Chapter41
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Chapter41
ThedayaftermymeetingwithCallahan,orratherthenightafter,Idecidedtofocusonawakeningmywolf.
Myfirsttransformationhadbeenadisaster,myemotionshadgottenthebetterofme,andKingCallahanhadsatedmyheat.
ButIdidnotwantarepeatofthatincident.Ihadbeenseen asweakandworthlessallmylifeandnowthatmywolfhadfinallyshownup.Ididnotwanttomissthischance.
Iwantedtochangemydestinyandbecomeastrongshewolf.MaybeIcouldbecomealowlevelmemberofCallahan’spackandservehimuntilonedayI findmymate.
Theideaofhavingamateenthralledme.MymotherhadbeensomuchinlovewithmyfatherthatIhadgrownupwatchinghershowerhimwithloveandaffection.Hehadmeanttheworldtome.
Though thenhisfatedmateshowedupandheeasilydiscardedmymother,thewomanhehadlivedwithforsomanyyears.
Ididnotwantthesamethingtohappentome.Atmost,IcouldadmiretheKingfromadistance.Butthedayhiscursewasliftedandhefoundhismate,hewouldforgetthegirlsthrowingthemselvesat him.
Myfatherhadbeenaprimeexampleofthat.Mymotherhaddevotedherlifetohimbutmyfatherhadgottenridofherinaninstant.
And,somepartofmewasstillnotoverthefactthathehadnoteventhoughtofmeoncebeforesellingme offtosomeunknownman.
Icouldnotlivewiththeheartbreaklikemymomdid.Atleast,mymotherhadmetolovebutIwouldnothaveanybodyto
livefor.
So,Ihadtogrowstrong.
Shakingmyhead,Igotupfromthebedandworeasportsbra,aloosetee,andstretchablepants.
IfiguredIshouldstartworkingoutsothatmybodyhealedquicklyandthenexttime,Iwouldbebetterpreparedforthe
shift.
Thus,Itiedmyshoelaces,grabbedabottle,anddecidedtostepoutsidethemansion.TherewasabiggymonCallahan’ssideofthewing,butIwasnotsureifanybodyelsewasallowedtouseit.
So,Iheadedoutsidethemansion,butinsteadofthehugefrontyard.Idecidedtorunthroughthebackyard.
IwouldaskCallahan…noIwouldaskMatteoormaybeElijahtotrainmeabit.Iftheywouldgivemeafewbasicworkouttips,Iwouldworkonmystrengthandphysique.
Thatwasanicegoaltoachieve.Afterall,IwantedtomeetmywolfassoonaspossibleandIknewshewassomewhereinthere.
Thus,Ibeganjoggingthroughthe perimeter,whichwasveryhuge.Ourtraininggroundsbackinthepackwererelativelysmalleranditwouldtakemeonlyhalfthetimetocompleteoneround.
HereIwasrunningfortwentyminutesandIhadonlymanagedtodohalfalap.ButItookthatasachallengeanddidonemorebeforeIbegantosweat.
Itookamomenttocalmmynervesandtakeabreath.IhadtoworkoutalotifIgottiredsoeasily.
IlookedaroundandsawthattherewasatapnearbysoIopeneditandsprinkledsomewateronmyfacetocooldown.
ThefirstraysofsunwerebeginningtopeakthroughthecloudsandIfiguredIhadalotmoretimebeforemylegswouldgiveup.
IwasjustabourtostartanotherlapwhenIheardavoicefrombehindme.
“Hello,misshardworker.Lookslikeyouareonamissiontonotrestatall”
IturnedtolookatElijahsmilingatme.
“Goodmorning.Elijah,”Igreetedhim,butheonlylookedatmewithasmileandtappedonhiswatchasecondlater.“Itisstillafewminutestomorning,mylady”Hegavemeasmallbow,andIchuckledatthewayheaddressedme.“Really?1didnotevennotice,”1said,andElijahfoldedhishandsbehindhisback.
“ImeanItriedtosleepbutcouldnotsoIfiguredthatIshouldtiremyselfalittle,”Ihalf–lied.
1kindof noticedthat.Hence,Iamheretohelp.”
Hegavemeawarmsmile,andInoticedhewasalsowearingtrainingclothes.
“Areyouabouttotrain?”IaskedandElijahanswered,“Yeah,Ialwaystrainearlymorning alongwithMatteoandsometimes
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Callahanjoinstoo.Ihavetoensuretheentirepackdoesnotgrowlazy andsleepallday.”
“Great.ThenperhapscanIjoin yoursessions?IpromiseIwillnotdisturbyou.”Ipleaded,andheletoutasoftlaugh.
“Youdon’thavetoworryaboutthat.Youareapackmembernow.”Hesaid,andIdroppeddeadinmy
HadCallahantoldhimthathehadmarkedme?
tracks.
Myeyebrowsfurrowedinconfusionashelookedatme.“What?Hetoldmehowyourparentsofferedyoutohimasagift.Youareoneofusnow,technically”
I letoutasighofrelief.Meanwhile,Elijahbentdowntotiehisshoelacesandlookedupatme.
“Readytorace?”
Igrinned,andwetwosetoff.Anditwasacompletedisaster.
HewassofastthatheturnedintoablurwhileIwheezedandpantedtocompletethelap.
Hewaswaitingatthefinishingpoint,grinningatmeasIplacedmyhandsonmyhipswithafrown.
“Thisissonotfair.”
Elijahshrugged,“Whynot?Wedecidedtorace,andIwon.”
Ipouted.“Don’tuseyourwolf.Justrunlikeanormalhumanbeing.”
Elijahtookanobjectiontothat.“Hey,Ididnotusemywolf,okay?Iwasjustusingmyphysicalstrength.”
Myeyeswentwideatthat.
“Areyouserious?”
Heraisedhishandsinmocksurrender.“Obviously.Ifyouwant,wecanraceagainandIwillletyougetaheadstart.”
Ishookmyhead.“Thenthatwillnotbearace.Iwillbegettinganadvantage.”
Elijahchuckledatthat.“AsmuchasIlikeyourattitude,Iwouldstillbeatyouevenifyouwerehalfwaythroughthelap
Ithrewhimahurtlook,andheaddedsoftly.“ThatisbecauseIhavedaysandmonthsoftrainingandexercisetobackmeup.Mybodyisusedtophysicalstrain.”
Myshoulderssagged,andIwipedthesweatoffmyforehead.
“IfonlyIwouldhavebeenallowedtotrainwiththeothers….”Imumbledtomyself,butElijahheardthewords.
“Whatdoyoumean?DidCalaskyoutotrainalone?”
Iblinked.“No,no,it’snothingactually.”
Elijahcametostandinfrontofmeandinsisted,“No,please.Tellmewhatitis,Zen.”
“No,nottheKing.I…Iwasjusttalkingaboutmypack.IwasnotallowedtotrainbecauseIwasanomega”
Elijahhadaworriedlookonhisface,andhesteppedforward.“Hey,youdon’thavetoevenrememberthem,fonestly,theyarenotworthyourtimeorattention.”
Hespokesoftlyasheslowlyplacedhishandsonmyshoulders.“I…Istillmissmyfather.”
Irepliedandtriedhardtonotletthetearsslip.Hishandsslowlycuppedmyfaceasheforcedmetolookupathim.
“Itisokay.Youlovedyourfatherandthereisnothingwrongwithit.Butnowyouarehere,apartofourpack.Andt
Ieverypackmemberisrespectedhere.”
Elijahwasbeingsosweettomeandhehadthiswarmtharoundhim,asweetsmile,andapleasantpersonality.
Hewassogeruleandcaringthathecouldmakeanybodysmileand forgettheirworries.
Andnow,ashestoodsoclosetome,Icouldseehiswarmbrowneyes,hishairthatflutteredlightlyinthewind,and thesoftcrinklesonhisforehead.
“Don’tbesoharshonyourself,Zen”Hesaidandloweredhisforeheadtosoftlytouchmine.Itfeltsonicetobewithhim.Hewassounderstandingandcompassionate,unlikeSidandhisfriends,whowouldalwaystrytohurtme.
Ourfaceswerebarelyinchesaway,andIsawthewayhe waslookingatme.Myheartwarmedtoseesomeonecareaboutme,andhavesomeempathywhenmyownpackhadshunnedme.
NottomentiontheKingwhowasbroody,arrogant,andmysterious.IsternlyremindedmyselfnottothinkabouttheKingandforgetthatoneparticularincident,thatonenightwehadspenttogether.
Hewasverycasualaboutitanddidnotshowitaffectedhim.Onthecontrary,hehadgivenmeanamusedsmile,andIdidnotwanttofurtherdegrademyselfintobecominganobjectofhissatisfaction.
KingCallahancouldcallmeabreederorwhateverhewantedtotelltheworld.Iwassimplygoing totrain,becomestrong,
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Chapter42
“Hey!Iamrighthere!”AhandwavedinfrontofmyeyesandIlookeduptoseeElijahlookingatmeinconfusion.
“Wheredidyoutransportyourselfto?Somedreamland?”HeaskedandIburiedthememoryofmyfirstkisswithCallahan.
“Nothing.Iwasjustwonderinghowtodefeatyouinthelaps.”Iansweredandheplacedhishandsonhiships.
“Oh,Isee.Thelittlewolfispreparingherselftofight.”
HewiggledhiseyebrowsplayfullyandIgavehimanamusedsmile.
“Go,getyourheadstart.Standatwhateverpointyouwishtostartrunningfrom,Iwillstilldefeatyou.
Ilikedtheplayfulchallengeandstoodafewfeetaheadofhim.Elijahhadhishandsfoldeduponhischest,
“Areyousurethatisenough?Comeon,goaheadabitmore.Idon’twantyoutocryagain.”
Ididafakepout,“Ididnotcryokay?Iplayfair”
Hemimickedmyvoice,“Iplayfair,ooh,Elisthebadguy”
Ichuckledatthatandtookthepositionasheannounced,“Onyourmark,getset,go!!”
1shotforwardwith asmuchspeedaspossibleandbegantorunasifmylifedependedonit.IlookedbackandElijahstillhadnotstartedrunning.
Ishouted,“Youaregoingtolose!!”
“Hemockedme,“Ha!Wewillsee!”
Ikeptrunningasfastasmylegscouldcarryme.Thesunhadalreadyrisenandthedarknesshadbeenreplacedbythefirstraysofsunlight.
IalmostcoveredhalfthedistanceofthelapwhenElijahfinallystartedtorun.Uponseeinghimrun,Iincreasedmypace,mylungsburningandmylegsachinginpainasIkeptpushingthem.
Butdespitethat,hewasbeginningtocloseonme.IwaswheezingandpantingbutIkeptpushingmyself,keptrunningandIfinishedjustasecondbeforehisfoottouchedthelinewehaddrawnL
IcouldnotstandanymoreandcollapsedonthegroundasIcoughedandwheezed.EvenElijahfellonthegroundbesidemeandsoonwebothwerelaughing.
Myentirebodywascoveredinafaintsheenofsweat,mychestfeltlikeburningandIalsofearedalltheairintheworldwouldnotbeenoughtofillmylungs.
Butdespitethat,Ifeltgreat.RunninghadbeenexhilaratingandlaughingandjokingaroundwithElijah,evenmoreso
Iwasreallybeginni
tolikehiscompany.
“Wowthatwasclose”Hespokewhilelyingonthegroundbesideme.
Mybreathwasstillraggedandittookmeafew
heplacedhisheadonhisarmandasked,
toreturnmybreathingtonormal.Proppinghishandonhiselbow,
“Soyouwon.Whatdoyouwantasaprize?”HeaskedandIlaughedwhilepushingafewstrandsofhairawayfrommyface.
“What?Icangetaprize??”Iaskedinadisbelievingvoiceandhenoddedhishead.“Yes,itisnotevery daythatmightygammaofthelycanKing’spack.”
you
defeatthe
Ichuckledandthoughtaboutit.Ihadnotreallyeatenmuchlastnightandalltherunningwasmakingmefeelravenous.
“HowaboutwegoinsideandaskMariatocooksomebreakfastforus?”
“Ooh,food.Ineversaynotogood food.”Hesaidandthensatupontheground.Iwasstilllyingontheground,myfeetachingalittlewhichhenoticed.
“Youtrainedafteragap.Maybe,Icouldhelploosenthosemusclesalittle.”
MyfeetwereachingbutIdidnotwanthimtofeelIwastaking advantageofhispoliteness.
“Noreally,itisokay,”IsaidandtriedgettingupbutwincedwhenIputsomeweightontheleftfoot.
BeforeIcouldprotest,Elijahhadalreadytakenmyfootandplaceditonhislap.
“Thesemusclesneedsomerelaxing.Iknowhowtodothat”
“Elijah,pleasedon’tbother..”Ibeganbuthedismissedmyconcern.“Lookatthoselegs.Theyarepumped.Letthemassaforawhileandyouwillinstantlyfeelbetter.”
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Sayingso,hebegankneadingthroughmycalfandIinstantlyfeltbetter.MylegsfeltsoreandstiffafterIpushedmybodytothelimitsandElijah’smassagewasreallyhelpingmealot.
ThepainimmediatelylessenedandIfeltabitofstrengthreturninmylegs.HistouchwassoftandwarmanditdidnotsendanytinglesupmyspinelikeCallahan’shad.
IhadneverbeensoclosetoanymanbeforeandnowthatIwasaroundthesecondoneinatimespanofonlytwotothreedays,Ibegantonoticethings.
Elijahwasreallyverysweet,funny,andhelpfulbuthedidnotsetmyskinonfirewithhistouchnordidbeingsoclosetomemakemyheartrace.
ThenwhydidmybodyhavethecompleteoppositereactionwhenIwasaroundthelycanKing?
Ihadnoideaandfornow,Ionlylayontheground,lettinghimmassagemylegsandwaistalittle.
“Feelingbetter?”HeaskedandInoddedashehelpedmegetupagain.Aboutyournextrequest,letmereturninsometime.
“Huh?Whatrequest?”
“IthinkIknowwhyyouarepushingyourself.Iknowhowtaxingitisonnewlyawakenedwolvestogetadjustedtothechangesintheirbody.”
Igavehimanervoussmile,”
Butthenthelittlewolfalsoneedstoensuresheeatsanddoesnotfaint.”
Itwasamaidwhohadatrayinherhand.Therewasaclochehidingtheplateandthecontentsbeneathit.
“MayIpresenttoyou,theworldfamouschef’ssignaturedish.”HeliftedtheclochedramaticallyandbeneathitIsawafewsandwiches.
MystomachgrumbledatthesightoffoodandIimmediatelygrabbedit,makingmereachforitwithbothhandsandgobbleitlikeagorilla.
“Umm”ImadeoddnoiseswhileeatingthefoodandElijahsmiledproudlyatme.
“Doyoulikeit?”HeaskedandInodded,“Ofcourse,ittastesdelicious.
Elijah’schestpuffedalittle,“Iknewit.Afterall,Iamanexpertcook.”
Inodded,“Worldclasschef”whileraisingthesandwichinonehand.ThiswasthebestmorningIhadintherecentweeks.andallofitwasbecauseofElijah.
ThefoodpreparedbyevensomeonelikeElijah,whowasawarriorthroughandthrough,tastedheavenly.
Ormaybe,Ihadonlyeatenblandandtastelessfoodallmylife.
Ilookeddownandpinchedatmystomach,“ATthisrate,youaregoingtomakemefat”
“Well
youareabittooskinny,youknow.Eatingabitwilldoyougood.”
Elijahsaidwithashysmileandhelookedextremelycutewhenhedidthat.“IfIeatsomuch,atthisrate,Iamnotgoingtoleaveanyfoodforyouguys.”
Elijahwavedhishandoff.“Ohcomeon,wearewarriors.Wetrainandeatmuchmorethanwhatyouwillfinishinaweek.”
Igiggledandfinishedthelastbitoftacosandwipedmymouthoffwiththebackofmyhand..
“Thankyou,Elijali”Imumbledandhebowedagain,“Justthoughtoftryingsomethingnewandcouldnotfindsomeonetoexperimenton.”
InoddedmyheadandwasabouttograbthenotepadIhadthrowntothegroundwhenhesaid,
“Wait”
Ifurrowedmyeyebrowsandasked,“Whathappened?”
Elijahpointedatmylips,“Youhavesomesauce…there”
Iwipedmylipswithmyhandandasked,“Isitgonenow?”
Heshookhishead,“No,itisstillthere.Alittlebittotheleft.”he reachedforhislipsandshowedmethespotonhisface.
Imirroredhimandwipedmyhandsonmylips,“Now?”
