
Alice hid her face in the scruff of Colden's neck. His powerful body jostled her around as he ran at a speed she didn't think possible, next to Tya's grey wolf. Worried whimpers escaped his snout and from the corner of her eye, she could see Belle's wolf giving them equally worried looks.
But Alice didn't let go. Not even when her arms felt like they wouldn't be able to hold her up for much longer or when she could have sworn that she saw her fathers black eyes blinking back at her. She held on no matter what. They run for hours, skidding past dark green roots and tree stumps that grew out of nowhere as if to surprise the strangers in its kingdom. Tya manoeuvred- led them- as if he had the jungle memorized, even though it had a strange suspicion to change.
A groaned pain escaped her mouth when Colden skidded beneath a low branch that came down to smack them. Her hair ruffled, the branch barely missing her head. Colden let out a warning growl, nipping at the end of Tya's tail. if she wasn't in pain and terrified, Alice would have laughed.
At some point, through the headache that pulsed in her head and nosebleeds that poured out of her, Alice had drifted off. It was hard not to with the wolfs muscles rippling beneath her like waves, lulling her to sleep. It was a gift. She wouldn't have been able to take the pain the jungle forced onto her much longer.
It was obvious she wasn't welcome here and if it wasn't for Colden's warning hackles, she was sure that the creatures and beasts that lived within this kingdom of green would be feasting upon her already. She had a gnawing suspicion that it was all because of whatever was lingering beneath her skin, nestled between her bones and the good in her.
Her eyes snapped open in panic when something hit Colden's side. Her world spun as they tumbled to the ground, Colden's snarls and whimpers wrapping around her like a scarf. Air choked out off her as she lay on the jungle floor, writhing and screaming silent screams as the jungle that filled the nature aimed to suffocate whatever was wrong with her out of her.
It would kill her if it couldn't.
Stars danced in front of her eyes. She could see, from the corners of her eyes, Belle and Tya fighting off a beast with horns and thick leathered skin. It looked like something out of a mythology book. Something that shouldn't be alive as much as she. It gave her little comfort to know that if she died she'd just come back.
Colden's silver yes blinked down at her. This moment reminded her of the accident that she had those many weeks ago. Alice smiled, blinking back the tears. Blood trickled down her temple. He cooed at her as he lifted her up bridal style.
"Hold on, pumpkin," his voice shook, airy against her head, "we're almost there."
Alice still heard the snarls and growls behind them but Colden didn't seem to care. He ran through the jungle with her in his arms, murmuring about how Belle and Tya would punish the beast and she would be safe within a few minutes time.
Soon.
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Something was licking her face. A groan passed her lips and she scrubbed at the slobber, frowning at the wet tongue that touched her hand. Hair, or rather fur, tickled her nose and when she opened her eyes, she found Colden's black wolf blinking back at her.
"You are disgusting," she croaked out, wincing at the ache that passed through her body.
Wolfish amusement flickered in his eyes. It caught her off guard, the same way that Colden had these past few days where he allowed himself to at carefree in front of her. Alice wiped her face once more. The sound of breaking bones followed and shortly after, she found Colden's human face gazing down at her. Alongside his very naked and very hard body.
Alice swallowed the sudden dryness in her mouth.
"You had me worried," Colden rushed towards her. There were bags underneath his eyes.
"Why?" Alice narrowed her eyes, rubbing at the heaviness that weighed them down. Then it dawned on her. He had watched her die when she had flung herself over the railing. She felt bad at the moment- it hadn't been her finest accomplishment in her miserable life, that was for sure. "Nevermind," she muttered and heaved her legs over the bed.
The air here was humid, suffocating like a sauna. She could hear crickets somewhere in the distance and she smelt the faint trace of rain. "Where am I?" Alice questioned, ignoring Colden's attempts at keeping her planted on the bed.
The large hut, if you could call it that, was made of what appeared to be mud and sticks. It looked sturdier than the buildings she was familiar with seeing in New York. Once again, she found herself in awe of the textures and colours, itching to paint them. Alice gazed at the Alpha next to her with an indistinguishable feeling in her chest; was he the person responsible for making her feel this way? Ever since she had been on the run, after her father had been murdered and his attacker came for her, the passion for art had gone. She did it to make money, not because she enjoyed it.
