Adonis
My eyelids fluttered open. My vision was hazy and blurry because I awoke from a deep sleep. I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the grogginess, and it took a few seconds to clear up.Forcing my way through the maze of confusion, I looked up, feeling lost and surprised.As soon as the drizzle touched my skin, I knew that I was in my human form and looked around. I was outside in the purple garden on the grass.Never in my Twenty-Six years of living had I felt such serenity and calmness around me, but I couldn't remember why. It felt strange like someone had calmed my inner storm.My recollections were disorganized, so it was impossible to piece together the event. My crazy wolf was unusually quiet, as though its impulses had been restrained with a tight leash.Raindrops hit my skin as the drizzle got heavier. "What happened last night?" I kept asking myself.My wolf suffered from fast memory loss and impulse control disorders, so it was a relief not to feel the usual emptiness and depressive moodiness that accompanied my transformations.My violent wolf tendencies drove me to roam in a rage every night, but this time there was no sign of that darkness, no restless roaming.Strange.I stayed in the garden even though the rain was getting heavier and heavier. I was feeling so rejuvenated that I did not care that it was pounding me.My robe was soaked with rain as I embraced the coolness of the grass. Everything was quiet, and it was almost four in the morning.I wasn't a fan of this wife hunt contest, and I had no intention of replacing Isabella, the love of my life, who was murdered by that bastard Syndicate Alpha, Alexander.But I had to get married, I had to have a child. Even if I mourned Isabella forever, life must go on, and I had a lot expected of me. My packmates didn't give a shit about my suffering.The sound of footsteps reached my ears, making me perk up. I remained still, curious about the approaching presence.My friends, Freddie and Sophia, came up to me. They discovered me lying in the garden drenched in rain, with Sophia clutching an umbrella.She reached out to touch me, but I stopped myself in time, not failing to notice her lips tightening into a frown and her face dropping."We’ve been searching for you, Adonis," Freddie said. "Are you okay?"I said nothing. My friends had reason to be cautious, and they were worried that I suffered an episode alone.The only people who knew about my cursed wolf were my father, my closest friends, and my physicians since being in the public eye with such instability could ruin my leadership."We've been looking for you," Sophia said as I stood up. "You had us worried. Are you alright?""Why are you out here in the rain?" Freddie said."Can you guys stop with the questions? You can see that I am doing okay."Sophia spoke after hesitating a moment. "Adonis, being out here by yourself without supervision is not good for you. You should have woken one of us to keep an eye on you. You know the girls are at the other wing of the house."I gave her a strange little smile that took her by surprise."Why are you smiling? You rarely smile these days."I played with a blade of grass. She was right. My life descended into resentment and hatred, and my only goal was to plot my revenge for my wife's death."Something happened last night, something very different, but I can't remember."They moved closer to me, studying me. "Different how?" Freddie asked."Not much comes to mind, but I experienced a peace of mind I haven't felt in years. I think my wolf met someone. Unfortunately, it's not good at storing memories."Someone?" they chorused."Yes. It was tranquilized by the person's presence, but I’m not sure who it was. I have no memory of anything.""Could it be one of the contestants from the beauty contest?" Sophia said in a rush. "Do you remember anything about her hair color, eye color, height?"I shook my head. "I don't even know who the gender is. I wish I could, but it's all a blur.""Whoever she is, she's in trouble because if I find out anyone broke the rules by coming outside...""Why do you sound so serious?" Freddie nudged Sophia. “If one of the girls is capable of taming his wolf, then that's a good thing.”With a sudden doubt in my voice, I added, "Or maybe I am making it up."Without warning, I walked away from them and headed to my bedroom to change out of my wet clothes. I was standing at the window, looking out at the spot where the rain had just stopped, and observed the droplets dancing across the glass."Good morning, Adonis," said my doctor friend Mark as he walked quietly