Heshookhisheadandwalkedtowardsme,“MayI?”
Thoddedandhestooddirectlyinfrontofme.Slowly,hereachedfor myfaceandcuppedit.Itriednot toblushashislargehandsstrokedmyfaceandthepadofhisthumbbrusheduponmylips.
ThoughhistouchdidnotinvokeasparklikeCallahan’sthewayhewasacting mademefeelnervous.
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Itwasacutegestureandhewasonlyofferingmehelpbutitfeltsointimate.HissoftbrowneyeslookedatmeandIstared
backathim.
Elijahwasverysweet,polite,anddowntoearth.Hedidnotshoutatme,growl,orgrumble.Hewasalwayshappyandhis.smilewasinfectious.
“You…youarebeautiful,Zen”HewhisperedandItriednottoblushagain.
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Hespokesoftly,andItriednottoshiver.Elijahwasadifferentkindofhandsome.WhileCallahanwasallrugged,muscular,andbrawny.Elijahgavemetheboynextdoorvibe.
Healwaysmadeanefforttotalktome,tomakemefeelcomfortable,andmademelaugh.IfeltIhadfoundanew friendinhim.Thatwasanicestart,consideringthechangeofmyplans.
Now,Iwasmorekeenonfindingmywolfandlearninghowtocompletelytransformwithoutpassingout.
Elijahwipedthesauceoffmylipsbuthedidnotletgoofme.Hishandkeptcaressingmyface,andItriedhardnottoblush.
Myeyelidsflutteredasthepadofhisthumbkeptbrushingovermyskin,makingmefeelaslighttingle.
“You….youarehandsometoo,Elijah,”Isaid,andhecameclosertome,standingdirectlyinfrontofme.
“Ihavebeentold so.”Hesaidwithagrin,makingmechuckleagain.IcouldnotrememberthelasttimeIhadfeltsohappyandstressfree.
ElijahandDrusillawereverynicetomeandsoweretheothermaidsandservants.IcouldnotformanyopinionaboutMatteobecausehewasmostlybusywithwork.
AndthentherewastheLycanKingwhofeltlikeamysteriouspuzzletome.
“Hey,whereareyoulost?”Elijahwhispered,andIshookmyhead.
“Nothing”
Ismiledandwasabouttosaysomethingwhenasharpvoicereachedmyears.
“Elijah!!”
IlookedbehindElijahtoseenoneotherthanKingCallahanwalkingtowardsus.Elijahsprangawayfrommeasifwehadbeencaughtdoingsomethingscandalous, andIsteppedaway fromhim,too.
Callahanwaswalkingtowardsuswithfaststrides,andhewasexudingbothpowerandannoyance.
“oodmorning,King”ElijahbowedtohimwhileIkeptstaring stupidlyathim.
KingCallahandidnotpaymeattention,ashiseyeswerefixedonhisgarma.RealizingthatIshouldgreethimtoo,Ipromptlyloweredmyheadandmuttered,
“Goodmorning,King”
ButCallahandidnotreplytome.Forgetreplying,hedidnotevenlookatme.
Hewasglaringathisgammaandhadhishandsthrustinhispockets.Somethingwasoff.
“Is…issomethingwrong.King?”Elijahasked,butKingCallahanpulledhishandsoutofhispocketsandlookedatthewristwatchdanglingfromhiswrist.
WhenhecameandstoodinfrontofElijah,heasked,“Whatisthetimenow,Gamma
HisvoicewaslacedwithauthorityandElijahhastilycheckedhiswatch.“Itiscloseto9a.m.,King.”
Callahankeptglaringathimandaskedinthesameauthoritativetone,“Andwhattimewereyousupposedtocomemeetme?”
Elijahgulpednervously,“Ididcometochecktwice,butyouwerebusyworking.Ialsocamelastnight,butIsawyouwithCynthiaandIdidnotwanttodisturbyouso…”
“Sowhat?”CallahangrowledwhilemyearsprickedatthementionofCynthia.
Thatgirlhadbeeninhisofficealoneagain,itseemed.WhydidCallahanevenentertainhersomuch?
Hadshetriedtoseducehimagain?Shehadmentionedhowshewasgoingto marryhimsoonand thenthrowmeoutofthe
mansion.
Ihadtogainmystrengthandleavethisplacebeforethathappened.
Elijahfellsilentandonlymumbled,“Iamsorry,King”
1feltsorryforElijah.HehadnotdoneacrimeifCallahanwastheonebusywithsomeworkorprobablyCynthia.
Itriedtoignorethelatterpartandkeptlookingathim,butCallahanbehavedasifIwasnotevenaround.Hepulledhishandoutofhispocketandaskedhisgamma.
“Youweresupposed tocomemeetmeat8a.m.WhyisitthatIhavetogolooking foryouandthenfindyouchitchattingwithmybreeder.”
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Iraisedmyeyebrowsat that.
Hadhejustcalledmehiswithatouchofauthority?Butthenwhywashenotevenlookingatme?
Hisbehaviorwasconfusingatbest.
“Y–yourbreeder?I…Ithoughtshewasgoingtobeyouranchor…”Elijahbegan,butCallahanraisedhishand,cuttinghimabruptly.
“Enough.Stopwastingyourtimeandfocusonyourworkifyoudon’twanttobesentonamonthlongtripoutofthekingdom.”
Callahan’sbodyposturewastense,andhisshoulderswererigid.AmuscleinhisjawtwitchedatElijah’swordsandhedraggedhimafewfeetawayfromme.
Despitebeingjustthestartoftheday.Callahanwasreadyinhisworkclothes,andIalsosawastainofinkonhishand.
Hadhealreadystartedworkingatthecrackofdawn?
Meanwhile,IstoodtherewonderingwhatthehellElijahwasblabberingabout.WhatwasananchorandwhywasIbeingconsideredthat?
IrecalledthecrypticwayDrusillahadsaidthatCallahanwasdyingandhowIwastheonewhocouldsavehim.
Wasthisanchorstuffrelatedtothat?Iwishedtoaskthemmore,butCallahanhaddraggedhimawayfromme.
Ilookedaround andfoundmyselftobealone.Apparently,thefewservantswhowerebustlingaroundtostarttheir day hadrunawaywhenCallahancamewalkingtowardsusangrily.
IwishedtotalktohimaboutthisbuthestalkedawayfromtheopenlawnswithElijahintow,leavingmestaringathisretreatingfigureuntilhedisappearedbehindthewallsofthemansion.
Whatthehellwasthisbehavior?Icould notmakesenseofitanditirritatedme.
Ifhedidnotwantmearound,hecouldsimplyaskmetoleave.Notknowingwhattodo,Ilefttheopen groundsanddecidedtotakeashowertocooldownaswell.
Mymuscleswereburningaftertherunning, butIfeltrefreshed,nonetheless.IdecidedtoslowlyaddafewmorestepstomytraningregimeandmaybedostrengthtrainingsothatIwouldbeabletocompletemyshiftingbetternexttime.
Afterchangingintofreshclothes,Isteppedoutsidetheroomandwonderedwhattodofortherestoftheday.
Mariasawmestandingonthestairsandwavedatmetocomedownstairs.
“Aren’tyouhungry?Comeon,eatsomething”
Ismiledatherandreplied,“Areyouonamissiontomakeeverybodycatasmuchastheycan?”
Mariagaspedandpretendedtobeshocked.“Howdidyoufindout?”
Igiggledandsatonthechairasshebroughtsomehotfoodformetohave.Thearomawaftingthroughtheairmademefeelhungry,andIgobbledupeverythingthatsheservedme.
Myeyeskeptdriftingtotheothersideofthemansion,Callahan’soffice,tobespecific.Thetwo seemedtobestillinsomemeeting,butIdidnotwanttogoto hisofficeagainafterthelastincident.
Thus,Ifinishedmyfoodandgotupfromthetable.Andatthesamemoment,IsawElijahwalkoutoftheoffice.
Iwaitedforhimashebeganclimbingdown thestairs,aworriedlookonhisface.Hisshoulderswerealittleslumped,andhedidnothavehisusualsmile.
Whenhereacheddownstairs,hegavemeasmallsmile,butitlackedhisusualenergy.
“Heyiseverythingalright?”
IaskedandElijahnoddedhishead,“Yeah”
Iwentclosertohimandasked,“Areyousure?Youdon’tlookokaytome.”
Elijahsaidinalowvoice,“Well,CalwasnothappythatImadehimwaitfortwohours.HehadbeenwaitingforanimportantpieceofinformationfrommeandIwasgoofingaroundwithyou.”
1furrowedmyeyebrows.“Thatissowrong.Youwere tryingtohelpmeandyoudidsaythatyouwenttohisofficetwice.”ButElijahshruggeditoff.“Heispunctualanddoesnotlikelatecomers.Iwillbecarefulnexttime.”
frowned.
PoorElijah’sfacelookedsosadbecauseCallahanhadshoutedathimfornothing.HewasremindingmeofLunaCelestebackhome,whousedtoshoutatmeforlittlethings.
“Youshouldreallystandupforyourself,youknow.JustbecauseheistheKingdoes notmeanhecantreatyoulikethis
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Isaid,andElijahquicklylookedaround.“No,it’snotlikethat.Hejustseemedalittleoffaboutsomething.Maybeallthis.workisstressinghim.Hereallyneedstoget alife.”
Ichuckledatthat.IcouldnotimagineCallahandoinganythingexceptdigginghisheadinthefilesandsittinginhisoffice.
Andmybodyremindedmeofhowhishead,orratherhisfacehadbeenburiedelsewhere,inbetweenmylegs,makingmeshudder.
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“IfyouwantIcanclearthemisunderstandingKingCallahanhasaboutyou.ItwasIwhokeptyoubusywithmysillystuff.”
IspokebutElijahshookhishead.
“Thereisnoneedforthat,really.Itisokay.IknowCalthinksgoodaboutmesohehastherighttobeangrywithme.”
“Areyousure?”IaskedandElijahnodded,“Yeah,youaregettingtooworkedup.”
IdidnotwanttotalkfurtherabouthimsoIonlyreplied,“Aboutmyfailedtransformation,canyouhelpmeabit?”
IaskedinasincerevoiceandElijah’sfaceimmediatelybrightened.
“Whataboutit?”
Ibitmylipnervously,“Uh,thewayweracedtogethertoday.Ifeelifsomebodywouldguidemetotrainandtostrengthenmybody,Iwillbebetterathandlingthenextshifting.”
“Ahh,sothatiswhyyouwererunningaroundinthedarkofthenight?”HeaskedandIdidafakegrumble.
“Hey,Ididnotruninthemiddleofthenight,okay?Iwasjustunsureofwhattodonext.”Irepliedandhechuckled.
“Yes.Iwilldefinitelyhelpyouwithyourtraining.Ourpackhasmanypupswhohaverecentlyshifted.Yourshiftingwasquiteunexpected,tobehonest.”
Inervouslychewedonmylip.“Yes,Iamalsonotsurehowthathappened.ButIwanttobepreparedforthenextfullmoon.So,Ihaveonemonthtotrainmyself.”
Elijahplacedahandonmyshoulder,“Don’tbetooharshonyourself.Thereisafullmooneverymonth.”
HetriedtocheermeupbutthenImutteredundermybreath,“ThesoonerIlearnhowtobeawolf,thebetter,Idonotwanttogetyelledatfornothing”
“Ohcomeon,Iknowhim.Heis aniceguy.”
Isnorted,“Nice,really?”
Elijahreplied,“Don’tyouthinkso?Hegaveyouaseparateroom,andaskedthebestdoctorstocareforyou.Evenhelpedyouwhenyouwerealoneintheforest.”
“Onlybecauseheneedsmeforthisanchorstuffthatnoneofyouaretellingmemoreabout,”Isaidandbeforehecouldsayanotherword.Iheardavoice.
“Ouch,canyounotstandinthemiddleofthedoor?”
IlookedbehindElijahtoseeDrusillarubbingherforeheadandglaringatCallahanwhomerelyshruggedather.
Whenhadheevenarrived?Iwonderedwhilehereplied,“Ifyoulookupinsteadofyourphonewhilewalking,youwillseethatyouwalkedintoawall,notthedoor.”
DrusillarolledhereyesathimandlookedatElijahandme.“Hey,guys.”
Bothofuswavedatherandshecametotalktous,leaving Callahanstandingbythedoor.Heraisedaneyebrowbutdidnotsayanything.
Shecame towardsElijahandsaid,“El,canyougivemethenumberofthatcarwashingcenter?IwantedthemtopickmycarupbutIlostcontact”
ElijahimmediatelypulledouthisphoneandsentheratextmessagewiththenumberwhileIonlywatched.
“Hey,whataboutyou?”Hesuddenlyasked.
“Me?Idonthaveacartowash”Iansweredandheboopedmynoseplayfully.
Yourmobile.Don’tyouhaveone?”
Ishookmyhead.“Iwasneverallowedtohaveone.”
Drusilla‘eyeswentwide,“Allowed?Whydoyouneedanybody’spermissiontohaveamobile?”
Ishrugged,“I wasanomegasoIwasnotallowedmanyperks.”
Drusillacamenearmeandplacedherhandsonmybackasifembracingme.“Thatisnonsense.Wait,howaboutthis?Letmebuyyouone.””
Ishookmyhead,“No.Idontseetheneedtohaveone.Ilivedwithoutaphonesofareitherway?
Butshewaspersistent.
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“No,itisnotokay.Weneedtostayintouchwithyouandhavingamobileinthesemodern timesisanecessity.”
Drusillasuddenlycameupwithanidea,“Cal,can wetakeheralongwithus?”
Callahanwasbusydoingsomethingonhisphonebutlookedupwhenshementionedme.
Anditwasthenthathefinallylookedatme.Ithadonlybeenadaythathehadnotlookedmeintheeyebutitfeltlikeithadbeenyears.
Hisgoldeneyeslookedintomine andalotofemotionseruptedwithinmeatonce.Buthisgazedidnotstayonmeforlong-HelookedawayjustafterasecondandIfeltallmyhopesandfeelingscrumble.
WhydidIsuddenlyfeelhimtobeanimportantpartofmylife?
“No,itshouldbeonlyus,youknowthat.”Hesaidandhisbluntrejectionhurtmealittle.
Drusillaplacedahandbeneathmychin,“Ohcomeon.Lookatthepoorgirl.Shejusthadherfirstshift.Icansendherimportantstuffdirectlywithouthavingtocomemeetherinpersoneverytime.”
“Whatimportantstuff?”Iasked andDrusillaonlymumbled,“Imean,girlstuff,youknow”
Callahanshruggedandwalkedoutsidethedoor,“Ifyouarenotcoming,Iwillgoalone
“Wait,”Drusillasaidanddraggedmealongwithher.
CallahanhadclimbeddownthefrontstepsoftheporchwhileDrusilladraggedmeandsaidinaloudvoice
“Sheiscomingwithus.Ijustaskedthecarguytopickupmycarfromhere.Idon’thaveacartotakehertoashop now.”
Callahanpinchedthebridgeofhisnose,“Thengetherthephonetomorrow.Whatisthebigdealaboutit?”
IfeltverybadwiththewayCallahanwassuddenlytreatingmeandItriedtospeaktoDrusilla.
“Thereisnoneedforit,Dru.Youcangotoyourmeeting.ItoldyouIdon’tneedaphone”
Meanwhile,Elijahwhowassilentallthistime,cameupwithanidea.
“Hey,Ihaveanidea.Icantakehertoashopwithmeandgetheramobileandasimcard.Youguyscangotoyourmeetingwhereverthatis.”
Drusillaperkedupatthat.“Oh,thatisgreat.Well,thenthatissettled.”
ButCallahansuddenlyinterjected,“El,Ihadaskedyoutodosomething.”
Elijahnoddedhisheadvigorously,“Iknow,King.ThetaskwillbecompletedtodayitselfandthenIwilltakeZenoutside.”ElijahsuggestedbutapparentlyCallahandidnotseemhappy.Atthatsamemoment,Drusilla’sphonebeepedandshe
checkedit.
“Ohshoot.ItotallyforgotIhadtogototheparlortoday.Ihadbookedinadvance.”
Callahanrolledhiseyes,“Youcannotbeseriousnow,Dru.Thismeetingisimportant.”
Drusillaquicklytypedsomethingonhermobileandwasdone.
“See.Ijustmessagedthemtochangethemeetingtoalaterdate.Theyagreedtoo.
Callahanwasapparentlydonewiththeirstupidbehaviorsohejustmuttered.
“Youknowwhat?Iwillgotomyofficeandgetthatfilecompleted.”
HehadbegunwalkingoutsidebutDrusillastoppedinfrontofhim.
