"Report

your standings, brothers," Ziason says to his brothers after they

were done bowing.

Zechariah

goes first. "There are no sign of an attack yet, but I left my men

on the borders. They'll keep watch."

Ziason

nods at Zechariah before looking at Zeedar, who starts talking. "The

company is fine. Technology in the human world is vastly spreading,

and electricity is highly needed, so sales are doing well. However,

there is another matter I want to discuss."

"Do

say."

"As

you may have already known, the alpha of Tribalan pack is a mystery,

but he used his Beta to relay his conditions for a peace treaty to

me."

Ziason

remain silent for a very long time, his expression tightening into a

deep frown. "Peace treaty? Conditions? Since when did we start

discussing a peace treaty, ambassador?"

"I

acted alone, Alpha. This war needs to stop no matter how you deny it.

The condition isn't difficult. They just want the old acre of land

uncle gifted father."

Ziason

reclines in the sofa and crosses his legs-his left leg over the

right. "And you think-"

He suddenly stops talking when a harsh unpleasant sound hits his

nostrils.

Scrunching

his nose, he doesn't need to search where the smell came from, as

he could already see the perpetrator.

Zechariah.

The

man quietly unwraps a bubble gum and tosses it into his mouth,

looking up to find Ziason glaring at him.

He

enjoys the glare, and he smirks while chewing the gum, fully aware of

what he's doing.

Ziason

thought a full year in the border between Moon's Wrath pack and

Tribalan pack would change the man. But he was wrong. His youngest

brother is still very much interested in annoying him using his

despise for garlic.

However,

before he could order Zechariah to throw away the gum, another smell

overshadows the stink of garlic. A more pleasant smell. A mixture of

peony and lemon.

Something

pulls his attention to the hall's entrance. Not only him. Zeedar

and Zechariah perceived the scent too.

As

they're prompted to turn toward the door, they feel something rise

within them, like a subtle heat at the start of a rising sun.

However,

they see nothing special at the entrance. Even as the crowd jeers the

moment they turn back, it's all uninteresting.

Slowly,

the scent begins to fade, but the magnetic feeling doesn't.

Something still captivates them. Only, this time it doesn't feel

close.

"Peace

from an enemy's mouth is a piece of shit. Do you think giving back

the land will solve everything, ambassador?" Ziason asks, snatching

his brothers' attention from the door as he rises up and steps down

the stairs of his raised platform.

"I

think it will serve as the best framework for peace, my lord,"

Zeedar replies with confidence.

Now

pausing in front of the latter, Ziason huffs a smile, maintaining eye

contact with Zeedar, who doesn't relent. "And what do you say,

Zechariah?" he asks the last brother without breaking his eye

contact with the ambassador.

"I

don't mind which prevails," Zechariah mumbles, "but I prefer to

be in a battle scene."

"Do

you hear that, brother?" Ziason asks Zeedar. And, without waiting

for a response, he continues. "You went behind my back without

finding out what I want. What I want is war. What I want is power.

With you as my adviser and Zechariah as my warrior, I will dominate

packs. I will grow stronger and overtake even the Alpha King. Until

there is terror on every single minds at the mention of my name, I

will not rest. I ask again: do you hear that, brother?"

"What's

the use of being your adviser if you don't take my advice,"

Zeedar simply says before walking away, using the back door to leave

the hall.

Due

to growing up with an abusive father and a manipulative mother,

Zeedar has not always been uncomfortable staying in the wolf kingdom.

He prefers the human world. And in times when it's necessary for

him to stay in the wolf kingdom, he prefers to roam about.

Like

now.

Sitting

under a shade in the pack street, he can't help staring up at his

old home from time to time.

The

tower's length is domineering to the point one can see it from

afar. And it always looks dark, like a shadow threatening to swallow

every piece of light around its environment. It gives Zeedar chills,

and it carries heavy memories that he wishes he can forget.

However,

despite the unsettling feeling lingering within him, there's also

something else, and that's what makes him stare at the tower every

time.

As

he can't hold the curiosity any longer, he proceeds toward the

building.

The

more he closes in on it, the more a certain feeling of familiarity

grows strong, trailed by the sensation from earlier; that subtle heat

at the start of a rising sun feeling.

So

as not to roughen his suit by jumping over the fence of the tower,

Zeedar results to using the combination lock on the main gate and the

main door.

Inside

the tower, the air feels thick with bad memories. Even though the

hall is now empty, Zeedar can still tell every item that was in it,

as well as their positions. And he recalls running up and down those

staircases in terror, sometimes falling and cutting his skin.

Despite

all these memories, the air soon starts growing lighter. More

pleasant and perfumed. And the same peony and lemon scent he

perceived at the pack hall starts clouding his senses again.

