Fangs vs Claws

by Rua Hasan

  “Luna, we made it,” he said, and I groaned. I opened my eyes and saw that we were parked in front of the pack house. I got out of the car and made my way inside.

  I walked into the living room to see Marie crying on the couch. All my exhaustion suddenly went away, and I rushed to her.

  “Marie! What’s wrong?” I asked.

  She sniffed as she grabbed a tissue and blew her nose. She pointed at the TV screen and cried out when one of her favorite characters died.

  “Oh God, this is so sad!”

  I rolled my eyes at her.

  “Really? It’s only a series. I thought there was something wrong,” I said.

  She looked at me with a stunned face.

  “Only a series? Immo, this more than a series,” she cried out.

  Once those words came out of her mouth, Liam came into the living room and saw the situation. He slapped his forehead.

  “Oh not this again!” he grumbled.

  He walked forward and took the remote from her hand.

  “This is why you don’t watch TV. You get too emotional,” he said as he changed the channel.

  Marie got up from the couch and jumped on Liam’s back when he wasn’t looking.

  “Give me back the damn remote, you jerkface!” she growled at him.

  “Woah, woman, get off me!” Liam yelled.

  “Damn, you’re so heavy, you’re breaking my back, ah!” he shouted.

  I look at the both of them as they bickered.

  Yup, they would definitely make a great couple.

  Chapter 25

  I was wide awake. There was no sleep in me. After I came back from the orphanage, I went straight to bed, which was a bad idea because it was still early. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock sitting on the table next to me. It was two am. I rubbed my eyes, giving up. I turned around to see Aiden’s sleeping face. He’s looked so peaceful when he slept. Not like the possessive and grumpy Alpha he was. The wrinkles on his face were gone, which made him look younger. He was breathing evenly as his lips parted slightly.

  I tried to get up, but I was held down by Aiden’s strong muscular arms. I sighed as I rubbed my face.

  Here goes nothing.

  My hands moved down from his—very slowly, as I did not want to wake him up. If he did, he would probably not let me leave the room, so I made sure to be careful and quiet. I grabbed his right hand lying on my stomach and slowly took it off me and put it to his side. I stopped when he started to move and grumble under his breath.

  I sighed in relief when he didn’t wake up. I grabbed his other hand and carefully took it off me and put it to his side and got up. I tiptoed toward the door as quiet as a mouse. I looked back to make sure he was still asleep and reached for the door knob, twisting it slowly. I quickly but quietly got out of the room and shut the door.

  I looked toward the empty dark hall. The only source of light was the moon shining through the window. I took quiet steps toward the kitchen, wanting to grab a drink for my dry throat. I made a turn to where the kitchen was, but I saw the door wide open with the lights on. There were sounds coming from there. I grabbed a vase next to me and tiptoed toward the door.

  Yeah, you might think I’m exaggerating, but, hey, it could have been a thief stealing our food. Better safe than sorry. Once I got to the door, I lifted the vase over my head and was about to hit it on the intruder’s head when they spoke.

  “Ah, Luna, you scared me…Uh, why are you doing holding that?” Ian, my old bodyguard, spoke as he pointed to the vase in my hand. He was holding a spoon and eating cereal.

  Cereal? Who eats cereal at a time like this?

  Oh wait, I do.

  “Uh, nothing. Haha. I thought there was an intruder,” I said as I put the vase down.

  “Well, there obviously isn’t. If there was, then I would have taken care of it,” he said cockily.

  Sure.

  He just said right that I scared him.

  “Um, what are you doing eating at a time like this?” I asked as I walked over to the cupboard and took out a cup.

  “I was hungry. I spent all day patrolling the border, and I just finished now,” he told me.

  I nodded my head as I poured water into the cup and took a big gulp.

  “I see the Alpha has marked you,” he said, looking at me weirdly And staring at my marked neck.

  I nodded.

  “Yeah, it actually came by surprise. I wasn’t expecting it,” I told him honestly as he put the now empty bowl in the sink and walked to the door.

