⚠️ Warning! Mature content! ⚠️
Night
Delinquent
Ever since I saw her portrait, my mind had been uneasy — restless even. The rusty gears in my brain have deemed this issue as peculiar enough to think about and thus, I got stuck in my own train of thoughts.
Does this mean reincarnation exist? Aside from her honey blonde locks and inhumanly pale complexion, our resemblance was frighteningly uncanny. She didn't look sickly even though her skin tone was closer to the shade of milk than the palest individual I've ever seen. If possible, it only complimented her ethereal features even more.
To put it in simple words, Deirdre Lascelles looked like a prettier version of myself. The epitome of someone with a permanent beautifying filter.
Her name alone seemed to ring a bell inside my head, but no matter how hard I tried to recall where I've heard it from, I failed to come up with any satisfactory answers.
That's what happens when you possess the memory capacity of a goldfish.
"I would like to propose a toast for our great Alpha!" A brawny man who sported a thick beard roared, gaining everyone's attention. While raising a glass in one hand, he turned to Cal and placed a firm grip on his shoulder. "Brother, on behalf of these mated lads, I personally welcome you to join our humble club! Congratulations for finding a lovely mate!"
Joyous cheers erupted from the lively crowd and soon, people began to clink their wine glasses together. Realising several eyes were drilling holes on to my hunched figure; I quickly buried those thoughts, rolled-back my shoulders, and instantly replaced my frown with a big fat smile. Swirling a glass of red wine to show my fake enthusiasm.
If only they knew how he got me here in the first place.
Thirty adults surrounded the long oak table. Tonight's menus were piled in the middle. To name a few; roast pork, marbled steaks, and venison stew lured even the most sophisticated man into its mouth-watering clutches. Despite their varying ranks, everyone just mingled and sat wherever they please. However, Carson, Theo, and Alex were nowhere to be seen.
And here I was, being formally introduced to Cal's other beta, Alexander Grant. Remembering him was fairly easy, because nobody could forget a shiny bald head. Plus, wasn't he the stoic driveway guy who stopped us earlier this morning?
As if sensing my boredom from listening these two men talk about security protocols, a chirpy woman with flaming red hair engulfed her arms around Alexander's. After giving him a peck on his cheek, she focused her light grey eyes on mine.
"Gentlemen, give this poor lass a break will you?"
Extending her dainty hand as a form of introduction, her pouty lips broke into a warm smile. "I'm Eva, Alexander's mate. Care to join us for dessert? My son won't stop talking about you," nodding her head towards Horus who was devouring an ice cream sundae like no tomorrow.
Cal gave me a soft reassuring squeeze before dropping his arm from my waist.
Without giving it a second thought, I accepted her hand. Excited to meet that little munchkin whose eyes lit up the very moment he saw us approaching.
But, before I had the chance to squeeze Horus' chubby cheeks, Eva beat me up to it.
"Horus, honey, look! Your friends!" She jutted her chin towards a group of kids playing tag on the other side of the room. "Tell you what? I'll allow an extra slice of chocolate cake if you play with them now."
The red-haired boy shook his head no.
"Fine. TWO slices of chocolate cake."
Still a solid no.
"With rainbow sprinkles on top?"
Finally, he nodded and joined his friends for a game of tag. Leaving me with his curious mother who looked more than ready to fire burning questions, judging by those mischievous glint in her eyes.
"He's got a knack for bargaining," she let out a heavy sigh. "I blame Xander for his wit. Firecracker got me twisted around his fingers since the day he was born."
Disappointed that I couldn't spend more time with the bright little munchkin, I realized Alexander's mate was just using her son as an excuse to get my attention. Horus was her bait. Despite knowing this, I just shrugged it off and continued my 'dumb bitch' act.
Linking our arms together, Eva dragged me across the crowded space towards an opened sliding door.
The moment we stepped outside, I was greeted by this surreal rose garden with a medium-sized gazebo porched in the middle. Various shades of pinks and reds enchanted my sight, blinding me with its unparalleled beauty. Tall garden lights illuminated enough shine for these flowers to show off their blooming petals under tonight's moonless night. Rendered speechless, the overwhelmingly pungent floral scent brought me back to my senses. It smelled exactly like an expensive perfume from a renowned French brand.
