Part One

Just an ordinary girl, she was 22 years old; this was the age approaching her womanhood. She had ocean-colored eyes and carrot-colored locks. She lived in the village of Ordum, a peaceful and quiet place where all villagers were proud to live. They were all farmers all around and depended on their farm products. Going to the nearby town was a month's journey to and fro. Perry lived with her father, Urath, who was also the chief of the villagers; he was a stringent man towards his two daughters. Therefore, he was a respected man in the village. She was raised by her father after her mother's death when she was 5 years old. She had a younger sister who was 19 years old, and no one dared touch her or make fun of her while Perry was around because she would fight for her the whole day. In the village, girls and boys were not allowed to be seen or interact until their marriage, which was supposed to be fixed by their parents. Perry had never been with any man before or fallen in love. Their village had night guards to guard them against wild animals that would snick and eat their livestock.

The night was silent, the sky was clear, and the full moon was up. The night was so lovely to the knights, but to the Blood Talons tribe in the village of Avack, the night was the time to hunt. This was a werewolf village of people who had different powers, but most of them were werewolves who could tear anything they came across. They had never gone so far to the village as it was far from where they were, but they knew some human town was living in the forest. Turki Murray was the leader of the pack. He was the most vital member of the group and the most feared werewolf. He had lived for decades and had sired many werewolves who were his trusted pack members. He had a human mate with whom they did not enjoy much of their romance and love life before she was killed by one of his pack while he was away. From that day, a part of his life had gone, he lost his sight, hearing strength, and endurance ability, and his roar was not decisive as it used to be because he was not even going on a hunt to feed himself. Murray became weaker every day. Like any other leader, he had enemies still in the village, and when they realized he was not strong enough to fight them, they planned an attack on him and his trusted pack.

Hunting nights become pack-killing nights. A silver bullet would kill a werewolf, and that is what was used by hunters to hunt them down. His enemies were from the tribe of Bone Shadow, and their leader, Milana Cooper, had grudges for not being the leader of the biggest and strongest pack in the village. They had guns because they couldn't defeat the group even in animal form, so they had to weaken them with silver bullets, kill some, and the others would surrender to them. Murray heard something hit the door harder, like a fight in the other pack rooms. That is when he decided to go and see what was going on. Before he could even step a foot out of his room, guns were already pointing at him, ready to be fired. After knowing that even the mighty Murray had been defeated, Cooper came to brag. Then he gave an order to the pack to shoot him. Although strong, he could not beat the whole group without his pack. He changed to his werewolf form but was not strong enough to not feed for days, but he was able to escape with several bullets in his leg, shoulder, and stomach.

They went after him to the bridge, where he fell on the waterfall, around 20 meters. They were very sure he could not survive all that. He was swept away by the water flowing at a very high speed in the direction of Ordum village, where water reduces its rate to the dam. The night was long for the whole pack.

In the morning, villagers would fetch water for their domestic use. Among them were Perry and her little sister. She saw a body and screamed to the top of her voice. The voice echoed miles down the river and to their village. All the villagers gathered at the river banks where the body was found, naked and almost dead. Strong enough and very heavy, Murray had gunshots and still oozing cuts. He was in human form, and no one in the village believed the old stories about werewolves. They thought it was just another fictional story of ogres and giants. One of the most muscular and feared werewolves now lives in their village, in the house of their village chief. Perrey was tasked with caring for his wounds until he gained consciousness, as her father had taught her the healing techniques. The silver bullet in him had compromised Murrey's ability to fast heal. So the herb potions given to him started to heal those wounds.

After some weeks, he could get out of bed but was very weak, so he could not even work correctly. His sight was also too weak to withstand the daylight at the moment. Therefore, he could not move out of the room, so he just stood at the door, still trembling on his legs. Perrey had gone to the forest to get some fruits and roots to take another medicine. During all this time of nursing the stranger at their home, Perry fell for him; she laughed at herself in the forest while talking to herself. Am I falling for him? Hell no, he is a stranger, and I bearly know him, she said to herself. But getting close to him, she smiled and wanted to feel that tight hug in his arms. Still a werewolf, he smelt the scent of blood of something getting closer, but he had no strength to move. Perry entered the room and found him standing with support from the door.

Oh, you're awake, Perrey said.

Who are you, and where are you? Murray asked.

"This is Ordum village," she said.

How did I get here?

We found you at the river bank almost dead, "she said, putting a smile on her face.

How long have I been here?

For 6 weeks, you have been here unconscious and calling on her name.

What is your given name? And why? His memory had gone, and he had to regain it.

Perry went to his father's chamber to tell him about the passivity regaining consciousness. They came back, and her father, as a chief, had to ask him questions to ensure he was not a criminal who had just escaped prison.

Okay, young man. What is your name? Where do you come from? Urath asked.

"I don't know my name," he said.

She said, "it looks like his memories are gone. He will need a few days taking his herbs to regain them."

