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Enjoy the longest chapter yet!
52. Someone I love
Staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, wrapped in a sinfully fluffy robe, I frown as my fingers brush the skin at the junction of my neck and shoulder, where the mark was.
Hell, the skin here is so flawless now, it feels synthetic.
I shake my head, trying to get rid of the slightly hollow feeling that’s settled in the pit of my stomach.
Quickly getting dressed, I step out into our room. Luke looks up from the letters he’s reading when I approach the bed and settle down beside him.
“How are you feeling?” he asks
I roll my eyes with a smile “That’s got to be the ninth time you’ve asked me that since morning.”
Luke cocks his head to a side “I’m hoping for something a little more than a simple ‘Fine’ this time."
“I feel…” I tap my chin with a finger “Empty? Like something’s missing."
An annoyed breath escapes me “I honestly don’t know if its only the fact that all my heightened senses are gone.”
Luke chuckles, I narrow my eyes at him “That’s to be expected, hopefully, it wont be long before that feeling has to go away.”
I groan “I cant wait for those moments!”
Moon, was having omega senses always so bad? Like having a blanket wrapped around you. I have to give humans some credit, how do they deal with living like this?
I turn my eyes to Luke, only to find him staring at me, face propped against a fist, giving me a sleepy, suggestive smile that makes heat rush to my face, my mind instantly goes back to the conversation we just had.
Hopefully, it wont be long before that feeling has to go away.
“You—!” I sputter, catching the meaning of those words, my face burning
“I what, Hazel?”
I give him the stink eye.
And then flick him on the forehead.
To his credit, Luke only winces before he rubs at his forehead “What was that for?”
“For having your mind in the gutter, my love.” I purr
There’s amusement glinting in those stormy eyes “You said you cant wait for those moments.”
“Keep teasing me and they’ll never come.”
Luke’s brows raise at my serious face. He stares at me, and keeps staring at me before—
A squeal escapes me as he lifts me off the bed and onto his lap, only to drown in giggles and laughter when he nuzzles his face in the crook of my neck, his soft hair tickling me mercilessly.
“S-Stop!” I manage to get out above my hysterical laughter “L-Luke, you b-bastard!”
“Take it back,” he says, warm lips brushing against my skin, still cold from the shower
“Fine, y-you brute!” Another squeal escapes me at the graze of his canines “I take it back!"
He lifts his face from the crook of my neck, his dark hair messy but lips pulled in a bright grin. If I wasn’t already red in the face and out of breath, it would certainly do both those things to me.
I run my hand through his hair, taming it a bit “You’re a brute.”
Luke leans down “Saying things that you might have to take back, are we?”
I huff, despite my smile as my hand comes to rest on the side of his face, my thumb brushing against his sharp cheekbone. Then a thought suddenly hits me.
“Why didn’t you remind me about the mind link?” I ask him
Luke puts his hand atop mine, his stormy eyes trained on mine “It would’ve made things more complicated.” A rattled breath “Even when the plan was to mask the mark, you wouldn’t have been able to communicate with me. We’d both have felt on the edge more if that bond had already gotten stronger.”
I hmm a little, letting his words sink in. Luke leans his brow against mine “Are you angry about that?”
“A little disappointed,” I say, our breaths mingling “That I didn’t get to experience it.”
Luke presses a deep kiss to my forehead “Soon.”
A pleased shiver races down my spine at the promise in that word.
“Now that the mark is gone,” I say “I can go around the mansion as I please?”
Luke nods “Anywhere you’d like.”
“Well, that’s my cue to leave then,” I chirp and slip out of his hold
Luke frown a little “You could at least pretend to be disappointed about leaving me, Hazel.”
I wink at him “I’ll be back before you know it. Besides,” I nod towards the letters on the bed “You have to read through all those.”
Luke lets out a long, exaggerated sigh as he picks up the letter he was reading. I turn around and make my way towards the door.
“Elise,”
I turn halfway to look back at Luke, his eyes flicker to me before going back to the letter, but I sense the tension in his frame, the stiffness that wasn’t there a few moments earlier.
“Try not to stay with another competitor for long.”
Unbidden, Korra’s words rush inside my head.