Zeedar's

stiffness locks when a loud bang echoes from the next hall, followed

by the noisy clatter of wooden planks. He becomes alert on instinct,

but settles down when he perceives Zechariah's artificial perfume.

The

faint sound of clinking metals introduces the man as he walks in

through the next hall's entrance, dusting his elbows.

On

sighting Zeedar, he mumbles. "Jeez. Why did brother lock every

bloody window?"

Without

responding, Zeedar jerks a brow up at the thought of Zechariah

breaking a window. The pack's delight only approved of actions that

would not incur Ziason's wrath. But here he is going against his

rule book a few hours after landing in the pack.

"Brother

reformed that into a gym. Wasn't it father's meeting hall?"

Zechariah asks as he points back at the hall he came out from.

On

reaching Zeedar, he stands akimbo, still loudly popping the garlic

gum. "You've not been here since we packed out after father's

death. Why come back now?"

Zeedar's

eyes move from Zechariah to the stairs. "I sensed something."

Zechariah

huffs. "Why not just say you sensed a mating bond? You of all

people should know how it feels."

Zeedar

didn't want to admit that to himself. But now that Zechariah has

mentioned it, he'll have to accept it.

"I

sensed her at the pack hall, and I still sense her here. Do you think

she's here?" Zechariah asks, but Zeedar doesn't respond. His

eyes are still on the stairs. "What I don't understand, though,

is the probability of finding our mates at the same time. Did the

moon goddess approve of our brotherhood so much that she gave us our

mates at the same time?" Zechariah blows the bubble gum and is

about to pop it before Zeedar suddenly moves toward the stairs.

The

pack's delight follows behind his brother. On getting to the first

stair landing, the exit door bursts open to usher Ziason in.

"Brother!"

Zechariah squeals, leaping down the stairs to Ziason. "Why did you

not say you gym at trauma-abode?"

The

latter glares at Zechariah as the stench of garlic hit him again. His

next actions come without much thought-grabbing Zechariah's jaws,

forcing his index into the latter's mouth, and growling. "Swallow

it. Now."

Zechariah

quickly does as told, while Ziason lets go of him with force. He

smirks, satisfied to have rattled his brother.

Zeedar

makes to continue going up the stairs, but Ziason's voice stops

him. "Where are you going, Zeedar?"

"I

sensed something."

"Sensed

what?"

"A

mate," Zechariah chips in with a brief cackle.

The

sides of Ziason's lips stretch into a stiff smile. "Are you mated

to a ghost, brother? Because there's nothing up there," he lies.

"But

I sensed it too. Even at the pack hall," Zechariah voices out. "She

smelt like lemon and uh... what's that flower again... the one with

silky petals."

Ziason's

brows crease into frown, and a bit of confusion. He knows the flower

Zechariah is trying to point out, and he recognizes the scent he just

mentioned. Even that gently throbbing feeling of wanting to be close

to a certain person, he has felt it. At the pack hall. In the human

world. Even right now in this tower. He has been experiencing them

for a while now. And it started when he met Heaven.

He

knew she was his mate from then.

But

his brothers confessing to have felt the same way, and now following

some kind of mating bond to the tower, does it mean something?

As

there are currently three females in the tower, and his mate is

Heaven, could it be that his brothers' mates are Kaicha and Lakri,

the maid?

But

what's the possibility of he and his brothers being mated at the

same time? And how could it be that the three women have the same

scents? What exactly is this nature of coincidence?

"There's

nothing here?" Ziason still lies. "This is now merely a lone

tower where I visit for solitude."

Zeedar

slowly comes down from the stairs. "Aside the mate matter, are you

hiding something, brother?"

"What

could our brother possibly hide?" Zechariah butts in, noticing the

tension growing between the two. "Come on. Aren't you hungry?

Let's go eat," he says while linking arms with Zeedar and tugging

the man out of the tower.

When

the boys disappear, Ziason makes for Heaven's room to see her

sleeping.

He

also goes to Kaicha's room, where he finds Lakri feeding Kaicha

lunch.

"Has

the dance tutor been in her room since?" he asks Lakri.

"Yes,"

the maid says.

Ziason

proceeds downstairs.

>>>>>>>>

Lakri's

subtle attempt at setting Heaven's dinner wakes Heaven up from her

sleep. And she's more than grateful for that. At least she doesn't

have to endure the terrors of experiencing the day her parents died

over again.

However,

she realizes something when she notices the cherry wood of the

four-post bed's roof-she's supposed to be out of the tower by

now. She still shouldn't be here.

Heaven

slowly sits up, watching as Lakri enters the bathroom. Coming out of

the mosquito net, she sits on the edge of the bed. And after

scrutinizing the material Lakri wrapped around the injury on her

palm, she stares at the bedside stool, where Lakri set the food.

"Do

eat," Lakri says while coming out of the bathroom with an old pail.