“No,youarenotgoingin.Justworkworkallday.Gooutside,stepinthesunalittle.”
Callahansmirked,“WhatamI?Avampire?”
Drusillarolledhereyes,“Youknowwhat?IwillgetElijahtodropmetotheparlorwhileyougogetthemobilefor Zenovia.”“What?”Iblurtedoutandthenquicklybitmylipbutapparentlytheshockandunwillingnesswereevidentinmyvoice.“Yes,sheisgoingtohelpyou.Inoticedhowyoubotharenoteventalkingtoeachotherfromthepasthalfanhourthatwe
fourarewitheachother.”
KingCallahandidnotreply buthesimplyclimbedupthestairsandwentinthroughthedoor.
“Cal,please.YouknowwhyIamdoingthis.”
Callahandroppedhisshouldersandlookedathermiserably.“Ireallydon’tseetheneedforthis,Dru
Andthewayhewasshowinghisdiscomfortandabsolutedisinterestindoinganythingformewasirkingme,
“Drusilla,Idonotneedanything.Iwillgotomyroomandgetsomesleep”Isaid becauseIdidnotwanttohearCallahankeepBodingreasonstonotbearoundmeanylonger.
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ItwashurtingmeandIhadnocluewhatIhaddoneforhimtosuddenlybesoaloof
EvenElijahturnedaroundwithmeandwebothenteredthemansion.Isaid,“Wecandiscussmytrainingregimeafteryoufinishyourwork.Ineedsomeguidance”
Elijahnoddedhisheadandreplied,“Givemetwohours.Iwillalsodetailadietplanforyouandcreateatrainingscheduleforyou.”
Ismiledindelight.“Youarethebest”
Fromthecornerofmyeyes,IsawthatDrusillahadwalkedintooandshebeganchattingwithElijah.
Helookedatmewithasoftsmileandmouthed“Noproblembeforeheadingintheoppositedirectionwithher.
And,Idecidedtoheadtowardsmyroombutthenavoicecalledoutto me.
“Stop”
IturnedaroundtoseeCallahanglaringatme.“Getinsidethecar.Now!”
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Zenovia
“Huh?”
ImutteredbutCallahanhadturnedaroundandwaswalking towardsthecar.Istayedthere,rootedtothespotashewenttowardsthe carthatthedriverhadalreadybroughtoutside.
CallahanonlygavemeasideeyeandIpromptlyclimbeddownthesmallflightofstairsbeforerunningtowardshim.
Hegavemeaside–eyeandImeeklywenttowardshiscar,ratheroneofthecars.Hisgaragewasontherightandtherewere
alotofcarsinsidethatIcouldnotgetaglimpseofbuttheyhadalllookedshinyandluxurioustome.
Butheonlyopenedthedoorofthecarandgotinthedriver’sseat.Turningtheignitionon,hesteeredthecarinthedirectionofthegate.
Hedrummedhisfingersonthesteeringwheelandkeptwaitingformetogetin.
Hedidnotspeaktomebutsimplyincreasedthefiringofthecarwhilestaringstraightahead.
Afternervouslystaringathimforsometime,Islowlysteppedinsidethecarandgotintheseatnexttohim.
1closedthedoorandhedidnotevenletmesettleintheseatandsimplyhittheacceleratoranddroveoutsidethroughthelargepathway.
“Whatthe-”IbeganbutdecidedtostayshutbecauseIdidnotwanthimtotakeouthisangeronme.
Callahandrovelikeamadmanthroughthestreetsthatwerewideandnotmanycarsdaredtogetintohisway.NotknowingwhatelsetodoIfoundtheseatbeltandwantedtoputitonbutfumbledwithitbecausehewasdrivingthecarasifwewereinsomestupidrace.
ItriedtolookoutsidebuttheroadsseemedblurryandallIcouldseewasatrailofgreenandbrowndottedwithsomebuildingshereandthere.
Iplacedmyhandsontheseatanddugmynailsintoit,hopingthathewouldnotkillmetoday.
IcouldseethecitylightstwinklingfromafewfeetawayandfeltrelievedthatIwouldnotbeinthiscarformorethanafewminutes.
IclosedmyeyesandtriedhardnottopukeasCallahanfinallystoppedthecaroutsideashop.
ThecargaveajoltandIwasslammedintotheseatbeforeheturnedofftheignition.Inthenextminute,hewasoutofthecarandslammedthedoorshut,makingmyearshurt.
Hedidnotlookatmenordidheevensayawordtomebutsimplystalkedoffandwentintotheshop.
Itookafewminutestogasp forbreathandcalmdownmyragingheart.Iwasafraidofspeedinganditterrifiedme.
AndIhadafeelingifItoldhim,Callahanwouldhavedriventhecarevenfaster,launchingitintothesky.
Aftermyheartbeathadcalmeddownalittle,Igotoutsidethecarandwithshakylegsstumbledoutside.
EverybodyintheshopwasalreadystandinginfrontofCallahanwiththeirheadsbentlowandtheirhandsfoldedinthefront.
Thestoremanager,amiddleagedwoman,promptlyofferedhimachairandgavehimalowbow.
Shewaseyeinghimasifhewasadeliciouscandy.Andnotjusther,allthe salesgirlsintheshopwereeyeinghimhungrily.ButCallahandidnotseemfazedbythelookshewasgetting.Hesatonthechair,withhisrightleg’sanklerestingontheleftleg’s knee,andgavethemaboredlook.
“Hello,myKing.HowcanIhelpyoutoday?”
ShedidnotwaitfortheKingtoanswerandhurriedlylookedatherstaff.
“Whatareyouwaitingfor?GetsomerefreshmentsfortheKing.”
Thegirlswhohadbeenstaringdazedlyathimranoutsidetogethimsomethingtodrink”
However,hepulledouthisphoneandbegancheckingsomething.Meanwhile,Islowlysteppedtowardsthetransparentglass
door.
Ihadhalf–openeditandwasabouttostepinsidewhenthewomanshoutedatme.
“Shoo,goaway,theshopisclosedfornow.”
Ibegan,“ButI-”
Shestompedherfeetandcamenearthedoor,“Didyounothearme,youfilthygirl?Youdon’tevenhavethemoneytoaffordashampoo,forgetsteppinginsidemyshop!!”
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SheglaredatmeandItriedtosmoothenmyhairtothebestofmyability.
“Listen,Icameherewith-”
“Security.Throwheroutofmysight”
Sheslammedthedoorandtheguardscamerushingtowardsme.Callahanhadbeenwatchingallofthisorignoringallofthis,Iwasnotsurewhatexactly,buthedidnotintervene.
Helettheshopownercallmenamesandonlywhenthesecurityguardswereabouttotouchmedidhelookupfromhisphone.
“Thatgirliswithme,sheneedsaphone”
Uponhearinghiswords,thesecurityguardspromptlysteppedawayandthewoman’sfacepaledvisibly.
“Wh–what?”
Callahandidnotbotherclarifyingandgotbusyonhisphoneagain.Thewomanlookedatmefromheadtotoeandgavemeadisgustedlook.
“Peoplelikeyouleechoffrichpeopleallthetime”
Wait?DidshethinkIwasaroadsidebeggarorahomelesspersonthatCallahanhadtakenpityonandwantedtogiftmesomethingnice?
IfelthottearsprickingatthebackofmyeyesbutIdidnotwanttocreateascene.ThewomandidnotapologizeandneitherdidCallahanreprimandherforhisactions.
1steppedinsidethesmallbutlavishshopandwasimmediatelyhitbythecoolACairandthesoftfragrancelingeringinthe
air.
Thesalesgirlswhohadrunoutsidetogethimsomethingtodrinkreturnedcarryingchilledbottlesofsoftdrinks.
Oneofthemopenedthebottlewhileanotherslippedastrawinsideit.Athirdoneplaceditonasmallservingtrayandhelditinfrontofhim.
“Sir,pleasehavesomerefreshments.”Shesaid,blushinghard.Thegirlwasbendingalittle,givinghimapeekofherbosomastheofhershirtwasopen.
Callahandidnotevenbotherlookingatherandpickedupthebottlefromthetrayandtookasip.
Herfacefellbutshe steppedasidemeeklywhiletheshopownerbegan.
“Showthisgirlsomecheapandbasicphoneforhertouse.Thiskindheartedmandecidedtogiftheraphone.”
AtthatthegirlsstaredatCallahanwithevenmoreappreciationandIrolledmyeyes.Technically,IwasnotpayingforthephonebutthenIhadneveraskedforone.
Hewaslettingthemhumiliatemewhilehewasbehavingasifhedidnotevenknowme.
Icouldnotunderstandwhathadgottenintohim.
Oneofthesalesmen,ayoungman,whowasstandinginthecornerlookedatmewithpity.
Iwenttothecounterastheshopownerbarkedanorderathim.“Showhersomethingcheap‘
ShethenturnedtoCallahanandbeganaskingquestionsbuthemostlyignoredher.
Thesalesmangavemeasmallsmile.“So,haveyouusedonebefore?”
Heplacedafewsmallphoneswithnumberkeysonthemandafewthatlookedliketheyweremadeofglass.
Istaredatthephonesasiftheyweresomealien treasureandheofferedtohelp.
Nowadays,touchscreenphonesarefairlycommon.”
HebeganexplaininghowtouseoneandIdidnothavemuchtroublelearning it.IhadseenSidandplentyofothersuseitbutIhadneverownedonethoughIknewhowbasicphonesworked.
Asheexplainedthefunctions,hescribbledsomethingonapieceofpaperandpushedittowardsme.
Confused,Ilookedatthepaper,butheplacedahandonitandpretendedtobeshowingmethefeaturesofanotherphone.
IlookedaroundandsawthatCallahanwasstillbusywiththeshopownerand thegirlsgushingoverhim.
Thesalesmanwasayoungboy,alinostmyage,andheseemeddecenttome.Islowlypickedupthenoteandopenedit afterconfirmingthatnobodywaslookingatme.
WhenIopenedthenote,therewasaquestiononit.
“Areyouintrouble?TM
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Mygazeflittedtohimandhelookedatmewithconcern.IlookedbackatCallahanandIfeltunsureoftheanswer.
IwasnotinrealtroublepersebutitfeltlikeCallahansimplydidnotwantmearound.
ThesalesmansawthewaymyeyesnervouslytraveledtoCallahanbeforethesalesmanloweredhisvoice.
“MynameisHarry.Andyours?”
Ireplied,“Zenovia”
“Zenovia,nicename.So,look,Ithinkthewayheistreatingyoumeansyoudidnotcomeherewillinglywithhim.Youseemlikeaniceperson.Ifyouwantmyhelp.Iwillhelpyou.”
Itooloweredmyvoice,“IwishtogotothenearestcitybutIdon’treallyhavealotofmoney.”
Harrygavemeasmile,“Iunderstand.Richbratsalwaysmakepoorgirlssuffer.Butdon’tworry,Iwillgetyououtofthis.”
Hereachedformyhand,gavemeareassuringsqueeze,andslippedafewmorepiecesofpapertowardme.Itwasfive
hundreddollarbills.
1didnotwantsomuchmoneysoIpushedthembackathimbutheplacedhishandonmine,forcingmetotuckitawayinmypockets.
Thenhereturnedtohisnormalvoiceandadded,“So,Iwillpackthisphoneforyou,isthatokay?”
Itooaddedinaloudvoice.“Yessure”
HethenlookedatCallahan,“Ourstorealsohassomeschemesonsimcards.Whichonewouldyouliketohave?Fillthisformforus,please?”
Harryhandedmeaformandapenwhileloweringhisvoice,“Addyourname,andplaceofresidencehere.Iwillmakearrangementstotakeyououtofthatwretchedplace”
Ilookedupathimwithhope.“Thanksalot”
ButbeforeIcouldbeginfillingouttheform,Callahangotupfromhischairandcametostandbesideme.
Hedidnotsayawordbutgrabbedthatformandfilleditonmybehalf.Harryonlygavemeaside–eye,signalingmetostayput,whilehepreparedthebill.
WhileCalahanwasfillingouttheform,heplacedhisphoneonthecounter.And1didnotwanttoprybutamessagepoppeduponit.
Cynthia-Howlongwillittakeyou?Ican’twaitanymore.
Ipretendednottoseeitashesignedtheformandtoreitoffthenotepad.
Hisactionsmadeitclearthathehadusedmeandnowdidnotwantme.So,Icouldgosomeplaceelseandlearntobeawolf
onmyown.
WhilehewashandingoverthepenandthenotepadbacktoHarry,anothermessageofherspoppedup.
Cynthia-Willyoupleasewearblacktoday?
Itriednottoimagineiftheyweregoingonadateorsomethingwiththewayshewasbehaving.Notthatitwasofmy
concern.
Infact,itwasaperfectopportunityforme,whilehewenttomeetCynthia,Iwasslippingaway.Ididnotwanttostayinhishouseandlethimtreatmelikethisanymore.
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Chapter 46
While the bill was being prepared, Harry gave me a reassuring smile. I smiled back at him and walked away with Callahan, who the girls kept gawking at all the time.
“Please, if you need anything else, you can give me a call and I will personally come to deliver whatever you want.”
She smiled at him coyly, but he walked away without another glance at her or the rest of the staff.
Callahan got in the car and started the ignition while I decided to first put on the seatbelt so that I would not get thrown around the car.
I placed the gift-wrapped box on my lap and felt grateful to Harry who had thought of such a nice gesture. Surely, Callahan couldn’t care less if I was tossed the phone in a rag.
I took the seat belt’s end and tried to push it into the lock, but it seemed stuck. I tried tugging and pulling at it, but it was of
no use.
Callahan kept his hands placed on the steering wheel and was looking at the other side, clearly indicating that he wanted nothing to do with ine.
Frowning. I tried again, but it just did not budge.
I let out an exasperated sigh and muttered, “Can you please help with the seat belt?”
Callahan did not look at me, but his hands reached for the seatbelt and he tugged at it. When he tried locking it, it did not happen either.
So he had to bend towards me a little. His hand brushed mine, and I felt a zap of energy course from the tip of my finger to all the nerve endings in my body.
The touch left me wanting more. He was so close to me, so dangerously close. His face was near my chest and his head bent down as he was struggling with the seat belt as well.
And I did not dare move with the way he was acting. I thought my body would not want him after the way he had been indifferent to me since that night. But it seemed like his touch had ignited that spark again.
I began wildly imagining how it would feel to have his lips on my bare skin again. His hair was silky soft and dense and I fought my urge to run a hand through them as I kept my hands firmly glued to the seat and let him work.
“Can you move a little?” He grunted, and I shuffled in my seat but that only pushed my chest on his face.
Callahan went still for a moment and so did I. I feared he would yell at me for being purposely naughty, but he only closed his eyes and opened them again, took a deep breath, and resumed working.
After what felt like an eternity, the lock finally clicked and he pushed himself away from me with the speed of lightning. Was he that annoyed by my touch? Did he also feel disgusted?
I wondered, but I could not ask him that. I only cursed my body at the way it was reacting to his touch.
“I muttered, but he only turned on the ignition
“Thank began driving. This time, however, instead of driving like a maniac, he drove slow and nice.
It was a relief that I did not have to fear for my life again. However, then I realized that we had another problem.
The car was too big, but then it was just the two of us and the silence felt awkward to me. I did not know what to talk to him and I did not even want to, so I decided to look at the phone instead.
I slowly unwrapped the plastic wrapper and opened the box. Inside it was a brand new and shiny mobile that looked very high end and expensive, not the small, basic one I had picked.
I checked the box, wondering if they had somehow put in two instead of one, but there was just this one large mobile in it. Holding it in front of Callahan, I said, “There seems to be a problem. They gave me a big, expensive one. We need to go back and exchange it”
However, he did not say a word and kept driving the car. His phone was lying in the small holder and I saw another message pop up in it
Cynthia-I hope you will wear black. I am going to wear black too. It will be fun.
Lignored the message again and let out a breath.
“Are you listening to me? There is a mistake. They probably made you pay for an expensive one when I had picked a cheaper one. Can we go back, please?”
I asked, and he took such a long pause that I did not think he would even speak. Annoyed, I removed the seat belt and turned to look at him.
“What is wrong? Why are you not even talking to me?”
But he only took a sharp turn, and it took me off-guard, making me slam into his arms. The unexpected turn made me fall into his lap and the car drove into a tree, slamming into it.
The airbags came out, further pushing me onto his chest and I felt sandwiched in between a brick wall and a balloon.
“sh*t,” He muttered and kicked the car’s door out while grabbing me by the arms. Then we both fell on the ground, but as it was a slope, I slid down a little.