Don’t let the beast break the chains of restraint.
Lycanthropes tend to get… antsy when the full moon is coming. Specially the males with an unmarked partner. Something about hyper protectiveness or something.
“Got it,” I nod “Try not to miss me too much.”
From the people I know, Ethan and Tyler made it back, so did Freddie and Joseph. I’d go and talk to Ethan and Tyler for a while, find out what’s so savage about their pack. Then I’d say hello to Joseph and Freddie.
My mind made up, I make my way towards the stairs and go straight to the first floor. I reach the first door and raise my hand to knock when realization hits me.
I have no idea which room they’re in.
Muttering a curse, I move the gears in my head.
Just then, a maid goes past me, an idea hits me like lightning. The sound of thunder in the back ground only adds to create the effect.
“Wait,” I quickly walk to her, she raises an eyebrow at me in confusion “Do you know where Alpha Parks’ room is?”
“Sure, Ms. Attwood.” She nods “The second last on the left.”
“Thank you,” I grin at her but just as I take a step forward, she speaks again
“If you are hoping to meet him, Ms. He’s not there.” She tells me “He left for a jog with his beta just five minutes ago. They said rain wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Oh,” My shoulders drop “And Alpha Vanderwood? Where is he?”
“He just asked for coffee in the library.”
With a smile I nod at her and turn to the stairs again. Soon enough, I reach the library on the second floor.
Without knocking, I slip inside. Using my ninja maneuvers, I quickly detect a mop of dark hair against one of the couches.
I slowly creep forward, making no sound whatsoever, finally I am close enough to the couch to scare the shit out of him when I hear;
“And you said I’m creepy.”
“Seriously?” I frown at him, peeking from behind the couch “What is it with everyone knowing I’m there?”
“Your scent is strong, Attwood,” Joseph looks up from the chessboard in front of him on the table “And every Lycanthrope here is either Alpha or Beta, except you, of course.”
I huff “Yet I’m the one who won.”
“Winters won.”
“Same thing.”
He gives me an amused look “What are you doing here?”
“Cant I check up on my housemates to know if they’re alive?” I give him a look, propping myself on the couch
“I appreciate the concern,” he says with a quirk of his lips “I’m surprised you’re alive, Elise. Heard you took a silver bullet.”
“Who told you?” my eyebrows shoot to the sky
“Parks wanted to see you when we arrived, Winters said you’re still recovering.” He says, moving a piece from the black’s side and then moving one from the white “By the way, how are you now?”
“I’m good,” I say cheerfully “Never been better.”
Joseph casts me a sideways glance, his lips curve in a smirk “So, you and Winters?”
I raise an eyebrow at him, hoping he cant hear how my heart has started to gallop.
“What do you mean?” I play dumb, faintly aware of the splatters of rain on the windows
“Don’t give me that look,” he rolls his eyes “I know about his curse.”
My mouth falls open “What, how?”
Joseph takes a moment to think, then moves the black’s queen, knocking over white’s king. Checkmate.
“My father tried to kill him.”
“What?”
Joseph picks up his coffee mug and takes a sip, leans back in his seat.
“He came to our pack some four years ago, talked to my father on some matters.” He tells me calmly “He and his little crew of warriors were to leave in a few days, my father told me we would finish them off in the night. I asked him the reason. He told me.”
He takes another sip of the coffee and looks at me with those too clever forest eyes “I don’t think I’d ever forget the night a single Lycan killed ten trained warriors.”
A beat of silence passes and then I’m compelled to ask;
“What about your father?”
“Gone.”
My eyes widen in horror “Did he, Did Luke—
“No,” Joseph says “He’s not dead. He’s in exile for planning an attack on your pack a few months later. He helped some rouges, the Alpha Supreme found out. He was exiled without trail, no one bough his story of the boy beast.”
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, Joseph exhales a laugh.
“You’re acting as if it would’ve been bad if Winters had killed him.” He says
“How can you say that?” I ask applauded “He’s your father!”
“A father who killed his two older children to save his title.”
I’m openly gaping at Joseph. He rolls his eyes at me.
“Get yourself together, Attwood.” He says lightly, but I detect the careful warning in his voice, telling me not to show sympathy “Things happen, people go on. I don’t remember much of it anyways.”
