ZARAMANNI (BOOK ONE)

With all her strength, Zaramanni tried to rip off her shirt.

If she needed to go naked to get free from the murderous hold, she would do it. She didn’t care.

But, while her buttocks felt hotter as she was involuntarily dragged over the tile, the shirt gown refused to tear.

Her hands fumbled with the material while her throat began to feel more and more tightened, gagging noises leaving her lips by the second.

Her breath was gradually leaving her.

That was until she made contact with the person’s wrist.

“Argh!” A masculine shriek filled the corridors and sizzling sounds followed. And the grasp disappeared.

Quickly, Zaramanni crawled to a distance she considered safe. Heavy breaths escaped her as her hands kept feeling her neck to make sure it was still intact.

Then, with her eyes narrowed with slight fear and curiosity, Zara looked ahead and watched her attacker hold his wrist which was now greatly scarred with burns. The darkened spot on his skin emitted smoke until it did not.

And, the man kept screaming as he fell to his knees.

Assuring herself that the worst was over, Zaramanni stared at her hands. She did not miss the glow of blue light on her palms which soon disappeared as though it was scared of being discovered.

She wanted to stare at her hands some more, but a bitter voice dragged her out of her little cocoon.

“You stupid bitch!” The man spat, his shoulders moving heavily. He was still nursing his pain in the best way possible but he found the time to lock his angry eyes with Zaramanni’s.

And that gave Zara a chance to recognize the person who almost killed her with his fierce hands. “You!” she exclaimed.

“I am glad you have not forgotten me,” he replied, a chuckle following his words. “I am yet to forget the terrible thing you did to me.”

A deep frown was instantly etched on the girl’s face as she slowly got up. “What did I do to you?” A grunt left her lips when her limbs almost failed her. But, she soon stood upright and began to walk toward the man who certainly wished to end her life with something as simple as his fierce gaze.

“You beat your wife, Andrea. You kicked her till she lost the life inside her. But you think I was the one that did something terrible to you?”

Zaramanni had no idea when she started to chuckle.

Like a maniacal villain, she laughed bitterly while her hands gradually folded into tight fists. When she finally made it to where he was, she halted her laughter and looked down at him, a mix of fury and hatred in her eyes.

But the anger in her eyes which could drill a deadly hole into any obstacle didn’t move the bastard named Andrea.

With certain courage in his eyes, he glared at Zaramanni and said, “You shouldn’t have come between my mate and me. I was just doing my best to ensure that she stays by my side. But, you had to ruin it and-”

Zaramanni grabbed a portion of his hair which felt greasy and dirty. She yanked it so hard that the man let out a yelp and had his head tilted to the side just as she wanted.

Then, her slender hand landed a slap on his face.

It was a loud one. It hurt the man greatly, there was no doubt about that.

Before Andrea could protest her action, she gave him another hot slap.

Then, another.

And, another.

Zara continued with the slaps until it became a sound that resounded in the corridors. She did not mind the sting she was feeling in her palm or the ache in her wrist.

She did not mind at all.

With a huge hint of sternness in her eyes, she glared at the man as her palm continued to molest his reddening cheek.

Every attempt of the man to speak was killed with a slap.

Then, another.

And, another.

And it began to appear like Zaramanni was gaining pleasure from what she was doing. Though her eyes appeared lifeless, a smile was planted on her lips and for a second, she became someone else.

But before things could get out of hand, a strong pair of arms hugged Zara from behind, and pulled her away from the monster called Andrea.

Zaramanni, who still appeared lifeless, began to hear a familiar voice calling her name.

It was the voice of the one her heart beat strongly for.

Soon, she came to and Zoey’s warm hold was caressing her. A little fazed, Zara closed her eyes for a second.

And when she opened them, Zoey’s concerned face was all she saw.

A quick glance at the left allowed Zaramanni to catch a view of King Darren who turned in her direction, a frown on his face.

She decided to ignore that man when she noticed how bloodied Andrea’s face was.

With his new look, the man surely looked like the evil in his soul.

Zaramanni might have gotten carried away with the hitting, but she was glad she got to deal with Andrea. Clarissa needed help in dealing with her good-for-nothing husband. Or mate. Whatever he was.

Zara was glad that she got to teach him a lesson.

When Zaramanni faced Zoey again, she managed a small smile.

The Beta’s head was ducked as he placed all his attention on her hand which was starting to ache less.

Her small smile still maintained, Zara stared at him until she brought her unaffected hand to hold his cheek.

Zoey looked up at her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

In response, she briefly made her lips meet his.

That startled the man slightly. He looked confused for a second.

But, he soon let out a sigh of relief.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked while gently kneading her palm. “Do you want me to get the doctor?”

“Andrea needs one,” Zaramanni finally uttered some words.

“Andrea is a bastard who hurt you.”

“It looks like I hurt him instead,” Zara replied, her lips releasing a short chuckle after. “He almost killed me, you know.” Her voice took a sober route. “As he dragged me over the floor, I found it so hard to breathe. So much that I feared death would visit me at that moment. Then my life began to flash in front of me.”

Her ears caught the little murmurs coming from the men that were dealing with Andrea and a hissing sound escaped her lips.

Then, she continued, “My life and the memories I have so far all came to me but one thing stood out. You.” Zoey and Zaramanni locked their gazes firmly and they gave no other person a chance to enter that moment. “I could not stop thinking about you. And while that may be strange, it made me realize something.”

“What?” Zoey’s raspy voice asked as his squatted figure adjusted.

“I realized that I want to be loved.” Zaramanni’s smile was hardly sad, it radiated the fluttering in her heart. “I want to replace the hatred I got in the past with someone’s love. I want to experience something good in my life. Even if that something good happens only in this universe, I want it. As you said, I need a man’s touch to make me feel things I have never felt before. I want to feel loved as much as I want a man’s touch. I want you, Zoey.”