But recently, she had been finding herself wanting to paint simply for the process of painting. Deep down, she knew Colden was responsible.
"Is there something on my face? Are you in pain? You are in pain," Colden rambled as he grabbed her by the elbow and forced her back down on the homemade bed, fluffing up the pillow behind her head like a mother hen.
Alice stared at him bewildered, not knowing how to react. Was he always like this and simply held back because of the way she had been before? Or was he nervous? She narrowed her eyes, watching his movements. No, he definitely hadn't been like that the first time she met him. That night he had been all demanding and equally possessive.
She couldn't help but smile as he brought the cup of water to her lips, coaxing her to drink.
"You were attacked by the jungle but luckily we weren't very far away from the pack. Belle and Tya fought the beast off while I brought you here. The high priestess of this pack healed you," Colden smoothed down her hair which she was sure looked like a birds nest.
There was something soft in his eyes, some type of emotion that stirred something deep within her chest and reached her core to the very tips of her toes.
"Thank you," she found herself murmuring with her heart in her throat.
His gaze softened, "what for, pumpkin?"
"For looking after me."
"I'll always look after you," he murmured, his gaze unflinching from hers, "I'm just glad that you're letting me."
Someone cleared their throat and Colden dropped his hand away from her face, looking almost embarrassed.
"Look! Look what you are doing to my patient," an elder woman with long grey hair and an ebony complexion came in. Despite her small frame and aged face that reminded her of a sweet grandmother you'd find giving cookies to children on the street, there was an unmistakable aura of power around.
Alice held back the urge to shrink away when the woman's gaze snapped in her direction. She pursed her lips and narrowed her gaze in accusation, "you have been a bad influence, alpha. She's supposed to be resting."
Colden sputtered, his cheeks tinged red, "me? I stopped her from getting up! I put her back to bed_"
"I bet that's what you wanted, young man," the old woman's eyes narrowed, "not even mated and here you are trying to taint her."
"Honey, what is that racket?" She heard Tya's familiar voice.
"Don't you honey me, Madhavaditya. I told you to keep Alpha Colden busy! But no, you were eating Sashkas cookies again weren't you?" Alice was glad the woman's gaze was now directed to what appeared to be her mate, Tya.
His eyes were wide and crumbs clung onto his shirt. He mumbled a quiet no, swallowing down the stolen cookies as if they were going to choke him. There was a bandage wrapped around his head and a green paste was spread over his arm, to tend the wounds from the fight.
Alice glanced at Colden's wide eyes. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask whether he was going to say anything, but the obvious way he gulped made it clear enough that he was terrified of someone half his size and thrice his age.
"Alice, dear. I, of course, don't blame you. You must be confused," the woman's eyes narrowed at Colden's face " I'm sure this brute here didn't explain anything to you before he started fretting as Alpha's do. Here," she handed her a coconut bowl with a brownish liquid inside, "for your energy. Drink."
She didn't have the balls to question the contents of the drink nor the weird taste of fish. Colden stifled a laugh at her sour expression but the woman' gaze was unflinching. Alice swallowed the horrible liquid with as much dignity as she had left.
"My name is Bona, I am the high priestess," Bona smiled, her eyes crinkled in the corners.
Alice licked her lips, "you're the one that's supposed to help me, right?"
"Yes, yes. Of course, but not tonight," Colden opened his mouth to protest and Bona shot him a dark look, "it's late and we don't discuss business during such times. You must rest and tomorrow we will talk."
"But we haven't_"
"Rest!" Bona snapped at the Alpha next to her, "don't make me make you sleep outside, Alpha Colden. I assure you it wouldn't be very nice with the rain. tell him, Madhavaditya. Tell him what it's like."
"Not good, not good at all," Tya shook his head and sent pleading looks in their direction once Bona was at the door of the hut. Alice could only offer him a sympathetic smile, too afraid to speak out against the woman.
"Come Madhavaditya, show our guests to their hut. You'll have food there for you, since the weathers too piss poor for much else," Bona scowled at the sky as if she could summon down the Gods and order them herself.