I decide to change the topic “Yeah, Luke and I.”
“Knew it,” he flashes me the usual self-content smirk “I must admit, Winters is a lucky bastard to get to stay with his mate the entire Hunt.”
“You must be missing you’re mate too, huh?” I ask, then a grin comes to my lips “I’m sure she’s glad to have you away for a while.”
“Penelope adores me,” Joseph huffs “And she shares my admiration for chess.”
I find myself genuinely smiling at him “I’m sure she does.”
“Now that you’ve given me the official title of being your housemate,” Joseph says “I expect you to have the first official dinner at my pack.”
“Official dinner?”
He nods at me as he stands up “The new Alpha Supreme receives a lot of invitations for official meeting with other packs.”
I stand up as well “I expect a grand fest.”
Joseph gives me a little bow “As you wish, your highness.”
I smile at him, only to realize a moment later that he probably has to go and I’m sanding just in front of him. He’d have to move around the table to leave, or I could just step back and save him the trouble.
In my haste to move back, my foot hits the table’s leg and I lose my balance. Instinctively, trying to hold something for support, my hands find Joseph’s arm, causing him to fall with me.
The mug slips from his grip and shatters to the floor as we both fall on the couch. Joseph manages not to crush me by holding himself by the arms. I almost cringe at the awkward position.
Before either of us can move, a low growl reaches my ears.
The next instant, I hear a crash as the table is tossed away, its glass top shattering with an ear-piercing sound. Joseph is hauled off me, and I hurriedly scramble up to see him being held against a shelf.
“Stay away from her,” Luke’s lips curl in a snarl, displaying his elongated canines, his hand clenched around Joseph’s throat
I stare at Luke, petrified in my place, if he tightens his hold he’s going to kill him. Something hits me like an iron fist in my guts.
“Luke, let him go,” I scurry off the couch and towards them, trying to pull him back from a struggling Joseph
His heads snaps to me for a moment, eyes dark like obsidian, rage swirling in their depths. Without thinking twice, I step back.
He turns his face back to Joseph, whose face is turning red, his own hands have shifted, trying to claw off Luke’s grip in vain.
“She’s mine.” Luke growls at him
I flinch at the raw possession in rough his voice. My heart starts to pound hard against my chest. Something is very, very wrong here. This is not Luke’s voice.
Internally shaking myself, I grab his arm yet again, trying to pull back.
“He knows that,” I say, desperation taints my voice like poison “He has a mate, remember!”
His chest rises and falls as quickly as Joseph’s, a few painful seconds die in the process of his hand leaving Joseph’s throat, who quickly pushes Luke away from himself, drawing in sharp breaths.
Luke’s arms come around me in a protective hold, almost hiding me from Joseph, as if he’s even capable of being a threat in the current situation.
“Don’t touch her again.” Luke’s voice rumbles with a growl
I cant see Joseph’s face, but he says nothing. I feel a face pressed in my hair, taking a deep breath.
“My mate,” A rough voice whispers “Mine.”
I manage to snake my hands between us, hopelessly trying to push him a bit away. Finally, relenting, Luke pulls away just enough to look at me. Anger, possession and adoration all mixed up in his eyes. No sign of the stormy blue eyes behind the pitch blackness.
“Luke?” I breathe out
My voice seems to snap him out of his stupor, clearing away the dark mist to give way for the stormy blue.
Luke’s eyes widen a fraction, eyebrows pulling together as he abruptly lets go of me. I barely see him leave, only hearing the sound of a door slamming shut as he does.
I whirl around to see Joseph, leaning against the shelf, the bruises on his neck already fading.
“Are you okay?” I ask
“Fine.” He nods, still staring at the door “You?”
“I’m okay.” I let out a breath “Joseph, I’m really sorry, my clumsiness totally got this messed up.”
He finally looks at me again and shakes his head “This is expected. Lycans are possessive even these days, and he is… something ancient.”
“This isn’t,” I swallow “Always going to be like this, right?”
Joseph keeps staring at me for a while “I don’t know.”
I try to swallow the lump in my throat “I should go.”
“Elise,” Joseph calls as I near the door, I look over my shoulder “Give him time, this must be new for him too.”
