Chapter 1: The Decision

Karin Papadopoulos' POV

I remembered that day when I saw Pascal was outside the house with my father pleaded him not to break off the engagement. I was jealous of my sister when my father literally on his knees to beg for her. But Pascal was not having it. I was in the living room when I saw him talking to my father right in front of the front gate.

"You cannot be serious to let my daughter go with that…that freak! I have been pampering her for you, Pascal. You're the only one that can handle her. Please, you have to take her back," my father said as I was stealing a look by the curtain as I was looking at them.

Then on instinct, Pascal was looking toward the living room windows. I saw his grey eyes were focused on me before I was getting away from the window. My heart was pounding in my chest as I was leaning against the wall beside the window. Then I heard his voice, sultry and masculine.

"No, you cannot tempt Fate. Besides…" I heard him trailed off as I can sense that his eyes were still on the window as I was trying to resist the urge that he was looking at the window right now.

I failed.

I turned to look at it again and I saw that Pascal's eyes were on me. I blushed before I was getting away from the living room up to my room. I was hiding the covers as I was remembering his eyes trained on me. It was intense.

I heard the faded footsteps as I was hearing it from below. Pascal has been with us our whole life as our neighbor. His mum just died recently and I wanted to ease the burden that he was having. Then, my father proposed that Karisa was the better fit for him.

But, it turns out, my sister ran away with a member of the tight community in Paphos. And of course, I was worried that no one was there to comfort Pascal when he needed the most. I sighed as I was laying on my back on the bed as I was looking at the ceiling.

He would never choose me. We were 3 years apart and I'm sure he did not like me in the way that man and woman should. I think he only looked at me like I was his sister.

But the way he looked at me just now though…

I shook my head before I heard my father was slamming the door. I got out of bed before I was on the balcony as my father was taking some beer from the fridge. I think he might get drunk tonight and I don't want to be around when he was.

Don't get me wrong. I love my father but he can be abusive when he's drunk. And that's when I will be going somewhere then come home and it was a mess. I would come an hour after he dozed off. I did not want to risk him hitting me.

I sighed as I went to the bedroom before I was taking a book and I was getting off from the window.

I cannot walk out on him, he might be abusive now. I was looking at the ground before I was getting on the edge of the window and jumped down.

I landed on the ground as I was looking at the house before I was making my way to the place that I only knew. No one was coming to that place as I called it my secret cave. I was holding the book that I was currently reading before I was going to the cave. The night was nice and I think I might get out of here.

I saw the cave opening before I was smiling as I was stepping toward it but it felt different. I felt like I was being watched before I turned around to check my parameter. It was nothing behind me. I shrugged as I was shaking my head.

Really, was I being paranoid right now?

I was making my way to the cave as I was sitting on the ground. There was no light but I have some candle in my pocket before I was firing a match to light it. Then I was smiling before I set the candle down and started to read. I was in my happy little corner. And before I knew it, I was being watched from afar from the person that I did not expect at all.

Pascal Vouivre's POV

I was looking at the young woman who was sitting in the cave alone, reading as she had this plastered smile on her face. She was beautiful even when I only looked from afar and in the dark. But my eyes were trained to look in the dark and I can see her profile very well.

Her auburn hair.

Her blue eyes.

Her easy smile.

I wondered if she had anyone that reserved that smile. I felt the anger was coming inside me before I was controlling it. My dragon was calling after me as I was reigning it in.

'Ours,'

'Make her ours,'

The voice was whispering inside me as I was shaking my head. I cannot do that, not when I was in Paphos, the Shadow Pack territory. They tolerate other shifters but I know they would come after me if I was to force myself on that younger sister of Karisa.

I sighed as I know that I would not be contented until I have her in my arms. It was the bond that called for her to mate. My mother told me that I was special, that I have something else inside me when I heard voices in my head when I was 5 years old.

I closed my eyes as the pain in my chest was burning. My mother was dead now and I don't know if I have anyone in the world. Looks like I have to work now and with that, I walked away from the sweet scent of cherry that was coming from the cave. The scent that was driving my dragon crazy.

'Ours,'

'Maker her ours,'

The voice was coming in hot today. I don't know why but when I first met her eyes through the window, I knew from that moment that I wanted her. I wanted her under me, naked, screaming my name as she came from the high of her pleasure.

With that images, my cock stirred and I was breathing hard. Jesus Christ! I have to get away from here before I was going berserk.

Then, I saw a car was parked in front of my house. I don't know who it was as I know that I don't usually get a visitor. Then I know as my dragon was stirring. It only did that when my mother was around.

Could it be…

I was approaching the car before I saw a very immaculate man was coming out of the car. He was looking like me with black hair. I know instantly who it was. My mother always spoke so fondly of him.

"Brother, what is the pleasure that I owe for your visit?" I asked as I was looking at the strange man. I was happy to know that I have someone other than mother but seeing my brother in flesh and blood right now, it was strange.

"I heard mom had died. Was that true?" He asked as he was looking at me. The grey eyes that were like me. Mother said that we got it from father, so I believed when I saw and said that this man was my brother. I nodded.

"Well, what are your plans now?" My brother asked me as I was looking at the house. I don't know. I never thought of leaving here before anything but I think I know what I wanted now. I need to get out of here or I might attack that younger sister of Karisa.

Karin, I think, was the name.

"I need to get out of here," I said as I was looking at my brother. He did not look surprised but nodded.

"I got just the place," he said as I was going with him on this new adventure out of Paphos.