Alice stared wide eyes at Colden who mirrored her expression. She bit her lip to stifle her laughter as he released a sigh of relief when Bona swept out of the room, leaving Tya standing wide-eyed.
"My mate is a bit eccentric at times," he rushed out, brushing away the cookie crumbs on his shirt, "you get used to her. Unless you get on her bad side which_"
"Stop trying to explain your cookie stealing habits to our guests, Madhavaditya," Bona's shouted words reached them. This time Alice couldn't hold in the laughter as Tya's eyes widened and he nodded, half to himself rather than to his mate.
"Come come, before my mate reprimands me further." Neither of them protested.
Colden helped her to her feet and grabbed her cold hand in his warm one. The weather outside was indeed as piss poor as Bona claimed. Rain hammered down as if the skies had broken and the jungle held an eerie gloom to it.
Pack members were huddled under small bamboo roofs, some loitered in and out of huts carrying clothes and cutlery. It seemed that work didn't stop even when the weather was bad, just the 'celebrations.'
"I must apologise for the poor greeting you've received," Tya glanced at them behind his shoulder, "normally we would offer a celebratory party for passing the jungle, a welcome to our home, but the beast that attacked us...well, it's seen as a bad omen by many, and the torrential rain doesn't help that case." He glanced towards the sky with a frown.
"What was that beast?" Alice murmured, ignoring the eyes pierced her skin. The small village reminded her of a fantasy wonderland, of a long lost painting that came from a time before. She itched to capture the memory, to savour the beauty of it.
Inside of her, the darkness slumbered, barely roused by her thoughts and yet, she could sense its displeasure. Whatever it was. There was no denying that the beast attacked them because of what she was. And she was almost one hundred per cent certain that Bona knew exactly what that was. She couldn't help but feel hopeful that they would also know how to help her, but a small part of her was afraid. What would happen if she was beyond saving and beyond dying? Would she be a villain destined for evil? That thought was enough to make her feel sick.
"One of the horned guardians of the jungle. We don't see them much, they usually linger in the shadows of the trees but when they sense something other," he met Alice's eyes, "they tend to attack."
"And it's dead?" Colden's eyes pierced Tya's. Tension surrounded him.
"Sent away," Tya clarified. Colden opened his mouth to protest but he shot a look of annoyance their way, "it can not be killed, young Alpha. It is a beast that has protected the jungle for aeons. To kill it would be a betrayal, and to betray the jungle would mean war and eventually, our death."
Alice's hand skimmed Colden's, his skin hot to the touch. She saw some of the anger evaporate and the tension in his shoulders lesson. Despite this, she knew that on the inside he was anxious; anxious to know what she was and afraid that there would be no way to help her. She mimicked his fear.
"Here is where you will be staying for the duration of your trip. Belle is two huts down, in case you need to know." Tya smiled, his eyes glinting with mischief. "My mate left you some food for you to eat but should you need anything else, just shout."
"Thank you," Colden bowed with his hand pressed to his chest, "for everything."
"Do not thank me yet, young alpha," his nostrils flared, "your mate is not safe yet."
"Still, I appreciate the risk you took for bringing us here."
Tya waved Colden's words away and departed with a brief wink in Alice's direction. Silence resumed around them, the echoes of the crickets chirping a reminder that they were somewhere far more ancient and dangerous than Newyork or Houston.
She followed after him into the small hut; there was a large wooden bed in the centre adorned with white bedding. A small dresser stood on the right and in the middle of the room, there was a wooden bathtub. Alice raised her eyebrows, glancing at Colden who was already watching her with a heated expression. "No toilet?"
"They are wolves, pumpkin. They like to mark their territory." Amusement laced his words.
"Right," she swallowed the sudden unease that filled her. The room was claustrophobic, too small for her to share a space with Colden's musky and rain filled scent coating everything in their proximity. Nerves lingered beneath her skin as her fingers glided over the bedding, which was soft and silky to the touch.
