ZARAMANNI (BOOK ONE)

Zara didn’t want to believe the guard’s response. She didn’t want the words she heard to be true, but as one of the men that were standing at attention moved closer to the heap in focus and opened the straw mat, a quivering breath escaped her lungs.

Zaramanni began to feel constrictions in her throat and her heart bled with more sorrow. Her skin started feeling itchy and for a second, it looked as though she was about to approach the edge of insanity.

As she desperately circled the skin of her neck with her shaky hands, she attempted scratching her arms to get rid of the crawling feeling on her skin, but her gown was a great hurdle.

But it didn’t remain a hurdle for too long.

The arms easily came off as she yanked at them, ripping sounds filled the tense atmosphere. With a grunt, she tossed the mutilated materials aside and began to scratch her itchy skin, her head periodically tilting to the side as her reddening eyes stayed glued on Isaac’s purplish face.

But nothing she did to get rid of the crawling feeling worked. Instead, her entire body shivered more and more. Her gnashing of teeth turned to violent clanking, her fingers curled with fury because they couldn’t stop the irritation on her skin, her head felt hot, her eyes felt like they were about to drop out of their sockets… Zaramanni was not herself.

Likewise, her mind was void of thoughts. And her senses were numb to her surroundings.

So, when metallic chaos in the dungeon ensued, she was not aware of it.

The chaos started with the many bunches of keys attached to the belts of the guards. A certain force began to tug at the objects, causing individual keys to bang against each other. And more confusion filled the room when other objects joined the party.

Cups, jugs, stools, chains… They all began to answer the call of the force. They tore their way out of their positions and filled the space with a loud noise.

While the guards that had keys attached to their belts tried to fight the pull, others searched for refuge, hoping that the flying objects would not harass them.

Still, amid the entire chaos, Zaramanni remained ignorant. All she was aware of was the sorrow in her heart which was evolving into something unexplainable.

That growing sorrow reminded Zaramanni of the unexpected demises and in further reaction, a scream escaped her. It was loud, lengthy and it crippled her soul.

Zara dug her fingers into the dust of the ground, her back pressed inward and all of her strength went into that aching scream.

And, when it came to an end, the floating and noisy objects kissed the ground, Zara’s face dripped with sweat, her chest heaved out of tiredness, her eyes started to flutter, and eventually, she succumbed to the darkness that had been trying to pull her since the hour of Clarissa’s death.

Zaramanni fell into a deep slumber…

~

“Hmm…” A weak groan left Zaramanni’s lips. Before she opened her eyes, she deduced that she was in her bed. The peculiar scent of her sheets told her that much. But when the flowery scent that always trailed Clarissa reached Zara’s senses, her intent to open her eyes was ruined.

While she inwardly wished that Clarissa would walk up to her at that minute, unscathed and alive, Zaramanni wondered how she ended up on her bed.

Then, she recalled that she didn’t get to question the guards about Isaac’s death. It was highly suspicious that the young one, who Clarissa said was doing fine, would suddenly die.

With the hope of finding Lord Elias so that she could confront him, Zaramanni quickly sat up, her eyes trained on the door ahead. She made sure not to steal a glance at Clarissa’s side of the room and got rid of the thick blanket that shielded her from the cold of the settled night.

Notably still dressed in her party gown, Zaramanni found it a little hard to get down from the bed. She had to gather the skirt of her gown and that was quite a struggle.

Zaramanni was almost grunting out of frustration when she suspected movements behind her.

Her heart fluttered for a second before she turned. Her lips were almost tugging with a smile and she faced that part of the room.

No, Clarissa was not magically walking out of the room. It was Zoey.

“You are awake,” his voice was barely audible and his eyes looked cast down when the little twinkle in Zara’s eyes disappeared. He was holding a bowl in his hands and hanging on one of his shoulders was a towel.

Beta Zoey rushed his steps toward her and said, “I could barely get you to sleep. You need to rest more.”

When he ended up by the side of her bed, Zaramanni pierced a furious gaze into his soul. After a tired sigh, he tucked the bowl into his arm and approached her forehead with his free hand.