Far ahead, a small group of ladies were engaged in a deep conversation. They were casually lounging inside the gazebo, each with a glass of wine in hand.
"Mission accomplished, gals!" Eva hollered, making those three women froze and switched their attention on us.
Upon first look, I immediately recognized the taller blonde as Corrine who shot me a playful wink. Right next to her, stood a petite blonde followed by a kind looking brunette. Both strangers waved, ushering us to walk faster.
"Well well well, if it isn't our future Luna," Corinne eventually stood up and squeezed me into a hug.
Luna? Me? As if.
"Luna? That's crazy," I snorted, pulling away from the hug and introduced myself to the others. "Hey, I'm Brooke. You can call me Bee."
"You've got to be shitting me," the shorter blonde blinked her eyes twice before gulping thickly. "Our Alpha's capable of feeling emotions? Congratulations! You just solved one of the world's greatest mysteries!"
"Calm down, you're scaring her," the brunette warned politely. A genuine smile reached her cocoa eyes, emphasizing cute eye bags underneath her lower lash lines. "Hello, I'm Sairs Morrigan. My mate is one of the Gammas who entered Alpha Oliver's territory. His name is Kyros."
A mental image of the beady eyed man who transformed into a black wolf under Cal's orders resurfaced.
"Oh where are my manners? I'm Diana. Single and looking for a mate," the blonde chirped, before nudging Corrine's ribs. Resulting in a stare-off between those two. "You owe me a hundred bucks, girlie."
"Whatever. How are you supposed to meet your mate if you barely get out anyway? Wait . . . Don't tell me you're thinking of marrying those five hundred fictional men hidden in your imaginary archives!" Corrine sarcastically added.
Chuckling at the fresh scene before my eyes, I took a seat beside Sairs who emitted this strong motherly aura, making her almost impossible to dislike. Meanwhile, Eva managed to chug a glass of wine and in the process of uncorking another bottle.
"I'm sorry, Bee, but you look awfully familiar. Have we met before?" Sairs' soothing voice caught my full attention as she observed my face with keen eyes.
Apparently, her question shut the blondes up, because both of them bolted faster than lightning to their own respective seats.
"The painting, Sairs!" Diana bellowed. "She looks EXACTLY like Deirdre!"
Chucking a hundred dollar bill at Diana, Corrine rolled her eyes. "They're not exactly the same. My friend's not a blondie."
"Wait. Let me get this straight. You guys knew about the painting?" I was bamboozled. I thought only me and Horus knew about this coincidence.
"We knew our Alpha's resemblance to his ancestor, but that's it," Eva shrugged, pouring more wine into her empty glass. "But Diana believes in conspiracies and mythologies. She's the superstitious one, you see."
Nodding in excitement, Diana told us the famous tale of William Rosier and Deirdre Lascelles. Her actions rejuvenated my memories regarding why the name 'Deirdre' ring a bell so much. First, Cal told me how this mansion got its name and second, the wolf from my dream. She called herself Deirdre.
Maybe that's just purely coincidental.
Deeming it unimportant, I didn't tell them about the dream. Our conversation quickly moved on to another topic.
Expecting an epic love story, they asked me on how Cal and I first met, and when I told them in full detail, they just stared at me with eyes the size of saucers. Completely gobsmacked by the fact that our encounter was anything, but romantic.
Even Eva choked on her wine when I got to the part where I basically told Cal to fuck off the night I survived that lycan attack.
"Damn," she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You almost rejected him and live to tell the tale?! We're officially friends now."
"I still can't believe it," Sairs shook her head in disbelief. "How can you say that to the Alpha?"
"Agreed. I mean, everyone's have had a crush on the Alpha at least once in their lifetime. I'm not even surprised if that Angie bitch claims to be pregnant with his baby again," Diana rolled her eyes. Venom dripping off her voice upon mentioning the name 'Angie'.
Right after she spoke her thoughts freely, the three women glared daggers at her, making her shift uncomfortably and realised the things she shouldn't have said.