Her mouth felt like cotton at the thought of sharing a bed with him, but she knew that they were beyond that. Colden had saved her life on more than one occasion and it was a fact that she often ignored. Alice knew that she was to blame for a lot of their problems, and for a long time she failed to see that he wasn't as bad as her fear made him out to be. Despite the darkness that lingered beneath her skin, whispering harsh words of pain to her, she felt at peace.
Colden's fingers skimmed the base of her neck, his lips barely touching the end of her ear. Alice's breath haltered at his touch, her body thrumming as the memory of his words- the promise of sex- played in her mind, over and over again until it was the only thing she could think of.
His hand trailed down her spine, goosebumps rising in its wake. He skimmed her hips, her ribs and then her belly, barely brushing across the underside of her breasts. Alice held her breath. Would she be able to be intimate with him again? Could he look past the fact that she had evil mixed in with her very essence? Alice knew that she could; that was something that she had decided before she stepped onto the plane to India. She had promised him to try but in the end, she had accepted that he had a part of her heart.
Alice turned around, her hands pressing against his heaving chest. When their eyes met, she knew that her decision was the right one. Colden was a man made of steel and beauty; with his raven hair, curled with humidity and sweat, and his silver eyes that were flashing gold, he resembled a god. And he belonged to her. The thought alone was enough to send pleasant shivers down her spine.
"Why did you cut your hair?" He murmured as he fingered a tendril of hair.
"It made it easier when..." Alice licked her lips, swallowing the thick lump of nerves in her throat.
"I did like your long hair," Colden declared, a predatory glint in his eyes, "I rather enjoyed wrapping my hand around it."
Alice inhaled sharply, her eyes snapping towards his. Colden's nostrils flared as he pushed her against the pole of the bed, his touch electrifying to her heated skin. "Alice," he murmured her name, barely loud enough for her sensitive hearing to register it.
"Yes?" Cotton filled her mouth when the silver in his eyes was completely overtaken by gold. In Colden's wake, a beast resurfaced. But he was her beast, whether she wanted that or not. And right now, the only thing that she could think about was the fact that despite her faults and her anger, he had stood by her, had saved her, had cared for her. That knowledge pulsed through her like a new found energy.
"Would you hate me if I said," Colden's tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip, his eyes zeroed in on her parted mouth, "if I said that all I can think about is the feel of your lips on mine."
Alice shook her head, trembling from the heat of his body. The truth was that she hadn't hated him for a while now, even if it took her a long time to admit.
Colden touched her cheek with the tips of her fingers, barely breathing in case he startled her. But she wasn't going to run this time. Not again. Alice held her own breath, watching as he moistened his lips and drew his face closer to hers. When their lips barely touched, she could only hold back the moan of delight as the heat of his body raced through her. Colden gasped, his eyes half-lidded and cheeks flushed red. The touch of his lips to hers was light, a barely-there kiss, but a part of Alice awakened. She remembered what being in his arms had felt like, what her body had experienced and the way her heart had filled with exhilaration.
Alice didn't stop to think over her actions as she let her arms snake around his neck and her lips meet his fully. A groan escaped him as she parted his mouth with her tongue. Stars danced across her eyes when he cupped her behind and lifted her up until she was level with him. Their tongues danced against each other. This was everything that she had been denying herself, even when the full moon was blooming and even when her body broke with the pain of not having him near. But she no longer felt ashamed or hatred for wanting this.
It was meant to be; written in the stars before she was even born.
Colden laid her flat down on the bed, his lips trailing over her nose her cheeks and down her neck. Goosebumps bloomed on her skin from the touch of his heated lips. Alice twisted her head to the side, her breaths coming out in pants as his hands lifted up the sundress over her head and down to the side of the bed. Alice met his gaze.
"Tell me to stop," Colden grunted, "tell me to stop before I can't."
Alice shook her head. "I don't want that."
Colden's nostrils flared, "I don't want you to regret it." Uncertainty flashed in his eyes.
Alice held her breath at the vulnerability that shone. She had caused that with her anger and harsh words. But none of that was true anymore. She did care, enough to not want to leave. And maybe one day she could love him. Maybe.
She let her fingers skim his cheeks, the same way he had done it to her. Colden held his breath as Alice rose up to meet his lips, barely brushing. When the tension left his body, Alice twisted them around until she was on top. A look of surprise flashed across his face.
