by Kassie Cox
“It’s time we tell you about mates.” I hear a groan from Draven before the curses begin falling from my lips. Her laughter carries through the room, bringing the scowl back to my face.
Chapter 8
“Why is your dirty paw still touching me?” I grip the large hand on my thigh and throw it away from me, displeased with the male who’d been up my ass for the past hour.
I’d been patiently waiting for more explanations, or a horse to leave this place on, and all I’d received in that time period was more warmth. Tingles move along my skin.
Draven seemed comfortable compared to me, his body relaxed as he spoke with a male who was not of our species. The conversation clearly flowing easily between the two as they laughed together.
“These, Little Lady, are my hands. Not the same thing-” My sharp glare cuts the wolf off, his words dropping mid-sentence as he stares at me. This only seems to amuse him, a small smile spreading across his plump lips. I try not to get stuck staring at him, but I fail.
My eyes search the room I’m in, a large dining room with a table large enough for at least fifteen people. A few wolves had been sitting when we’d arrived, and most of them had quickly dispersed. The male sitting next to Draven was nothing special, a little on the bulkier side with a shaved head and an incredibly loud laugh.
A few more adorned the table, keeping their eyes away from my frame as they continued their meals. Food was stacked high, and everyone around me seemed to be enjoying it. I was not eating the food made by these savages, no matter how delicious it may look.
“We are sitting here with a living legend, and no one’s going to question the woman?” Audra, the woman who was also known as Beta with short blonde hair, steadily shoves rolls into her mouth as she looks around the table. Her question sits in the air for a long moment, no one answering her. A few more wolves get up and leave the room. Leaving two humans, and six beasts in one room together.
“What do you mean by that?” I question her, curious as to what she was inferring about me. Surely, I wasn’t known of by many, not when all I do is murder for the Royals.
“Everyone knows about the little purpled headed girl the King sends to do his dirty work, and after the burning of an entire pack I doubt anyone will be able to forget you. You had a target on your back for a while there. Now that this whole situation has risen,” she gestures to Elias and me, “you’re the murderous Luna, instead of just the Kings lapdog.” The use of both terms has me getting to my feet.
I was tired, hungry, and still in a significant amount pain. I certainly wasn’t going to sit there and be called names, while be denied answers I’d wanted.
“She didn’t mean it like that.” Elias reaches out, his large hand wrapping gently around my arm to keep me from moving away from him. I suck in a deep breath, disliking the way he affects me. Those big golden eyes stare into mine and I rip my arm away but sit back down, this time on the edge of my seat to make the distance between us larger.
“Have you ever heard of mates?” The male talking to Draven had given me his full attention. The question was simple curiosity and I felt the need to respond to him, as he’d been very welcoming.
“Other than the few times I’ve heard it while here, I know nothing of them.” The male moves closer to me and for a moment I wondered if his body had the same reaction as mine. He seemed to be feeding into the warmth, whereas I was doing my best to extinguish every flame moving throughout me.
“The basics are that every wolf has a soul mate, someone that the Moon chose specifically for them. We practically live for our other halves, waiting to meet them and then spending the entirety of our lives together. It’s the most sacred part of our existence.” Audra keeps her voice low, but I can hear the passion behind the words she speaks, clearly believing her own words wholeheartedly. The concept didn’t sit well with me.
“Why should I care about this, when it’s of no consequence to me?” I watch as everyone seems to be preparing for something. Their breathing deepening as they shoot side glances to everyone that wasn’t me. Without warning the beast has his hand on my thigh, the other moving to my chin as I quickly look to him. The urge to punch him is strong.
“Do you feel that tingling? The heat that goes between us anytime I’m near you?” Elias gives me a comforting smile, one that would’ve worked on any being that was lucky enough to see it. All it did was fuel my confusion, forcing me out of my chair once more as those around me stare. I narrow my eyes, needing a better explanation.
“You have a mate, Keres. Elias is your mate.” Draven speaks now, as if I’d believe the lies more if they came from his treasonous lips. I did not, however. They are trying to fuck with my head, for a reason I’m unsure of, but they are. Audra keeps her mouth closed, her gaze never leaving me as she studies my reaction.
“I’m a human being, it’s impossible. Besides I feel nothing for this…this beast.” My words are bitter, full of disgust as I force them through my lips—even though the little voice in the back of my head is calling me I liar. I begin my slow waddle as I try to back away from the table of insanity, as they must be crazy to assume something like that. “I’m going back to the castle—the King will be worried about me.”
A long growl leaves Elias, but I ignore the noise. He mattered not to me, and as I limped away from the table, I could hear them all standing. It didn’t matter if I had to walk all the way back to the castle, I was leaving this pack and Draven could happily stay behind.
“You can’t leave, you have a responsibility to this-” I move quicker than I should, leaning my entire body across the table as I sneer at the woman who’d dare imply, I owed anyone anything. She doesn’t drop her gaze, but I can tell that she is itching to back down. I could hear the wolf who’d been touching me all night moving towards me, but I give him no attention.