Zoey’s eyes twinkled with happiness. In that soothing silence that followed Zara’s confession, Zoey reached for her hair and he began to caress it from the roots.

He did it in a way that greatly relaxed Zaramanni’s soul.

“Do you know the one thing I admire about you?” Zoey asked while his touch persisted.

“What?”

“Your smile.” The thumb on his other hand gently rubbed her palm which was hardly stinging at that point. “Your smile is usually filled with sorrow. But, ever since you showed me gratitude for getting rid of the vampire’s poison, the beautiful smile you wore on your lips told me a lot. And that beautiful smile is still stuck in my head.”

“Zoey, I-”

“Zaramanni, I need to talk to you.” It was King Darren.

Zaramanni replied to him with a groan.

With Zoey’s help, she got off the floor.

But, she had no intention to have a conversation with King Darren.

After leaning into Zoey’s protective build, Zaramanni threw a look at the Alpha King who was patiently waiting for her response.

And, she never gave him what he wanted.

Zara stole a glance at Andrea who was being cuffed by the guards that came with Zoey and the King. As she closely inspected the damage she did to his face, for the first time, she felt good about her powers.

Because there was no doubt that her powers helped her deal with the monster named Andrea.

~

Beta Zoey never liked the ceiling of his room. He always found it scary. He always felt that the magnanimous chariot image imprinted on the ceiling would haunt him in reality just like it always did in his dreams.

But, at that moment, as he stared at the ceiling, a different thought occupied his mind.

After he made sure Zaramanni was safely tucked in her bed with her hurt hand bandaged properly, one question dropped into his head.

Who is Zaramanni?

It was a simple question, yet the answer would be a little complicated.

Zoey knew he would be a fool to think that she was just a regular human. Humans were often rumoured to be powerless beings who lived simpler lives. But, Zaramanni was different.

The incident with Clarissa’s husband was enough evidence. And, of course, the secret the Alpha was keeping from him was another reason to doubt things.

It was clear that Alpha Darren knew something about Zaramanni that the rest of them didn’t know.

The mere thought of that made Zoey angry but when his mind conjured another image of Zaramanni, his heart softened.

As the Beta wore a relaxed smile, he realized that another part of him was affected by the thought of the girl who he kept yearning for.

He stared at his hardening member who was almost begging to be released, and it became clear to Zoey that such had become a norm….

Like many other days, having a thought of Zaramanni was enough to make his thick member very excited.

His penis would react so hard as though Zaramanni was in the room with him, staring at him with a smile on her lips while she slowly took off her clothes in a teasing manner.

Zoey found such days hurtful.

Every plan of his to stay away from Zaramanni until the full moon confirms their bond was instantly threatened each time he thought about her.

His entire body would awaken. His blood would begin to rush and he would feel more alive than ever.

Even his wolf whose presence he hardly felt sometimes growled with approval and need for Zaramanni’s warmth.

And... Zoey could not stop imagining being with Zaramanni in a very sensual manner.

He was experiencing the same at that moment.

His mind began to picture the little perks on her breasts and he saw himself graze his lips over them one by one.

Zoey could never forget how warm she felt against him the day he took her in that very room.

The way she moaned and erotically danced that day was etched in his mind.

“Fuck...” Zoey grunted in his low voice.

His dick had found a way to become more erect and the pulsing feeling was one he could not ignore.

Licking his lower lip, Zoey placed his attention on his groin and began to drag down the zipper of his trousers.

Once that was done, his chest rising and falling significantly, his hardened penis sprang out and announced its full presence.

As though it was a familiar stranger, Zoey stared at his erection, his brows knitted intently.

While his breaths hardened, he knew he couldn’t endure it anymore. He decided to give in to the increasing tension in his groin.

Eyes closed, Zoey continued to picture Zaramanni. He imagined her crawling toward him with a seductive smile on her face.

As he saw her wrap her hands around his dick, he began to stroke himself.

Slowly, his hands moved over the skin of his curved, lengthy member. At certain moments, he would play with the tip of his penis with his thumb after dipping one of his fingers in his mouth to moisturize it.

Whenever he did that, he was imagining Zaramanni’s lips kissing him there.

Soon, Zoey indulged his erotic thoughts some more.

In his imagination, he was already asserting dominance. He could see himself yearning to touch her yet hesitating because the wanting look in her eyes drove him crazy as well.

His strokes increased in speed when he saw himself slurping the many juices seeping out to her outer vaginal area. Her clit would not be left out and her cries for more would drive him so crazy.

“Argh...” Zoey moaned when his muscular legs jolted. He felt so good at that moment. He felt so good that he wished his imagination would come to pass.

The sides of his eyes wearing a lewd expression, Zoey wished Zaramanni would appear in the room and kiss his erection in a way he would not forget.

Then, he would use that chance to what it would feel to move in and out of her walls.

He would show her more of a man’s touch while relishing the feel of her skin against his.

Zoey’s many thoughts pushed him to stroke his length faster and faster. His toes curled and his short gasps became plentiful as pleasure shot through his body.

He knew he still had a long way to go if he were to relieve himself of that moment’s yearning.

So, he kept playing with himself.

That went on until he heard a creaking sound from outside his door.

Immediately alert, Zoey stopped what he was doing. He was about to question the unseen presence, but for some reason, he kept staring at the door, his right hand firmly holding his dick.

Seconds later, since he didn’t hear any other thing, Zoey relaxed. He made to continue his personal amusement when his door was pushed open.

The small frown of displeasure on his face disappeared when Zaramanni walked in, her eyes slightly bulged and directed at his manhood which twitched with excitement when Zoey’s eyes landed on her.