  “It’s about time,” he said before he disappeared.

  Okay.

  That wasn’t weird at all.

  Note the sarcasm.

  After I was done gulping water, I made my way to the nearest bathroom and did my business. Once I was done, I walked to my room.

  My room.

  It sounds so strange coming out of my mouth. Me and Aiden sharing a room. I could feel myself warming up to him. Especially after he marked me. Yes, I was trying to get on his bad side these couple of days, but the mark on my neck was making it harder.

  It was not helping at all.

  I could feel Aiden’s emotions, and he could feel mine. Every time he looked at the mark on my neck, he looked at it as if it was a masterpiece he just drew.

  He looked at it with pride.

  I opened the door slowly and shut the door when I was in the room. I walked over to the bed with a sleeping Aiden. I got on it and under the covers, laying my head on the soft pillow. Once I lay down, Aiden’s arms immediately wrapped around my waist, bringing me to his bare chest. If it weren't for his steady breathing and his slowly beating heart, I would have thought he was awake. I laid my head on his chest, feeling the comfort around me. Forgetting about what the future has in store, I closed my eyes feeling safe in his arms.

  

  I woke up to a shaking.

  Was there an earthquake?

  I shot my eyes open as panic rose in me but went away immediately when I saw the source of the shaking. There was no earthquake.

  It was Marie.

  What the hell is she doing?

  “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up, immo! It’s a bright day today, just waiting to be explored,” she sang loudly in my ear, and I groaned into my pillow.

  “Stop!” I yelled.

  “Can’t you see I have my eyes opened? Geez, woman, stop freakin’ shaking me,” I grumbled at her, and she giggled at me. I closed my eyes once again, ignoring her presence.

  “Why are you waking me up so early? Go away, I want to sleep,” I told her as I pulled the cover over my head.

  There was a moment of silence. I sighed in relief knowing Marie left the room to let me sleep. Well, that was easy.

  I was about to drift off to sleep once again when something cold hit my skin like a brick. I shot up and screamed in surprise.

  “Ah! Oh my god, oh my god. So cold!” I yelled.

  I looked up to see Marie wearing an evil grin as she held an empty bucket. Oh, she had the nerve! I looked around to see that the bed was soaking wet.

  “What the hell!” I yelled.

  “What was that for?”

  Marie put the bucket on the ground and took the cover off me.

  “That was for not waking up when I told you to,” she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me up.

  “Really, was that necessary? I mean, just look at the bed now. It’s wet,” I told her as I realized that Aiden was not in the room. He must’ve left an hour before and was in his office.

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Oh, hush, it’s going to dry. Anyway, go take a shower. We have a busy day today,” she said as I lifted an eyebrow at her.

  “What are we doing today?” I asked as I looked at the clock. I was surprised that it was twelve pm.

  “Today is the day we make Aiden fall to his knees,” Marie said and smirked evilly.

  “Please do explain,” I said and grinned.

  “Well, Liam’s frie
nd invited Liam, Aiden, you and me to this special gathering where we will eat dinner and dance and chat. So what we’ll do is pamper you up to attract every guy there. Then when Aiden asks you to dance, you’ll decline but dance with all the other guys,” she told me and chuckled.

  I liked the idea. Sure, it was no evil plan, but, hey, this is Aiden we’re talking about. This simple plan would drive him nuts. I nodded my head at her and rushed to the bathroom to take a shower.

  Twenty minutes later, I came out of the bathroom in only a towel. I saw Marie putting makeup on the counter. There was a dress hidden under a cover, lying on the bed.

  “Is that the dress?” I asked, taking a step toward it.

  “Yes, it is, but you’re not supposed to see it until we’re done, so sit down,” she said as she dragged me to sit on a chair.

  “I’m going to do your makeup. We leave in three hours, so hold still so I can get this done in time,” Marie told me.

  “But what about you?” I asked.

  “I’ll do mine when I’m done with yours. Now, close your eyes so I can put this on,” she said as she pulled out foundation from her bag.