"I asked my brother, who is a carpenter, to repair the window you

damaged. Thankfully, he finished before the Alpha returned. As for

the cage you removed from the fence, that hole belonged to the huge

dog of the late Alpha. The dog is now dead, by the way, so I don't

think Alpha Ziason would put any attention there. Also, good of me to

have found you at the pack hall on time, or else who knew what would

have happened to you, to me, to my family?"

Although

Lakri said her words calmly, Heaven can sense a hint of anger and

sarcasm.

"Why

did you bring me back here?" she asks instead, skipping the meaning

in Lakri's last sentence. "I already had my chance of escaping,

but you ruined it."

"You

think?" Lakri huffs. "First of all, let's pray the Alpha didn't

see you. Even if he did, let's pray he lets it slide this once. Do

you know I was not supposed to be aware of you and Kaicha? Your

presence in the pack is a huge secret, so is the child. The alpha

went to certain lengths to make sure I can't talk about it."

"What

lengths? Abducting your family?"

"Yes,

but you don't seem to care about that."

Heaven

was going to say something. Even she doesn't know what. But her

lips hang open for a while before she finally speaks. "For how long

has that been? I mean, since he held your family captive?"

Lakri

sighs, dropping the pail and taking a few steps toward Heaven. "So

far, three years... I think. A few other maid have died with their

families after going against the alpha's orders, even if it's

trivial stuff like letting the child out of the tower."

"So

you mean to say my actions put you and your family in danger?"

"I

told you before; many people have a loose knot around their necks

that could either remain loose or tighten depending on your actions."

Heaven

lets out a huge breath as her once tense shoulders fall. She couldn't

see the full picture of all that was happening due to her own fear,

but it seems things are way bigger than just her.

"I'm

sorry," she mumbles, her head dropping. "Its just... I've never

got to worry about anyone else aside myself. So I only see myself."

"Now

that you're here, you need to forsake that habit," Lakri

lectures. "To survive this place, you need people around you,

Heaven."

Heaven

looks up at the girl, raising her brows. "We're on a name basis

now?"

"Obviously,"

Lakri's monolid eyes widen into the shape of a half moon as she

puts emphasis on her next words, "since you've risked my life and

my family's, and I've gone lengths to save you."

Heaven

huffs a smile, which soon fades as she sighs. "It's just

frustrating. I've been away from the wolf kingdom for a long time.

I'm not used to it. I'm a wolf, but I can't even tell much

about anything. And it's so annoying that I have to live under

Ziason's claws."

"Let

him not catch you calling him by his name, Heaven. You need to be

extra careful. Moon Wrath's pack was always known for the

generosity of its Alpha until Alpha Ziason took over. His cruelty

spread fast and wide. Even the Alpha king is rumored to fear him.

Those male corpses you see being carried out every night, they're

that of male sluts who pleasures the Alpha. But he ends up killing

them for unknown reasons."

Heaven

ponders on why would he kill those men every night if there's no

valid reason? Is there any cause to be that ruthless unless it has to

do with something really confidential-something Ziason doesn't

want to get out? For example, his curse. After all, it's one of the

reasons he's threatening to kill her.

"If

the Alpha threatened to kill you, he actually will even though you

escape," Lakri warns. "He will find you and make sure you suffer,

especially since he hates women. He could do anything to harm you out

of anger."

Heaven

could have asked why Ziason hates women, but she isn't concerned

about that right now. Instead, it scares her the more.

Goosebumps

rise on her skin, prompting her to hug herself as she rubs her arms

to quell the unsettling feeling building in her stomach.

Despite

Heaven's weakness, she would not let her fear get the better of

her. Because it's at times like this that she reclines and finds

pleasure in feeling pain; pain that are created by her own hands. She

would not allow herself fall into such state again.

If

she can't escape Ziason, then she has to do herself the favor of

finding out about the very thing that's keeping her trapped here.

That way, she would know how to handle things.

All

she can get from Kaicha so far is that Ziason needs the girl to dance

for a certain purpose. Now that it dawns on her, what if Kaicha has

the kind of ability her mother had?

Heaven's

mother danced to heal the mind, the spirit, and the body, although

she could not heal serious matters that involved dark magic.

But...

what if Kaicha's is the opposite? What if Kaicha is a healer, whose

dance can cure dark magic, and Ziason needs her to heal his curse?

"Since

you say we're friends now, can you please show me to the library?"

Heaven asks in a mild manner.

Lakri

folds her arms across her chest. "More requests that endanger

people, I see."

"How?"

Heaven's confusion thickens on her expression. "How would that

endanger you?"

"If

Ziason finds out I showed you the library, he would know I interacted

with you. Mind you, it's also in the rule for us not to converse."

"So

he expects us to look at each other like morons?"

"He

expects us not to look at all."

Heaven's

brows furrow. She finds it hard to understand the kind of mind Ziason

possesses to think human beings are playthings that he can manipulate

and control.

