I’M A BEAST. UNTAMED. WILD. I have no need for a mate, much less a witch. Her kind is untrustworthy and cruel, yet this one beckons me and the pull is near volatile. My wolf thirsts for her pinned beneath us while my teeth break flesh—mark her as ours. Rejecting her is right, but at what cost? It’s the first time the animal and I are at odds. A KING does not bend the knee. Yet this is a simmering thirst I’ve fought to keep locked away, it doesn’t get to come out and play often, but I do enjoy the moments when I let go of the reins. Each time we meet, I crave more. Each time she gives me her back while walking away, the walls I've erected in her name break until what’s left is wrapped around her slim finger. I am her rage. She is my goddess. Together they create what I am, a vengeful animal determined to protect what’s mine.