He caught me before I would fall, but his foot slipped and I fell on him, his back landing on the ground with me on top of
him.
I was coughing and wheezing, and I feared he would throw me off himself immediately. But he only let me regain my breath while lying deathly still.
Seeing that he was not going to help me, I slowly got up and he let me. After getting up, I brushed off the dirt and muck on my body and clothes while he sprang up like a coil and surveyed the car.
“Go, dial Matt’s number and tell him to send a car to pick us up”
He ordered without looking at me as he removed his coat and I saw the pristine white shirt beneath it.
The shirt fit him perfectly well and I could see his corded muscles and ripped physique hiding beneath it.
I went towards my phone and picked it but then I realized I did not have Matt’s number.
“L..I don’t have his number,” I said while Callahan pulled open the hood and began surveying the damage.
“I know. Call from my phone,” He said without looking up and I went to retrieve his phone from the car.
I unlocked the screen with a simple swipe and I saw his inbox was open. I did not want to but there were literally a dozen or more messages, a long conversation of him with Cynthia.
Even if I wanted to, I did not open the messages and fumbled a bit with the layout of the phone before finding the keypad, especially because every other second Cynthia kept sending messages.
Cynthia- Please choose which one should I wear today.
The message popped up, and I accidentally clicked it open. Along with the message, she sent two images. There were two black dresses, both extremely short and revealing.
My brain began imagining Cynthia lying on his office table and seducing him as Callahan roamed his hands over her. It flared a spark of jealousy in me and I began to tremble.
My eyes went wide at the next message- I will wear just the dress, nothing else.
It was followed by a wink emoji.
I wanted to simply throw the phone away, but Callahan’s voice brought me out of my reverie.
“What did Matteo say?”
I shook my head and immediately dialed his number, but thankfully he did not pick up so I did not have to cook up a story.
“He did not pick up,” I said and Callahan grunted, “Try again”
I fumbled with the keypad and realized that his phone’s battery was almost about to die.
I was about to copy his number on my phone, but his phone switched off and that left us with nothing to do.
I told him what happened, and he cursed while kicking at the car’s tire.
“What are you looking at? Let us walk”
I furrowed my eyebrows, and only now did I see where we were. I saw nothing but trees and the wild jungle all around. “But had we not come to the city to buy a phone?” I asked in confusion, and Callahan nodded. “I wanted to get home fast and driving through the city roads attracted a lot of attention, so I thought of going through the woods.”
That was the first long answer I had received from him in the last two days. Not that it explained why he had preferred going through the forest.
The small path was muddy, and that explained why he was driving slowly. I was so absorbed in trying to not react to his touch that I did not even notice where he had brought me.
“Okay,” I said meekly and fell in steps beside him. He retrieved his car keys, wallet, and a few other things while I held my phone.
We began walking through the forest and I asked, “Do you remember the numbers of Drusilla, Elijah, or anybody else?”
Callahan shook his head. “I had them saved in my phone and that is dead, so let us walk for the next thirty minutes and we will reach home. The sooner the better”
Chapter 47
Zenovia
I loved the wilderness, and walking had been a part of my daily routine. I would often take the longest route from school to the packhouse so that I could admire the surroundings, the nature and it also kept me away from Sid and his friends for a longer time.
But now, while walking with Callahan, I felt odd. Callahan maintained a distance from me, but my legs had already begun to
hurt.
I had run a lot in the morning, and I had not rested even for a second before Callahan had dragged me outside.
So my muscles were aching, but I did not dare say a word to him. My legs felt as if they were on fire, but I kept walking with him.
I winced a little when my foot hit a rock as I was looking elsewhere and a hot bolt of pain shot up my leg.
But I suppressed it and kept walking with him. However, his pace was too much for me to handle. His long legs took bigger strides, and I had to literally run instead of walking to keep up with him.
And the fact that I had stabbed my toe against the rock and my legs were hurting was putting me at a gross disadvantage.
Callahan kept pacing forward, and I tried running with him, but my legs could not keep up anymore and I stumbled against a rock, my body crashing against a tree.
“Ahh”
I went down with a thud and it was then that he looked behind. I tried not to scream as I gripped my left leg to free my foot that had gotten stuck
Callahan shook his head dismissively and got near me. His large hands sunk into the ground at once and he pulled out the big rocks in an instant.
I fell to the ground as I tried not to cry.
My leg was bruised and battered, and I probably had broken my ankle.
Callahan looked at my leg and muttered, “Looks like you cannot walk now
I fought the pain shooting up my leg and answered, “You…you can go. I will come slowly.”
Callahan did not speak a word, but bent down and picked me up in an instant. I shuddered at his touch, but he only picked me up like I weighed nothing and began walking ahead.
I wanted to protest, but I knew I could not walk in such a condition.
So I let him carry me as we headed towards his mansion. Despite not wanting to, I nuzzled against his chest as my bones suddenly snapped.
I tried to bite into my lips hard, but it did not help me.
“Argh” I let out a scream and Callahan immediately asked. “What is the matter?”.
I could not answer as white hot pain shot up my leg. I felt as if my ankle was being twisted and my bones breaking inside of my leg.
It was unbearable, and I buried my face in Callahan’s shirt to not scream again.
I was shaking like a leaf as wave after wave of pain hit me. And I did not even realize that he had begun to run.
His strides were already longer but when he ran, it felt as if I was sitting in some high speed car. But even opening my eyes to see where he was taking me felt like an effort.
My bones felt like they were snapping and bending but were unable to do so as something was stopping them, so they kept trying again and again, sending hot white pain up my body every single time.
-Tears were streaming down my eyes and in no time, I felt his embrace leave me. But I did not have the energy to worry
about where I was landing.
I fell on something soft as I heard Callahan immediately yell, “Get the doctor now!!”
He sat beside me and placed his hands on my head, in an attempt to pacify me, but it was not really helping.
Hearing his voice, somebody brought the doctor in another twenty minutes or so in which the pain had worsened to another degree.
I was writhing and thrashing in pain, but I somehow managed to open my eyes and see Callahan drag a doctor inside the
room.
“Heal her.” He ordered and the doctor quickly got to work. He looked at the leg and asked a few questions to Callahan
“How old is she, exactly?”
“Twenty-one I guess”
“Did she successfully shift the first time?”
“Not completely
He scratched the back of his head, “Well, then, my King. It is her wolf who is trying to interfere with the healing process.”
“What do you mean?” Callahan asked.
“Usually, when werewolves suffer an injury, their wolf abilities take over and the injury is healed faster than an ordinary
human.”
“And?” Callahan probed.
“I am afraid her wolf wants to heal her, but since she could not awaken her inner wolf completely, she is unable to help the girl and that is frustrating her, making her try harder. That is resulting in her bones snapping and trying to heal over and over again.”
He then pointed to my leg. “That swelling is not normal. Her veins have protruded and they appear all black and blue. Her wolf wants to show up, but the girl’s body is unable to allow her, as she is weak right now.”
Callahan shot me a worried look and ran a hand through his hair.
“Well then, what should be done in this case?”
The doctor shrugged. “I am not sure if what I am assuming is 100% correct, but I have not seen such a case before. I would have to ask a few more questions to determine her condition. May P
He threw me a wary look as I fisted with the sheets, holding them in my fingers and digging my nails into it.
“Go ahead,” Callahan muttered while shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Who was with her when she showed the first symptoms of awakening her wolf?”
“Me” Callahan answered.
“Was her skin hot to the touch or cold?”
Callahan scratched his temple. “She was hot and then she broke out into sweat”
The doctor noted it on his notepad. “Did she show any other symptoms? Any unusual mood swings, anger, confusion, or something else?”
Despite the searing pain in my body, I looked at him at that question.
I had gone in heat, and I had asked him to mark me. And he had given me my first org*sm and left his mark on my buttock.
Callahan’s gaze met mine, and I pleaded with him through my eyes to not tell the doctor about it.
Somehow I felt it was very personal and with half the mansion listening to the conversation attentively, 1 did want everybody to know of it so soon.
I felt ashamed of not having enough control over my wolf and body and did not want to be subjected to judgemental looks.
Luckily, Callahan looked at me intently for a minute and replied, “Nothing unusual. She has been wild and unruly since day one, so no change in that.”
His words made everybody chuckle, but I felt relieved that he had not humiliated me any further.
However, that was the only good thing he did for me because he tore his gaze from me again.
“So, how long will she keep crying and whining because of her leg?”
So, Mr. Lycan King was back to being grumpy again. I let my head fall on the pillow and tried to fight the pain while the doctor scribbled something on his notepad.
I believe medications will only lull her to sleep. I cannot do anything to tell her wolf to stop trying. A wolf only talks to their human and probably would respond to their mate. As I am neither, I can’t be of much help.”
Maria had come to sit beside me and patted my forehead lovingly.
“May she find her mate soon. Doctor, maybe give her some sleeping pills. At least she can rest without going through the pain again and again”
The doctor nodded. “I could do that, but then there is a risk. Her wolf might not like the interference and reject the medicines.”
“A wolf can do that?” It was Drusilla’s voice who voiced out her concern.
“A wolf can do amazing things to a human. A wolf is more like a second being within us, an individual personality, but the
goals are aligned. Even a human body rejects a medicine sometimes leading to side effects so I am not sure”
Callahan gritted his teeth. “I did not appoint you as the chief doctor to hear you say how you are unsure of everything. Just heal the girl and make her stop crying”
Callahan seemed very irritated with my screams, and I promptly shut up. The care he had shown when picking me up and running hastily to the mansion. had it been my imagination?
Did he really hate me so much all of a sudden? Or had he always felt disgusted by my presence and was thinking that I was turning into a clingy, whiny beggar?
I tried to sit up on the bed, and Maria propped the cushions behind me for support.
The doctor blanched at Callahan’s words and hastily pulled out an injection.
“I…I will inject her with a sleep inducing medicine. She will stay asleep for a few hours and hopefully the pain will be less tomorrow morning.”
Callahan merely grunted. “Do that then.”
The doctor prepared the injection and wiped a patch of my skin with some cotton, but I shook
“I don’t need the injection”
my head.
He looked at me worriedly, “But if you don’t take this, you will feel the pain all night. Your wolf will gradually realize she is hurting you more and stop trying.”
I winced as another wave of pain shot up my leg, but did not let another tear slip out of my eyes.
“I want to…meet my wolf if she is showing up…I want her to know that I am not weak”
Maria placed a hand on mine and gently squeezed it. “Don’t be so harsh on yourself, girl.”
However, I looked at Callahan and answered, “I need to be”
Chapter 48
Zenovia
The doctor threw me a wary look and then shot a hesitant look at Callahan.
He only shrugged, “Well then leave some pain meds for her. If she feels like it, she will have them.” Saying so, he walked out of the room without another word. Meanwhile, Elijah came to sit beside me. “You are going to be fine, you are strong.”
I nodded my head and he squeezed my hand before muttering, “I will come check on you shortly”
Matteo gave me a nod and left while dragging Drusilla along with himself.
The other servants left too leaving just Maria with me.
“Would you like to eat something?” She asked but I shook my head.
“No, I would like to rest a little.” Maria cupped my face and replied, “Sure, if you need anything just ring the bell”
After she walked out, I let out a sigh and decided to calm down. The pain in my body was not that much or maybe my body had developed a certain tolerance after going through so much pain.
And now that I was alone, my mind kept replaying the whole day of the time spent with Callahan and how he was behaving,
with me.
But despite his frustrating behavior, I realized that my wolf was trying to contact me, to help me heal.
That meant she had not completely abandoned me.
I just did not know how to reach out to her. I was willing to endure the pain if I would get to meet her. I could not stand being weak and helpless anymore.
“Please, if you are listening to me…know that I want to meet you as much as you are trying. I promise I will get strong”
I said to myself and closed my eyes. The silence in the room was deafening and it was unlike the influx of all the smallest noises bombarding my brain
I wanted to sleep but it was evading me. Not knowing what to do, I picked up my phone and was surprised to see a message waiting for me.
It was from an unknown number.
I opened it and checked the text that said- Hey, Ham Harry. Did you reach home safely?
I immediately replied, Yes, I did.
The message was sent a few hours ago and I kept staring at the screen hoping to receive a reply.
When it was close to half an hour that I still did not receive a message. I gave up and put the phone to the side,
But then I heard a beep. Curious, I quickly pulled it near me and saw another text message.
Take
your medicines.
That’s it. There was no name, no introduction, nothing else.
Only one person would be so gruff to me.
I typed ‘f*ck off and make me run for
I wanted to hit enter but decided against it. If he came thundering inside this room, he could very well life and I was not even in the condition to walk, let alone run to save myself.
I stared at that stupid message for a while, wondering what to reply. And then I simply decided to not send any at all. He was just being courteous, nothing more.
At least that is what I told myself. There was another beep and 1 opened my inbox. It was from Harry.
That is great to hear. So, do you want to meet again?
I did not take even a second to reply and typed Yes and hit the send button.
Harry’s reply was instant this time.
Great. Meet me in an hour at Jack’s Bar. Use the money to hire a cab and get there. It is a famous place.
I looked at my leg. It was still hurting and I wondered if I could run away without limping or screaming.
I prayed that my wolf would stop trying to mend me. Now was my chance to run away. I recalled that Cynthia and Callahan were probably going out somewhere tonight.
He was going to be busy.
So, I might as well run away. With that thought in mind, I got up and slowly went towards the bathroom, limping towards it.
The pain had stopped considerably but I did not want to risk it so I took the painkillers just enough to not make me feel drowsy.
Then I showered and put on loose jeans and a hoodie so that it would give me comfort to run or walk. The painkillers took their effect and my leg did not hurt a lot while moving and I was not limping anymore.
Maybe the doctor had given me a small but strong dosage.
While I was getting ready, I received another message.
Wear something nice for the bar so that you blend in.
It was Harry’s message. I frowned after reading it. I did not really like wearing sexy or revealing but then I would stick out like a sore thumb if I went to the bar wearing a hoodie and blue jeans.
I stared at the wardrobe and rummaged through it, wondering what to wear.
After a few minutes, I found the perfect dress a knee-length A-line silhouette in a beautiful black colored satin fabric. It had a modest boat neckline that showed a hint of my collarbones without being too revealing. The sleeves were three-quarter length, adding an elegant touch to the overall look.
The black would allow me to blend in the night and not get noticed if I slipped through the shadows. It was definitely not because I had seen Callahan and Cynthia’s exchange where they decided to wear black.
I decided to cinch the waist gently with a slim black belt, accentuating my figure without going for an overly sensual look. The flowy skirt of the dress allowed for comfortable movement and did not make me look like I wanted to attract attention.
For jewelry, I chose a pair of small pearl stud earrings that added a touch of elegance to my appearance.
As for shoes, I slipped on classic black pumps with no heel so that they would allow me to move effortlessly.
There was an entire section of handbags, purses, and clutches all around and stuffed with things of all possible colors. It made me dizzy just by looking at it so I was glad the dress came with a nice small pocket that I could use to store my phone and the cash.
For my makeup, I went for a natural and radiant look. I opted for a soft smoky eye with neutral shades, a touch of rosy blush on my checks, and a subtle lip color that enhanced my lips without being too bold. I left my hair open and decided to take a peek outside. The coast was clear and most of the servants had gone to sleep.
Since Callahan was not home, the rest of the people had decided to go to bed early it seemed.
“Good for me” I thought and slowly walked out of the mansion, tiptoeing my way through the huge front yard and sprinting out of the gate before the guards would notice me.
I had to walk a few minutes before I spotted a cab and as Harry had instructed informed the driver of the venue.
He did not ask further questions which meant that it was indeed a famous place.
My heart was hammering at the confusing thoughts swirling through my head wondering how to thank Harry for his generosity.
I took my phone out of my pocket and sent him a message.
On the way to Jack’s bar.
His reply was instant.
Great. Can’t wait to meet you.
I felt a little blush rising up my cheeks at the thought of him saying that. We had only met once but he seemed like a kind-hearted man.
I was also determined to return the rest of the money since I did not want so much. Maybe, I could ask him to refer me to some place where they were hiring and I could start earning
That way I would have my own money.
The thoughts about Callahan and the night I had spent with him were now just a memory. He was probably happily giving Cynthia whatever she wanted so it was high time that I focused on my life.
I was lost in thoughts and did not even realize that the cab had stopped. Blinking, I looked up outside the car windows and saw a big neon sign outside an expensive looking place.
“Miss, you have arrived”
I got out of the car and handed the driver the money but he did not have the change.
“Miss the ride cost you 40$,” He said and I fumbled.
“40$?” I asked in an incredulous tone and he replied, “Well, it is late night, the charges are on the higher side.”