into the room with a tray containing multiple syringes of the drug meant to suppress my wolf side.My eyes moved from the view outside to the tray. I was not in the mood for any of these concoctions."What do you want?" I snapped."It's time for your medication," he said with a soft tone, approaching cautiously.I turned to the window. "I'm tired of those, Mark. Get rid of them."Mark was silent behind me, and he appeared very worried when I briefly glanced at him."I mean it. Get rid of them.""Adonis, you can't skip your medication. You must never miss a day. You and I know this."I tapped my fingers to release energy and pursed my lips. "Buddy, I know you care, but I'm sick of this. I don't care anymore if I lose control. The medication does not even seem to be working."Mark looked as though I'd given him a hard slap on the face. He recovered quickly dropped the tray on the table and tried to persuade me."Adonis, think about what's at stake. Think about what everyone will say, about the danger this could cause. Please take your medicine now for the benefit of everyone you love.""I won't," I maintained. Give me five days to abstain from it. I promise I'll return to it if my wolf relapses. Please, if you truly care, you'd grant my request for a break.”Day 1IrisThe bell's harsh ring pierced my ears, making me jolt awake. After stretching, I sat up in bed, yawning and covering my mouth with my hand as I tried to blink away the last traces of sleep.The girls were up, and my heart skipped as I threw back the covers while running my fingers through my hair and tying it back into a ponytail, securing it with a scrunchie.Our first activity for the day began ten minutes ago. My friend and bunkmate, Natalia was snoring away, her nipple peeking through her tank top. I shook her shoulders attempting to wake her up. “Natalia, wake up,” I said with a groan. She didn't budge and I nudged her harder before rushing to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face.I stared into the mirror. The events of last night flooded back. I remembered the mad wolf and how my touch calmed it down.Something about that incident made me feel warm inside, but at the same time, I was terrified. Was that going to put me in trouble? And I knew for sure that
IrisA dermatologist was invited to take care of our skin. It was my turn, and I walked into an examination room whose walls were painted a soothing white color.Dressed in a white lab coat, the doctor greeted me with a friendly smile. Several shelves were filled with skincare products, and she passed me a magazine that explained different skin conditions and then made sure the room was well-lit."You have to take off your clothes and lay on the table," she pointed to the center while bringing out a scalpel, tweezers, and magnifying glasses."Let's talk about your skincare routine. Do you currently follow any?"I almost laughed, as if I was ever given such luxury. Even before the test, I had nothing to call my own. I was living like a maid in my father's house."No," I said simply. "I've never really thought about it."She smiled. "No worries, it's never too late to start taking care of your skin. Now, let's assess it. Do you have any specific reactions or sensitivities to skincare pr
Day 2Adonis My mind and body were in complete harmony, beyond description. Some people believe that having good sex, drinking alcohol, or getting high on marijuana are the only ways to feel euphoric.I have been celibate since Isabella's death; I was not drunk, but I was high on an unfathomable level of happiness. For the first time in my life, warmth flooded my heart, and I couldn't stop smiling. This unexpected sense of comfort puzzled me. Something was calming me down, but all I could recall was a touch.Those gentle, magical hands gave me goosebumps all over. The sun shone through the curtains, and I felt energized. The question was, "Whose hands were those?"It was driving me insane that I still couldn't recall anything. I wanted to put a face on those hands because their touch was the only thing that put me at ease. Trying to remember was like hitting a wall. When I shifted, there was no synergy between my human and wolf forms because my wolf memory was so bad. This was ou
