Angel Blackwood

by Sophie Summers

  His brown eyes are harsh and focused and he has a scar on the one side of his face near the eye. I raise my hand up and I feel the wolf tense, his breathing becoming ragged. I ignore the low growl coming from him and kneel down in front of the wolf so that he stands taller than I do.

  Now the wolf turns to look down at me as I raise my hand again and gently touch his face. I stroke him a little and then finally the wolf submits and leans into my touch. I smile and the wolf licks my hand. I turn to the other wolf to find her standing right next to me, almost brushing up to my shoulder as she watches the exchange. Her coat is beautiful and she has the same eyes as the scarred wolf behind me; something tells me that they are related. She eagerly leans down for me to stroke her head and just like her brother, she licks my hand.

  “Remarkable,” I hear a deep gravelly voice say.

  The brown wolves immediately scurry to their former positions. I look up to see a tall man in a suit looking down at me. He gestures for me to take his hand and I do. I get to a standing position but he doesn’t let go of my hand, instead he brings it up to his lips and gently kisses the top of it. I can feel his power and dominance even though he seems young.

  He has on a perfectly tailored dark grey suit, his eyes are blue -but not as remarkable as Axel’s or the twins- and his blond hair is neatly combed over. I can see from his broad shoulders and the tightness in his sleeves that this man is built and rock solid.

  A dimple forms on his face and I drop my head and plant my free hand on one of my flaming cheeks feeling my blush all the way to my heated fingertips.

  “You heard my thoughts didn’t you?” I whisper looking down at his large rough hands that still hold my one prisoner.

  I watch as he removes one hand from mine bringing it towards my face. He places a finger underneath my chin forcing me to look him in the eye.

  “You, my dear, are perfect.” I hear his voice within my head; it comes out as a whisper only the two of us can hear. He smiles at me one last time then removes his hands. I find Axel and Zeke leaning against the columns on the porch. Axel’s stare is now a glare and Zeke has a frown on his face. I look over to Alex and she has a huge grin on her face.

  She’s probably already planning our wedding and thinking up names for her future grandbabies. I laugh out loud at the thought, making Alpha Caspian turn and smile at me.

  Caspian places both hands on each of the brown wolves’ heads and says, “You may leave your post.”

  Then I watch as they leap off the porch and run into the nearby forest.

  “Those are two of my best guardians and you just made them look like weak little kittens. They were basically purring for your affection.” He shakes his head and removes his hands from his pockets.

  “The name is Caspian, Alpha of the Crystal Bay Pack.” I place my hand in his.

  “Angel,” I say as he kisses my hand yet again before letting it fall free. “That you are, my love. That you are.” I hear his thoughts but I’m guessing that was his intention.

  He turns to Alex. “I’ve been hearing stories about Angel here. We were unaware you and Johnny had a child, but the story moved through the pack and when the boys saw you walking the streets with this beauty they told me it was true. I must say Alex, you and Johnny created a masterpiece.” Caspian looks me over, he may be charming and handsome as hell, but I do not like the way he’s looking at me… as if I’m something to own… to possess.

  Alex says proudly, “Thank you Cass. Johnny is real proud of her. You must see how beautiful her wolf is, she shifted for the first time without help from any of us; my baby did it all on her own.” She pulls me to her side and kisses my forehead.

  At the mention of me shifting without the help of anyone, the boys in the room immediately stop to stare at me.

  Caspian is the first to speak, “She is a strong one. She will make a powerful Luna one day.” His eyes find mine as he speaks to Alex, then his head rises to look at her and he says, “I need to have a word with Johnny.”

  Alex smiles at me. “You should attend her ceremony tonight, you and he could catch up. We have extra rooms if you want to bring some of your boys to spend the night, you won’t have to drive?”

  Dimples appear on Caspian’s face then he turns to look at Zeke and Axel.

  “I’m in,” Axel says, sounding unfazed.

  “No can do boss, have my little girl tonight,” Zeke says.

