07

The King and Queen watched the young defenseless girl as she lay motionless on the ground. Her heart had stopped beating, River hadn't calmed down, locked in a cell separate and across from Dove's, his wolf thrashed against the steel bars and let out loud whines and growls.

The queen frowned, her face sad, another girl lost to the cursed bite of their species. The king stood glancing at his wife before opening Dove's cell door. He stepped inside preparing to grab her lifeless body.

Suddenly, the girl's eyes flew open revealing shocking grey eyes. The girl jumped to her feet and swiftly dashed out of the cage without hesitation. She hissed loudly and took off. "River you must calm down and retrieve your scared mate, she could still be fighting off the venom in her body." The King replied slowly unleashing River from his cell, immediately he took off after his mate.

"Do you think she survived the bite?" The King asked his wife whose eyes widen with shock, "But...that's impossible..."

*

The smell of blood clogged the air as River sniffed out his mate. Once a dire wolf first shifts they're blood thirsty and fully out of control.

He tracked the trail of bloody paw prints in the snow and stopped when he heard loud whimpers coming from the right. There laid a dead deer, a pool of blood surrounding it along with a light grey wolf. Patches of her fur stained with blood as well as her snout. Glowing grey eyes met his, the she-wolf prepared to run. He stalked towards her with his head low as he took in her scent. He growled, she growled back and backed away from him.

He puffed out his chest and bared his fangs to show his dominance. She crouched down her ears laid back as she bared her fangs. He let out an angered roar edging her to submit once he was close enough and towering above her.

She yelped failing to stay strong against his powerful aura. Fear strikes her features as her tail was tucked between her legs. He growled triumphantly as she submitted to him. Picking her up by the scruff of her neck, he carried her back to the palace.

Her snarls and whimpers echoed in his ears, her body wiggling to try to get loose from his firm grasp.

Once in the palace, he commanded her to change back to her human self. Her wolf obeyed as she shifted back only to lay curled up and shaking on the marble floor, her skin covered in dry deer blood. He shifted back too and had covered her with a blanket before picking her up bridal style in his arms.

"Mine." He growled clutching her close to his chest and went into his room. Filling up the tub with hot water, which helps relax tense muscles, he kneeled in front of the tub and gently placed her inside it. The hot water soothed her as she stopped shaking, she held her knees close to her chest and covered her body with her arms. A blush forming on her cheeks as she growled slightly at him alert kicking in.

He noticed her discomfort and smirked "You shouldn't hide your body from me, my mate."

Her eyes widen as he grabs a cloth and begins to wipe away the blood on her face. "...I can do it myself.... can you wait outside till I'm finished? I don't like having someone watch me bathe." She hissed out, the stammer in her tone proved how awkward it was for her. He growled lowly before getting up and storming out, the bathroom door shutting behind him.

"Five minutes only, then I'm coming in." He shouted from behind the door. She gasped quickly scrubbing herself down till her skin was smooth and her hair clean.

She wrapped herself in a towel before stepping out. Her cheeks stained a bright pink, "Where's my clothes...?"

He smirked "Tsk...tsk...little Dove we're mates now, you don't need them."

Her eyes widen with horror as her gaze trails to his hand which is holding her sleepwear.

"Give them back River!" She snarls. A devious glint forms in his eyes as he holds her clothes high up in the air, "You have to come and get it."