Denial

XIV

The servants in the castle looked at him with hate, some with pity; probably because they heard what went on between him and their queen and it was already the freshest gossip. Some passed him looks of disgust. He didn't care about them. They could be planning his death in their minds and he wouldn't give two fucks but he would cramble once she looked at him the same way. He didn't care initially. When he couldn't see past hate. Now he did because he needed her. As a result of a stupid mistake on his wolf's part,he did.

"Demitri?" A voice made him stop dead in his tracks. A voice he hadn't heard in years. A voice he hadn't heard since he accomplished his mission in Duska (the demon realm).

"Eros?" He replied, looking up at him. He'd grown mascular over the time they spent apart. His curly jet black hair was longer, going a little past his shoulders. He couldn't resist the smile that stretched his lips as his eyes met his hazel ones.
The only vampire-witch he didn't hate. Eros.

"I never thought I'd see you here. If I wasn't smart I'd think this is an illusion". Eros said and went to hug Demitri who hugged him back with equal excitement.

"How did Duska treat you?" Demitri questioned when they pulled apart.

"Same as always. Fun and dramatic". Eros chuckled.

They stood in Aria's wing chatting and catching up. Demitri's smile disappeared once he remembered all that had happened between him and Aria. That would definitely cause enmity that never existed between him and Eros to sprout. He admitted he was a hypocrite. He was disgusted by all vampires and witches yet he was best friends with one of their leaders. He hated their queen, even when he knew she was his mate yet he cared so much about her brother.
What his excuse was?
His excuse was that Eros proved impossible to hate and they were in a different realm when they met. A realm where that vampire-witch saved his life without batting an eye.

"What are you even doing here? Did return to Ourà Fengàri?" Eros questioned truly sounding confused.

"They didn't tell you?"

"No. They have no idea I'm back in Ourà Fengàri. I mean to surprise them. And in Aria's wing? What the hell happened in my absence?"

"I'm truly sorry, Eros. I- uh". Demitri stuttered, scratching the back of his head. " She's my mate"

Eros shook his head in disbelief. There could be other reasons.

"That's impossible. How?"

"Fuck me if I know. Oi moíres-"

"Eros" Another voice interrupted their conversation.

Demitri suddenly felt calmed though he was nervous about how Eros would react. Her voice was sultry and low and it appealed to his ears. He was bound to get angry at him for forcefully marking his sister. It was against every law to mark someone without their consent.

"Aria!" Eros said excitedly and ran to pull his sister into his embrace. He pulled back too soon when her arms remained limp at her sides.

"What's wrong?" Eros asked his sister with a small frown marring his beautiful face.
Aria opened her mouth to explain everything to her brother but no words came. Her lips failed her.
Her eyes glazed over as she wordlessly stared at Eros. She even tried to force a smile to reassure him that she wasn't all that bad but she couldn't.

Eros' eyes trailed from the hair on her head, down to her neck. His eyes stopped their inspection upon seeing the bruise on her neck. It wasn't a normal bruise. Everyone knew what such a bruise meant.
A forced marking. His orbs flashed a deep shade of purple at he stared at the bruise on her neck. She flinched when he sharply slapped her hand away from her neck when she made an attempt to cover it.

"Who.did.this.?" Eros boomed.
He was fuming.
Aria said nothing as she looked anywhere but at him.
Eros remembered what Demitri said and looked up at him. He saw guilt in his eyes and that was the confirmation he needed. One of his closest friends had marked his sister without her consent and she was denying the bond, refusing to accept the mark and her mate.

Demitri stood still as Eros charged at him. He moved as fast as lightning and hauled a punched at his jaw, twisting his face to the other side. He clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. Not to hit Eros back but to refrain himself from hitting Eros, from acting on his Àlfa instinct to put him in his place. He had given Eros a reason to hate him now. Just his luck, he loses a friend after his wolf is sent to sleep.

"Hit me back, asshole". Eros yelled and threw a punch to his gut, causing him to let a string of coughs out as he stumbled backwards.

Aria wished to watch on but she had no choice than to stop Eros from hurting him anymore. The last thing she wanted was a fight to break out.
She hadn't wanted to generate a fight when she stepped out. She'd only wanted to be sure she heard her brother's voice.

"Eros, stop". Aria pleaded and made her way over to them.

"You fucker! How dare you?!" Eros shouted at Demitri who only stared at him.

Eros advanced towards Demitri but stopped in his tracks when Aria moved to stand infront of Demitri.
Demitri would have found it absolutely hot to have his mate defend him. In another situation but this situation only made him afraid for her. If Eros lost it, he'd hurt her to get to him. He'd stayed with him long enough to know that. He was unstoppable when triggered.

"Step aside, Aria". Eros snapped.

"I know you mean well but hurting him hurts me. Please. I don't want the servants rushing here to witness s fight between a wolf and my brother"

"What? They aren't aware?" Eros questioned with raised eyebrows.

"No but there are rumours". She replied barely above a whisper.

"You idiot!" Eros hissed and charged at the werewolf who had suddenly turned his enemy with one action but his sister spread her arms out, blocking him from getting to his target.
Taking a long look at her sister and sending a hateful glare to Demitri, he turned to leave.

Aria sighed in relief and moved from her initial position, deciding to head back to her room but she was forced to stop dead in her tracks as she felt sparks travel throughout her body, especially down her spine. She shuddered at the feeling yet refused to look back at him.

"Let me go, Àlfa Demitri" She said calmly and it was like a knife to his heart. It hurt but he would take whatever she gave him so he get make her hate him less.
He pulled her back by her arm and wrapped his arms around her. She let him because she knew he needed it to stay sane.

"Thank you." Demitri said softly and paused. "For defending me" He continued.
He finally let her go after breathing in her vanilla and chamomile scent.

She kept walking up the stairs to her bedroom without turning to look at him. He stared at her retreating back and when he could no longer see her, he walked out of the castle, pulled his hood over his head to conceal his identity like he'd done to enter and walked back to his pack lands.