  “Right, then Axel and I will attend. Better save me a dance, love,” Caspian says, looking down at me.

  Chapter 7:

  Alex disappears as soon as we arrive home, she needed to help the caterers set up for the party.

  While I’m unpacking all my new clothes into my closet I hear a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” I call out.

  Nixon pops his head in and smiles when he sees me. “You have a good day?” He asks as he plants himself on my bed next to the rest of my gift bags filled with clothes. He starts digging through them.

  “Yeah, I think I made a new friend.” I smile to myself thinking of Daisy. I take my black dress out and lie it on the bed neatly, placing my purple platforms on the floor at the base of my bed. “I met some new people too, two of which were rather strange, but you’ll meet them tonight so you can judge for yourself.”

  “Well, tell me about this friend first,” he says, emptying another bag full of clothes onto my bed.

  I tell him all about Daisy and how she looks and what she said. I also tell him that I sense something has happened to her and how withdrawn she seemed. He doesn’t like the fact that her mate says she’s weak, but I reassure him, tell him that she’s got my number and that I told her to call me if she ever needs someone to talk to.

  I feel something hit my back and see the white lace thong I bought today sitting at my feet on the floor. I look up just in time to catch a turquoise one being flung my way as well.

  “Hey! Hands outta the bag!” I scold him, but he continues with another one while he laughs his ass off.

  I jump onto him on top of the bed, attempting to steal the underwear and bra’s from his tight grasp. I get most of them until he’s left with only a pink pair in his hand. I hear the door fling open, but we continue our little wrestling match until the little pink piece of material flings past me.

  I hear a loud growl and turn in time to see the thong hit Tyler on his chest before falling to the ground. Nixon and I immediately stop laughing and he gently pushes me off of him. I run towards Tyler and bend down to pick up the underwear, but he’s too quick. He picks it up holding it between two fingers and pinching it as if it’s a piece of rubbish. My heart hurts a little and my mood darkens by his callousness; my happiness immediately fizzled out by his unhappiness.

  He looks behind me at Nixon who is now sitting on the edge of the bed tensely. Tyler then looks me up and down. “Disgusting!” The word rolls off his tongue and I let out a whimper as I force my eyes to look at the floor. Taking a step back I close the door without looking at him. I make sure my mind is closed off and no one can get in as I think about the little waterfall back in Point Bright.

  I don’t say anything to Nixon as I walk past him and into the bathroom. He shouts through the door asking if I’m okay, I mumble a yes and he tells me not to let Tyler’s words get to me. He then says he’s going home to get ready.

  I sit at the bottom of the shower as the hot water washes over me. I have a flashback of when I was in this same position sitting in the tub of Georgina’s shower back in Point Bright. I think of the pain I was in then versus the pain I’m in now. It doesn’t matter that the physical pain I was dealing with was due to the whippings I received as punishment from Drake. The pain I feel right now as I sit at the bottom of the shower hurts just as much; it’s funny how much words can hurt you.

  “This was supposed to be a good day,” I whisper as I stare at my black painted toe nails.

  “It will be, my lovely,” I hear Faith’s voice say.

  I take in a deep
breath and lift myself to a standing position. After washing my hair and shaving my legs, I dry off and head out. The room is empty, but there, lying on my bed is my black dress with the little pink thong and matching pink bra lying perfectly on top. I let out a little smile not wanting to think about what it means and why Tyler returned it when he looked as if he was about to rip them apart. I can hear music coming from downstairs and I quickly look at the time on my cellphone.

  Shit, I’m running late. I’ve been in the shower for over an hour. It’s already six o’clock.

  I place the underwear on and wrap the towel around me again before heading to the mirror to dry my hair. After my hair is dry, I start applying my makeup but I’m unsure what to do. I look for my phone and send a text.

  ANGEL at 06:13pm: What make up should I wear?

  DAISY at 06:14pm: Dark and heavy, maybe straighten your hair if you can, with a middle parting? Send me a pic.