“I owe your kind nothing. I’d burn this place just as quickly as I did the last, Audra. If you don’t believe that, then you’re a fool.” She bares her teeth at me, leaning within inches of my face as her eyes begin going dark. A blackness consuming her orbs.
“You killed innocent children, the fact that you’re proud of that makes me embarrassed to have you as a destined Luna.” Audra spats at me. My hands are around her throat in an instant, for what reason? I’m not entirely sure.
Something inside of me snapped at her words, feeling more disrespect than I ever have in my life. Her claws grow as she tries to get my hands from her neck, yelling is heard all around me but all I can focus on is the little fleck of fear in her eyes as she understands her mortality. The woman didn’t understand who she was messing with.
“Do you expect me to feel remorse, Dog?” I release her, shoving her back a bit as I glare down upon her. She’s crumpled to the ground, hands rubbing at her neck while she tries to take in air. Her eyes don’t meet mine again. “My Kingdom wiped an entire pack off the face of the Earth, and I am damn proud of that. I do what I need to, I’ll never feel bad for getting the job done.” I practically yell the words, aiming them at not only her but at everyone in the room. Even the human I’d came here with.
“If you could stop being so damn cold for one minute, you’d be able to feel the bond!” Elias glares down at me, nostrils flaring and a tick in his jaw shows his fury. That and his large hands being balled into fists, as if he was trying to hold himself back from punching me.
I try not to laugh at the thought of him decking me, the image of him losing control enough to do to me as his pack had, now that would be entertaining.
“This is not something I can control, but if you’d like to try to beat the feeling into me—well you’re more than welcome to try.”
“You have to feel something,” Elias scoffs, his fists loosening a bit. It’s was a hard concept to comprehend, I’ll give him that. But there isn’t any proof or reason behind this truth of mine and I don’t feel obligated to try and explain myself. I was born this way; I couldn’t help or change it.
A look
crosses over the face of the large man in front of me, a far-off look in his eyes while his body seems to relax slowly. I’m aware that these creatures had the ability to talk to one another through a link, but I’d never seen it be so obvious.
My eyes pass over everyone, finding that only Draven and I aren’t caught up on the topic of conversation. He seems uncomfortable having my eyes on him, as if I’m the biggest threat in the room. The predator that was most likely to attack at any moment, compared to the beasts standing on every side of him.
“Keres, have you ever heard of Adelina?” The bald wolf asks, his gaze narrowed on me. I had no doubt that every eye in the room was trained on my face, waiting for a response. A shake of my head is all I give to them, and a deep breath by Elias gathers my attention.
“I can’t believe I have to bring a witch to my pack.” He grumbles, my confusion only increasing at the statement.
All I want to do is go home.
Chapter 9
Mirela had spoken a lot of witches, despite the disinterest that most held towards the subject. I’d always listened to her little tales as I was growing up; secretly it had been entertaining to me.
I’d always look forward to hearing about the different women that everyone feared and learning about the things they’d done. Some were more into pranks and causing simply chaos around their lands, but others were darker.
She told me that some of the witches had turned to dark magic, forcing their will upon others and ruining lives. It seemed that Mirela was well versed on the subject, as she always had information.
Never running out of examples of things done to those around her, or witches that she had met firsthand.
When her husband had died, they’d brought one into the castle, or so I’d been told. As they thought the illness may have been a curse or something to that effect. Valor had told me the woman had been simple but held a power that could be felt when beside her.
She’d been brought to the Kings chamber, taken his blood and under the light of the full moon she had discovered his illness. I was never told the woman’s name, but Mirela had told me that she’d held more than enough hate for the woman to last a lifetime.
It wasn’t often that the Queen spoke to me of such things, but when she did—I listened intently.
I wanted to understand every bit of the stories I’d been told growing up.
“Will you give me insight on what this entire mate situation calls for, as you so fully believe it exists between us?” I don’t meet the wolfs eyes as I speak, knowing that he may get the wrong idea if I show to much interest in the matter.
We were currently sitting in an office, or his office I should say, with Audra yacking away on the phone and Draven nowhere to be found.
I feel the air shift around us as the man sitting on the opposite side of the couch moves a few inches towards me. His body had not been still through this entire process, between walking to the office and sitting on the least comfortable furniture in existence, he’d touched me three to many times.
Those large hands seemed to be in constant battle as he’d reach towards me and then quickly pull away. His legs never went till, instead I had to listen to the constant shifting as he held back his urges. I don’t understand the way his body reacts to me, or the way he says it does. I do find him to be attractive, and my body reacted to his in a way that expressed just how fine I found the man to be.
“Usually both mates feel the pull,” he starts, steadily getting closer to me, “and it can sometimes begin with them marking one another on the spot. The pull is impossible to resist, it’s our bodies reaction to meeting the missing part of them.
Just being within range of one’s mate can be almost, calming.” I finally look at him, noticing those golden eyes are stuck on my hand that’s currently digging into the cushion beneath me. I was doing my best to not sprint from this land, or limp. “When I look at you it feels like I’ve found home. When I had to knock you out that day, it almost killed me. I never wanted to do that to a mate, especially not one so small and fragile.”