I give him a quick nod “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I quickly make my way to my room, when I throw the door open, I cant see him anywhere. I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed.
I bite my lip in thought. Should I look for him? But Luke will come back when he’s done processing this right? I should give him time.
I sit, pace, lay down and pace again in my room as minutes tick by. The rain outside gets harder. He doesn’t come back.
Finally when its past midnight, I decide that’s this is enough. Leaving my room, a storm of thoughts swirls in my head.
I don’t know if I want to have this conversation. I’m sure Luke doesn’t want to have this conversation. But we cant avoid this, I refuse to let a dumb incident be a hurdle between us.
I go to his office and without knocking, go inside. Blinking, I look around. He’s not here. I close the door and look through the other rooms.
The thunder roars, illuminating the otherwise dark hallways. I contemplate calling out his name but I don’t want to risk him walking away.
Looking inside each room, my disappointment increases. But he should be here! Unless he went out. But he wouldn’t go out in this weather, would he?
My feet accelerate their pace and so does my heart and I silently pray to the Goddess for him to be here.
I reach the second floor and just as I quickly pass a balcony, my steps falter.
I step back, slowly, hopefully and there, standing in the pouring rain I see a tall, dark silhouette.
The thunder roars again, I quietly step out into the rain, biting back a gasp as the icy water hits me. My hand reaches out to touch him but I hesitate before pulling it back
A soft whisper leaves my mouth “Luke.”
Impossibly, over the sound of the splashing rain and rushing wind, he hears me. He whirls around, eyes wide a fraction, muscles taunt.
For a moment, we just stand there; in the pouring rain under the dark sky, looking at each other, asking a thousand questions in the silence that envelopes us.
My feet move forward, my hands reach up to hold his face and I vaguely wonder why he seems so taller than usual.
Tenderly, my freezing fingers graze his burning skin. His stormy eyes burn with deep regret, a pain ages old.
Breaking the spell of silence, my mouth opens and words tumble out;
“Why did you leave?”
Luke snaps out of his trance, he briskly steps away from me before turning his back at me once again.
“Why are you here?” his voice is harder than it’s ever been before
“You just took off and you’re asking me why I’m here?” I say
Another flash of lightning illuminates the balcony, I notice his hands digging into the railing.
“You should go.”
I gape at his ripped back, feeling irritation and confusion rise in me. Why is he acting like this?
“Do you think I came here at this hour of the night, in pouring rain, just to turn back?” I ask, my eyes narrowed
His neck muscles tense, other then the sound of thunder, I get no response.
“Luke, look at me,” I say in a firm voice
He doesn’t move an inch. Closing the distance between us, I take his arm and force him to look my way.
“Do you have any idea,” I jab a finger at his chest “how worried I was?”
“You don’t have to worry about me, Hazel.” He looks away
“Luke, what are you talking about?” I stare at him, brows furrowed in confusion
“Monsters are not to be worried for,”
“You’re not—
“I saw the way you looked at me,” He steps away from me, his face taut in pain
I stare at him, wide eyed and stunned. Getting no answer out of me, Luke runs a hand through his hair, pushing the dark strands away from his face.
“You looked at me like you want to run away,” his eyes clench shut “as though I terrify you.”
My heart falters, crushed with an unknown pain and my shoulder sag under its weight.
“You don’t scare me.” I say, my voice hushed in the rough winds “You never will.”
“How can you not be afraid,” he asks, staring down at his hands— claws “Of what might surface through me?”
I step forward and hold his face. Luke’s eyes gravitate to mine, looking like shattered glass after a storm.
“How can I be afraid of someone I love?”
Even in the pouring rain, his body radiates heat. Standing on my toes, I hook my arms around him, his own arms wrap around me, holding me as though I might vanish any moment.
“This wont happen again, Elise.” his voice so low I almost don’t catch it over the sound of the rain “I swear.”
“I know,” I whisper, then a little smile tugs at my lips “But I kinda really like hugging in the rain.”
His shoulders relax slightly, Luke presses a soft kiss to my temple “This wont happen like this again.”
I nod “Yeah, there should be a garden, and definitely background music.”