  ANGEL AT 06:14pm: Thanks Daisy. You’re a star!

  I get started on my makeup, applying foundation and then the dark smokey eye using greys, blacks and silvers. I use a thick eyeliner and thick mascara, making my eyelashes long and full. I only use a little blush on my cheeks then dab a little lip gloss on my lips. I straighten my hair just as she suggested and since its long in its natural wave, it’s extremely long when its pin straight. It falls shiny and sleekly all the way down my back reaching the top of my bottom.

  As I climb into my dress, there’s a knock on the door. “Come in.”

  Nixon comes strolling in looking rather dashing in his perfect all black suit. “Wow,” he mouths.

  “You look good in that suit, Nix.” I smile at him.

  “You look… uh... you look amazing, Angel.” He sounds out of breath. I lean on my tippy toes and kiss his cheek. “Thanks! Can you please help me zip up the back? I’d call my mom, but I think she’s busy.”

  “No problem, I’ll be more than happy to help.” He winks as he moves around me.

  I quickly stop him, grabbing hold of his arm and looking at him sternly. “No questions okay?”

  Then I turn and wait for his gasp like most usually do when they see the scars that cover my back. The shocked gasp doesn’t come, but a deep growl sure does. He puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me a small squeeze; I cover his with my own.

  “I’m okay, Nixon.”

  I watch from the corner of my eye as he nods his head, the rest of his body clearly still rigid. After I’m zipped up I climb into my shoes and hand my phone to Nixon.

  “Daisy wants a photo of the finished product.” I smile at him as I twirl around.

  After he takes the photo, I send it and leave my phone on the bedside table.

  “Ready?” Nixon says, offering me his elbow as we stand at the top of the staircase. I smile and entwine my arm with his as we make our way down to the guests.

  ****

  I’m met by ooh’s and aah’s as we move through the crowd towards the back garden where the marquee is set up. I can smell my mate’s scents and know they’re here somewhere. I can feel their eyes on me and I know right now they’re trying hard to get into my head, but I’m closed off completely, not even allowing Nixon to speak to me through the link. When Nixon heads off to get us a drink, I’m left standing looking at the display of food that takes up the table; I’m too nervous to eat. I don’t have any idea what tonight is going to involve.

  “Good girl.” I hear the husky voice of Axel whisper next to my ear. I turn to face him.

  “Wouldn’t want anyone to hear my thoughts now, would I?” I smile at him and he seems a little shocked to see me fully dressed up with makeup and all that jazz.

  “You clean up well, Axel.” I grin as I look him over. He has a navy blue suit on and his long fringe is neatly combed to the side. Most of his tattoos are covered up, but they still creep up under his collar to his ears; the ones on his fingers also displayed. He shakes his head and if I’m not mistaken I see his pale cheeks blush a little.

  “Damn girl, you look good. Wouldn’t be surprised if Cass doesn’t work out a deal with your father and take you home tonight,” Axel says, making me freeze and stare at him wide eyed.

  “What?”

  “What did you think he meant when he said you’d make a good Luna and that he needed to have a conversation with your father? He wants you, babe. Believe me, when Cass wants something, he gets it.”

  Axel turns to look out into the crowd, then lifts his nose and smells the air. A sweet smile forms over his face. I look at who has caught his eye and see Tyler’s girlfriend in all her flawlessness standing across from us staring at him with her mouth hanging open. Axel takes a step in her direction and then Kate turns and runs with Axel on her tail.

  “I think Axel just met his mate, my lovely,” Faith murmurs.

  ****

  “Don’t you look beautiful, my dear Angel.” Caspian’s deep voice and warm hands on my shoulders cause me to down the champagne I am currently drinking. I gently place it on the table beside me turning to face him. I can hear Faith’s words of approval in my head, but I don’t care how handsome he is, there’s something about this man that tells me he’s dangerous. I know enough about dangerous men to know when a distance needs to be kept.

