Chapter 3

Niya toys with the sizzled venison on her plate that she so skilfully killed and butchered. She was so excited and proud about the kill but her father’s words have squashed everything. She knows she is not physically capable of being the heir of Alpha Winterfrost, not for being the second in line but for being a weakling and not having the type of physique desirable. She has been named kitten which she used to despise for a long time but then turned the tag to her advantage eventually.

She knows how to fight, how to defend her own while facing danger but still she is not a precious arrogant male wolf with supernatural strength. Years of being in the back foot of He-wolves, years of being protected have made her dislike the entire concept of mating. Her heart and soul is set on proving her father wrong, proving her worth and she never thought giving away the same heart to someone willingly. Vivi gets excited about all this dreamy stuff. Being one year older than her, Vivi must have been the one to learn the politics and strategies of battle but apparently she doesn’t have time for all that. Most of the time she is flirting with some protective male and the rest of the time she stands in front of the mirror admiring her beauty.

“Niya.” Vivi whispers “Eat! You look like death and stop stabbing your venison.”

Lost in her thoughts, Niya didn’t even realise that she had made a carcass on her plate. She looks at her sister just to roll her eyes.

“Vivi, I heard you are skipping your training again.” Father says, already done with his meal. “You have to be prepared for any situation, at least until you are betrothed to someone.”

“Yes father, I am sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“Pardon?” Vivi feigns innocence and Niya almost objects but then decides to keep her mouth shut. She probably is only passing her time with her new love interest, nothing serious.

“Have you chosen anyone as your mate here?” Father asks patiently. Till now he has successfully avoided eye contact with Niya keeping his attention on Vivi.

“No no!! It’s nothing like that. They are all my friends.”

“Yeah, pretty close friends.” Niya says under her breath and earns a scornful glare from Vivi.

“Okay. I had a conversation earlier with Niya, however it was not as civilised as I wanted.”

Finally Herald fixes his grey eyes on Niya and she sits up straight on her chair.

“I would like to search for potential suitors for both of you in different clans. It is crucial for both of you to trust my instincts and respect the decisions I make for you. I won’t force you to do anything and you will have the choice of rejecting my picks but by the next Lunar Festival you must be promised to someone. This is what I ask of you as your duty to your clan.” Herald doesn’t wait for his daughters to argue and leaves the dinner table.

Nausea rolls over Niya as if her death sentence has just been read aloud and Vivi sits stunned for a while. Both sisters share a look of mutual understanding which rarely happens but Vivi recovers soon enough and bids Niya good night.

Lying on her bed Niya contemplates about the wedding crisis trying to come up with some convincing excuse. This is the only task which will be easy for Vivi, one flick of her blonde hair and emerald eyes can capture any heart. She is really beautiful, the kind of beauty a father wants in his daughters so that he can sell them to the highest bidder.

This bitterness inside her should not be directed towards her family and she knows it because her father doesn’t have much choice. No matter how brave or bold she and Vivi become, there would still be a target on his back to have fathered daughters. A marriage alliance would reinstall faith inside the clan and keep the external threats away. But then again to be a political pawn is not something she wants for herself, rather she dreams of being the one to play politics.

Whatever it may be, she would ultimately have to listen to her father and abide by the decisions he makes. All these issues are enough to make her feel full. Then there is the concern about her birthmark that she has hidden from everyone in the clan, even her father. The mark is not dark but white and glows silvery when exposed to moonlight.

Without any illumination, the mark looks like a crescent moon but when it starts glowing it takes the shape of a scythe, the kind wielded by the legendary Selene herself. According to the Lunar Folklores, Selene was a direct descendent of Moon Mother and was a legendary figure of Lycaons, the purest breed of werewolves dwelling the earth thousands of years ago.

Myths say they had divine powers and whichever clan could claim the respect and love of Selene won every battle they fought. She would herself wield her choice weapon – a scythe and lead the wolf packs in the battlefield, vicious and ruthless. All the history is now buried under the wheels of time and only ripped stories are available for entertainment of kids around a bonfire in dark new moon nights.

The stories are not bothering Niya, they are known to all and even father. She is hiding the fact that every now and then she can feel the mark burning her skin, as if something is trapped inside and trying to come out through the only outlet. Vivi doesn’t have this mark and father has also confirmed that no one in his family ever did. If the burning were only physical, she would have discarded any thoughts about it.

But the burning sensation is not only on the skin, it happens all over her body and soul making her vulnerable for a few moments. The kind of vulnerable that she despises, that she thinks falls beneath her aims and capabilities. The influence of the mark makes her imagine circumstances where she is being wanted or rather craved by someone. The last time she was on the rooftop under the moonlight she fantasised about Donny.

Till now flashbacks of the fantasy haunt her, and her cheeks flame red. Not that she ever wants Donny to be her mate, but he is the only male wolf she associates with the most. Donny has been her constant companion in training, hunting, bonfire excursions and many more. She knows his scent, his touch, his calloused hands; and imagining those hands gripping her neck, thighs and butt cheeks made her wet.

After that night, she had not been able to talk with Donny for over a week until finally the raw feeling went away. The fact that Donny has already imprinted on his fiancé Lisa is another terrifying point. If Father is hell bent on marrying her and Vivi off to foreign clans then he would not budge to any reasoning, at least not until she declares her love for someone in this clan only. There is only one person who can help her with that.