Murray was now under massive pressure in his head, asking himself endless questions to know who she was. His blood thorax was not strong enough to know what he needed, so he just took some water, and the medicine was given to him. For the first time that day, he was able to eat something that was burned meat, which he had never tasted because he was used to raw flesh and blood. It was sweet, tasted like something he couldn't quite place, and smelled like blood. With Perry and her father on the table, he ate very fast to sustain his hunger for 6 weeks without food or something substantial like food. They just gazed at him, how he was eating and breathing heavily as he ate. Perry smirked and started eating too. After a week, his memories returned, and he could remember everything that had happened to him. One night, while they were at the table eating, he told them about his memories but did not tell them about what had happened to him or who he was.

My name is Turki Murray, from the village of Bilah, just upstream of the river, he said.

And what happened to you before you were swept away by the river? Urath asked.

Murray said that I only recall some gunshots and being attacked on my way home from a hunt.

Do you have any idea who attacked you? Perry asked.

Murray said, I do not, but I guess they were pheasants around the forest.

So you are supposed to go back to your village and let your people know that you are still alive because they must think you are dead, the chief said.

Perry said. "He is not well enough to walk all that distance." He has to stay for a little more time. "

Okay, my love, her father said.

She had been admiring Murray's chest and hairy solid hands for the entire time she had cared for him. His masculine body was a weakness to her, as was his deep voice, the ruler's voice, with much masculinity and an alpha character. But she had a question about the name she had him say while he was unconscious. He had not talked about it while they were talking at the table. So she decided to ask in private while they were alone. That morning, she went where he was sleeping to give him his medicine portion and found him set outside.

"You are up very early," she said.

He said I'm used to getting up earlier than this in my village to go hunting.

She gave him a bowl of herb soup with a smile, showing him her upper white teeth and sexy eyes.

"Thank you," he said.

Who is Rebecca? She asked.

He just pulsed drinking and said, "She was my love." He did not want to explain more because of how he felt when he recalled all the special moments they spent together. His heart was still in pain, broken, and he blamed himself for her death.

However, he regained his strength after some days, and his hearing strength returned. His blood thirst increased, but Murray was a very different werewolf; he could recognize a human because he had lived with them and married one. Therefore, he signed up as a night guard to quench his thirst. This enabled him to sneak out and go hunting in the forest. So Murray could hunt at night on his shift and then help Perry and her father on the farm. He was starting to develop feelings for Perry, a beautiful girl with red rocks falling on either side of her shoulders. It was her style. She was crazily in love with him and could not afford to hide them, but Murray was blocking them with the excuse that he made her lover die. So he feared she would not like it, knowing who she was and where he was from.

Murray avoided her eye contact, although he felt it. He thought of that potent feeling in his heart of wanting her. Wanting to let her in her heart, Perry's younger sister liked him very much because he had sweet stories that made her happy, and she always wanted to be with him. She could see his eyes looking at her sister.

It looks like someone is in love with my sister, she said.

"No, I'm not," he replied.

Yes, you are. Talk to her. She is interested in you as well, she said.

The love between them was clear to everyone, but not everyone noticed. So Perry decided to ask him what had happened to his lover.

What happened to her? She asked.

He said she was killed because he was not there to protect her.

Is that why you are trying to avoid me? She asked with a trembling voice.

Yes, I don't want anything to happen to you and end up blaming myself for the whole of my life, he said, with his deep booming voice that almost scared Perry to death.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, "he said as she left him and went to where her father, Urath, was sitting.

He had never shown his real animal side to anyone. He only shifted at night when putting to guard the village. On a Saturday, they had to go to the nearest marketplace where they could exchange goods for goods (batter trade). Murray and Perry were the ones to go to the market, so they carried their farm products on their backs. On the way, they met with some men who started harassing them, and by mistake, they touched Perry on Murray's watch. He almost changed, just a slight glint in his eyes, and he remembered where he was; he fought them away, and they continued on their journey. Murray had the scent of a werewolf around the market in the market. He was Cooper's right-hand man, spying on the village market. By mistake, he saw Murray, and Murray saw him. But this was in public, and if he tried to stop him from going to Cooper and reporting it, many innocents would die. So he was able to escape, but back in Murray's mind, he knew that a big war was coming to the village with many innocent people. He had to stay on watch all the time to protect them because he knew Cooper very well and his brutality.

After some days, he could not see unusual movements in the forest as he hunted. He decided to tell Perry how he felt about her. He approached the well where they were fetching their drinking water.

Murray called her with a low tone and was very smooth, with a soothing voice and charming. I'm in love with you.

I noticed your lips enticing my lips.

They craved to taste my lips.

They yearned for my kiss.

And the tender touch.

I couldn't fight the feeling.

I couldn't hide my feelings.

Your beauty mesmerized me.

The enchantment of your eyes captured me.

The enthralling beauty of your thighs ruptured me.

You are my appetizer.

I want to savor you.

I taste the exact flavor of your love.

They both craved for each other, and in lust, she was only waiting for him to open his heart and say it. Even before he was done, he jumped on her. She desired that tight hug, to feel his chest against hers, and to hear him whisper those sweet words to her. She wanted someone protective, someone with some characteristics like him: masculine, deep voice, strong, someone who could rule, and she saw it in him. They began to enjoy their romance and love lives in secret so that their father would not know what was happening between them.