  Caspian wears a black tuxedo with a little purple bow tie.

  “Evening, Alpha Caspian. Seems to me we are matching tonight and I can’t help but think it was intentional on your part.” He chuckles as he lifts my hand and leads me to the dance floor.

  He places one hand in mine wrapping his other around my waist leaving it on my lower back and pulling my body flush up against his hard one. I’m unsure as to where to put my free hand, but he notices my hesitance and grabs it, resting at the back of his neck where his hair meets his collar.

  He looks down at me and answers my previous question softly, “No, it wasn’t coincidental. Your mother may have hinted to me what you would be wearing tonight and I thought it would be a great way to stake my claim. Make sure the other wolves know that I have my eyes set on you.” He looks down at my lips and I let out a shiver. He grins as if this pleases him. I don’t think he realises that the shiver wasn’t due to me being in favour of him… quite the opposite in fact.

  I whisper, “And if my eyes are already set on someone else?”

  I immediately feel him tense under my touch. His eyes darken, making me tremble as his jaw ticks. I can see I’ve angered him. He leans down to my ear growling ever so softly, he doesn’t say the words out loud, but somehow he manages to break through my barrier allowing his voice access into my head.

  “You will soon realise that I don’t play games. I get what I want and I always win… Always!” Then he’s gone and I’m left standing in the middle of the crowded dance floor alone.

  I smell Talon before I see him come up to me. He wraps his arms around me, then turns me into the same dancing position Caspian had me in moments before. This time I welcome his touch and lean into him.

  I knew it was too good to be true because the next thing I know he’s pushing me against his chest too harshly. The fingers on my waist dig into my skin, over the tattoo that holds his name as well as his brothers and all the people I love. The hand holding onto mine squeezes me to the point where I give out a little hiss. I look up confused and all I see is black unforgiving eyes.

  He leans into my ear and I try to pull away, but this only causes him to pull me tighter against him. I don’t want to cause a scene so I don’t call him out on his behaviour. With my high heels I’m able to see over his shoulder. To everyone else we probably look like any other couple on the dance floor, but they can’t feel how hard he squeezes my side and how tight his grip on my hand is.

  “Looks to me as if you have another poor soul under your love spell,” Talon spits. I close my eyes, he obviously saw my exchange with Caspian and thinks more of it.

  “No, Tal-” I try to speak but he harshly interrupts me. “No, Lexi…,” he says, full of distaste.

/>   “We told you we needed time to figure things out. You had my brother and I fixated on you the entire time you had a boyfriend? After you came home that night all beat up, you left us in the cold. You wanted nothing to do with us and we were only trying to help you.”

  “No, Talon, it wasn’t like-”

  “No, Lexi, that’s exactly how it was. Now you better fucking listen good. You played us and when you were done you wanted nothing to with us. We were done waiting for you so we found girls who treat us how we deserve, girls who appreciated us. We are not going to give them up just because you’ve now found out we’re mates and you need us. If you continue to act like a whore, you know what we will do… then you can find your second chance mate and I hope he is a piece of shit.” A sob escapes my mouth and I feel a tear fall down my cheek. His eyes watch the tears trail as I watch his eyes turn back to their usual blue. His expression changes and he almost seems shocked by the words he just spat, looking back and forth between my eyes and the tears that are making their way down to my jawline.

  I’m still new to this whole werewolf thing, I don’t know how linking works, but I’m trying desperately to call out for Nixon. Hopefully he can feel my connection and let down his walls enough to hear me calling out for him.

  “You’re hurting me, Talon,” I whisper, looking down at his black bowtie.

  He sucks in a quick breath and loosens his hold as if he wasn’t even aware he was doing it.

  “Let. Her. Go,” I hear Nixon growl behind me. A few people nearby stop and look our way.

  Talon lets go of me.

  “Wait, Angel… God…” Remorse covers his face but I’m done playing this cat and mouse game.