ZARAMANNI (BOOK ONE)

“Zara, I am fine,” Clarissa said weakly. “You can stop watching me so closely. Honestly,” the she-wolf narrowed her eyes, “you are freaking me out.”

Zaramanni didn’t leave Clarissa’s hand. She continued to hold it dearly as they waited for one of the guardians.

“I just need to make sure you are doing fine,” she replied.

“I am moving into your room while I am still in a hospital bed, you will have plenty of time to see if I am doing okay. Now,” she waved the girl away, “take a few steps back and let me breathe.”

Zaramanni reluctantly complied but her eyes never left the woman whose bed was positioned in front of her room.

They were waiting for the doctor’s instructions concerning Clarissa’s transfer into Zaramanni’s room.

After Clarissa woke up from her long slumber, something in the woman’s eyes tugged at Zaramanni’s heart. It caused Zara to decide to keep the woman close by placing her hospital bed in her room.

Besides, the hospital wing of the manor was too far away, the sorrowful she-wolf would easily be visited by more depression if left alone.

“You know I don’t have to stay with you, right? I really don’t want to trouble you,” Clarissa spoke again and Zara wished she could hush the woman.

She was still weak, she needed more sleep, and talking would just take a lot of her strength.

But Zara had to make sure she was not hasty with her words. Treading carefully around Clarissa was necessary.

So, with a slightly jovial tone, Zaramanni replied, “My room is big enough for both of us, Clarissa. Zoey is not against the idea either. So, I don’t see why it is a problem.”

”You have a lot of guts, Zaramanni.”

The girl whose arms were folded relaxed her hands a little as she stared at the woman.

“How so?” Zara asked.

“You always refer to the Beta using only his name. I dare not do that. He must really like you because I have not heard him complain about it.”

Clarissa’s last statement suddenly reminded Zara of the tense yet strangely delightful moment she had with Zoey the last time he was in her room.

He had said things that made her head fly.

The words said were more than strings of alphabets and syllables.

There were emotions in them.

Beta Zoey made his intentions known in a manner that Zaramanni couldn’t ignore, in a manner that made her seriously fall into that moment.

“Wait a minute,” Clarissa’s voice seemed to lighten a bit, “did he tell you already? What did he do? Did he pin you against the wall with a sexy look in his eyes while saying how much he can’t stop thinking about you? How do you feel? Do you think he is your mate?”

Zaramanni was quick to wear a small frown.

As much as Clarissa’s questions roused some excitement in her, she had to be highly concerned.

The woman had just lost someone precious… Someone she didn’t get a chance to meet.

Zara was seriously worried.

Soon, she was standing close to the blonde’s bed once again. With a serious look on her face, her fingertips dug into the edge of the bed, and Zara cautiously asked, “Clarissa, shouldn’t you rest a little? You just…”

Zara paused. She needed to be careful with her words. Her head ducked a little, she began to gather her thoughts.

While she dealt with that, Clarissa poked her hand lightly. “Zara-”

”There you are.” It was the guardian they were waiting for. He was one of the few occupants of the manor that hardly showed his face, making the large place more lonely. “Guardian Elsa has given a go-ahead. I will visit Clarissa twice a day to attend to her. But I trust you will keep an eye on her when I am not around.”

Zaramanni threw a nod in the direction of the man with a slightly protruding belly. “Can we push her bed into the room now?”

“Of course. I will handle the machine, you can push the bed. I will come back for the… Oh.” The man separated the hands which he had behind him to expose a book that Zara instantly recognized. “I found this on the floor on my way here.”

“Oh, thank you.” Zara almost scolded herself for her carelessness. “I had no idea I wasn’t with it anymore.”

Zaramanni collected the book and placed it on a free space in Clarissa’s bed.

Then, she wondered what would have happened if the man hadn’t found the book.

Lord Elias would have not taken it lightly if he heard she misplaced the book, she knew that for sure.

The man-wolf acted like the books were his babies and the library, his permanent home.

“Let’s push then,” the guardian said, the neck of his loose white robe falling as he began to move the machine that was recording Chloe’s heart activity.

Soon, everything was set. Clarissa’s bed was placed beside Zara’s and the room instantly looked less empty.

After Zara appreciated the efforts of the guardian, he left and the ladies were left in the slightly chilly room.

Uncomfortable silence reigned for a while.

Zara stood at the end of Clarissa’s bed, with no idea of what to do with her life. Clarissa kept smiling even though her lips had sadness in their width.

