The metallic scent hit him like a punch to the face.
Zayn’s pupils dilated, his breathing even more ragged than before. His throat tightened as the scent curled into his lungs and settled there, thick and heavy.
Lily’s blood. free\we,bnovel.c o(m)
The scent hit Zayn hard.
His wolf stirred instantly, growling low in the back of his mind.
[Ours. Take it. Just a taste. She won’t even notice.]
Zayn’s breath hitched. His lips parted. Without thinking, his tongue brushed over his bottom lip.
She was right beneath him, shaking, bleeding. A thin line of red trailed down her arm and into the dirt.
His body leaned forward on its own. One hand braced beside her head, the other hovered just above the wound.
The wolf pushed harder.
[She’s yours. You need it. Just one lick.]
Zayn clenched his jaw.
The scent was warm, sharp—like something inside him had been waiting for it.
But that scared him. f|ree(w)ebn\o.vel.com
He’d never felt this before. Not . Not this deep, bone-level hunger.
His fingers twitched above her arm.
His head dipped lower.
His mind screamed at him to pull back—but the wolf inside kept whispering.
[She’s yours. Take what’s yours.]
Zayn’s chest rose and fell, fast and uneven.
He was right there, so close he could feel the heat coming off her skin.
But he couldn’t move. He bent his head again—
A blur slammed into him from the side, knocking the breath out of his chest. He hit the ground hard, rolling.
Zayn growled, teeth snapping. “No-o!”
Ezra grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him down. “What the hell are you doing? “Zayn—look at me!”
Zayn fought against him, snarling. “She’s mine. She’s bleeding. I—we—need it.”
“Listen to yourself!” Ezra barked. “That’s not you talking. Your wolf has gone berserk!”
Zayn’s chest heaved. His hands clawed at the ground, shaking. His wolf was still fighting for control.
[He doesn’t understand! We need her... just one taste. It will feel so good! It will relieve the pain! ].
Zayn clutched his head, groaning. “Shut up. Stop—get out!”
Ezra held him tighter, voice low but firm. “Zayn. Look at me. You cannot give in! Don’t let it win!”
Zayn blinked rapidly, eyes still glowing red.
Behind them, Lily scrambled to her feet, cradling her arm, her chest rising and falling fast. Her eyes met Zayn’s, wide with shock and confusion.
Ezra glanced back at her. “Run!”
She didn’t need to be told twice. She turned and bolted, vanishing into the trees.
Zayn wanted to give chase, but Ezra held him back. He had fought Zayne before countless of times. He knew how much strength his Alpha had.
But this was different. His movements were feral. His strength was double of what it usually was. . His muscles were straining.
“Don’t,” he snapped. “You’re not thinking straight!” f|re(e)web.n\ovel. (c)o.m
Zayn’s whole body was tense, breathing heavy, eyes locked on where she’d vanished.
“Zayn, talk to me. What is going on?” Ezra muttered. “What triggered it?”
Zayn didn’t say a word.
“You’ve scared the shit out of her.” Ezra said softly. “She was bleeding.”
Ezra struggled to keep him under control. He was losing strength. Zayn pushed Ezra away.
“Stop!” Ezra called out, ready to leap at him again.
But when he realised Zayn had not run off, he stopped. Zayn stalked over to the spot where Lily’s blood had soaked into the grass. He stared at the patch silently.
“What are you-” Ezra watched on in disbelief.
Zayn leaned down and licked the blood off the grass.
The second her blood touched his tongue, everything stopped. His body went still. The madness began to fade, the haze lifting. The fire inside his chest died. The howling in his head went quiet.
Just like that. Silence.
His heartbeat slowed. His wolf, once snarling and screaming in his head, was now silent and at ease.
Zayn blinked, his vision clearing. The trees weren’t spinning anymore.
He stumbled back, breathless, then dropped onto the dirt. Slowly, painfully, he shifted back into his human form. The sound of bones cracking and fur retreating filled the forest. When it was done, he sat there, shirtless and shaking, hands clenched in the grass.
Ezra stepped forward, wide-eyed. “You licked her blood,” he said like he couldn’t believe the words.
“You actually... Zayn, what the hell?”
“It stopped the wolf,” Zayn muttered.
Ezra stared at him, stunned. “You lost control again. You were going to bite her. You think licking it off the ground makes it better?”
Zayn stood up slowly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “It wasn’t planned.”
“Yeah,” Ezra said bitterly, “that’s the problem.”
Zayn didn’t look at him. “I’m fine now.”
“No, you’re not,” Ezra snapped. “You’re getting worse. You know it, I know it. Your shifts are unstable. Your temper’s all over the place. And your wolf? It’s practically running loose.”
Zayn’s eyes darkened. “Why don’t you just shut up!”
“You remember what happened last time, right?" Ezra said, voice sharp.
Zayn didn’t respond, but the memory hit him hard.
Ten wolves. All of them down.
He could still picture it—blood on the snow, bodies everywhere. He hadn’t known who was who. He attacked anything that moved.
He saw one of the elders—saw himself lunging, claws at the man’s throat. Heard the shouting. The fear. It had taken six of them, silver chains and everything, just to drag him down.
He hadn’t even realized what he’d done until it was too late.
“You went completely feral,” Ezra said. “Didn’t know friend from enemy.”
Zayn’s jaw tightened. “But I came back from that.”
But even now... he didn’t know if that was true.
"Yeah," Ezra snapped, "but barely. And it’s worse now. Your wolf’s more aggressive. It’s talking to you more, isn’t it?"
Zayn didn’t respond right away. His eyes dropped to the dirt beneath his boots.
[Let him talk], his wolf murmured. [He’s afraid. They all are. But they’ll if they fear us].
“I’ve got it under control,” Zayn finally muttered.
Ezra threw his hands up. “You just licked blood off the ground like a starving beast! You think that screams control?”
“I snapped out of it, didn’t I?” Zayn snapped back. “I didn’t hurt her.”
Ezra crossed his arms and ran his hand through his hair. “You can’t continue . Why don’t we just...come to think of it—there might be something in the vault, Zayn. Writings, scrolls, anything that could explain what’s happening to you.”
“I’m not digging through dusty books for answers that don’t exist.”
“Then what? Wait until you—?”
Zayn interrupted sharply. “I said I have it under control.”
“No,” Ezra said, stepping closer. “You think you can control it. But you don’t. Her blood was the only reason you snapped out of it.”
Zayn’s head snapped up. “I know what happened,” he snapped, voice sharp.
Ezra didn’t back off. “Then you know what this means.”
Zayn clenched his jaw, breathing hard.
“What happens next time?” Ezra pressed. “What if she’s not there to stop you? What if no one is?”
There was a heavy silence.
“The full moon’s in two days,” Ezra added, his voice lower now. “And the dance. Every Alpha, every Luna, even the Alpha King will be there.”
Zayn looked down at his hands, stained and shaking. His heart pounded in his chest.
“I know,” he said again, quieter now, but still tense.
Zayn looked up, eyes cold. “Then... you do what needs to be done.”
Ezra stiffened. “You want me to chain you?”
Zayn nodded once. “Silver chains. Tight. No hesitation. I’d rather be humiliated than slaughter the wrong person.”
“Damn it, Zayn,” Ezra whispered, running a hand over his face. “Chains won’t fix this. They’re just a temporary solution—you need a permanent solution.”
Zayn turned his back to him. “Then help me by keeping this quiet.”
Ezra stared at him without saying anything.
“You are the only one I trust, Ezra. Please.”
Ezra exhaled. He rubbed his face, then nodded slowly. “Alright. I’ll make the preparations.”