A laugh leaves my mouth. A loud, annoying sound that shocks the hell out of me. The wolf on the couch beside me seems just as stunned as my eyes narrow and I stare at my feet.
It had been funny, what he’d said. I could acknowledge that just as I could any joke, but never have I reacted. Draven would’ve fainted had he been in the room, as he had a knack for trying to get me to laugh or smile, or in general show anything other than agitation.
“When we mate, you’ll be able to feel everything I feel. The way I feel about you, will be enough for the two of us. You’ll understand love, and happiness.” The look on my face has him quickly moving to me, gripping my hands as he attempts to keep me from fleeing. “You’re my gift from the moon, and I won’t give up on making this happen. You don’t understand right now but you will. You’ll feel everything that I do. Your eyes will open, and you will welcome the bond with open arms.”
The words knock the air from my lungs. He truly believed I would submit to this madness one day. I was human, meaning it would never work. I didn’t want it to work. I’m needed at the castle. I was useless being the mate of some wolf, living in a little world of love and commitment.
He’s insane. My expression makes the hopeful smile on his face falter, and as I rip myself from his grasps it completely falls.
“It took a bit of convincing, but after a little explaining we should have Miss Adelina on our territory before the week is through.” The woman whose neck had been covered by my hands no more than an hour ago, smiled widely at me. It was clear she hadn’t been paying attention to us.
She’d ignored it as the wolf had poured his intentions at my feet, and I’d stomped on the words. Crossed them out with a big black marker and shredded them by hand.
“I won’t be staying on your land for a week. I’ll go back to the castle, and if curiosity gets the best of me, I’ll return to speak with this witch. But, with the lack of information towards this witch’s importance, you will most likely never see ma again.” I’m on my feet quickly, doing my best to get to the door before anyone can stop me. I notice that no one moves, a bit surprising but I don’t hesitate.
“Would you like to know why no one went after the Kingdom when you burned alive an entire pack?” Elias asks, my hand on the doorknob stills.
Like an idiot, I take a step back. My want to understand far greater than my need to get away from the obsessive wolf. I don’t sit down; in fact, I lean against the door so that I may make a quick escape once I get the answers I want.
Audra kicks her feet up onto the wooden desk, a look of amusement playing behind those golden eyes as she watched the exchange between her leader and his apparent love interest. An unwilling love interest, I may add.
“Alpha Burns were not liked among the other packs, in fact all you did was quicken their ruin. We’d planned on taking them down within the next couple months, so imagine our surprise to get a distress call from the bastard himself telling us the Kings army had come to kill his pack. We hated the man, but hearing the others screaming—well we tried to help. I suppose he waited until the very last moments to call for help, as he was a very pride ridden Alpha.”
A look of sorrow crosses the man’s face as he continued his tale, one that I would take with a grain of salt.
“I wasn’t there when this happened, but I’ve heard the tale a million or so times from those who were. Burns became the Alpha and had soon after found his mate, the one he was supposed to love and cherish for the rest of his life. He’d ran the pack with little issue, my father always told me how the wolf had truly grown into himself. A true Alpha, until he coveted a human woman. She ended up pregnant with a mated wolfs child.”
Audra gets to her feet, cutting off the man who held anger in his tone.
“His mate, a spiteful little bitch that one was, found out! That pack was close to the witches, and they also weren’t as merciful as some. He was punished for his betra
yal, but it was practically a slap on the wrist! His true mate burned the woman alive in her own home, expecting the baby to still be inside. Once it was discovered the child had been given away, she sought out her closest friend, the strongest witch of her time. They cursed the poor kid, no one is sure of what exactly they’d done to the child but very few think she survived. The way we are raised is to believe in our mates, to wait and love only them. Breaking that code is treasonous and very few would ever respect someone for such a sin.”
The mood in the room is solemn. My eyes travel between the two beasts as one keeps her eyes on the floor, a frown upon her lips as she taps her foot lightly.
The male stares at me. His eyes go over my frame, brows raising slightly as he continues his shameless ogling. I don’t bother stopping him as a sudden heat seems to creep up my neck.
Where his eyes wander it feels as though fingers are caressing against my skin, a light pressure brings a chill down my spine.
I found it interesting that those wolves found themselves with the same death as the woman they’d killed, and the word fate does pop into my head. I’d like to know if the last thoughts on those bastards’ minds were how ironic it was that they would die the same way the woman had.
A woman who’d done nothing relatively wrong.
I have never been one for justice, but knowing I ruined them as they had ruined another—well I my chest puffs with pride. I wish I had listened to what they’d been screaming.
Had they been begging for forgiveness?
Did the other wolves put the blame on their past actions?
I hoped with everything in me that the two mates had turned on one another. The love they killed for burned along with that home.
“What color is your natural hair?” Elias asks, a small smile on his lips. Almost no one guessed my hair color correctly, as my brows were brown, and I wasn’t riddled with the freckles that most people of my coloring carried. I don’t answer him, not feeling open with my own answers as they had been with theirs.