I strained my ears as I counted the footsteps behind me, I was sitting on my toes, my heels supporting my inner thighs so it gave me a clear view of the shadow growing taller in front of me on the road. It made me realize that my mate wasn't in his human form. He was in his wolf form. No wonder his locomotion sounded more like an animal.
My mind clicked in its work mode as I slipped the ring off from my finger, my left-hand fingers enclosing around it in a safe tight grip. I hugged it close to my crazy heartbeats as I stood up turning around to face the beast. A weird sensation ran down my spine as I thought of the big giant in front of me since I wasn't looking at it. My eyes shut tightly, afraid of the future circumstances if I got caught, but keeping my eyes closed wasn't an easy job either, I had to fight the immense urge to look in his eyes. It was unbearable.
Failing to succeed at the task, I gave in, opening my eyes slowly, I forced them to stick down on the road. His greyish-white paws were in my visible range. An unknown fear shot me like a bullet as my body trembled, protesting against standing straight.
The wolf huffed closing in on me with its head softly bending and sniffing in search of my scent. A low growl had me stumbling back as the wolf now stood right ahead of me, it's snout close to my ear, breathing on my hair resulting in the rise of goosebumps near the area.
Another set of paws trudging against the ground was heard when I whipped my head up at my mate, who had his head turned back in time witnessing the brown wolf who had now entered from the darkness of the jungle.
Make hay while the sun shines!
My brain ordered and it took me less than a second as I wasted no time dashing towards my car, locking all the doors as soon as I was on my driver seat. I placed the brightly glowing ring on the other adjacent seat, I started the ignition with my shaky hand as the car roared in life. I bolted forward as I watched Alpha Lucas jump away from my way escaping the unwanted accident. The car ran over the small logs making me jump in the process as well. My heart faced its own race when I checked him through the rearview, he stood there watching me as I sped away from him.
That was close.
I would be thankful to God forever if he forgets this scary encounter.
***
The jiggling of the doorknob caught Alpha Lucas' attention as he patiently waited for the Female Beta to enter his office. His cologne hugged the entire room like a mother to her child and couldn't go unnoticed even to the people standing behind the doors. Skylar liked the smell but of course, she was more attracted to Jace's.
Never being personally called by the Alpha, Skylar felt agitated as she stepped inside his office. It's inevitable when you are about to meet someone superior.
"How may I help you, Alpha?" Skylar bowed down in respect.
Lucas nodded in acknowledgement. "Please take a seat, we'll discuss it."
Following her Alpha's orders, she sat down in one of the desk chairs bearing a perplexed expression. Her brain rummaging through information she found nothing important to talk about, at least that's what she knew.
"About yesterday..." He paused, ready to notice her near future reaction. "Who was that girl with you?"
That had very clearly left her speechless, her back straightened as she felt the weight of the question being dumped on her. She knew she would be questioned about this someday, but never prepared herself this early.
"W-Why do you ask about it?"
"I feel that-first assure me you won't spread it?"
Skylar quickly bowed in submission. "My lips are sealed."
Lucas smiled warmly at the respect as he continued, "I feel that she's my mate-no I'm sure she's my mate."
She looked down at her lap not knowing how to deal with the situation which she dreaded to face it, her hands supporting each other in a tight grip to hold her from shivering.
"Skylar, relax. I won't harm her. I just need to know if Heaven is my mate," he calmly said. "Is she?"
"Alpha Lucas please, d-don't ask me about this. I don't want to answer anything, I-I don't wanna betray her," her voice pleaded.
Lucas leaned back on his chair in conclusion, "She is my mate."
Skylar mumbled sorries to Heaven inside her brain even though she knew it wouldn't reach her ears. Alpha Lucas knew now and he wouldn't stop until his mate was in his hold.
"And I'm assuming you gave her that ring, isn't it?" His voice betrayed his emotions, even though he sounded calm he wasn't able to subside the pain which furiously shook his heart. He was unknown to the reason why she was hiding. He wasn't a bad person, he never brought pain to the innocent, he was always nice to the people and respected humans as he did to other wolves. Then why was she hiding from him?
"I'm sorry, Alpha," she said guiltily, there was no point to lie about it anyway.
"No no, please don't apologize. I'm sure she has a reason." He weakly smiled. "Can you tell me more about her?"
"I'm sorry, I might not be able to tell everything b-but I can help you by telling her current issues."
"Issues?"
She hummed in response. "Heaven works in the management field and I was planning to offer her the vacant position of the management head at the Crescent Moon High School."
Alpha Lucas' face brightened at the offer and nodded for her to continue. "Do that, please."
***
My face constricted in pain and irritation as I struggled to hold the grocery bags in my hands. All the food-related items in my house were almost done and I didn't have anything to cook for myself for lunch, I thought I would spend the afternoon watching a random historic series, just my luck I had to pay a visit to the grocery store. Usually, this work was mostly done by Skylar, but that selfish brat had to leave me all alone to suffer this pain.