I found the 100$ bill and gave it to him. “Here”
“Sorry miss. I do not have the change”
1 frowned but before I could answer a hand tapped on my shoulder.
“Are you in some trouble?” I looked up to see a masked man looking at me.
“Uh, do I know you?” I asked and the person took his mask off.
“I think so”
“Harry!! What a way to startle me!” I said and he chuckled at that and looked at the driver.
“Keep the change”
The driver nodded and left without another word while I looked at Harry with a wide open mouth.
“What are you? Some secret billionaire?”
Harry chuckled, “Spend some time with me and you will soon find out.”
Chapter 49
I giggled at that thought as Harry slipped his hand into mine and guided me to the entry of the bar.
His hand was warm and inviting, and I felt thrilled to be stepping into a bar. I had never been to one before and I was not sure why he had brought me here, but everybody around me was chatting happily and grooving to the music so I let myself loose a little.
Two big men that I doubted were alphas of some kind, were standing at the entrance.
“Bouncers,” Harry mouthed, and he put on his mask again.
“I don’t have one,” I said, and he pulled out a pink colored one from his jacket. “I have got you covered”
I put on the mask and stepped inside the bar with him. The atmosphere was electric. Dazzling lights were flashing at regular intervals and there was smoke all around.
Everybody was dressed in nice modern clothes and I was glad Harry had informed me to change into something nice.
Not a single person was in a hoodie. A few girls were grooving to the music already, and I saw a few couples making out in the dark corners of the bar.
Harry guided me through the crowded place and pulled me to one of the less noisy corners.
“You are looking fabulous, Zenovia,” He said as he gave me a quick once over. Harry was wearing simple black jeans and a red T-shirt but he looked nice too.
But instead of blurting out a compliment, I asked. “Why did you pick a bar to meet of all the places? It is so noisy here” Harry lowered his face and whispered in my ear. “Because your rich brat won’t suspect you to be here of all the places” Well, he had a point. I would never go to a bar on my own as I did not drink and could barely move like a stick to call it a dance unless I was in my room, alone, and no one was watching me.
Then I would throw caution out of the window. But not in a crowded place filled with extremely good looking people. “So, what is the plan? How am I going to get out?” I asked, coming straight to the point.
But Harry had other plans in mind, it seemed.
“Loosen up a little, girl. I wanted you to get out of your shell first”
I threw him a confused look. “I do not have the money to pay for anything except the dollars you gave me. And now I just have $400. I wish to look for a job first and repay you.”
I said so that he would not feel I was leeching off him.
“1
But Harry only placed a hand on my shoulder and replied, “Work, job, money. Is that all you think about? Are you pot listening? Get comfortable first and then we talk about your escape plan.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he had already disappeared into the crowd. I looked around and found an empty stool so sat on it while looking at the crowd.
Harry returned, holding two glasses in his hand. It was a blue colored drink that he offered to me while he took the other
one.
“Here, tonic for the nerves,” He said, and I shook my head.
“Sorry, I don’t drink”
Harry smiled, “I don’t either. This is a soft drink, not liquor. It looks odd that we are sitting here alone just chatting, so I thought holding a glass in our hands would make us look cool.”
I chuckled at that and took the glass from him.
“So, Zenovia, can you tell me more about yourself?” “So, Zenoyia, can you tell me more about yourself?”
I bit my
y lower lip nervously. “Well, my stepmotharry said, while looking at me expectantly.
trying to figure out a way to escape him.”
Want me around, so she sold me off to the rich brat. And I am
“Typical. Stepmothers always hate beautiful stepdaughters” Harry clicked his tongue.
He took a sip from his drink and asked, “So, this rich brat of yours…how does he treat you?”
I fumbled with the answer.
“He is cold and aloof.” I managed and Harry looked at me darkly.
“This might sound a little personal, but did he ever force yourself upon you? I could get the local police involved if he is exploiting you in any way. That way, you are free and that bastard rots in jail forever”
My eyes went wide at that. I did not want Callahan to rot in jail. And he had not forced himself on me, rather I was the one who had begged him to, but that was only because my emotions and wolf were messing with my brain.
I shook my head, “No he did not”
“Great. So you are a virgin then,” He said with a cheerful smile and I did not know what to reply so only stared ahead awkwardly.
Harry received a call on his phone, and he stepped aside. “I will join you in a minute”
I nodded my head and sat watching the couples grooving to the music as a few danced very closely.
While watching the couples, my eyes fell on a particular one that stood out from the rest of the dancers.
Or particularly the man who was dancing. He was tall and athletic, and his body frame was almost exactly like Callahan.
He and the girl with him, both were wearing black, but from this distance, it was hard to tell who they were as it was crowded and the lights were flashing a lot.
Plus, all the people were wearing masks. I looked around, but Harry was nowhere to be found. My gaze drifted back to the couple, but they had disappeared into thin air.
Furrowing my eyebrows, I got up from the chair and took a few steps in the direction I had seen them.
After a bit of searching, I saw them in a corner…or the girl dragging the man in a corner.
She was wearing an almost see through dress, every curve of her body visible as she kept slamming her body onto the man’s, demanding him to touch her.
And the man was not very reluctant to grant her the wish. She was laughing and giggling while she dragged him to a couch and pushed him onto the plush velvet couch.
The man fell on the couch as she grabbed a glass from one of the waiters, who was carrying a tray full of drinks.
She picked one and pushed the waiter away, who almost tripped on the others. He left without arguing and I figured they must be quite rich for everybody to leave them alone or either regular customers at the bar.
The girl clinked her heels and sashayed her hips as she slowly made her way towards the man. Placing a knee right in between his legs to make him part his legs a little, she leaned forward and tilted her head.
The man placed his hands on the back of the sofa, casually resting them as the girl kept moving seductively.
She oozed with confidence and knew what she was doing, unlike me, who was sticking her head behind a wall and hoping no one would notice.
The girl was wearing a black shimmery almost see through dress and she did a little twirl, letting her ass jiggle in front of the man before slowly turning around.
The man kept watching her through the mask but did not immediately grab her. She did her little twirl and brought the glass in front of the man.
The mask was only covering the upper half of his face, leaving just his lips and jaw open. She brought the glass closer to his mouth and urged him to take a sip.
He waited for a moment instead of gulping it down right away. And then she slowly reached for his mask and pulled it up.
I watched with bated breath as the mask came up. And I took a few more steps closer to see who it was, as I could not contain my curiosity anymore.
My breath hitched when a pair of golden eyes revealed themselves and I felt them stare directly at me.
It was just a brief stare and maybe I had imagined it, but I felt as if Callahan had noticed me. Not wanting to make my presence obvious, I quickly hid behind as I tried t
I calm my racing heart.
What was he doing here, of all places? That girl was definitely Cynthia then. And she was leaving no stone unturned to seduce him.
And Callahan was letting her…!
I tried to not let it affect me. He was here with his girlfriend, or whatever she was. He meant nothing to me.
I took a peek a second time at them, careful to not let them see me, and was glad for the crowd that covered me,
Cynthia leaned closer to him and her hair fell on her face as I saw her whisper something in his ear.
Their faces were close, too close, as she kept pushing her chest on him. And I could not see that anymore.
No, I did not want to see it anymore.
So just turned around and walked back to the corner I had been talking with Harry to earlier.
To hell with Callahan and Cynthia. I was going to enjoy my life, too.
Chapter 50
Zenovia
“Hey, where had you disappeared to?” Harry asked when I returned to our spot.
“I even tried calling you, but you did not receive my call,” Harry added, as I tried not looking in the direction where Callahan and Cynthia were making out.
“I…I just thought I saw someone I know.” I gave him the half-truth.
However, he immediately grew alert. “You did? Where is he or she?”
I shook my head, “That is not the person I thought him to be, so let it go”
Harry gave me a look of concern but otherwise just shrugged. “Well, as far as you are okay, I don’t mind.”
He looked at my drink, which was still untouched. “Okay, let that glass go. You have been holding it for almost an hour without taking a sip. You don’t have to”
He added with a laugh, but I looked at the drink and gulped it down in one go. Harry threw me an amazed look.
“Woah, what has gotten into you?” He asked, but I only smiled at him innocently, batting my eyelashes.
“You wanted me to loosen up a little, right? I am loosening up,” I said and even from the mask I saw the way he was confused by the sudden change in my behavior.
I was too, but I did not care at this point. I simply wanted to forget Callahan tonight.
I made a face and looked at the glass. “This drink was so boring. Let us drink something nice”
Harry furrowed his eyebrows, “You told me you don’t drink, girl”
I nodded my head. “Change of plans, let us drink something stronger”
Saying so, I grabbed his hand and began dragging him towards the drinks counter. After reaching it, I pushed myself up on the stool and looked at the bartender.
“How may I help you, miss?”
He asked, and I smiled at him, “Knock me off”
The bartender gave me a devious smile and began preparing the drink. I watched in excitement as he threw the shaker up in the air, caught it in his hand, and then poured it into the glass along with some cubes of ice.
“There you go”
He said, and I took the glass in my hand. “Hey, stop.”
Harry spoke, but I closed my eyes, held my nose with my index finger and thumb, and downed it in one go.
The drink sent a tingling sensation straight up my head, making me feel warm and fuzzy.
“Again” I slammed my hand on the table and the bartender smiled, “Are you sure, miss?”
I nodded my head while Harry got on a stool beside me and answered on my behalf.
“I believe the lady is ready to let herself loose”
I chuckled at that, and my gaze inad
To my horror, Cynthia was now sitting in his
to the corner where I had seen Callahan and Cynthia.
and her hair was on his face. They were definitely making out.
Annoyed with myself, that it still bothered me, I did not even keep track of the drinks I was having.
Around the fourth or fifth one, Harry stopped the bartender from giving me any.
“Okay enough. You are drunk”
I chuckled at that. “Who? Me? I am a good girl, I don’t drink”
Harry got up from the stool and shook his head. “Okay, enough now. Come, let us go. I want you to meet someone
He said and pulled me up from the stool.
“Who?” I asked, and he smiled. “A friend. He wants to meet you.”
I tilted my head. “Which friend and where is he?”
Harry let out a sigh. “I should never let you drink so much again. Now come on.”
He tugged at my hand, but I did not budge. Instead, I dragged him towards the dance floor.
1/3
“No, let us go dance”
Harry shook his head. “Party is over, Zenovia. Let us go!”
But I was insistent. “No, come dance with me. And get your friend here too. We all can dance”
I said as I went further towards the dancing crowd, letting go of my hold over his hand.
The DJ changed the music to a peppy beat, and I began to dance as if nobody was watching.
The drinks made me feel light-headed and the pain in my leg was suddenly gone. My whole body felt as if it was made of air and that I was floating, drifting to some dreamland.
All around me, people were dancing while I grooved and danced like there was no tomorrow. I bumped into a young man who was dancing with his friends and he gave me a smile and began grooving with me.
I smiled and started dancing with him as he matched my steps. “Are you alone?”
He asked, and I shook my head, “Not really. But my friend doesn’t like to dance”
“Well, I like to,” He said and stepped closer, and 1 let him. Soon, his hands rested on my waist and we began dancing to the rhythm.
I felt as if I was dancing on the clouds, my body moving like a feather.
“You dance nice,” He commented and pulled me closer. His hand was beginning to slide lower, but then somebody turned me around and I was slammed into a cold hard wall of muscle.
I gulped to see the golden eyes staring at me through the mask.
I knew those eyes, but my brain just could not remember who exactly it was. Maybe, I was utterly wasted. But my body
reacted to his touch.
His hands pulled me close, and I went into his embrace like a moth to a flame. The other guy tried to dance with me again, but the man dancing with me glared at him and pushed him away.
The guy joined his friends in dancing while the golden eyed man placed his hands on my waist.
“Do I know you?” I asked as one of his hands rested on my waist while the other traveled down my elbow to intertwine his fingers with mine.
“Not completely,” He answered and his voice did things to me, odd, delicious things.
His touch ignited something primal inside of me and I let him twirl and turn me as he took control of the dance and of everything else.
The entire bar and my worries disappeared into thin air as I danced with the sexy hunk. I was reminded of my dance with Callahan at the ball a few days ago, when he had danced with me in a slow tune.
But this was different, this was fast, this was frenzied, and this was sexy as hell. His hands traveled down from my waist to my butt and he gently squeezed it, making me moan.
And then something erupted within me. I looked at him, really looked at him, and it was as if a switch was turned on.
“Callahan,” I breathed as he slamned my body
soul.
He neither denied that name nor agreed to be him. But I saw the golden eyes boring into my eyes, reaching my very
He raised my hand and twirled me, making me spin at a dizzying speed. The lights around me looked blurry, everything looked hazy, as the music suddenly sounded dull against the sound of my raging heartbeat.
I had not really paid attention to his clothes and how well they fit him, how the top button of his shirt was open, giving me a delicious view of his chiseled chest or how his fingers ignited a spark inside of me, every time they brushed my skin, making me shiver.
This.
-I wanted this.
All of this and much more. My body, my mind, my wolf….everything wanted him, his touch, and loved the feeling it evoked inside of me.
This was the second tirne I was dancing with him, but unlike the ball where I was guarded and aware of every gaze on me, I truly let myself loose.
My hands reached for his shirt and I tugged at his collar, pulling him close as the scent of his cologne wafted towards me. His scent was just like him- dark and invigorating. I felt myself craving for him and my mouth watered at the scent, at what his body was doing to me, and wanted to claw his clothes out.
And I’must have tried ripping his shirt apart, for he swiftly took hold of my hands and put them away from his shirt.
“Not now, you still have to finish your job”
I blinked. Job? What job?
We were dancing, and he had yet to touch me anywhere except my waist. Why was that?
Feeling annoyed, I tried to shake off his hold, but he maintained an iron grip on me. He lowered his face as heat rushed to my cheeks when he brought his lips near my ears.
“Wh-what are you doing?” I asked as his breath tickled my skin, making the loose strands of hair brush against my cheek.
He pushed the strands away, tucking them behind my car, and whispered.
“Just reminding you that you are mine, little lamb…”
A shiver of pleasure rippled through me as he said those words and the way his lips brushed against my earlobe, making my core ache for him.
Just why did he have this effect on me?
While I wondered about it, he leaned in just a little and I felt his tongue flick over my ear, sending another wave of pleasure that shot through every single nerve, followed by his teeth that softly bit into my earlobe, making me moan.
“…just mine.”
He said, and I shut my eyes due to the bolt of pleasure making me giddy as I tried to stop my knees from wobbling.
I stayed like that just for a while, waiting for him to say more, do more, but there was nothing. And when I opened my eyes, he was gone.
Chapter 51
I blinked in confusion and looked around, wondering where the sexy man had disappeared to. I had not imagined the entire dance with Callahan, right?
I looked around, trying to find him, but he was nowhere to be seen. The dance floor was crowded, and I was unable to find any familiar face. I hoped to find Cynthia and figured that he would be with her, but even she was nowhere to be seen.
My head felt like a mush and I was not sure what was going on. Maybe I had had too many drinks.
My head was throbbing in pain and I felt lightheaded and dizzy. Suddenly, the huge dance floor felt claustrophobic due to all the people dancing so closely together.
I tried pushing my way through them but could not make much of a progress. That is why I felt relieved when I saw Harry’s
face.
“Harry!” I screamed at the top of my lungs so as to drown the noise of the music blasting through the huge speakers, He was looking for me and I waved desperately, jumping up and down on my heels until he finally located me.
“Harry!!” He finally spotted me and came forward.
“Where the hell had you disappeared to?” He asked and grabbed my hand, pulling me aside.
He seemed a little angry as he dragged me out of the dancing crowd and pushed me into a corner
“Did I not tell you to stay here? Why do you keep running around?” He asked, raking a hand through his hair.
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Why are you yelling at me?”
My question further angered him and he almost punched into the nearby wall.
“You ask me that? Do you understand the risk I was taking by bringing you here?”
I only looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing, let us go,” Harry grabbed my hand again and headed towards the stairs that led to the first floor of the bar. “Where are we going?” I asked, as he tightened his grip on me.
“I told you my friend was coming over to meet you. He is waiting for you.” Harry said, and the way he was dragging me made me feel uncomfortable.
“Stop it, Harry! You are hurting me!!”
I cried, but my voice was muffled due to the dancers and music all around. But Harry paid no attention to my words.
In fact, he was not at all being the Harry I knew,
There were a few bouncers standing by the side, all of whom were big and definitely stronger than Harry.
They would definitely help me if I told them what was going on.
Meanwhile, Harry continued to pull me towards the stairs on the other end of the big club and I began panicking.