Zaramanni slapped that hand away, a sneer on her face. Before the Beta could voice his concern, she asked with a low, coarse voice, “What happened to Isaac?”

A quick dart of his eyes to the side and Zoey replied, “About Isaac, I am yet to-”

“You told me nothing will happen to him. You said it was just a simple questioning.” She finally got off the bed and her chest was almost kissing Zoey’s when her feet met the ground. Her brows twitching furiously, she wrapped her fingers around the collar of his suit and used that hold to pull him closer. “Wh-why is he dead? Why is Isaac, who is supposed to be alive, dead?”

“Zaramanni… Uh… I think… I think there’ll be a suitable explanation.”

“Don’t think there will be an explanation, give me an explanation!” she hollered.

“Zaramanni!” Beta Zoey exclaimed as well and the bowl in his hand punctuated the tense air with its loud clanking. Its contents spilled as well.

While Zaramanni continued to drill fury into her mate’s soul, Zoey relaxed the nervous expression on his face and wore great concern.

He attempted to cover her hands with his while their breaths filled the atmosphere but Zaramanni retracted her hands.

“If you can’t tell me how Isaac died,” she took a step back and placed her sight on the doors ahead, “tell me what Clarissa did to suffer such a terrible demise.”

“Zaramanni, please. You need to rest. I will answer all of your questions later and I will-”

A huff filled with contempt was all it took to shut Beta Zoey up.

When Zara twirled her head to face him, Zoey saw that the contempt had reached her eyes.

It was evident in her tone as well as she asked, “And are you seriously telling me to rest? How can I rest when the people I have developed a bond with are dead? I might have fallen asleep for a while, but…” Zaramanni felt something liquid tickle her toes. It was the water that had spilled. Giving that growing mass no further attention, she continued, “... I am not in a position to allow the embrace of sleep.”

“But you need the rest, Zaramanni.”

She frowned and fully turned in his direction. “Why are you talking as though their deaths mean nothing to you? Is this a norm for the wolves of Zenrada? Have you all seen so many dead souls that the demise of two omega wolves means nothing to you?”

Zaramani recalled how nonchalant Alpha King Darren was with his talk back at the party hall. Recalling that reaction made her blood boil, so much so that her hands began to draw into fists and the veins in her neck started to pulse against her skin.

“Zaramanni, don’t talk like that.” The weariness in the Beta’s voice could not be denied. “Of course, I am bothered by their deaths. Clarissa was part of the Crown-Blood Pack. She was one of my people.”

As the duo peered into each other’s eyes with differing emotions, Zaramanni realized that she hated the fact that Clarissa was being referred to in the past tense. It angered her that it was that easy for someone to die, that it was easy for the rest of the world to move on.

Closing her eyes for a second, Zara asked Zoey, “If you are truly bothered, why are you pretending not to care?”

Zaramanni sensed him move closer. She wanted to evade his warmth but something deep inside her needed that touch of his.

So, she stayed still, her eyes still closed.

When she felt his knuckles trace lines down her face, a shaky breath left her and her eyes snapped open.

Beta Zoey, with the utmost affection in his eyes, looked down at her and replied, “I am trying to be tough for you, Zaramanni. This is clearly a hard time for you, so I have to be that rock you can lean on and cry against. Till you heal from this pain, I will put up a tough front and help you with all my soul.”

“Zoey…”

Those words of his…

Just like the look in his eyes, they caressed her soul in a way that the innards of her being loved. Those words were enough to quench the anger inside her and soon, her shoulders that were puffed with tension relaxed, and the sigh that left her led to tears.

“Zaramanni…” Her mate called her and she looked up at him, her lower lip sucked inside as her eyes narrowed because of the tears that were already falling. “Who cares if I am in pain? If I am not ever able to soothe your ache and sorrow, I will hate myself for eternity.”

“Y-you should not t-talk that way, Zoey,” Zaramanni beseeched him, her voice shaky. He wiped her tears and cupped her face when her silent sobs failed to stop. “Wh-why would you sacrifice your s-sanity because of me?”

“Because I want to.”

“But-”

This time, he cut her words short with an embrace.