"Oh my God! I-"
"Relax, it's fine. I haven't accepted the mating bond remember?" I grinned, even though somehow, there was this feeling of slight discomfort in my chest.
"No! Don't misunderstand! Most girls in our pack have had a crush on the Alpha. They'll change their mind after getting verbally abused by him though. It happened to all of us," Diana smiled at me apologetically whilst the other two lowered their heads in shame.
"Why do y'all even like the Alpha? He's insane. No offense, Bee," Corrine added, scoffing over their ideas. "I don't plan on settling down. Life's too short for just one-"
"And that's how you end up as an old wolf with a bunch of STDs in the nursing home. Hell, I'm not even sure you'll make it to forty," Diana finished her sentences with a triumphant smirk.
Those two were on the brink of starting a new argument when Eva casually brought up another fact. The cool wind began to let its presence known by whistling its nightly lullabies.
"The next full moon's in five days time, correct?" Her straight fiery hair flew behind her back as she tilted her head upwards to view the foggy night. One shade of color blocked the sky, turning itself into a blank canvas. "I can't wait."
"Why? What's wrong?" Clueless, I looked around to see a blushing Sairs, a smirking Eva, a pouting Diana, and an amused Corrine.
"Seriously?! Don't tell me nobody has told her about the best part of having a mate!" Eva yelled, flabbergasted.
"I was planning on letting her find out on her own since I lack the experience myself," Corrine shrugged, attempting to dodge a bullet from the shocked red head.
"Sairs, why are you blushing?" Everyone was acting suspiciously. Their reactions were mixed regarding the upcoming full moon. What was this public secret anyway?
"She didn't come out of her room for three days last month," this statement turned Sairs' cheeks a darker shade of pink.
Huh?
"Heat, Bee. You'll experience it soon," Sairs let out a soft giggle.
"Heat?"
The giddy red head was about to answer my question when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around my shoulders. Cal's familiar scent was full on my nostrils, and I was surprised I couldn't smell him coming. Tonight's wind didn't favour me enough.
"You'll need my help once that happens, love."
"Alpha," the women instantly stood up and lowered their heads as a sign of submission.
Cal gave them a slight nod before pulling a chair and casually sat beside me. His right arm draped over the back of my chair.
"Please continue," from the way he looked at me, I could see wildness dancing in his eyes. The steely shade was swirling with naughty intentions. Reflecting his deepest urges.
And instead of staying, my newly-found companions decided to come up with various excuses to ditch. Including Corrine.
More than satisfied with the outcome he received, Cal stood up and extended his hand for me to take. Dark brown strands swept his chiseled jawline, mesmerising those who stared far too long.
Someone like me.
"Dinner's over. Allow me to escort you back."
I snapped out of my daze and internally cursed myself for doing that.
Accepting his hand groggily, I couldn't help, but admire his long beautiful fingers — similar to a pianist's.
Our midnight walk was laced in a quiet bliss. Cal couldn't shake off the need to snake a protective arm around the curve of my waist. When confronted, he said the action felt too natural.
His actions resulted in us walking side by side. Due to our height differences, my shoulders brushed up against his ribs every once in a while. We passed through what seemed to be an endless array of empty hallways and spooky corridors. Once or twice, our eyes would accidentally lock and I would look away, trying my best to calm my burning cheeks.
After rounding a corner, the familiar sight of the final hallway that leads to my sleeping chambers became visible. Its black double doors majestically stood out amongst the contrasting cream-coloured walls surrounding its sturdy frame.
Expecting him to stop, I turned my head, lips slightly parted. A thank you was at the tip of my tongue when his hand grabbed the door handle and pushed it wide open.
Acting as if everything was normal, Cal casually invited himself in and went straight for the bathroom. Seeing he left the door open, my annoyed self decided to ask why the hell was he here. It was already midnight for fucks sake!
"Pay attention to details, love," his low voice grumbled while he washed his face on the sink. "The closet."
Curious what he meant by that, I stepped in to the smaller room and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Everything remained the way I left them. My luggage laid open on top of a wooden rack that serves as the centre of the closet. On its left and right were fixed drawers, mirrored sliding doors, and tall shelves. All sharing the same wooden material.