"If

you show me to the library, I promise to make sure he doesn't

know."

Lakri

doesn't grasp what it is with the library and this bloody dance

tutor. Isn't the lady supposed to be concerned about the ballroom

instead?

"Are

you really hellbent on reading books?" she asks while maintaining

her posture.

Heaven

nods strongly. "Yes. My survival depends on it. Yours too, and your

family's."

Lakri

sighs. "Alright. I'll bring them to you myself, but you have to

make sure the Alpha doesn't see them like you said."

"I

will. Bring me books about wolves and curses. And please do tell me

your name. I don't know what to call you."

Before

the maid leaves the room, she drops three words. "Lakri. Just

Lakri."

>>>>>>>>

Heaven's

main purpose for reading the books was to find out anything valid

about curses; anything that could lead her to the kind of curse

Ziason has, and its effects on him.

However,

she only sees the basic things like how a wolf curse is like a

tattoo, how it affects reputations, and how it twists the daily life

of its bearer. But nothing on the script mentions the several kinds

of curses there is, and what they look like on the body.

Except,

something about mates piques Heaven's interest in a few of the

books.

She

notes that sensing another person's inner wolf qualities can only

happen between mates. Outsiders (wolf persons who aren't mates)

only sense the essence, the aura, or the body smell of another

person. But a wolf's mate can sense the strength of the inner wolf,

and even go as far as smell the inner wolf's scent.

Heaven

then realizes that she being able to pick up the weak scent of

Ziason's wolf, and him being able to detect she was a dormant wolf

at first glance, was the mating bond between them.

She

also reads that a dormant wolf may be able to awaken in the face of

their mate. Now it dawns on her what happened earlier. She knows a

little about the mating bond-how it amplifies everything about the

a person's mate when it awakens.

A

few hours ago, while she was in the pack hall, she could feel her

wolf. It was a strange feeling. Oddly, her wolf has gone dormant

again. But for a brief moment then, she felt strong. She felt in

control of herself. And she felt like she owned the world, that no

one could trample her.

What

she doesn't understand is why the mating bond did not rise so

strongly when she first met Ziason. Why did it trigger that much only

when she met his brothers? And did she feel them? Inside her, it was

like a particular hole meant to be occupied by one stretched wide to

accommodate them three, which is confusing.

But

she wouldn't jump to conclusion yet. For now, she'll assume

Ziason is her mate and the other two only got involved because they

were near him.

Now

here comes the real question. They say mates are connected by the

mating bond. Does it mean that anything affecting her now would

affect Ziason as well? If she really dies, would the bond torment

Ziason to the point of death like people say?

Since

none of the books are giving her a clear answer to her questions,

Heaven decides to take a dangerous approach. One that could cost her

life. One that requires a lot of boldness and dare-devil spirit. One

that requires walking right through the sharp fangs of Alpha Ziason

Father.

>>>>>>>>

Heaven

stayed by her window for a long time to watch the small gate. Now

that she sees Ziason coming in, she hurries to the ground floor.

She

sights him in the gym hall the moment she clears the staircase, and

her lips part without her approval.

Clad

in a black fitted long-sleeved shirt and a pair of tight shorts that

expose his thick limbs, Ziason stands contrapposto with his backside

turned to her, his hands on his waists as he rests his weight on one

of his legs.

He

isn't doing anything in particular, but Heaven finds herself drawn

to him. She isn't supposed to. Her heart shouldn't be racing with

both fear and attraction at the same time-a very weird and

unwelcome attraction for that matter-but it does, and it makes her

question just how twisted she is. Or... is this feeling because of

the mating bond?

Does

that make one charmed by their mate even though the latter wants to

draw their blood?

Heaven

clears her throat to announce her already-known presence. But the man

doesn't budge.

She

starts her speech anyway. "You know, I still can't figure out why

you tied me to your secrets. I don't even know much about them.

Literally, I'm clueless."

The

Alpha keeps her silent for about a thirty seconds before responding.

"You will find out soon enough." He turns around to face her.

"That is why it's best to stay put or you die."

Die

and death.

He keeps throwing that about like they're common words. If he

doesn't take time, she might even get used to them.

"Is

it possible to have three mates at a time?" Heaven asks, taking

Ziason unawares. Sensing her words may have had an impact on him from

the way his body suddenly tenses, Heaven continues. "You didn't

tell me about our mating bond. Maybe you thought I wouldn't find

out. But I did. And now I know you can't kill me. No, you won't

kill me. Because if you kill me, you'll suffer, which could add

negatively to whatever your curse is. And, who knows, your brothers

too might be affected."

Heaven

isn't sure of what she's saying. She's merely throwing

everything out there, waiting for Ziason to pick up the scrambles of

truth. Then, she would get her answers.