In an effort to save myself. I twisted my hand to loosen his grip over me,
“What the” Harry began, but I half-stumbled, half-ran towards the bouncers standing on the side and put my hands together as if begging for them to intervene.
Pointing in the direction of Harry, I screamed. “That that guy…he is dragging me somewhere I don’t want to go. Please, help
me.”
However, the guards kept looking around as if I was not screaming my lungs out.
“Hey, are you listening?” I jumped up and down in front of them, screamed again, but the other bouncers merely circled me, blocking others’ view of me, and stood still.
Harry came walking into the circle angrily, and they let him in. He yanked hard at my arm. “You are being such a pain in the ass. I swear I want to knock you out right now”
My eyes went wide, and I tried hitting him with punches and kicks, but this time, he did not let his grip loosen.
I threw a helpless look at the bouncers again, indicating to them that I did not want to go with Harry, however, they turned a blind eye at me.
Something was very, very wrong here.
“Waith Harry, let me go!!”
1/3
Chapter 51
I kept screaming and shouting as he began climbing up the stairs, dragging me with himself. I tried to kick at him and punch, but I was drunken and had already expended a lot of energy while dancing and not trying to pass out.
Harry kept dragging me and two bouncers began following us so as to not let me slip away. I panicked and opened my mouth and bit hard into his hand.
“f*ck,” He cursed under his breath as he let go of my hand. I tried running away, but the bouncers caught me before I could escape. They were literally blocking the way with their huge bodies, and it did not leave me much of a gap to squeeze through.
One of them grabbed me by the waist while another caught my legs and placed me back on the stairs.
“Careful,” Harry snarled, “Don’t hurt her. We do not want any injuries on her or that would lower her price.”
What?
My price?
I struggled frantically, clawing and kicking at the three men, but I was no match for them. They dragged me through the stairs, though they were careful not to injure me.
“You bitch!!” Harry swore and yanked my hair to stop me from struggling.
“You think you are all smart and cute with your acting, right? You are beyond dumb.” He opened the door and pushed me inside a large room before stepping in and closing the door behind him.
Tears began forming in my eyes.
“Harry, please, what are you doing?”
But he only showed me an evil smile and pointed his chin forward.
“Told you my friend is here to meet you. Go, greet him”
But then, before I could utter a word, I heard a very animalistic growl coming from the far end of the room.
There was little to no light in the room that was glass paneled and I could barely see anything due to the disco lights that flashed occasionally through the glass walls.
It was too dark for me to take a good look, but there was indeed someone sitting on the couch.
I looked forward through tear-streaked eyes as I saw a man sitting on a plush red colored couch. He was wearing all black, covering him from head to toe. Even his face was hidden behind a mask. Something about him felt eerily familiar, but I could not put a finger on what exactly as the alcohol in my system made me feel fuzzy.
His identity was hidden behind the shadows, and I could only make out his silhouette in the dim disco lights that kept shining on the glass walls every now and then.
The room was made up of glass walls, but it was so high that not many would look up to notice what was going above. The glass walls were opaque and the red lights kept dancing through the gaps, illuminating the space a bit.
The room was big and spacious and except us three, there was nobody else.
“I need my payment,” Harry demanded while rubbing his hand at the spot I had bitten him in.
But then the man got up from the couch and in an instant was upon Harry. Harry’s eyes went wide with terror as the man held him by the throat.
I subconsciously stepped back as I saw the man almost strangle Harry with his bare hands. The strength he exuded was not something ordinary men could possess.
He was definitely a werewolf.
But what was a werewolf doing here? And what did he want with me?
Harry seemed to have struck a deal with this man who offered him money to bring me here it seemed.
It was all atrap. And now, I could only curse myself silently while thinking of ways to run away from this place.
Harry feebly tried to claw at the man’s hands in an effort to make him loosen his grip.
“But…I got… the girl”
He mumbled, and the man spoke in a very low voice.
-Who
gave you the right to hurt her?”
I furrowed my eyes in confusion. Did this man not want to hurt me? But then why not meet me directly?
Perhaps my father had finally sent someone to free me?
A small ray of hope emerged in my mind and I had conflicted thoughts going on in my head.
Chapter 51
To get a better view of this person, I craned my neck a little but could not see anything clearly.
His voice too felt familiar, but it somehow wasn’t.
While I racked my brains to recall who this must be, the man further tightened his grip on Harry’s throat.
“I did not touch her she bit me…”
Harry wailed and flapped his hands like a petrified bird would flap its wings. The man’s eyes fell on his hand and he let go of Harry in an instant.
Harry crumpled on the floor in a heap and let out a pained groan as he rocked from side to side, holding his knee in his hands. The man opened his jacket and threw a thick wad of notes on Harry.
“Now get out and don’t show me your face again,” He snarled and kicked Harry in the abdomen.
Harry let out another groan but grabbed the money, managed to get up and ran outside the door.
And there I saw my chance. The door was falling shut, so I ran as fast as I could and bolted towards the door, but he grabbed me by the waist and plucked me off the floor.
“Not so soon, darling!” He said with a chuckle as he took a whiff of my hair, inhaling deeply.
“I have waited so long for you…”
But his touch made my skin crawl, and it finally clicked who this guy was.
He had come for me.
Chapter 52
I struggled frantically in his hold, and at some point, he let go of me.
“You…you why are you here?” I asked in a hoarse voice as I tried to crawl away from himn.
The man chuckled as he squatted down on the floor. “Do you remember me?”
He asked, and I crawled back a few more inches.
“Oh, come on, baby girl, you don’t have to be afraid of me.” He spoke as he began slowly taking off his gloves.
I watched him in dread as he threw the gloves on the floor and then began rolling his sleeves up.
“Come on, is this how you greet an old friend? A dichard lover of yours? Show some love, baby girl”
He said as I grit my teeth.
“You….you are no friend of mine. You are the reason I was thrown out of my house”
He clicked his tongue reproachfully and shook his head.
“No baby girl, it was you who messed up big time. I had to save myself first. But I promised myself that I would come to save you and I did, right?”
He asked, his dark eyes looking at me through the mask.
“Just go away” I tried to scream but my voice came out as a croak.
“Now you are hurting me. I went through all this to meet you and is this how you greet me?”
He came forward and grabbed me by the chin.
“I am asking nicely. Let us start again, shall we?” His eyes gleamed malevolently through the mask and I tried in vain to get
away.
“Who am I?” He asked and I grit my teeth.
“Sid,” I said in a disgusted voice, but he took off his mask and smiled at me.
He came closer, and I saw that there was something different about him. He did not look as if he was in his right mind. His eyes were bloodshot and even his face looked a bit puffed up.
“Do you know how nice it feels to hear you take my name?”
Sid asked as he looked at me with a lustful gaze.
His hand left my chin as I scooted back further. But he only folded his legs on the floor and sat cross-legged in front of me, leaning forward.
“Well, well. Look at you. You have blossomed into a nice flower.”
His eyes roamed over my body as I tried to cover myself with my hands and cross my legs. I was wearing a short dress, so it made it further difficult for me to cover myself.
“Come on, baby girl. Stop shying away from me. All of that..” He said, pointing a finger at me that went up and down in the air before continuing…all of that is for me…”
I felt utterly disgusted and kept scooting backward before my back hit the glass wall.
Sid too came crawling forward on all fours, making him look like a wild animal who kept smiling at me wickedly.
Before I could get up, he placed a hand on the glass wall beside me and trapped me in his arms.
“Sid, what is this? What are you doing?” I asked as he grinned at me and took a whiff again.
“God, you smell delicious, baby girl. I can’t wait to find out if you taste the same.”
“Stop calling me that.” I said in a disgusted voice, but he did not pay attention to my words.
He raised his hands and traced a finger through a loose strand of hair before pushing it back.
He took a long whiff and closed his eyes while inhaling, and I felt disgusted.
“You smell divine, just like before, though you appear well fed and cared for!” He noted and inched closer to my face.
“Did that bastard Lycan touch you?” He said as he took another whiff.
I did not answer but turned around and banged on the wall, calling for help, but it was of no use.
“Scream and cry all you want. Nobody is going to hear you. It is just me and you.”
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Sid said as I rammed my fists into the glass walls. I could see people dancing downstairs and having fun, but nobody looked up as they were in their own world.
I turned back to him and pleaded, “What do you want, Sid? You wanted to sell me and you got rid of me. Now, why are you here?”
Sid chuckled as he clicked his tongue reproachfully.
“Tsk, tsk. Have you forgotten that we lived under the same roof for years? Is this how you greet your family?”
He asked, but I grit my teeth. “You are no family to me. You are nothing to me…..nothing.”
But Sid shook his head, “Wrong answer”
He pulled out something from his pocket and showed it to me.
“Do you know what this is?”
He pulled out a small vial and an injection and began filling it.
“Sid, please. I am your sister.”
Sid kept filling the injection with the liquid and threw the vial off when it was empty. The small glass vial rattled on the floor and crashed into small pieces.
“I don’t want to use this, you know. If you submit to me willingly, I will not use this on you. So, I am offering you a choice, sweetheart.”
He said, while holding the injection in front of me.
“Wh-what is it?”
Sid chuckled darkly as he leaned forward. “A little medicine. It would make you compliant with my wishes. Turn you into an obedient girl.”
My eyes went wide at that. “You want to drug me?”
Sid shook his head again. “God, why do you have to be so blunt about it? I could have stuck that needle in your skin the moment you came in. But did 11 am still holding it in front of you, right? I am being nice and you are being rude.”
Sid said as he threw me a hurt look. Was he out of his mind?
“I am your sister,” I repeated, wondering if he had forgotten that.
“Stop saying that. We are step siblings. And I have been fascinated with you for a long time. Mom would not let me have you and even you kept pushing me away, but I always wanted you, baby girl.”
I could not believe my ears.
“What?”
Chapter 53
His eyes looked bloodshot, and he was staring at me with a malicious grin, his eyes overflowing with lust.
“Why do you think I let you run away while pretending to chase you in the forest? I was going to let you hide in that cave and order others to turn around and then come to get you back alone. I was also going to transport you to other safe location until the Lycan King arrived.”
“What are you saying?” I asked him in a flabbergasted voice.
Sid nodded his head. “I wanted to tell you all of this and much more but you just did not give me the time. I had seen you eavesdropping on our conversation.”
Sid added, and I only looked at him in shock.
“How….how could you say that about me, Sid? You lied to my father…our father”
But Sid shook his head and tried to silence me.
“Shh, you are not listening. I had to improvise on the spot. You know Mom hated you, but you also know that I love you, right? Why else do you think I went through all this trouble to get you here?”
The more he spoke, the more my head was spinning. I could not process all of it, given my already exhausted mind and body.
I desperately wanted my wolf to show up and kick him away, but I did not even have the strength to call onto her. Meanwhile, when I stayed quiet, he took that as an affirmation and continued.
“You know how much I love you and care for you, right? I was always willing to keep you with me. I always took the first step, but you kept pushing me away. But I knew one day you would realize what you were doing was wrong. And now, I know you have realized that.”
I stared at him blankly.
“I have realized what?”
Sid reached for another strand of my hair and pushed it away, but I tried not to shudder at his touch.
He smiled and tucked it behind my ear before cupping my face.
“I figured when you would be forced to be the Lycan King’s breeder you would understand how cruel this world is. Now you know that, right? I knew you would never want that cursed monster to touch you and from the moment you were taken, I was working day in and out to save you from him.”
His words were too much for my brain to consume and process. I had always known that Sid was a creep, but whatever he was saying was very twisted. It made my head hurt all the more and my mind go blank again.
I could not even form a coherent sentence to the utter nonsense he was spewing.
“I came to save you from him, baby girl. I made that stupid human work for me and instructed him to not hurt you? I knew you would never trust me. But I am telling you the truth. I want to rip your clothes so bad and f*ck you, but I want you to remember how it felt to have me inside of you. I want you to moan my name. This injection will not let you remember that…it will dull your senses. So, listen to me, please. I am being nice and polite, right?”
“No, please Sid, you can’t do that to me.” I begged, but he had a hurt look on his face.
“I want you to want me. Why is it so hard to understand?” Sid furrowed his eyebrows and his voice grew angrier.
“I don’t look at you like that, Sid. How many times do I have to tell you?” I tried to put sense in him, but he was in no mood
to listen.
“Oh, come on, sweetheart. I know you want to run away from that wretched, cursed lycan. He will die soon either way. I can help you be free of his clutches. But I have done a lot of work and you did not even kiss me yet. All you have to do is satisfy
me.”
He inched closer and pulled my face closer to his, bringing his lips closer to mine and making me want to puke.
But I raised my hand at that and pulled a tight slap across his face.
“Just shut
up and go to hell,” I cried as my hand imprinted on his cheek while I was taking ragged breaths to calm my nerves. He took a moment to process that I had just hit him instead of thanking him for his so-called act of gratitude.
Sid looked up at me angrily, his hand resting on his cheek that I had just slapped.
Sid coiled and uncoiled his fists and gritted his teeth.
“Looks like you are not going to listen to me the easy way. So be it. You leave me no choice. When I mark you, you are
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going to be mine either way”
I thought of something and muttered hastily, “B-but I am an omega and you are going to be an alpha, Sid. It will not suit your image.”
Sid shook his head and replied, “I can choose you as my mate, give you the respect. And in the worst case, if mom wants me to marry someone else just for the prosperity of the pack, I can keep you as my mistress. It is better than being a cursed Lycan’s breeder, right?”
He pulled a small cap off the injection’s needle and the tip shone in the dim light casting through the walls.
T
“No, please Sid, don’t,” I begged him as he grabbed my arm and brought the injection near my arm. “I am going to f*ck you until you scream my name, baby girl. You are mine…just mine.”
He was about to push the needle into my skin but then a voice rang out from the door, “Nope, she is mine”
Zenovia
Chapter 54
The door flew open, and I saw a dark, tall silhouette standing by the doorframe, the door lying at his feet and the hinges creaking horribly.
“Nope, she is mine.”
That voice.
I would recognize that voice anywhere.
My Lycan King was here. He had come to save me.
I was going to be safe. While I let out a sigh of relief, Sid looked around wildly and shouted.
“Bouncers, security, where are you?”
Callahan stayed standing by the doorframe, leaning on it as Sid took an involuntary step back. Callahan did not pounce or even march forward, he just stayed casually leaning on the doorframe, one of his hands tucked in the pocket.
Sid looked from me to him and threw a panicked gaze all around before mustering the courage to ask, “Who the hell are you?”
He asked, and the man stepped forward as the red light shone on his face.
“Remember me?” Callahan asked as he took one more step ahead and Sid’s body went limp. All the confidence and courage he had been showing me evaporated into thin air as Callahan walked in as if this were a party.
“Callahan,” I cried and Sid blanched visibly.
“K-King Cal-Callahan, wh-what are you doing here?” He asked, and Callahan smiled at him. But there was nothing warm about that smile.
It was cold and deadly.
“Since when do you think that I am answerable to you” His voice was lighthearted, but there was an undercurrent of power to it, a firmness and authority that would make any other man standing in front of him pee his pants.
Callahan came forward, and he only shot me a look. Our gazes met, and I did not need any further motivation.
My legs automatically found the strength, and I ran towards him, bumping into his chest. I sobbed and cried as his hand snaked around my back, pulling me into his protective embrace.
He let me sob and his hand slowly came to rest on my shoulders after patting me, his touch calming me down.
“Calm down. You are okay.”
His voice, that was cold and unforgiving while speaking to Sid, suddenly sounded concerned and warm to me.
Was he really worried about my well-being? How had he even found out that I was here?
There were several questions raging in my mind, but my heart and my body did not want to let go of him.
After that one night we spent together, he had suddenly become cold to me and did not want to even look at me.
I had been yearning for one look from him, just one touch, and this was more than a touch.
It was his embrace that made me feel safe, loved, and protected.
I had glued myself to him and was clawing at his shirt, wanting to pull him closer to me while sobbing hysterically.
“Shh, it’s okay. Nothing is going to happen to you. EVER. Do you understand that?”
He asked me, pulling my face up and making me look in his eyes. His golden eyes were sparkling with concern and worry while I was crying my eyes out.
I saw my reflection in his eyes, the way snot was running down my nose and my hair was askew.
That made me take a pause and calm my nerves. Meanwhile, Callahan’s hand gently continued to brush my back, relieving the tension that had been building up in my muscles.
And then suddenly he pulled me close and placed a kiss on my forehead.
That made my nerves go haywire all over again. Only my mom had ever kissed me like that when I was little whenever I was scared of something or afraid at nights.
Tears stung at the back of my eyes that I tried not to show while looking down at the floor.