"I'm not going to regret it," Alice reassured, "I haven't regretted it, no matter how much I had wanted to at the time." And then she let her nails tear through his shirt and her mouth to leave heated trails down his chest. She ran her fingers over the growing lump in his trousers, watching as his breath haltered and his eyes darkened into pools of inky darkness.
Alice paused, her head cocked to the side. "Will you regret it?" Her claws lingered on the waistband of his trousers.
Colden shook his head, gasping, "no, I could never."
It was all she needed to tear through the remains of his clothes; his member was just as large as she had remembered, if not a little intimidating. But she knew that he still doubted her, worried that he wasn't good enough. Words wouldn't fix what she had caused but actions...Alice would show him until he knew, without a doubt, that she cared. When she had promised him to try she meant it fully.
Alice savoured the taste of him as her tongue darted out to taste what belonged to her. Urged by predatory instinct, she took him into her mouth and watched as his eyes became hooded and as his head tipped back in a silent moan. Tremors wrecked his body, his abs tight with tension as she tasted him the way he had tasted her. The darkness didn't surface as she let herself enjoy the intimate moment with the Alpha. Her Alpha male.
Colden's hands snaked into her hair, guttural moans and grunts escaped his mouth as she pleasured him. "Please," he gasped, eyes shut tight. Alice knew what he wanted; he was more animal than human and that was the first lesson he had taught her.
She rose onto her knees, her chest heaving with laboured breaths. Colden watched her beneath his eyelashes, canines glistening with saliva. "I don't want you to bite me," Alice's voice was a hushed murmur, "but I do want you to claim me in other ways."
Without letting fear overtake her, Alice clipped off her bra and stepped out of her panties. She didn't know how Colden restrained himself as she laid down next to him, keeping her eyes on his face. There was a part of her that feared the fact that he wouldn't listen to her request but another part of her, the part that knew what he was like, believed that he wouldn't intentionally hurt her. At least anymore.
Colden rose above her, eyes dancing between her face and her neck. Alice held her breath as he nodded sharply, restraining himself from taking the bite that he had told her he craved. And then, in the sweet and blissful moment where they were bare to each other, he entered her in one swift motion. His breath was laboured, his raven hair skimmed her forehead as a long drawn out moan escaped him.
Alice touched the side of his face, her green eyes glowing black. Colden didn't react in disgust at the darkness that shone through. His lips brushed her own as his body moved in a sweet caress. Alice's nerve endings electrified as he murmured sweet nothings into her ear. She didn't hold back as their bodies joined together after a year, nor as the animal in her came out, predatory in staking its claim. Their moans and grunts mingled as the bed moved with the force of their mating.
Colden gripped the bed sheets by her head, his face hanging in the crook of her neck as he thrust into her, grunting with every move and every moan that she made. A bubble grew in her belly, spreading through her thighs and down to her toes. The heat grew within her as his pace picked up and as his thrusts became harsh. In the blink of an eye, after he met her lips with his own, Alice exploded. The orgasm washed through her, blinding every other noise, smell and sight that wasn't Colden. She cried out at the feeling, her claws tearing through the skin on his back.
A final grunt escaped him before he emptied himself inside of her, his body shuddering with exhaustion. But there was no bite in her neck and Alice knew then that she was safe.
They remained tangled up in the sheets until the early hours of the morning, breathing in each other's scents as the world paused for only a minute, and the memory of Lycans and a deadly king was distant.
Alice's fingers skimmed his eyelids when he fell asleep, still inside of her as if he was afraid to let go. Perhaps she could love him, if that was something she was capable of, but she knew one thing; she would kill Lucien before he destroyed Colden and his pack. It was the least that she could do for everything that had happened. And when the time came, Alice would savour the Lycan Kings blood, even if it meant embracing the monster within her.
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Once again, sorry for the long ass wait. I'm a lot better now and exams are almost done ( which I should be revising for right now, oopsie) so I will be able to update more frequently. What did you think? Lemme know. Also, I am going to try and answer all of the comments and messages but I have so many that I don't know where to start. And I do still have revision!