  

  “Ready to see the dress!” Marie squealed with excitement.

  I nodded while smiling. It had been over two hours and a half, and Marie just finished with her makeup. She finished with mine an hour ago, and I was so excited to see the dress I was going to wear.

  Marie walked over to the bed and counted to three before she took off the cover that was hiding the dress. I gasped in surprise. It was beautiful. It was a white dress that wasn’t too long or short. It looked perfect.

  I grabbed the dress and rushed to the closet to change into it. Once I came out, Marie gasped. The dress came down right to my mid-thigh and was hugging my body, showing off my curves. The dress wasn’t slutty, but it was also revealing.

  I loved it.

  I was going to have so much fun teasing Aiden.

  “Wow, immo, you look gorgeous. Aiden will be drooling,” Marie squealed.

  “Haha. Thanks, Marie. This is all your work,” I told her.

  She nodded. “True, true.”

  “Let’s get this show on the road. Aiden and Liam are waiting for us downstairs,” she said as she dragged me out of the room and downstairs. Once I stepped into the living room, I felt all eyes on me.

  Aiden was standing by the door looking so sexy in a suit. His eyes were raking over my body, from head to toe. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks from all the attention. I tried to remind myself that I couldn’t give in because this was to tease him and not give him the satisfaction.

  “Come on, guys. Let’s go before we’re late,” Liam said as he walked to the door with Marie to his side. I walked out the door behind Marie and Liam as Aiden walked beside me. It looked like he was about to tell me something, but Liam spoke.

  “We are taking separate cars,” he said.

  I looked at Marie, knowing that Aiden was going to make me come with him, but she had a relaxed face on.

  “Liam, you go in the car with Aiden. I’ll be driving yours with Stella,” she said.

  Liam had an are-you-crazy look and shook his head.

  “Are you mad, woman? I’m not letting you drive my car! We all know you’re crazy on the road,” he said.

  “Oh shut up! I’m not that bad, and besides, it’s either that or your brand new one,” she argued.

  Liam groaned as he ran his hands over his face.

  “Ugh, why do you have to be so stubborn? Besides, I think Aiden would want to be with his mate,” Liam said looking between Aiden and me.

  Aiden nodded his head while I shook mine.

  “Nope, I’m riding with Marie,” I said as I wrapped an arm around her shoulder, trying to ignore his glare.

  “Fine! But if I see one scratch on my baby, then you’re dead,” Liam threatened.

  Marie nodded then walked over to his car with me following right behind her.

  Chapter 26

  I stepped out of the car when it was parked outside of a big mansion. It took us about half an hour to get here. It was that far away. Through the whole ride here, Marie was telling me what I was and wasn’t supposed to do. Like for example, I wasn’t supposed to dance with Aiden or sit next to him when eating. But what I was supposed to do was sit with some men there and make sure to flirt and smile.

  Oh, this was going to be fun.

  The time now was three forty, and the weather was hot. I closed the car door as Marie came out of hers. Aiden and Liam came out of the car that was parked next to ours. We started to walk toward the entrance.

  “What is this gathering for?” I asked.

  “John, the host of this gathering, is moving to London. He invited me and told me to bring my friends,” Liam said.

  “Oh, and he’s human, so make sure to act as human as possible,” he told us but mainly was looking at Marie.

  “Understood,” Marie said as she rolled her eyes.

  I heard her mutter something under her breath, but it wasn’t clear. We walked to the front door and were met with a couple of servants that greeted us and took our coats. A young man that was very handsome came out of the door with a huge smile on his face.

  “Ah, Liam, it’s great to see you! I’m glad you’re here,” the man whom I assumed was John said.

  “I’m glad to be here, John. Oh, and these are my friends: Aiden, Marie, and Stella,” Liam said as he introduced us to his friend. Once he saw us, he gave us a welcoming smile and shook our hands—well, Aiden’s hand.

  When he greeted Marie and me, he kissed our hands.

  Geez, what a gentleman!

