Lethal✔️

Chapter 34

I inhale slightly, and jerk my face out of his hand. "I don't know what you're talking about."

His grin widens. "I think you do, Reaper. I can smell it coursing through your veins. Tell me: How long have you been drinking it? I'd wager years, considering how heavily concentrated it is."

"Y-you don't know me," I stammer out, taking a step back, unnerved by how much the mysterious Alpha seems to know about me. And I never get unnerved, ever.

He takes a step closer, and places his hand on my face one more, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "No," He admits lowly, and his voice turns husky. I can't help myself from leaning into his touch. "But I would love to."

"Stay away from me," I whimper, unable to tear myself away from both his touch and his gaze. What the hell is wrong with me?

His eyes turn slightly sad. "I will do anything in the world for you, my little mate... Except for that. Anything but that."

"I-I can't be your Luna," I whisper, hoping he can see what I see. I am no Luna. Lunas are kind, nurturing. Subservient.

"Then don't be my Luna," He says with an indifferent shrug, and I exhale slightly in relief. "Be my Alpha Female. My equal. You submit to no one."

His words nearly take my breath away, I'm stunned by his proposal, and I'm at a loss for words. Alphas aren't supposed to be like this. They're supposed to be stubborn, hot-tempered... Dominating.

"Give me a chance, Ares," He pleads, and I'm shocked when he gets down on both knees, grabbing my hands in his. His position is one of submission, lowering himself... for me. "Stay with me in Blue Moon. Get to know me, my pack. If you still want to leave after that... It will kill me, but I will let you leave... If it is what you truly desire, I will not stop you."

"One month," I surprise myself by saying. "I'll give you a month, and that's it."

***********************************************

I gasp as I jerk upright in bed. Cain immediately awakens, placing his hand on my lower back, rubbing circles soothingly.

"Bad dream, pup? Your heart is racing," He murmurs, and I'm thankful it's too dark for him to see my face.

"Yes, nightmare indeed," I say quietly, excusing myself to go to the restroom.

I stare in the mirror, and my eyes are glowing silver, my cheeks stained red. I wash my face, trying to calm my breathing and heart rate.

A week had gone by since my last dream, and I had begun to forget about Thane's intrusion into my subconscious. But tonight... He had returned, plaguing me with visions.

Visions of what? Obviously not the past, since I had never gone to the Mating Gathering. Definitely not the future, since I apparently don't know Cain in them. Was I seeing visions of some kind of alternate reality, one where Cain and I weren't mates, but Thane and I were?

If so, why? Thane obviously is not my mate, my wolf doesn't recognize him at all.

"Is everything okay in there, pup?" Cain calls out from the bedroom. "I can feel your anxiety through the bond."

"I-I'm fine," I stammer out. "Be out in a minute."

"Hurry up, okay? You're making me nervous," Cain says the last part quietly.

I breathe in deeply. Calm the fuck down, Ares, I tell myself. It's just a dream. It means nothing. You already have your mate and the life you want. It. Means. Nothing.

As I walked out of the bathroom, I couldn't stop myself from wondering: What if it did mean something? If it was an alternate reality, does that mean Thane means something in my current reality? No, no that is not the case. All of my feelings for Thane are purely platonic. Were platonic, since I now considered him an enemy.

Anyways, its not like there is any reality in which I would willingly agree to stay with an Alpha. Before Cain, I loathed Alphas. I tried to kill Cain when he tried to take me to Blood Lake, for fuck's sake. There was no way I would have agreed to stay with one.

But he submitted to you, I can't stop myself from contradicting my own thoughts, my mind is so scrambled. He explained, was rational, offered you a position as an equal. Didn't try to kidnap you and force you to submit.

"Shut up," I hiss, clutching at my skull to stop it from splitting in half.

Cain rushes to my side, wrapping his arms around me, and it's the only thing that stops me from completely shattering. "Oh pup, what's gotten into you? These aren't your normal nightmares, are they?"

I can't help the tears that flow freely from my eyes, unable to fight in the battle against myself. I have to tell Cain, alleviate my guilt, I need him.

"Cain, I have something I need to t-" I start to say, but I'm interrupted by the sound of Cain's cell phone ringing.

"For fuck's sake, who would be calling at this hour?" Cain snarls, stalking towards his phone. He looks at the name on the screen, and pauses before answering it.

Obviously, it's not someone from the pack, because they would have mindlinked. "Who is it?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"It's Thane," Cain says quietly.

"Don't answer it," I plead, not fully knowing why, only knowing that I want Thane completely out of my life.

"I have to," Cain says. "He wouldn't call unless if it was an emergency."

He answers the call, but before he can speak, Thane is shouting into the phone.

"What the fuck have you done with my mate?"

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