IrisI felt humiliated and uneasy as my body gave way beneath me. I wasn't sure if my vertigo after landing on the floor from the unsuccessful catwalk was a result of tiredness or the fact that Alpha Adonis was in the room.I felt something pressing against my ribs and was eager to get out of there. The instructors and the girls were harsh, constantly laughing at those who were weak or lacked the necessary skills. They worsened my mood."Iris! Are you okay? Natalia rushed to my side. "Are you hurt?""A little," I managed to say. "Maybe I should sit for a while.""You okay, Iris?" Another girl asked. I nodded, feeling embarrassed.Adonis remained expressionless while watching. The man was almost too attractive for words. His green eyes, firm features, and the confidence he exuded made me forget to breathe.I despised the fact that my feet were wobbly in those high heels and that I foolishly fell when Alpha Adonis entered the room. His gaze was fixed on me, which made me extremely nervo
IrisWith all of my strength, I dashed out of that damned passageway like a terrified rabbit fleeing a grizzly bear. I rounded the corner as quickly as possible and was out of the Alpha's sight.Thank the Goddess I made it to the kitchen before my legs turned to Jell-O and I stumbled for the second time that day."Watch your steps, young lady," one of the cooks, an elderly woman, said to me, concerned and slightly annoyed.I got my ass off the floor and continued walking. I had no idea what it was, but Alpha Adonis made me feel emotions I had never experienced before.Surely, he was every girl's dream, a beautiful man. I found myself drawn to him and couldn't recall ever feeling this way about Ethan. I couldn't wrap my head around it, but my instincts told me I had shared something special with the alpha. I carefully made my way upstairs, intending to go to my room, when I noticed the other girls heading to the examination room.Curiosity got the better of me, and I quickly joined th
AdonisBack at the mainland, I drove past the guard station entry point revealing the familiar sight of the warrior base. The Lycan pack and tribe flags fluttered proudly from poles, their red and green colors vibrant in this late afternoon.A group of warriors practiced combat maneuvers with wooden swords. It was hard not to be impressed, considering these dudes worked extra hard to protect the civilians. A line of patrol vehicles snaked along the driveway. I parked my Range-Rover and got out, approaching a group of guards standing at attention. The head warrior, Laura, a Twenty-Six-year-old Amazon with a pixie cut and sharp, dark brown eyes, approached to salute me. I nodded in acknowledgment, my gaze sweeping over the plastic badge dangling from her shirt. Not only was Laura disciplined, she was one of the most capable members of the guard force. The first female member of the guard since its creation.Laura had been appointed the role on the day I was crowned Alpha. She’d gone o
Iris I hid behind a tall oak, pressing my body into its rough bark. It was extremely difficult for me to breathe in this position because I didn't want to get caught. With frozen breath, I watched Sophia, Alpha Adonis' best friend, get violated. The wolf gave her a hot chase, and I silently prayed that she'd shift and fight for her life. The majestic creature I'd grown so close to during my nightly hideouts was now a mad beast, pursuing the poor lady across the garden with all its might. I felt my soul leave my body, and I staggered like a drunk. As much as I'd have loved to help, stepping out of my hiding spot and exposing myself was a foolish attempt with lots of consequences. I couldn't ruin my chance in this contest. The thought of being caught outside, especially at this forbidden hour, and the decline in my score prevented me from moving. My body unexpectedly released all tension, and I covered my mouth with my hand, suppressing a relieved sigh when I saw that Sophia had man
Iris I woke up to find the hostel buzzing with chaotic energy. The girls were all scattered around, some on their bunks, others lounging on their friends' beds, all of them deep in conversation about the scoreboard. Natalia was perched on Fancy's bunk. Fancy was a doll in human form; with almost white hair, baby-blue eyes, and an animated voice. I sat up and listened to the girls' conversation without uttering a word. "I can't believe I made it to the top five!" one girl exclaimed and bounced around like a ball. “My mom would be so proud of me.”“Me too,” her friend said. “But honestly, even if I don't win, I'm just happy to have come this far. I'm not a sore loser who'd sulk in a corner and whine about the unfairness in life.”Natalia nodded enthusiastically and then stopped when she caught sight of me staring at her. I almost laughed at how guilty she looked and gave her a quasi-smile. It wasn't her fault that she was winning and I was losing. Even if she felt obligated to feel