  I could see Aiden tense from the corner of my eye because of his actions, which was not a surprise at all. This was what I was looking for. But what actually surprised me was when he kissed Marie’s hand. As she blushed, I saw Liam tense along with Aiden.

  Weird.

  “Please do come in. Dinner’s almost ready,” John told us.

  We walked into the large mansion and gasped—well, Marie and I.

  The place was huge and beautiful from the inside. It looked all fancy with its modern pictures hanging on the wall and its unique furniture. Just by looking at this place, you could tell John was filthy rich.

  John walked us to the second floor that had a dining room. As we walked through the door, I saw many people seated on chairs having conversations. But they all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at us.

  I caught a couple people staring at me, but I simply ignored them.

  “Everyone, this is Liam, a friend of mine. And these are his friend—Aiden, Marie, and Stella.” They all smiled at us and greeted us as we walked to the table.

  I was walking behind Aiden so I could see where he would sit. When he sat in a chair that had an empty seat next to it, I walked all the way to the end of the table where it was filled with men having a conversation. As I sat down, they paused and looked at me with smiles on their faces.

  I gave them a small polite smile and waved to Marie to come sit next to me.

  I glanced at Aiden who looked pissed. He was scowling but didn’t dare say a word as he glared at me. I averted my eyes from him and looked at Marie who just sat next to me.

  “You think it’s working?” she asked.

  I glanced at Aiden again who was now glaring at the guys sitting next to me. I smirked to myself.

  “Definitely.”

  After a few minutes, maids came into the room holding trays and trays of food. They looked so good, but do you know what would be better? If I had a glass filled with blood next to it. A few moments later, everyone started to dig in. I turned my head to my right when someone spoke. It was the guy next to me who had brown hair and hazel eyes, with a smile that was so bright.

  “Hi, my name is Luis,” he said as he stretched his hand out for me to shake. I smiled at him politely and shook his hand. I smirked evilly to myself when I felt Aiden’s eyes burn holes through my head.
<
br />   “Hi, my name’s Stella,” I said in a flirty tone.

  This was too easy.

  “What brings you here, Stella? I don’t think you’re from here. I would certainly remember a face like yours,” he said as he took a bite from his salad. I blushed at his compliment.

  “Ha, thanks, and I came with a couple of friends. We aren’t from this town,” I said as I took a sip from my water.

  Marie tapped my shoulder and came closer to my ear to whisper something.

  “It looks like Aiden’s about to break his plate,” she whispered.

  I looked over at him and saw he was sending death glares to Luis as he continued to cut his steak. I chuckled.

  After about twenty minutes, everyone was done with their food, and desserts arrived. I chose a strawberry cheesecake, and Marie got a chocolate fudge cake. Luis and I were having a conversation about random things.

  He was a pretty nice guy with good looks, but he was nothing compared to Aiden.

  Dammit! I did it again.

  I took a bite out of my cake and looked up to see Aiden talking with Liam. It looked like they were having a deep conversation. John’s voice snapped me out of my state. I turned my head to face him like everyone else.

  “Everyone, we will now make our way to the ballroom to dance,” he said.

  Everyone got up from their seat and walked out the door. I was about to take a step forward when someone grabbed my wrist, making the sparks return once again.

  “Why are you doing this?” Aiden grumbled in my ear.

  I plastered a fake smile and looked up to an annoyed Aiden.

  “Doing what?” I asked sweetly.

  “Ugh, don’t play dumb, Stella.” He groaned as he rubbed his face.

  “Listen, I don’t have time for this. We have to get to the ballroom,” I said right before I exited the room. I caught up to Marie and walked beside her.

  “Remember, immo, no dancing with Aiden,” she told me.

  I nodded and walked into the ballroom. It was huge, big enough for everyone to dance on, and had small tables on the side that was meant for drinking on. Servants were holding trays filled with champagne.

  Marie and I walked to an empty table and looked around. Aiden and Liam walked to us, each holding two glasses of champagne. Liam handed one to Marie while Aiden handed one to me.