But the quietude didn’t last for long.

Clarissa said, “Zaramanni, you need to bathe.”

“Uh?” Zara sniffed the air around her body and she said nothing more. A bath was undoubtedly needed. “Will you be fine alone? I should check if the door is locked in case someone comes in.”

”Stop,” Clarissa’s stern voice stopped Zaramanni from taking a step further toward the huge doors. “I will be fine. I can cry for help if something goes wrong.” Clarissa’s eyes softened when her gaze fell on Zara who looked like she wanted to protest. “Go into the bathroom. I will leave this room if you refuse to.”

”Okay, okay. Gosh.” Zara did a little huff and puff as she walked towards the bathroom, her eyes still not leaving the woman. Even after she had entered the bathroom, her head poked out from the walls to check on Clarissa.

Clarissa managed a small laugh at the girl’s insistence before telling her off again.

Zaramanni finally got into the bathtub but she wasted no time.

Within a few minutes, she was out of the water.

Body clean, hair still a little wet, she picked one of her single-piece nightgowns.

Before Zara proceeded to put the cloth on, she looked into the mirror. The sight of her hair made her consider cutting it short.

After that thought, Zara stared at the blueness of her naked skin, her hands clutching the cotton feel of the nightwear.

She had never considered getting rid of a huge chunk of her hair and for some reason having that thought made something boil within her.

It felt like her mind had found its wild side. That side pulled at her chest as though she had just heard about the death of a dear friend.

Failing to understand the reaction of her inner self, Zaramanni shook her head. She soon ignored that fury and put on the nightgown.

When Zara was done, she rushed into the room and after closing some windows to reduce the chilliness that raided the space, she walked to her bed.

“The sky looks brighter these days, doesn’t it Clarissa?” Zara asked once her body was planted on the softness of her bed.

When her body slid over the sheets in an attempt to lie down, Zara recalled how she started her day by waking up in the kitchen.

She wondered if such would happen again.

“Yes.” Clarissa glanced outside before she connected her sorrow-filled eyes with Zara’s.

Zara was now lying on her side and facing Clarissa who looked more relaxed on the bed while beeping sounds from the machine intercepted the room’s peace.

Clarissa continued, “It is a good thing. Each time I look up and see the blood-red sky, each time I fail to see the true beauty of our moon, my heart breaks. I can’t wait for things to go back to normal.”

”Have you found your wolf, Clarissa?”

“Yes.” The woman chuckled but it sounded like a short sob. “But, ever since the fairies used their magic to turn our moon into something else, it has been hard for a lot of us to shift. The few people who are able to do so can’t hold on for long. The past few days have been a critical period for our wolves.”

“That’s sad,” Zara replied while their eye connection deepened. A bond continued to be formed between the two and that moment made Zara slightly glad. The girl never had friends after all. “What is your wolf like?”

“Hmm,” Clarissa hummed, her lips wearing a pretty smile. ”She is so, so beautiful. Her furs are really majestic.” Clarissa’s head tilted toward the ceiling. “She soothes me each time I let her out. Her fast paces, her gnarls, her whimpers, I feel them all, and I,” her chest rose and fell significantly as she played with her gown, “love her. So, so much.”

“Does she know?” Zara decided to take the dangerous path she had been avoiding.

“What?”

“About your…” Zara’s legs rubbed against each other and she adjusted her head against the pillow. “Your mate.”

Clarissa gave a deep exhale. “It is very complicated. She feels my pain but she doesn’t know why I have those pains because I don’t allow her to.”

”So, it has been going for a long time?” Zara’s face was squeezed with worry. “That wasn’t the first time?”

“Zaramanni,” the she-wolf turned in her direction, “he is my mate. The goddess blessed our union. He is the one chosen for me.”

”That doesn’t give him the right to treat you that way,” Zara retorted, her voice carrying a certain ache. “If he is really your mate, he should love you like nothing else. No one deserves to be beaten up because they found their… t-their mate. No one has to suffer by a person’s hand because some kind of relationship binds them together.”

”Zaramanni, there is nothing else I could do. We only get one mate. If I had fought Andrea whenever he hurt me, he would have discarded me and I will be nothing more than a lowly omega wolf once more. No one would want me, Zaramanni.” Clarissa’s voice trembled with incoming tears.