“I have to deal with that idiot, but it won’t take long, alright?” His hand brushed my cheek, wiping the tears off my face as sobbed
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Chapter 54
Sitting on the couch, he took off his coat and draped me in it. While Callahan was trying to calm me down, Sid noticed that the exit was open and tried to slink away.
He was slowly tiptoeing out of the room and had almost reached the door when Callahan got up and was in front of him in the blink of an eye.
“What is that thing in your hand?” Callahan asked, and Sid looked up at the injection stupidly.
He immediately pulled his hands down after realizing that he had been holding it up in the air all this time.
“No-nothing, King” He gulped nervously and put his hand behind his back. Meanwhile, Callahan slowly guided me towards the couch and gently helped me sit on it.
Callahan smiled at him and Sid fumbled, “you.. I was just…”
He began, but could not get words out of his mouth. He tried speaking, but Callahan reached for his neck and closed his hands around it in a second.
The next second, Sid was scrambling as Callahan held him by the neck, his feet dangling in the air as he gasped for air and cried for mercy.
“Shh, stop whining or I will choke you in an instant,” Callahan said and like an obedient kid, Sid immediately went limp.
He stopped struggling while he looked at me.
“Zen-Zenovia, please help. The King has some misunderstanding….
At that, Callahan let out a growl and threw him on the wall. Sid went flying through a few feet and landed on the exact glass wall I had been banging my fists against, hoping that somebody would notice me.
Sid scrunched on the floor and crumpled like a heap, las bones cracking and his joints creaking as Callahan thundered.
“How dare you try talking to her?”
Sid coughed and wheezed as he rolled on the floor, holding his knees close to his stomach and rocking himself from side to side as if that would give him some relief.
“K-King, I…I found her here. I came to save her.” Sid breathed and Callahan took four large strides and was in front of Sid in the next instant.
“You f*cking liar…” The Lycan King was shaking in fury and Sid had a petrified look on his face.
“N-no, please King. Believe me, Lonly came here because I was forced to do so.”
Callahan squatted down and Sid put his hands up on this face, shielding himself against Callahan in a desperate attempt.
“Start talking,” Callahan ordered and Sid began to shake wildly.
Chapter 55
Callahan was staring daggers at Sid, who was twitching uncontrollably on the floor. This was the same person I had stayed with in a family, the same person who had told my father how I was the one to have made sexual advances on him….and the same person who just a few minutes ago was professing his love..or rather lust for me.
I pulled the coat even closer to myself as Sid began trying to answer Callahan’s questions.
“The the rogues. they asked me to…they wanted to it was them” Sid tried to speak but words would not come out because he was shaking in fear.
“What rogues? What do they want from Zenovia?” The Lycan King thundered and Sid slowly took a peek from his hands, afraid that a punch would hit him square in the nose.
When Callahan did not throw a punch immediately, Sid lowered his hand.
“The…the rogue King, there are rumors of a rogue King who wants to take you down, K-King”
Callahan smirked. “Take me down?”
The sheer tone with which he uttered that question spoke volumes about his self-confidence. He could not believe someone could try that and found it absurd.
Was he proud of himself and his strength? Yes.
But was he an arrogant prick? Not really.
Well, I could say that the answer could switch to a “maybe” when I recalled the cold shoulder he had been giving me lately.
Sid nodded his head, “Y-yes, my King II was merely working on orders because I know Zenovia and she lived with my family.”
Callahan grabbed Sid’s collar and pulled him up as Sid let out a muffled scream because Callahan’s eyes were boring down into his own.
“You take orders from me, not from anybody else. Are you forgetting who rules this place?”
Sid kept shaking and trembling while trying to form a coherent response.
“I am s-sorry, King”
The King could have killed him in an instant, but something about the rogue King made him control his rage.
“Who is he?”
Sid was trembling like a leaf caught in a storm, shaking from head to toe.
“I do not know the name yet, my King. I have not seen him or met him directly. I simply received a message from someone one day.”
“What message?” Callahan’s tone was sharp, and it made even me flinch, though it was not directed at me.
“L..there were just proofs of money I had used on myself, partying and such from the pack’s treasury in the last week. The message asked me to do the task or forward those proofs to father.”
Callahan raised an eyebrow
“How much amount was it? I don’t believe you fell for someone’s trap just for the sake of a few dollars.”
But I knew Sid and his extravagant habits. It would definitely not be just a few dollars.
“I don’t like to ask the same question twice,” Callahan growled and Sid answered, “F-five!”
“Five thousand dollars? That’s it?”
“Five million,” I blurted out, and I was proven correct by the silence as Sid did not look up.
“Five million? You spent five million in a week?”
Sid tried to reason. “I…well, I am the future alpha of the pack and it was my friends who forced me.”
Callahan could only shake his head. “The more 1 hear you, the more I see a case of a pampered, spoiled child not a fearsome monster. You are pathetic.”
Callahan let go of Sid’s collar and ran a hand through his hair.
“So somebody blackmailed you and you were ordered to bring Zenovia here?”
“Y-yes. But I knew she would never willingly come here to meet me.”
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Callahan finished the line for him, “…so you decided to hire a cheap sales guy to do your bidding”
Sid raised his hands and put them together as if he was praying to the moon Goddess.
“I was afraid my family would get hurt, King.”
Callahan thundered, “Wasn’t Zenovia your family? Is she not your sister?”
And at that line, I looked up at him.
Sid had just now said that he wanted to take advantage of me. He would never agree to call me sister.
I could feel it in my gut that he would dodge the question.
Sid stayed silent as Callahan raised his hands and slapped him hard when there was no response.
And I was not sure if I should have felt happy that I was correct or horrified that my spineless stepbrother did not look at me like a sister.
I pulled the coat closer to my body and watched their exchange.
I had been sitting on the couch, rubbing my hands together as I tried to process just what had occurred in the last two hours.
I had almost been sold and taken advantage of by two different men, one I had recently met and one I had looked at as a brother all my life.
Unexpectedly, the one my family had sold me to, the one who was called a monster and was the one who should have taken” advantage of me, forced himself upon me the moment he set eyes on me…that man had turned into my savior.
I did not know whether to laugh or cry at my current situation.
Sid stole a glance at me and Callahan slapped him, “Look at mel!”
Sid was almost on the verge of tears as he answered, “she, we are step siblings, we are not biologically related.”
Callahan grit his teeth and his nails dug into the collar of Sid’s shirt, making his neck bol up and down limply.
“Siblings, that is what you are,” He corrected and Sid did not dare to voice out any objection if he had.
In my opinion, I did not want him as a brother or anything. Sid was a stranger to me, just like Luna Celeste and my father, both of who had abandoned me.
I had no family, no loved ones anymore,
The injection had fallen from Sid’s hand at one point and Callahan slowly got up from the floor and walked towards the injection.
Sid began to crouch away, using his hands and legs to push himself back until his back hit the cold glass wall.
“Now listen to me, you little rat. I would have killed you, but you are no use to me dead. Now, you are going to turn into my informant and find out what the rogue King wants from me, from Zenovia and inform me. If you fail to do so. Lain going to inject you with medicines that would amplify the pain instead of dulling you to sleep so that even a gentle breeze brushing your hand would feel like a knife slicing through your skin.”
Sid had begun to cry and had joined his hands together.
“I am sorry, my King. Please have mercy on me. B-but the rogue King is dangerous. He will kill me if I don’t show up with Zenovia.”
Callahan twirled the injection in his hand. “You better fear me, and what would I do to you if you don’t obey? And this rogue King of yours, he is a werewolf, a puny little dog in front of me. Do you really think you have any chances of betraying me?”
Sid had broken out into a sweat and was cowering while pleading for mercy.
“N-no my King. II understand b-but please…please don’t hurt me”
“I will hurt you in ways you cannot even imagine if you even think of Zenovia again. Is that understood?”
Chapter 56
The way Callahan said those words made me shudder. Had he said that only because he was angry, or had he really meant.
it?
Did he truly care for me, or was simply trying to threaten Sid into giving him more information?
I had no idea, but I felt certain that I had heard his voice crack and his eyes had shone with worry upon seeing me plastered on the wall. I had definitely not imagined the relief that had escaped his body when I snuggled into his embrace.
But then why had he become so cold to me all of a sudden?
“P-please. King. I…I will do as you say,” Sid was begging to Callahan, but Callahan was the least bothered.
He only came near me and looked me in the eye.
“I want you to trust me on this, okay?”
I blinked in confusion. “On what?”
But before I could ask him further, he gently pulled me up from the couch and brought me near Sid. I recoiled when Sid’s hand fell on my feet, or more like Callahan grabbed Sid’s collar and dragged him towards me.
“She is the one you have to apologize to,” Callahan muttered, and Sid looked up at me with pleading eyes.
“Please Zenovia, we lived together. You know how much I cared for you.”
But Callahan’s confidence was infectious. He stood beside me firmly and I felt like he was radiating his confidence and charisma, some of which seeped into my body.
It was as if I suddenly found my voice that was shaken.
“Is that why you sold me? Telling father that I was the one forcing myself on you?”
Sid’s eyes went wide, but he was not the only one who had this reaction. Callahan was staring at me in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Sid only managed to croak, “I told you Mom wanted you out of the way. I could not say no to her. She wanted to sell you to the highest bidder at another auction, but I took Lycan King’s name before she could send you to a place I could not rescue you from.”
“Rescue me from?” I asked, and Sid took a breath of relief. glad that Callahan had not twisted his spine yet.
Sid tried getting up on his feet, but Callahan merely pushed him back, making him fall on his knees.
He did not try getting up, but stayed on the ground while trying to beg for his life.
“Yes, from the Lycan King. I have to show the rogue King that I brought you.”
Callahan clenched his fists. “So you wanted to ‘rescue’ her from me and throw her at this self-proclaimed rogue king?”
Sid shook his head wildly.
“N-no. I was going to inform him that I met her, but she is not strong or fit enough to be of any use to him and make him drop her topic.”
His gaze then flicked towards me. “But I wanted to speak to you first and clear our past confusion.”
A sliver of doubt entered my
mind
“And how were you so s sure that he would believe you?” I asked pointedly, folding my hands on my chest.
“He is not strong enough to attack the mansion and take you all by himself. So, his best bet was me, someone who has lived with you for a long time. I would make him believe me.”
Sid gulped and I could see the cogs of his brain whirring as he came up with one crazy explanation after another.
“So, you wanted to save your sister and put the King at risk, I see, Callahan added, and Sid’s face drained of all its color.
Before I could speak, Callahan snarled, “Is that what you were trying to do with the injection?”
Callahan took the injection in his hand and studied it, the tip of the needle gleaming in the dim light.
“Ile wanted to make me compliant to his wishes,” I replied instead of Sid, who hastily added,
“..I told you I was going to take you to the place I was supposed to deliver you to and then bring you back here.”
“Oh really? By trying to force yourself upon her?” Callahan asked, and he pointed the injection at Sid’s face.
“P-please King, I was not thinking straight. I thought if I marked her, I would have the first claim to her, not the fogue King But I really wanted to save Zenovia.”
“She is your sister, for f*ck’s sake. How can you even think of marking her?”
Callahan growled and his voice rumbled with a force that made the windows tremble, but I noticed how Sid did not say a word yet again to that line.
Was he really out of his mind? I knew he was a Casanova and slept with almost every girl that would ever allow him, so I was not sure what could be the reason for his fascination with me.
“What is in this injection?” Callahan asked, and Sid put his hands in front of his chest in an effort to shield himself from the Lycan King.
His fearful expressions made Callahan smirk,
“Oh, I am not going to hurt you for your error. But I like to play fair and it is only fair that you lie here on the floor like a dirty rag, passed out and with the medicine in your stream as I take her back home. Have fun explaining to your rogue King how a wolfless girl escaped your clutches.”
“N-no, my King That..that medicine is dangerous. Please don’t”
Callahan smirked, “Dangerous? How? I thought it made you compliant and dulled your senses.”
Sid shook his head wildly. “No, it makes your brain go fuzzy. It…it makes you enter a state of bliss in which you have no control over your body or actions.”
“Even better”
wwwwww
Saying so, Callahan pulled Sid’s collar down and stuck the injection in his neck as Sid cried and thrashed against his hold futilely.
“That should serve as a lesson for lying to me and trying to hurt Zenovia. I would have killed you, but I need you as my puppet, so live as long as I let you. Your days are numbered either way.”
Callahan threw the empty syringe away and looked at me. “Shall we go home?”
I was shuddering and got up instantly and ran towards him again. However, my knees wobbled as I felt the horror of what would have happened to me had Callahan not arrived in time.
“Yes, please,” I replied and the next second I was plucked off the ground and was in the arms of my savior.
Chapter 57
Zenovia
Callahan carried me down the stairs and the anxiety that had been rampaging my body disappeared, leaving exhaustion behind.
His shoes fell softly on the carpeted stairs as he walked downstairs, carrying me bridal style. 1 buried my face in his embrace as he climbed down the stairs and turned around.
The party was still going on, and I believe nobody knew what had transpired upstairs. Maybe that is what he wanted to be the case. I looked back to see Sid twitch on the ground, his eyes staring at me but being unable to move.
I tore my gaze away from him and looked forward.
Instead of walking out the front door, Callahan carried me out through the back door bridal style and asked me to reach for the car keys in his pant pocket.
I did as instructed and my hands found the key. My check brushed against his jaw when I did that and I tried not to shiver due to that.
Up close, he looked even more delicious, more tantalizing. The light stubble on his jawline was too enticing. My brain began to imagine how it would feel to roam my fingers on it. Maybe not just fingers, but my mouth could….
I blinked furiously and looked down at the key in my hand and pressed it twice. His car was parked in the back, near garbage bags stacked upon one another by a moss eaten wall and a huge net compound that served as an extra wall dividing the huge place into sections.
Callahan climbed down the small flight of stairs and slowly opened the door while placing me on the car seat
He ensured that I was seated comfortably and walked to the other side of the car before getting in it.
Taking the key from me, he turned the ignition on and steered the car in the direction of the road.
The drive back home was silent, awkwardly silent and tense. He had been talking to me, caressing me back in the club, but now he was back to ignoring me.
I stole a glance at Callahan as he kept his hands firmly planted on the steering wheel, looking straight ahead.
His body posture conveyed that he was unhappy and angry. But he did not say a word.
Compared to last time, he was driving much slowly and as I looked outside. I saw that it was still dark.
The moon was shining through the tree branches that passed by as the car drove down the road.
I fidgeted with my fingers, not knowing what to say and where to begin. The veins in his throat were corded and so were those in his hands, as if he was trying hard not to explode.
I knew he would definitely scold me for slipping out of the mansion without informing but there was nothing I could do to change the past.
I noticed his arm and saw a few scratches on it under his sleeve.
“You are hurt.” I said, but Callahan did not react. A muscle in his jaw ticked, barely, but he quickly pulled down his sleeve and hid it completely.
I could not take the silence anymore and said in a meek voice, “You can shout. No need to hold it back in.”
Callahan cranked the ignition the moment I said that, and the car’s speed suddenly increased. I bit my lip nervously as he hit the accelerator and the car was almost flying instead of being driven on the deserted road.
I only looked at him in shock as he drove through the road, but instead of taking me home, we crossed it and he kept driving further ahead.
I looked back in confusion and then at him again as the familiar scene of the mansion’s huge, gated walls passed by. “But, but we just passed by the mansion”
I said, but Callahan cranked up the ignition by another notch and my heartbeat began to thud wildly.
He was gritting his teeth, his body shaking with rage as he took it out all on the car. I did not ask him for help and this time
a series of lanes before the tires screeched to a halt.
managed to loop in the seatbelt quickly as he drove
I looked at him and he threw his head back, his eyes closed, as he took in a few breaths to calm himself down,
I only stared at him worriedly when he stepped out of the car and slammed the door, hard. I brought my hands up on my cars to drown the noise but the car jolted, almost rising from one side and shaking before the tires settled on the ground again, rattling me inside it like a trapped bunny.
The tension was palpable in the way he put his hands in the pockets and went to stand a bit farther away. His back was facing me and I could see him taking a few deep breaths to calm himself.
I felt all of it was my fault.
And him not saying even a word to me was making it worse.
I took a few deep breaths to find my courage and slowly opened the door while stepping outside. The night air was a bit chilly, and I was glad to have his coat around me.
I looked around to see that he had brought us near some lake. The moon and stars were twinkling in the night sky, while the water held its soft reflection, making it look peaceful and serene.
There were a few trees and bushes around, and the place looked both beautiful and eerie at the same time.
Or maybe it was my mind that was playing tricks on me.