My feet barely managed to keep up with the weight of the bags as a groan left my lips, my hair frustrating me by sticking to my face and neck.
But what made me frown out of all things was the guy in front of the elevator door. He was familiar-way too familiar.
I inclined myself to the side attempting to have a better look. My lips parted in recognition.
When will these people let me live in peace?
How many more werewolves do I have to escape?
Michael turned around as if he felt me behind him, his blue eyes grasping hold of my look in a plain white t-shirt and three-fourth black shorts. A smile occupying his pink lips and he moved towards me.
"Didn't expect to see you there, but thanks you showed up. I was on my way to your house," he said, bending down a bit to reach the grocery bags, his long manly fingers brushed against mine in the process.
I grimaced partially. "I didn't know you were coming here. How did you even know where I live?"
"I came here a couple of times to drop Skylar."
"Oh. I never knew."
He shrugged as we walked inside the elevator, my forefinger pressing the button to my floor. "She didn't find it important to tell you I guess."
"You know you don't have to carry them, they are quite heavy." I pointed towards the bags in his hands.
"You're right, they are heavy and that's why I shouldn't let you carry them."
Although his presence didn't please me, he didn't look like a bad person either. Micheal seemed like a person who was pretty calm and collected, but who knows? He could change his colours anytime. I somehow couldn't find myself to trust him.
I exited the lift first, him following closely behind me. I felt bad for him that he had to hold them for me, I felt I owed him.
I stopped in front of the door to my house, pulling out the keys from my pocket. I unlocked the door. The fresh air of the house greeted me as I stepped in the hall enjoying the feeling of the safety it provides.
"Welcome." I invited him. "Give it to me, I'll keep it in the kitchen."
"No it's fine, I'll keep them," he offered.
I followed him towards the kitchen as I observed the muscles of his arms flex under his skin as he placed the bags on the counter. Impressive but I wasn't interested.
"Sprite, thums up or limca?"
"Limca," he said.
I opened the fridge, pulling out the limca bottle. "Please sit on the couch in the hall, I'll get it for you."
He nodded before proceeding towards the hall. A sigh of relief escaped my dry lips as I breathed in my extremely craving relaxation. It was uncomfortable with him being in my house, it wasn't like I have Skylar living over here anymore. It had me scared even more because I had no idea what sort of a man Michael was, the thought itself made me alert as if trying to sense any mischief. I didn't want anyone visiting me today, not even Skylar. But I guess I should be grateful at least it was better than having Alpha Lucas over here.
God, I didn't even wanna imagine him here.
"So, what's the matter?" I handed him his limca in one of the transparent glass. A smile in return gift was sent to me as I took a seat opposite to him.
"Aren't you going to drink?" He responded to the question which was not even close to 'r' of the word related.
"Nah, I'm fine."
"I actually wanted to talk to you about the night..."
"The date night?"
He nervously chuckled. "Yeah."
I observed his move as he looked towards his lap unaware of how to lead the matter. "Well..."
His curious blue eyes trapped me in its gaze again, I almost forgot the fact that he was a werewolf. He surely was attractive from every side and angle, but I felt that I should keep my female hormones in check. He was a werewolf and had a mate somewhere around the world. Apart from that, I never really had male close friends in my entire life resulting in me having difficulties talking to one and predict how every man's mind works.
"You didn't tell me anything that night and abruptly left, I thought I had done something wrong. You know...I didn't expect you to cut our meeting that short."
"You didn't do anything wrong, but...I guess, lying to you will take me nowhere so I'll come to the point."
He chuckled. "I'm well trained in catching liars."
I know and I even know where that ability comes from.
"During the date, Skylar came to know that there was this hot gossip going on about you being a werewolf. I don't know how far that's true, but I strongly believe that... you are one of them?"
My eyes never budged from his as if they have locked themselves on his and swallowed down the keys without a thought.
People aren't usually calm when it comes to circumstances like this, I must have gotten somehow lucky today because my posture and my voice had come out the way how I wanted.
His blue hues sadly blinked twice, he didn't flinch nor his orbs widened. They were normal as if he knew he would someday come to witness this, they didn't seem angry or ready to attack, it was more like a major hint of miserably.
"Is that why you ran away?"
My eyes narrowed at the choice of his words. "Ran away? Is that how you put it?"
"Then why did you leave?" His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed in fear of what my answer would be, his voice losing its battle at the end.
"You are a werewolf, what else can you accept? Date you when your mate still breathes in search of you?"
He gazed down at his hands on his lap, the silence failing to calm him as he uttered those words which felt like a stab to him. "I don't have a mate, Heaven. She died."