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Chapter 3

Kaizen

She was a very pale skinned straight haired ginger. It went to the middle of her back. She also had freckles that made her look cute. I liked her scent… She smelled like …. Like nature… Like a fuzzy image of a serene forest photo out of focus…. I didn’t know if that was her perfume, or my imagination…

Deep down I didn’t care I’d killed my people for her… The connection was made.

“Beta. I Have to call this in.” He said shakily.

“Mine.” I growled, backing up with her still in my arms. More wolves were here… More saw the blood on me, and it could not be denied that I’d done this.

Had I been quick about it… maybe I could have gotten away with it for her sake… a stranger… a human.

My mate…

I could hear them murmur in disbelief, though I kept walking… it was only 15 or so steps away, but it felt like miles. My heart was heavy for my actions, but lighter than the frail mortal in my arms. A single flinch, a sneeze, even my claws while not extended could kill her… My grip would be enough.

I’d never touched one I wasn’t going to eat, yet here I was, putting her in my passenger seat along with the closest bag I saw in their truck… it smelled like her, so I had the right one. No one stopped me... They wouldn’t be able to. I am Kaizen, the Charred One, the Horned Wolf of Tarteron, Hell….. The only one who could would be Alpha, my brother.

They didn’t come any closer, but I could see the shock, horror, and disgust in their eyes…

Why was I putting a couple day’s worth of meat in my car still breathing…? Why was she not with her friends….? I didn’t care about the other humans. They could finish them. As it was, I could tell that the others were partially eaten here and there. They’d picked off the good parts. Their hearts and livers were gone.

Yet I got into my black Hellcat…. I took the man’s clothes and shimmied into his small jeans… they would have to do. No mortal clothing store would have anything, but I ripped the sides so I could force them to fit while I drove like a madman. I still had about a week’s worth of clothes in my trunk…. But I didn’t think about that until I already had them uncomfortably on…

I would be a Rogue now…

I’d thrown away my title of Prince and Beta in minutes…

I was a Rogue for a mortal.

For my mate….

This was meant to be a joyous day… one met with well wishes and kind words…. But not now.

No wolfpack would take me after this, not even father.

I knew him… he would respect my brother’s wishes. Tyson would not stand for this, and my mother will be so disappointed… She worked so HARD for us to be members of society, not shunned… not feared like I was just now…

How they looked…. How I’d ripped them apart. They will have closed caskets…

…. How many did I Kill…?

I… I didn’t remember what I’d done, only the aftermath of it.

I drove West. I didn’t have a place in mind… I’d just stop when all the swirling thoughts did.

------Willow-----

I was cold and wet, but I almost didn’t remember why… then I was Really cold with a splash of water. “Ah!” I screamed from the cold. “AHH!” I screamed louder. A 7 and a half foot tall ram horned man was in front of me!

“Be Calm Mortal…. I needed to make sure you weren’t dying on me.” He said with a sadness to his voice…. But Who was this man? I needed to get Away from him.

The lights of his car were on, and his front doors were open…. But I could tell that wouldn’t be a way of escape. I saw the key-fob clipped on his belt…. Crap.

The tall… dark olive-skinned man looked at me sternly, and I wondered what he was going to do with me… His hair seemed to almost be to his hips. I think it was black, but the lights of the car made it look dark brown…

Holy crap…. His eyes… They reflected the light…

“As I said Be Calm Mate.” He growled… it sounded like a bear…. He towered over me, even though he was a bit of a distance away.

I don’t get why he called me that, I Wasn’t his friend….

My heart raced, and I scooted away as best as I could… he looked almost bored at my fear… He had claws, red eyes, and big goat horns… Those eyes were not red as in bloodshot… They were crimson. His eye color was Crimson… He looked exactly like depictions of the Adversary I’d see in the Church of the Sun as a child… monsters were real, and his fanged smile told me I should run.

I knew I was sober…. I knew this was Real.

I tripped, trying to get away, but there was a definitive Snap. I got up, slipping all my weight on the rock underneath me, and my left leg got caught on something, not coming with me as I kicked and wiggled so he wouldn’t catch me.

But that had a price.

My leg was broken by my own struggle…To break it like this… I swear the Adversary was against me…..

