Chapter 8

“Are you stalking me or something?” Fear should have gripped me as I realized, I was speaking, and yet none came. I felt more annoyed than anything else.

Bella gasped in shock next to me but kept her head lowered, Victor snarled at me his smirk turning into an annoyed frown.

“You are an insolent pup; I would have thought someone would have taught you respect.” His tone was aggressive, causing poor Bella to tremble more. That really pissed me off.

“Where do YOU get off?” I felt my eyes narrow as I glared at him. “Not only talking down to people but acting like you are a god amongst us.”

His frown deepened as his eyes turned dark, I felt a spark of excitement as he stomped towards me, Bella was practically crying in fear but I kept my head up. He stopped just in front of me, towering over my shorter stature. His body was shaking in rage but something inside of me refused to look away. My mind was suddenly hyper-aware of just how close those supple lips were to my own. How delicious he smelt this close-up and how his eyes seemed to sparkle with a suggestive aura. He was intoxicating. The world seemed to slow as he raised his hands grabbing my shoulders roughly but not painfully, never breaking eye contact. His skin on mine was warm, comforting, and exciting. My mind was racing, for that one brief moment, I forgot everything but him. He let out a low growl causing my heart to flutter as I watched his face come closer to mine, his lips were moving but I couldn’t hear his words over my heart.

Suddenly he let me go, turning away from me. As soon as our eye contact broke the world returned, Bella was crying next to me and Alpha Clide was yelling. I blinked rapidly confused as to what just happened when shame overcame me. How could I have had those thoughts about someone else? What would Xander think of his future mate acting this way? My cheeks flamed as I stared at the floor angrily. I felt my jaw tighten as my mind kept replaying Victor’s face so close to mine, imagining how his lips would feel against my own. I was disgusted with myself.

“I told you Victor to keep your distance!” Alpha Clide took my hand as well as Bella’s pulling us away from Victor.

“Is this how you treat your own pack? With fear?” his tone held disgust as I watched him hug Bella, trying to comfort her.

“How I run my pack is of no concern to you.” Victor replied in a dead tone, his eyes seeming bored.

Clide rolled his eyes before putting a finger under Bella's chin to bring her face up to eye level with him.

“Little one, stop with the tears. I promise you are safe here, and Alpha Victor will not harm you.”

Bella was still shaking but taking deep breaths trying to calm herself. I shot an angry glare at Victor somewhat surprised to see he was looking at me angrily too. Clide noticed this look and sighed deeply, annoyed at obviously me. A pang of guilt forced me to look at the ground as I thought of how Domini was going to get another talking too.

“Bella, please return to your room. Your mother has been looking for you, and darling remember you are under my protection.”

Bella gave me a worried glance before she high-tailed it out of there. Clide now turned his full attention to me. I gulped.

“Laura, I’m disappointed in you. You of all people to cause such trouble.” I hated the disappointed tone in his voice, but I hated what he said next more.

“First you try to convince my son to keep you as a secret girlfriend and now you go out if your way to show my guest such disrespect? An Alpha at that?”

I gawked at him confused, he sighed and shook his head.

“You apologize to Alpha Victor immediately, and from now on I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

I swallowed my anger staring at my own feet “I am so terribly sorry for disrespecting you.” I felt the sarcasm escape my lips as Clide gasped just as surprised as myself for the attitude.

“Laura!”

I refused to look up at either of them as Victor spoke up.

“No matter Clide, after all, pups rarely ever understand the severity of things. I’m sure you will teach her.”

My checks burnt with anger, my face shooting up to see his triumphant stupid grin. I opened my mouth but thankfully Clide yanked my arm. I flinched in pain looking at him with hurt in my eyes, his were cold.

“Enough. Return to your room. I will speak with you later.”

His words stung, my heart already hurt by the lie that I was the one pushing Xander to keep a secret relationship and that he would believe I would be disrespectful on purpose. He turned away from me dismissively. Domini gave me a confused look before speaking directly to the Alpha.

“Alpha, sir. You cannot seriously believe Laura would do something like that?” I gave Domini a terrified glance as Clide growled but his face did not shift.

“You would accuse my son of lying to not just his father but to Victor?” Clide’s tone was a mix of surprise and frustration. I felt my face fall as Domini frowned before grabbing my hand and pulling me behind him.

“Yes, I would. You forget Alpha, not just the promise you made Fredo and Erica but that she is unaware of any of this.” Domini’s tone was more serious than I had ever heard as my heart broke hearing him mention my parents. Clide looked at him shocked, embarrassed, and for a moment regretful. Victor let out his own growl as Domini held me close, a weird pang of guilt washing over me as I looked at his face, for a moment I thought it was jealously washing over him before it returned to a bored expression.

“Come, Laura, let the Alpha’s do what they need to do.” Domini spoke softly to me before glaring at them both.

“Someone has to care for you. I guess it will be me again.” Clide looked more hurt and taken aback, glancing at me with a strange look of regret before he sighed turning to face Victor.

Domini pulled me along behind him as I stared at the Alpha’s, whispering angrily at each other. Victor kept pointing towards me as his face became more and more agitated before he turned and left.

“Laura, I’m so sorry. For all of this.” Domini spoke softly, guilt-ridden and a surreal sadness in his tone.

“For what Dom?” I asked softly, trying to comfort him. He sighed deeply, stopping to turn and face me.

“Ever since you’re parents came here… I…” He looked so pained, I felt my face form a frown unsure where this was going.

“I feel responsible for you, our Dad’s they used to be a part of the same pack when they were kids. My dad was named you’re Godfather…”

I bit my lip to stop the questions that were brimming in my mind so he could explain further but his face was scrunched up as if he wasn’t sure how to say what he wanted to say. He sighed deeply again before holding my face with both of his hands, staring deeply into my eyes.

“Laura, I will always protect you. I promise you under the Goddess of the Moon.”

I raised my eyebrow at how serious his tone was.

“I don’t think I need protection… I mean… the only danger I ever get in seems to because of my own stupidity.”

Domini stared for a moment before cracking a huge smile and breaking into a fit of laughter.

“What?” I asked pretending to be annoyed but smiling myself happy that his seriousness had broken. He stared at me with a look of wonder trying to stifle his laughter.

“How you be so smart and yet so dumb?” I frowned before slapping his arm playfully.

“I’m stupid? I’m not the one that keeps talking back to Alpha’s!” He rolled his eyes grinning at my attempt of anger towards him before a question came over me.

“Wait, how did you talk back to Alpha Clide? I thought you couldn’t talk back to an Alpha….” My face formed a full frown as Domini looked at me nervously. He licked his lips as he opened his mouth to respond before he quickly changed his mind.

“Laura? Domini?”

Alpha Clide’s voice called out nervously, which took me by surprise as I glanced behind me to see him shifting on his feet with an apologetic look greeting me.

“I think it’s time we have a conversation, a grown-up conversation.” He sighed glancing between the two of us, Domini nodded returning back to his serious demeanor. I felt confused and yet curious as to what they wanted to say following them both back to Domini and I’s room thinking about how weird this night had been.