Placing a hand on the back of her head, Beta Zoey said, “Let’s focus on you, Zaramanni. Let me help you heal from this pain. That way, I can feel more at ease.”

“But…”

“I bet you didn’t know that I can feel your pain. I am aware that the sorrow continues to mercilessly dig into your heart. I am aware of it all. I feel it. And I will get rid of it.”

Assuring and soul-soothing were the Beta’s words.

Zaramanni had to close her eyes again to let those utterances sink into her soul. The anguish she was feeling because of Clarissa and Isaac’s death was not something she had experienced before. So, she was shaken up a lot.

But, thanks to Zoey’s assurance, the turbulence was reduced a little.

Zoey’s hold on the back of her head was still maintained as he said, “Don’t worry, Zaramanni, I will find the truth behind their demise. I know how much being with them meant to you. Their presence made you happy, they made you laugh even if for a short period. I will find the truth, Zaramanni. Their deaths won’t be in vain.”

“I hope so,” Zaramanni whispered and finally returned his hug, her entire body more relaxed.

“I will take care of you, Zaramanni. And I will continue to protect you.”

Zaramanni heard him, but she gave no response.

Her eyes were lowered to focus on the Red Thread they shared.

Thanks to the night’s moon, the thread was visible and the fact that it was still present made Zara’s troubled soul feel relieved.

After her secret conversation with Alpha Darren, she began to fear that the connection between her and Zoey would start to fade. She hated that thought and quickly dismissed it.

But after the demise of Clarissa and Isaac, the scary thought came again and Zaramanni wondered if she was going to lose Zoey as well.

That bothersome theory was put to rest by the appearance of the Red Thread and while she was glad, the girl prayed to the ones in the heavens. She prayed that her fear would never come to pass.

She prayed that she would never lose Zoey.

~

Alpha Darren could not sleep.

Ever since the day he blurted Zaramanni’s name when he was with Laura, his soul had become highly troubled and his wolf’s demand for the half-fairy became something he could not ignore because he started to feel the same way.

The words he said to Zaramanni before the accident that happened in the hall were the truth. But not the full truth.

The things he said to her were not enough to describe how much he desired Zaramanni. But for the sake of subtlety, he made sure to be careful with his statements.

But the full truth was that his desire had grown bigger than that of his wolf. He wasn’t so certain how that came to be, but ever since a dream he had, his need to have Zaramanni in his arms grew.

The dream was vivid so much so that he could still recall every detail.

In that dream, it was just the two of them, naked in his sheets. Whenever he touched her, she reacted with a soft moan and her hands dug into his skin in demand of more. He circled his mouth over every sensitive part of her body, and his ears took great pleasure in hearing her reaction. And when he finally slid his crazily pulsing member into her tight hole, he felt his entire body pulse both in the dream world and in reality.

So, yes, he deduced that ever since he had that dream, he began to wish to turn that dream into reality. And the fact that his Red Thread was connected to hers encouraged him.

And despite the words of rejection she threw at him in the corridors of the party hall, he still wanted her.

Especially since he could feel how the omega’s demise kneaded her heart. His heart felt heavy when he watched her tears fall in the hall and he felt the same at that very moment.

Darren decided to take a break from his thoughts. After a glance at the moon, he sat up. He was about to reach for his shirt on the other side of his huge bed when he noticed that someone was beneath his sheets.

He was about to utter his Luna’s name, but after a closer look, on seeing the little flush on her blueish cheeks, he realized that it was Zaramanni.

While his heart thudded, he reasoned that her powers must have transported her to his room just like the day she squeezed his bum. But it was truly an odd sight for Alpha Darren who didn’t know what to do for the first few seconds. All he did was stare at her sleeping face for seconds and when he decided what he was going to do, he didn’t wake her up.

Instead, with careful movements, he got off his bed, adjusted the sheets around Zaramanni, and went on to pull down the window drapes.

After taking a look at her face which was still looking a little red, Darren prayed that she would still be around when he comes back from his long walk. If that ends up being the case, Darren told himself to take it as a sign that Zaramanni was meant to be his and his only.