“It was why I told you to Be Calm Mortal; that leg was Already close to breaking as it was.” Huffed the enormous man… I flinched as he squatted down to talk to me. “I am Kaizen the Charred One, Horned Wolf of the Adversary.” He said quietly. “Stop trying to run. I may be in man’s skin, but I am Not.” He warned.

“… Aren’t you going to eat me?” I asked.

He chuckled, but it was one that held no humor. “No…. quite the opposite my mate.” He looked up. The sun threatened to come up at any moment, and I screamed when he touched my good leg. “Stop. I don’t want to accidently break it. I’m trying to help you.”

I had no choice but to trust him…I saw what he could do… I froze as he grabbed my bad leg, and made a splint. “That should do until I get you to a meat market.” He mumbled.

“A WHAT?!” I yelled, trying to scramble from him. He didn’t Budge at All….

He sighed. “They have a hospital for humans there. I’m sure you can tell Why I won’t take you to a normal one.” He patted his horns…. Was he trying to make a Joke?!

“I’m not going somewhere where I KNOW they chop people up!” I yelled.

“Don’t worry. You belong to Me.” He said possessively. “No one will harm you there.”

…It sent a shiver down my spine, yet…. Deep down I swear it was like I Liked his claim on me….

He then ran clawed fingers through his hair... it looked black, but in the moonlight, I could see the Slightest brown tint to it...

I had no words, so he continued.

“You will Need medical care. Now that you know we are real, you will not be able to stay in human places. Your friends are dead, and the police will erase them. They will tell humans that they died in an accident, and you did as well. Either that or make a kidnapping case on the news to hunt me down.” He said thinking out loud. “I saved you from being eaten. I wouldn’t forsake my People, My Rank, and My Title for nothing…. You are my mate.”

He said that word again. I didn’t say anything the first time… but it sounded like some kind of title….

“It is.” He said calmly. “You are my soul bonded mate. It’s why I saved you.”

“What?” I asked in confusion.

“The mark of mate binds us…. I had no control over myself, but we are bound together. I think this is too much information for you isn’t it?” He asked as if he were a little annoyed at himself.

“…. It is…” I mumbled.

“Then let’s start over. I’m Kaizen…. Former prince of my people.”

It was too much. Who was this person… how could I believe someone like that… a minion of the Adversary. Anything that wasn’t human was evil… that was what I was taught growing up… but I had to say Something to him…

“Thank you.” I managed to stutter. “…. You said your name’s Kaizen…. I’m Willow.” I said offering my hand to shake.

He gently clasped it with his thumb and three of his fingers. He softly shook, and kissed my hand.

It was …. Electric.

“Again… I am Kaizen… though I am no longer a Prince… not after tonight. We are both vagabonds.”

“But I didn’t do anything….” I whispered looking down, shedding tears for my fallen friends. “If we go to the police-” he cut me off.

“You are now property of OpalMoon pack, and I am wanted for Murder for Saving You.” He growled… it sounded like an animal. “Back there, you Will be chopped up Alive out of Revenge. They cannot best Me, but they can You.” He said sternly. “I know this is a bit much… but that is why I parked off the side of the road… you’ve slept 6 hours now… To be honest we need to Move. I’m not sure if we’re being chased.” He said looking at the direction of the road, but he used some ripped jeans and some sticks to stabilize my leg now that I was listening, and calm enough to notice that detail.

“…. Then… as crazy as it sounds… I have no choice but to trust you.” I said silently.

I was still wearing Drew’s blood on my clothes… he went to his car, and handed me my bag. Without saying a word, he looked away and let me undress in privacy, choosing to stand behind his car, facing the dirt road he made… I hesitantly changed into some blue leggings and my hot pink oversized sleepshirt, while he lit his hands on fire…. He turned my clothes to ashes…. I could feel the heat off him. I’d seen what he turns into… there was no point in running, and trying would probably get me killed.

“Good…. It would be best not to contact your family… I know I did not enjoy speaking with mine.” He said picking me up. I looked at his horns become hair, his eyes become mor amber, and his fangs receded for the most part…. I didn’t drink last night… I didn’t hit my head either.

I remember passing out from fear… that was Real.

Holy Shit.

I let him put me in his car, and the drive was silent, if not for my racing thoughts. He was a Real monster. There were no doubts about it. He turned the stations with his claws, casually scratching his chin…. Looking in the mirrors being a good driver… but he was a wolf in man’s clothing….

A werewolf….

A demon….

….And apparently, I was his mate….

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