30

I was still lying on the floor and in Tyler's arms, frozen. He had only played something for me and now seemed more than happy that his trick worked so well. Anyway, he smiled like crazy and ran a hand through my hair.

However, I clearly had enough and decided to finally show my limits. So I started struggling in his arms, punching and kicking as best I could. Even managed to free myself a bit, which was probably more due to Tyler's surprise than my strength.

"Lily? What... what's the matter with you all of a sudden?"

I ignored his words, just wanted distance and without showing that he couldn't allow himself to do everything to a person.

Tyler released me. I got back on my feet with a jerk and wanted to get away from him. But faster than I could see, he got up as well and pulled me back by my shoulders.

"Damn it Lily! What's with the crap now? Running away from a werewolf, a bloody predator, is no solution for you and would only lead to many more problems."

He held me to his chest with one arm. With the second he pushed the door shut and also turned the key in the lock I

stared at the door in horror Was Tyler really serious?

"So Lily, the door is going to stay locked until we figure this out."

He grabbed the key from the lock, put it in his pocket, and fumbled something out of the other pocket. Tyler pulled out a piece of paper and a pen out and put it on the bedside table, which was next to the bed.

"Now you write down what the problem is and then we'll look for a solution.", he said, sounding kind of depressed.

He gently pushed me toward the bed to sit there.

Calmly I took the already slightly crumpled piece of paper and the pen.

Maybe that could really help. Although I don't think Tyler has been very good with me for the past few hours.

Tyler stood at an angle to me so he could see what I was writing the whole time.

I didn't particularly like this observation on his part, because I found it somehow unpleasant, but to be honest I didn't feel like fighting him anymore.

What good did it do me? After all, he was a werewolf.

I decided to start over and pick up where the problem started.

' I don't want to get bitten.'

I started to write but right after that Tyler cut me off.

He sat down next to me on the bed and turned my face towards him and cupped it with both hands.

"Lily, I know it's a terrifying thought for you right now, but there's nothing we can do about it. On the one hand it is an important ritual and on the other hand it is the wolfish part in us that forces us to do it. If I could, I would put it off as long as possible, but it doesn't end well. There are enough reports of werewolves trying to do this because they didn't want to hurt their companions or because they were so afraid of it. But that never went well. At some point there will come a time when the instinct in me will be much stronger and will no longer take your fear into account. And then the bite just gets more brutal."

My heart was pounding in my chest. Was there really no other way?

I couldn't imagine that I would ever voluntarily let myself be bitten, but unfortunately an involuntary bite sounded even worse and definitely seemed to be the worse alternative.

"I don't want to hurt you any more than necessary. But if we put it off for too long, that's what will happen. But that's obsolete now anyway."

I looked at him confused.

' What do you mean?'

I wrote on the paper, for which he also let go of my face.

Tyler sighed.

"The Alpha officially announced it to the pack today. So that I'll be the next alpha and probably relatively soon. The Alpha intends a pack handover on the upcoming full moon, citing the stipulation that you must have been bitten before."

My facial features slipped away from me.

No no no.

They couldn't just decide that over my head.

It affects me and my life. No, they couldn't do that!

I jumped up from the bed, wanted to go to the door, just gone. Does not matter where. Didn't even know where to go.

But I didn't get far.

"Lily!" Tyler yelled, pulling me back.

"Damn, that's no use! I know you don't want that. But what else can we do? The Alpha intended it that way. And as long as I'm not an alpha myself, I can't say anything about it. And even if I were a normal alpha, the alpha here would still be superior to me. What he orders will be done."

I shook my head. No! I dont want that!

"Lily please calm down. I'm not going to bite you now. And we're going to talk this through for now, okay? We go through everything that is to come and then you will know exactly when what is going to happen and what it means for both of us and especially for you. But first you have to calm down."

Yes, as if that would change anything. I do not want that! Is that so difficult to understand?

"Please Lily, I can't bear to see you in such a panic."

Of course, he couldn't take it. How could he have so little understanding for me right now?

"Lily, please, I want you to be okay. You are everything to me from the moment I first saw you."

I would like to scream, but I just couldn't.

After a few minutes I had really calmed down a bit, but not without trying to get away from Tyler two more times.

Tyler finally let go of me and I sat down next to him on the bed again.

'And what's next?'

I wrote on the note and looked at Tyler a little defiantly.

"Well," he began, "I know you don't like the idea, but you won't get around the bite."

'What about the second bite?'

I asked.

Tyler glanced at the note and then continued.

"It's irrelevant at first. Of course we would have to do it at some point, with the emphasis on sometime. If you want it that way, we can push the years ahead of us."

'We can't leave that out?'

"No Lily, unfortunately we can't."

' Why?'

"How am I supposed to explain that to you? It is a ritual and at the same time our nature which demands it from us. We've been doing it pretty much since we existed. But don't ask me since when, I have no idea.

And it also has the aspect, which is not entirely impractical for us, that the companion is transformed by the bite and from then on feels the same as we do. It makes the whole relationship easier since our shall we say 'possession' tends to be off-putting or strange to our human partners."