“I don’t agree with that,” Zaramanni said. Infuriated that Clarissa had held herself captive thanks to her closed mind, she hurriedly sat up.

“You don’t get it, Zaramanni. You are young. I doubt you understand me.”

“I don’t agree with the fact that you only get one mate. So, if that mate of yours hurts you greatly, you won’t ever leave the relationship? Because you may not find another mate? I don’t believe that.”

”Zaramanni,” Clarissa’s voice was stern. “You are a stranger to this land. Things work differently here.”

”I was attracted to Sham when I first got here,” Zara detoured their conversation with the intention of making a point. “Now, my heart beats hard for Zoey. Who knows, tomorrow, someone else might come along and…”

”You are not in love with the people you just mentioned, Zaramanni,” Clarissa cut her short. “You can only love one person.”

”When I fall out of love with someone, it is highly possible for me to love someone else. That is my point. We are not connected to just a person. That’s what I think.”

Their conversation was now heated.

”Do you think it would be a wise thing to feel things that are against what the goddess wants?”

“Does the goddess control your heart?”

Zaramanni’s forehead wore a deeper scowl as her tone deepened with a certain fierceness.

Then, she continued,

“Clarissa, let the goddess do her thing and you live your life. Besides, I don’t think your goddess would want one of her people to stay in a relationship that’s highly unhappy and hurtful. Think about your happiness, Clarissa.” Zara breathed hard, the intensity of her voice not failing.

“Be selfish for yourself so that you don’t end up getting hurt to the point that you can’t handle the pain anymore.”

“You are one bold girl,” was all Clarissa said after a few seconds of silence ensued. Her hands placed on her belly, she gently bit into her lower lip as her eyes connected with the ceiling again. “Your words are harsh and they contradict a lot of things I have been taught all my life.”

“But?” Zara gulped hard as she admonished herself not to cry. Clarissa already had tears rolling down her face and that sight tugged at the half-fairy’s heart.

“I just lost my b-baby. I am already suffering the kind of pain that I can never recover from, so I get your point.” Clarissa wiped off her tears, and she scoffed. “I will never see Andrea again. If there is a way to break the bond created by the goddess, I will break it as well.”

”Is there one?”

Clarissa faced Zara. “No. It has never been done and I doubt it can happen.”

Zaramanni nodded. “It is fine. As long as you refuse to let that man back into your life, you will be fine.”

”Thank you, Zaramanni. You have helped me greatly.”

“Oh please,” the girl waved her off. “I didn’t do anything special.”

Clarissa chuckled. After a small exhale, she said, “I feel sleepy.”

“Oh yes. It has been a long day. You need the rest.”

If the woman slept right away, that would be for the best.

A few minutes later, Zara got out of her bed and tucked Clarissa’s sheets properly.

Then, after a close look at the she-wolf, Zara wore a smile.

Clarissa had fallen into a deep slumber.

~

Something was wrong.

Zaramanni could feel it.

Her eyes snapped open and she saw the figure that gave her room an eerie feel.

The hooded figure that floated in the air moved closer.

Before Zara could sit up, she felt strong, masculine-like fingers wrap around her neck.

The person had the intention to end her life, Zaramanni quickly reasoned.

Undoubtedly, it was the person that failed to kill her twice.

She struggled to survive his hold.

Her legs kicked, her hands continuously tapped the grip around her neck, and she did something she knew she wasn’t brave enough to do on a good day.

Though uneasy, Zaramanni’s hands traced to the neck region of the hooded person and she clasped the neck with all of her strength.

Her move surprised the individual, there was no doubt.

While trying not to trigger Clarissa out of her deep sleep, Zara fought the person harder and her fingers dug into their skin.

Suddenly, her eyes felt different. As she twitched them, blue light covered their surface and her hold felt tighter and stronger.

So strong that she felt like she could carry the man with that single hold.

Due to her increasing strength, the hand around her neck began to lose its ability.

Zaramanni was about to snap the person’s hands away when everything instantly changed.

They found themselves in a dark space that was surrounded by huge walls, huge brick walls.

In the midst of that confusing change of location, Zaramanni was now holding the stranger against the wall, her hold stronger than usual, her eyes still shining bright.

She felt different, and she knew it.

And, Zaramanni confirmed that feeling when she opened her mouth to speak to the person gasping because of her grasp.

Her voice echoed and it sounded like she swallowed the voices of many people. Her hair danced in the spaced and her voice seemed murderous as she asked, “Who are you?”