"There's nothing wrong with it!" I yelled.
"Check the drawers," came his muffled reply and judging by the sounds of it, Cal was brushing his teeth.
I followed his instructions and pulled one of the drawers out, only to see folded boxers. Not wanting to believe my own eyes, my hands frantically pulled a few more drawers and slid the humongous sliding door open to see a sea of men's clothing. All neatly folded and hung professionally on several metallic garment rods.
"You're staying with me."
Bubbling over with anger, I turned around, ready to express my disapproval when the sight of Cal in his full naked glory shut me up real quick.
My hands shot up to cover my eyes even though I saw everything in detail. And when I said everything, I meant every single word of it.
The image, freshly embedded inside my mind.
Soft thuds neared and my feet were rooted to the ground, frozen against my will. The footsteps came to an end and through covered eyes, I knew that Cal was standing right in front of me.
"W-what are you doing?" My breath hitched once his skin touched mine.
"Grabbing a boxer brief? Unless you prefer to see me nak-"
"Okay okay! I get it!" The awkward situation provided a sudden burst of energy to remove myself from being sandwiched between Cal and the drawer.
Wishing a secret agent would miraculously appear and save me from further embarrassment, I paced in front of the grand fireplace. Racking my brains on how the hell am I supposed to survive whilst sharing a bed with this crazy Alpha for a few months straight?!
And as if on cue, the devil himself walked out of the bathroom dressed in nothing, but a pair of black sweatpants. Having been a regular victim of Cal's unpredictable nature, I swiftly ran past him and lock the bathroom door before he had a chance to say anything.
Inside, a folded white tee was laid alongside a packaged toothbrush on top of two fresh towel rolls. Without giving it a second thought, I stripped my clothes and hopped into the much needed hot shower. And that was when everything came tumbling down like an avalanche.
Being a werewolf, the grey wolf in my dream, Deirdre's portrait, and mated to an Alpha all swirled into one giant fireball, threatening to drive me insane. These hot droplets were supposed to soothe my thoughts, not worsening every problem by tenfold.
Sighing in defeat, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a fluffy towel around myself. Grabbing the white tee and fresh underwear from my small luggage, I changed into the oversized outfit and deeply appreciated its lightweight cotton material for barely clinging onto my slim figure.
After quickly brushing my teeth, I took a random brush to softly untangle the knots that were forming on my black waves before letting it down — sticking out like a sore thumb against the white tee.
He's asleep. He's asleep.
I mentally chanted those words over and over upon exiting the bathroom whilst holding my breath simultaneously. But of course, Cal was anything, but asleep. His back was leaning against the padded leather headboard of the king-sized bed as silver irises focused reading a bunch of files in hand.
"Took you long enough," he muttered without looking up.
I don't reply and slowly climbed on to the other side of the bed. Feeling as if my lungs were on fire, I exhaled — only to be overwhelmed by his heavenly scent once again.
Laying down on my side, I hugged a tiny pillow and couldn't resist the temptation to stare at his serious expression. Cal looked intimidating if he doesn't smile. Believing that my stares were subtle enough to go unnoticed, I busied myself studying every inch of his face, despite his furrowed brows. Whatever he was reading had gotten him riled. He clenched his jaw and in that moment, I zeroed my attention to those undeniably pillowy pink lips — remembering how soft they were against mine.
This on and off feeling about Cal was bizarre. Sometimes, the man appeared antagonistic and yet I found myself drawn to him.
"Cal?" I called, subconsciously.
"Yes?"
"Do you know anything about heat?" This last topic brought up by Eva sparked my interest, but they left thanks to Cal's unexpected interruption.
He immediately set the papers down and gave me his full undivided attention. "It's a rather sensitive topic. Perhaps we could discuss it some other time."
"But, Eva said it'll happen once every full moon? That's like less than a week."
His eyes darkened. "I don't think you're up for having that kind of conversation, love. It's quite late."
"Oh? Try me, British boy," I challenged, launching myself up into a sitting position.
The moment I said those words, his lips broke into an all too familiar devilish smirk. "Stubborn much? Fine, let's play it your way then."