He smiles then, the stormy blue I’ve come to adore already bright with calculation, already planning on how to make that happen, how to make it up to me. And my heart cracks at the sight of it.
At the sight of my brilliant, brilliant mate. Who’s been told his entire life that he might become a monster, who had the courage to face all of it, and to take down that title and make a new one.
I lean forward to lock my lips with his, Luke returns the gesture but I stop before that. A strange feeling crawls up my body, my eyes widen in realization and I turn my face just in time before—
I sneeze.
Sniffling, I turn back to Luke with a sheepish smile.
“Come on,” He smiles, his hand seems to engulf mine on a whole new level
Luke guides me back inside and passing through the dark hallways to my room before flickering on the lights I had turned down before leaving.
“You should take a warm shower, Hazel.” Stepping away from me, Luke opens the closet and takes out a long sweat shirt
Taking the shirt from him, I look up “And you?”
“I’ll take a shower in the other room,” Luke says
Nodding, I step away from him into the bathroom. Taking off my soaked clothes I take a quick warm shower. Sneezing a few times, might I add. Then I dry off and put on the dry shirt.
When I step back into the room, my eyes instantly land on Luke sitting on the bed. I focus my eyes on his face, his damp hair and dark stormy gaze but he looks calm, not as guilt ridden as he did a while ago.
My gaze travels to his hands and, for a millisecond, I freeze. They’re still not back to normal.
Surprised, I walk up to him and curiously, cautiously hold his hand in mine. It should be back to normal, every other time its happened, it goes back in a while.
He waits for me to speak and I do too, but no words come out of my mouth. I look up and my eyes meet his tired ones, a note of worry in them.
A small smile tugs at my lips as I interlock his fingers with mine.
“Let’s sleep, yeah?” I ask
Luke presses a kiss on my forehead and nods.
So both of us lay down on the bed, a little distance away from each other, me curled up and him ramrod straight, staring at each other.
“Luke,” I say after a moment “I’m feeling cold.”
“Strange,” he says “I think it’s warm.”
Well, if that’s the case. I scoot over to him, his arms warp around me so he his head falls against my chest, no doubt hearing my fast heart beat.
The thunder roars again, rain splatters on the glass windows and my body relaxes completely in Luke’s hold. I nearly drift off to sleep before realizing that he was still awake.
“Can’t sleep?” I ask quietly
Silence. Then;
“Yes.”
I tilt my head to look at him, a little sleepy smile on my face.
“You have me here and you still can’t sleep,” I say, hushed amusement in my voice “I have the right to know why.”
Luke shifts his hold on me so we’re on eyelevel, in the dimly lit room I make out the slight furrow between his brows, not a wink of sleep in his eyes.
“Elise, if I ask something of you, will you grant it to me?” He asks, his voice quiet in contrast to the storm outside
I ignore the worry in my mind “If you ask me to kill you again, I just might.”
He doesn’t find that funny, instead his fingers interlock with mine, engulfing my hand in warmth.
“Don’t give up on us.”
I blink, confused at what he just said. He presses on;
“I will not lie to you, Hazel. Even after I become Alpha supreme, even after I mark you, I might not be able to control my shift on full moon, I might not be able to hold back my instinct when another male comes close to you,” Luke says “But I swear, Elise, I will never hurt you. I will get this under control. I—
I press a kiss to his lips “Shut up,”
A small laugh escapes me at his bewildered expression “You worry way too much, Luke.”
I pull my hand out of his and trail my fingers down the side of his face, along his jaw “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. You kept no secret about yourself, I fell in love with it all. I’m not going to take the good you offer and frown at the bad. I know you will work this out, and I’m always happy to help.”
I can almost feel him relax, he buries his face deeper in the pillows, hooded eyes staring at me.
“Maybe after so long of having everyone fear me,” he says softly “I keep worrying that you might fear me too.”
I snuggle closer to him, tucking my head under his chin. His scent and warmth engulf me in comfort, I can hear his rhythmic heartbeat as I close my eyes.
“I’m here,” I whisper softly “Don’t ever forget that I’m here, Luke. You’re not alone anymore.”
And I’m almost asleep, almost lost in the comfortable darkness when his voice caresses my ears.
“I know.”
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