When I could not stand his silence anymore, I went to stand in front of him and asked,
“Please, your silence is killing me. Will you please speak?”
He was looking down, a hard and unreadable expression on his face.
Callahan looked up at me, and his golden eyes felt like they were on fire. His gaze was hot and intense.
I subconsciously took a step back when I saw his hypnotic eyes stare deep into my eyes and my very soul.
A muscle in his jaw twitched as he tried to find the best response to my question.
“Will it make any difference?” He finally asked, throwing me a question.
“Yes, it will. I know you are angry, hurt even. So, yell all you want”
“What do you think of me? Let me know what your mental image of me is,” Calahan asked instead of yelling. And the way he was looking at me made me shiver in a not so fearful way.
Maybe, I had really lost it.
Chapter 58
Zenovia
“What everybody else does. You are a ruthless Lycan King.”
“And?”
He straightened his back. “And…and you rule the kingdom and everybody is your subject.”
“Why did you try to run away from me?”
Another question. This was getting awkward.
“I just wanted to have my freedom” I answered, mustering some courage that I did not believe I had.
“So, have I chained you? Are you imprisoned?” Callahan demanded and I could feel the way he was trying really hard to keep his anger at bay.
“Ino…but……you….I don’t know” I finished lamely and I could feel the helplessness in his eyes.
“So
you thought a random stranger would offer you money, and promise you to take you somewhere and you blindly believed him? What are you? Four?”
I widened my eyes at that. He had been busy with the shop owner and the flock of girls talking to him.
When did he see Harry slipping me the money?
“You know?”
Callahan gave a mirthless chuckle and raised his hands in the air before they fell limply by his sides, smacking his thighs.
“Do I know? Of course, I do. What do you think I am? A stupid fool? That guy was trapping you and you fell for his trap like
an idiot.”
I felt hurt by his accusations but I could not argue much because it was true.
“I know and I am sorry. I just wasn’t thinking”
Callahan nodded his head. “I bet you weren’t. So tell me what made you wish to do that? You have been living with me for almost a month, you had all the chances to run away so why now?”
“You are not my family. I just wanted to go to the human world and blend with them.”
Callahan came closer, his tall frame towering over me and looked down at me.
“That is not the answer to my question.”
I gulped, “I. I was sold to you as a breeder or a slave or whatever. I did not want to live my life like that.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked and I saw the way the air left his nostrils that flared in irritation.
“Did I ever treat you like that?” He demanded.
“No, you did not but…”
“But what?” He bellowed.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves but it was not working. He inched even closer and the urge to lean into him was maddening.
I could not function with him so close to me. Arguing with him while he was so close was a mammoth task.
And I had had too many drinks to hold a straight conversation for long.
His
eyes
boré into me as if they had the ability to look at my soul and find out all my secrets.
“Look, I know I made a mistake and Lam sorry.”
“Do you have any f*cking idea what would have happened if I was a second late? That injection…he would have..he…” Callahan could not even finish the line and it made me feel horribly guilty at my stupidity all over again.
“You f*cking asked me or I should say ‘begged me to touch you when you were in heat. And now you want to run away from me?”
He coiled his hands into fists and slammed them on the car’s bonnet, making me squeeze my eyes shut.
His breathing was ragged and the hair had fallen on his face, partially covering the golden eyes that looked incredibly hurt and pained.
Callahan was close to me, too close and his intoxicating scent was filling every fiber of my soul.
His full lips were slightly parted and I had the mad urge to lean in and capture them in my lips again.
I had to step away from him before I did something stupid. So I tried to move away from him but his hands trapped me in a
cage.
“You are not going anywhere before you answer me”
The way a nerve jumped in his throat was making me feel incredibly nervous. Could I lick that nerve and possibly trail my tongue down all the way towards his chest?
I blinked and shook the thought away.
“Answer me!!” His voice rose just a little and I blurted out without thinking-
“Because I don’t think you want me and I did not want to see you with Cynthia for the rest of my life.”
Callahan’s eyes went wide at that and I put a hand on my mouth but it was too late. The words carrying my deepest fear had already left my mouth.
All I could do now was own them.
“You did not think I wanted you…” Callahan repeated with a blank stare but it felt more like a question.
I tried to hold back the tears that threatened to leak from my eyes. I did not want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how it hurt me to see him with someone else, how much I yearned for him, craved his touch.
I was a breeder, a loser, and a failed shifter. Not even an alpha would want me, forget about the supremely handsome lycan. king. I had to keep reminding myself of that but it still hurt nonetheless.
A lump formed in my throat that I swallowed while answering. “I went in heat and I begged you to mark me, pleaded with you to touch me but you were always in control, you just did the task as if you were used to it, just like your files that you read one after the other. I don’t want to be a file.”
I mentally slapped myself.
What the hell was I blabbering? Did my words even make any sense?
Maybe the drinks were spiking my emotions, making me blurt stupidly.
And as I began to cry in front of the lycan King, he merely kept looking at me, his hands still firmly planted on the car’s bonnet
“Is that what you think?” Callahan asked.
Now that I had made a fool of myself, why should I even hold back? It was better to empty my heart out before he discarded me for good.
At least, I would know that I had said everything I wanted to and not regret having held my tongue back for the rest of my
life.
“What else should I think? You…you sated my desire because I begged you to, not because you wanted me. And and after that, you just began ignoring me completely. You did not even look at me once or talk to me. Then, I saw the messages you exchanged with Cynthia…I saw the way she was dancing with you in the club, seducing you…and…and you were letting her.”
Callahan’s expression changed at that. But instead of surprise, I saw a smirk.
A smirk that made my knees go weak and my heart race at the same time.
Why did he have such an effect on me?
“So you were jealous of her? Jealous of how she got to seduce me?”
I gulped nervously as he stood straight and took a step forward. He was towering over me, his face bent low as he kept looking me in the eye.
“L..that is not what I meant
I said and tried to look away but his hands found mine and he grabbed my wrists to hold me in place.
A sudden bolt of electricity zapped through me at the touch, and my stomach turned into a jumbled tangle of heat….heat that was pooling down there.
“You can do that right here if you want, nobody is here either way.”
Huh?
I blinked and looked up at Callahan who lowered his head to whisper in my ears.
“Seduce me”
Chapter 59
My eyes grew as big as saucers and I felt every muscle in my body tense. His face was barely inches away from mine and his breath tickled my ear.
His lips brushed my earlobe, barely, and the light caress made me gasp. His touch was doing odd things to me and I was not even in heat.
The Lycan King did not pull back instantly but stayed where he was, impossibly close to me. All I had to do was just turn my head to the left to kiss those lickable lips.
But the way he was asking me to seduce him did not sit well with me. I was not Cynthia, and I could not do cheap tricks to make him want me.
I could not lower myself to that.
So, despite my urge to lean forward and pull him into my embrace, I curled my hands into fists to stop myself from shaking.
“The drinks are messing with my brain. I know you don’t want me and I will not allow you to toy with my feelings even if you are the Lycan King.”
I said it all in one go; the words tumbling out of my mouth faster than I intended to. Callahan tensed and I saw the way his muscles corded beneath that silky fabric.
The topmost button of his shirt was open, giving me a rather delicious view of his broad, chiseled chest.
“Did you just say that you have feelings for me?”
He asked, and I blinked in confusion.
Had I said that?
“N-no, I didn’t mean it that way”
Callahan’s eyes glinted mischievously as he asked. “Then what way did you mean it?”
Ok, this was getting frustrating. My body was aching to pull him close, but the way he was teasing me as if he could read me
an open book was so annoying.
Again, I tried to step away, but now he placed his legs on either side of me as well. I literally had nowhere to go.
And his breathing was getting ragged by the minute.
“Forget it. I am not going to seduce you.”
I answered, and he finally moved his head to look me in the eye.
A storm was raging in his eyes, and I felt trapped in his gaze.
Why not?” He asked, and I heard the strain in his voice.
“Because I am not Cynthia” I forced those words out of my mouth and was quite happy with myself with the way my voice did not crack.
But the answer only made that damn smirk return on his face.
Oh for the love of Moon Goddess, why did you not give me enough strength to be immune to that face, that perfectly sculpted specimen of a man who was asking me to seduce him?
Was this just a game to him? Was he trying to invoke my jealousy? What for?
“Of course you are not or I wouldn’t be here, right?” He asked, breaking the tension hanging between us like a coiled wire.
And before I could ask what he meant by that, one of his hand snaked around my waist and another cupped my chin.
I barely managed to suck in a breath when his lips came down on mine, hard.
And the world around me melted. I let out a gasp as his lips kissed me, as if he alone had the right to do that to me.
It would not be wrong to say that I felt that, too. My body reacted faster to his touch than my mind, that was blaring warning signals to pull away.
But my body won in the end.
I had been craving for his touch ever since the last time he had sated my heat and I grew hungrier as he kept kissing me.
His full lips sucked mine and his tongue traced my lips’ outline while I tried not to dissolve in a heap of bones and muscle. Callahan’s kiss was fiery, electric, and it sent ripples of shockwaves through me, making me want more of him.
This is what I wanted, needed, dreamt of
His rough hands were roaming over my back and one of his hands traveled up to reach my hair while his eyes fluttered shut,
I heard the sharp intake of his breath as he inhaled the scent and made a low, guttural sound.
“Your hair…” He mumbled against my mouth as his tongue won against mine in no time.
I could never get enough of him, enough of what his touch did to me.
His lips suckled mine and he caught my lower lip in between his, making me moan. His hands kept playing with my hair as he pushed my head closer and placed his forehead on mine.
We both were just kissing, but I was already panting for breath, which he seemed to have noticed.
Letting go of my lips, he opened his eyes and looked at me. Those golden orbs were nothing short of balls of fire, igniting heat from my core and sending it to every single nerve of my body, making me tingle.
“God, Zee,” He whispered, and I heard his voice crack with a raw emotion or maybe I had simply imagined it.
The way he said my name made my heart flutter wildly. His voice was deep and enigmatic and the way my name sounded in his voice made me want to hear him say it again and again as he kissed me.
“Say that again.” I blurted out, and his voice was barely a whisper.
“Say what?”
“My name, say it again, please,” I begged, my hands reaching for his shirt and fisting with the fabric to pull him close.
“Zee, you are gorgeous”
He said, and I felt myself trembling, my eyes tearing up at the way his voice sounded. Nobody had called me gorgeous. before, except my mother maybe, but they are expected to call you that.
“Really? I blurted out. I was sure he had seen and danced with plenty of beautiful girls in his life. I could not even begin to imagine him saying that to me.
“Did you even look at yourself when you wore that dress?” He asked, and I saw the way his gaze left my eyes to travel downwards.
I was mesmerized as his eyes slowly traveled down my small frame, and taking their own sweet time to return to meet my
gaze.
But that was fine because it gave me some seconds to calm my raging heart that threatened to jump out of my mouth. “I just wore it on a whim but it fits me perfectly, I muttered and his eyes darkened.
Callahan’s hand stayed on my waist, holding me in place as he muttered, “Of course it would. I was the one to hand pick
those dresses.”
Chapter 60
Zenovia
My eyes widened at that.
“You-you went to the store to buy those dresses in
my
wardrobe?”
A slow smile appeared on his lips. “Every single one of them. I know your measurements perfectly well, Zee.” The way he said that line made me shiver with delight as a wave of pleasure washed over me.
Wait.
My wardrobe was not just stacked with dresses, but lingerie as well. A few pieces were quite bold and sexy.
Did he truly mean it when he said he knew my measurements? But how?
His gaze stayed just for a second longer on the cleavage that was now visible because my dress had slipped down a little while we were passionately kissing.
I heard a low growl leave his lips as he forced himself to look up my face instead of my plunging neckline and added, “I want to see my mark on you.”
“Only if you kiss me,” I blurted out without thinking.
Why had I said that? Had Harry spiked my drinks with something?
Callahan smiled, and I leaned forward to capture his lips while my eyes fluttered shut. I waited for his full lips to crash on mine wantonly.
I had no idea what I was doing or what he would think of me, but I was just letting my emotions take control.
I felt his hands snake down my waist, reaching down my thighs to pluck me off the ground as if I weighed nothing. Probably, my weight was nothing to him in reality.
His fingers brushed the bare skin of my thigh as they gripped me and then I was in the air, locked in his embrace. The little spark his touch ignited just on the hem of my dress simply added fuel to the fire.
Earlier, I had just been aching to touch him, to feel his lips on my skin. But now, my body was growing greedy.
It wanted more of him, more of this.
His eyes bore into mine as his hands stayed firmly on my thighs so as to not let me fall. But the way his fingers felt strained against my skin told me he was controlling his desire to simply rip away the dress.
At that thought, my nipples hardened. And it was given considering how my chest was pressed onto his own, leaving not an inch of gap for air to squeeze through.
I felt hot and bothered at the same time as my hands crawled up his back and I locked them behind his neck.
Take my name,” I asked in a raspy breath, and he replied without missing a beat.
“Say please”
“Pleaseeeeeeeeeee,” I said almost instantly, and he spoke softly.
“Zee_”
It felt like music to my ears, “Keep saying that please.”
I begged again and his eyes darkened, “Only if that allows me to see my mark”
Allow?
I was dangling in the air, my dress askew and my legs wrapped around his waist. My entire body was quivering in need and he was asking if I would allow him?
Hell, I wanted him to bury himself inside me and never let me go. That was all I could think of
“You…you don’t need my permission,” I breathed as his hand left my thigh and slowly traveled up to squeeze my butt. Thought so,” He said, his eyes glinting with pure desire as his hand went up my hair to hold my head in place.
And I let out a moan that sounded so desperate to my ears that it made my cheeks turn red.
But before I could collect myself, his other hand slowly reached for the hem of my dress and began pulling it up.
The cool air but my skin when he rolled the fabric up and I shivered in delight. The dress kept riding up as he took his time gathering it up and bringing it up. His fingers caressed my skin, sending delicate shivers every time he touched me, igniting sparks wherever his hand touched me.
This was maddening.
Why the hell was he being so slow? My body wanted his mouth on me already so I subconsciously pushed myself upon him, jumping up a little while still in his arms.
Callahan cursed under his breath when I shoved my chest in his face, his lips brushing my nipples that were as hard as peaks beneath the satiny fabric.
“f*ck,” He growled and his hands forgot to be slow and grew frantic. They were roaming over my dress and I could still feel his hands through the flimsy fabric while I whimpered at every touch that left a spark dancing on my skin.
And then without any warning, his hands turned me around and I found myself slammed against something cool.
The air suddenly felt chilly as I was placed on the car’s hood, face down as Callahan lowered me.
He angled me so as to make my upper body lay on the hood while my feet dangled on the edge.
“God, kill me.” He groaned as his hands reached mine to pull them to the side from under my chest.
My cheek stung due to the cold surface of the car’s hood, but my entire body was on fire. His hands reached for my waist and I heard his frustrated groan when the dress got down a little again.
He waited for a split second to see if I would fight back or if I disagreed to it. But when he saw me lying on the car’s hood without trying to push him away, he took that as permission enough.
Gathering the dress, he pulled it all the way up and let it stay in a crumpled heap on my back.
My ass was exposed to him and except for my panties, I was naked from the waist down.
I was not very plump nor did I have a curvy figure. I had only started gaining some weight since I moved in here because Maria would keep feeding me as if that was her sole purpose in life.
I badly wanted to see his face, his expressions, but I feared I would be disappointed if he did not like what he saw.
“Never knew a dress could be so annoying.” He mumbled and I giggled at his frustration.
However, that only made him press his hand on my bare waist and he whispered, “I am taking these off”
His fingers brushed over my panties as he waited to see my reaction.
I nodded eagerly and the next second, Callahan’s fingers slipped under the fabric and he yanked at it, tearing it off in a second.
Now I was completely naked waist down and I felt the cool air lat my skin, my entrance.
I heard an audible groan leave his lips when he saw his mark and I felt him lower his head to take a closer look.
“f*ck” His voice sounded raspy and my heartbeat quickened. I had always been a shy and reserved girl who had not let anyone even come close to me. And here I was, lying half naked on a car’s hood in the middle of the night by a lake, wanting this gorgeous man to do whatever he wanted with me.
Was I insane? Definitely.
Did I fear him? Not at all.
My legs automatically parted when I felt his face near my legs, and he took a long whiff.
“That scent!!” He rasped, “You are making my lycan lose control” Callahan took ragged breaths as I felt a shiver of pleasure run up my body when he said that.
I had the ability to make HIM lose control??
I was the one entirely at his mercy with my face pressed against the cold car. He could snap my neck in an instant if he wanted to.
Surely, he was the one in power here.
And he showed that to me soon enough.