A pair of hands slipped under my thighs and lifted me up with such ease, making me squeal. Normally, I would've had an insult ready at the tip of my tongue, but his touch alone managed to throw all my sanity to planet trash. Cal placed me right on his lap, securing my knees on each side of his thighs — straddling him down.
"First," he began. "You'll beg me to kiss you here," this devil of a man pressed his warm lips on the sensitive area below my ear. I cursed myself for turning into an idiotic puppet every time he does that. My blue eyes rolled back as his lips continued to pepper feather light kisses around that reactive spot, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck.
What started as a soft playful tease escalated into a dangerous play. Hairs on my nape stood up the moment he sucked the creamy skin, sending shivers down my spine. His large calloused hand slowly traced the curves of my chest, hardening my nipples as shots of pleasure began to flare. My nails dug on to his broad shoulders, feeling the mild sear behind every part he touched.
Letting out a small gasp, he palmed my breast, gently kneading it. His head dipped lower to my collarbone, trailing wet kisses and groaned once my fingers tugged the soft locks on the back of his head — begging him to collide our lips together.
"Second," he pulled away despite my protests. "Look at me, love," forcing me to open my foggy eyes and met his lust-filled ones. It was getting impossible to focus on anything except his soft pink lips.
I inched my head closer, desperate to feel the familiar warmth those lips provided, but he avoided it with a mischievous smirk. "Patience."
His hands rested below my waist and slowly bucked my hips the same time he grinded against me, making sure I could feel his hard erection without breaking our eye contact.
The third time he repeated his actions, a moan escaped my sinful lips. I tried to buck my hips faster, but his strong grip prevented me from moving off rhythm.
"C-Cal . . . Fa-faster . . . Please . . ."
Biting my lower lip, a pool of warmth was forming in between my thighs.
"This hunger," he grinded his hips purposely slow. "Cannot compare to a fraction of heat."
Whimpering as his palms re-explored the swell of my breasts, I arched my back, trying to ease the throbbing urges that was gradually forming behind the thin fabric of my underwear.
"Fuck, I can't take this anymore," he groaned before finally capturing my lips with his, kissing me senseless. His tongue pushed my lower lip, begging for entrance to invade my mouth.
Wrapping one arm around my waist, he switched us over by pinning my wrists on top of my head in a strong grip.
I moaned his name out loud when he thrust his hard length twice against my sensitive part. Eventually releasing his hold on my wrists, my fingers tugged on his sweatpants' waistband. Wanting him to take it off.
With a deep breathless voice, he pulled out from our kiss and looked at me through changed amber eyes. "Are you sure about this?"
"Keep the boxer," I whispered. Leaning forward to trail kisses along his sharp jawline down to his adam's apple. Curious hands slid up and down to feel the firmness of his sculpted chest. Hearing him moan under my touch was like music to my ears — addicting. Resembling the feeling of when you bite into a decadent fudge and can't resist to take another one.
His sweatpants slid off in a blink of an eye, revealing the massive bulge of his hard shaft in an even more distracting way.
But of course, Cal saw me looking and a dangerous smile curled the corner of his lips upwards.
"You're very much aroused," he teased before placing yet another kiss to my swollen lips.
The thin materials of our underwear served as a poor barrier between us. Once he gave a hard thrust, my hips bucked up in response. I could felt him more. How his length tried to penetrate through the thin layers and the sheer rawness of our explicit actions.
Cal fastened his pace and strengthened his grinds against me. Our body moved in a perfect yet desperate sync. Needing to feel each other's touch to calm the raging storm-like sensation within.
Several of his thrusts sent my walls into a contraction like no other. It arched my back and curled my toes as my heart thundered uncontrollably inside my chest. Resulting in beads of sweat to glisten on my forehead in an exhausted sheen.
And when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, endorphins pulsed throughout my body. Releasing all the built up tensions, shooting my consciousness up to cloud nine.
He continued with his endeavors and soon collapsed on top of me. Propping his arms down to hold some of his body weight, careful not to crush my smaller figure.
Leaning his sticky forehead against mine, Cal spoke in a breathless voice.
"Understand why I said you'll need my help?"
———
Ooh it's a bit hot in here!
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