© 2015 by Nique Joaquin. All rights reserved.
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"You sure you'll be fine?" I ask Vaughn for the nth time. Vaughn rolls his eyes at me, he was just about to leave for the airport and Maddox had made sure that they were escorted out.
I didn't want any funny business.
"I'll be fine, sis. Don't worry." Vaughn tells me and I sigh.
"I can't help it. You may be stupid sometimes, but you're my brother." I say, ruffling his hair. Vaughn groans before smiling at me.
"Bye sis." He says as we give each other a big hug. Maddox all of a sudden appears right by my side and Vaughn's eyes widen for a split second before he smirks at me.
Nice mark, sis. Didn't know you had it in you. I raise an eyebrow before looking over at Maddox and gawking. What... the... hell...
***
Hours after Vaughn left, I find that I'm still staring blankly at Maddox as he eats his breakfast. We were in the dining area with the rest of the pack and everyone had been staring at Maddox's low cut shirt that showed off part of the trail of hickeys I'd left him last night. Maddox sure knows how to get on a girl's nerves. We ate across each other and I watched as the other pack members whispered on and on about the hickeys and I sighed loudly.
"Really, Maddox?" I ask him and Maddox smirks at me, knowing full well that my little "revenge" backfired.
"It's not everyday my mate decides to temporarily mark me." Maddox says with a wide grin. "I'm quite proud of your fine handiwork."
"Uh huh." I say with a roll of my eyes, my phone buzzes in my back pocket and I immediately fish it out. Maddox raises an eyebrow and I sigh before showing him the screen.
He nods his head and I stand up, heading straight out into the sunlit patio to answer the phone.
"Morning, mother." I greet.
"Morning, how are you there?" Mother asks.
"Pretty good, surprisingly." I say and she laughs.
"Good, and has the Alpha been treating you... well?" Mother asks hinting with her tone shamelessly and I feel a heat rush to my cheeks, thank God Maddox wasn't in front of me.
"Mother." I say with a warning tone and she laughs even harder.
"Well, you can't blame me for asking. I only want you to enjoy each other... and to live to see the next generation." Mother says with amusement and I roll my eyes.
"I don't even want to know what that's supposed to mean." I tell her and she chuckles.
"You know, it isn't bad to surrender to him. He is your mate, Elair. Nothing wrong with staking your claim on what's rightfully yours." She tells me and I lean on the intricately made railing of the patio.
"Mother, did father tell you?" I ask and she sighs.
"Elair, I heard that you didn't feel the bond. It's not something I want to discuss out loud especially with Ender being such a hothead. You're lucky he's out training." Mother says and I sigh in relief. "But Elair, I know you. If you didn't already have feelings for this boy, you would've left." It was my turn to laugh.
"Mother, you know the circumstances. I can't just-"
"Elair." My mother says sternly and I feel the seriousness of her voice. "If you plan on torturing this boy by not returning his feelings. Or by not even trying, I suggest you reject him and leave. Save everyone the trouble of your selfish behavior." She tells me and I sigh.
"It's not that I don't return his feelings mother. I just can't... I know it won't be on par." I tell her and she sighs as well.
"It can be. If human mates can learn to love our kind, so can you." Mother says in her calming voice.
"I am trying." I tell her.
"I know, darling. But if you put up a little false lover's façade, then you'll never reach him."
"Mother, he can barely reach me." I'm the problem in this little mate equation. I add in my mind.
"Nonsense. Put down your walls and let him reach you. There's only so much he can do on his part. The rest would be all on you. If love does not come, then for once, the Goddess may have made a mistake that you can undo. But if you are willing to undo it, do so before the mating process. Goddess knows how mentally and physically damaging it can be if you let it go so far." Mother tells me and I sigh.
"Yes, mother. By the way, have you heard from Aunt Eleanor?" I ask and I hear my mother hesitate.
"Why?" She asks.
"I'm experiencing... strange things." I tell her and just as I'm about to add more, a pair of strong warm hands wound their way around my waist. Maddox inhales my scent as I continue speaking. "I need to know what happened. Everything is such a blur." I tell her and Maddox squeezes me supportively.
"Well... I don't think I can tell you over the phone. If I may, I'd like to talk to Alpha Maddox about this." Mother tells me and I hand Maddox the phone. He takes it, with one arm around my waist as he puts my phone to his ear.
"You have my approval." He tells her and I can hear my mother's laugh.
"Very well then. I'll see what I can do. Look forward to your father's message, Elair. I think we'll arrive just after Wes' recital."
"Is he performing on the violin?" I ask and my mother giggles.
"Yes, he's been practicing on video. I'll bring the tapes with me, he says they're for you." I smile at that before Maddox hands me the phone.
"Alright, bye mother." I say.
"I'll see you soon." She tells me before she hangs up.
Maddox's arms around me stay where they are.
"When did you start listening in?" I ask and Maddox shrugs.
"Aunt Eleanor." He says and I sigh. "Should I know her?"
"You'd be better off not... But she trained me." I inform him and he nods his head.
"...I have to go deal with a few things. Join me?" Maddox asks and I shake my head.
"I'm not in the mood to listen in." I say as I untangle his grip from my waist. "Tell me what you talk about later." I say and Maddox nods, but just before he turns to leave, he grabs my hand and drags me towards him.
He places a firm kiss on my lips, causing my eyes to widen. His lips move against mine and I feel my eyes close just as he parts away. With a soft hint of a smirk and a mischievous glint in his eyes, he leaves me feeling just a tad bit colder than before.
I look up at the sky and let out a huge sigh.
"It seems you have a problem." A male's voice says from behind me, I turn and spot one of Helari's usual bodyguards. This one is the platinum blonde haired one that wears an all-white suit.
He smiles kindly at me and this man simply exudes 18th century gentleman. Or was that in the 19th century?
"I have a myriad of problems." I say and he chuckles.
"Of course. My mistress is quite intrigued by you, little wolf." He says and I arch a brow. "My name is Mikhail."
"Elair." I say with a shrug. "Has Ari found out anything new?" I ask and he sighs.
"I'm afraid not, she is willing to try something, however, she is unsure that Alpha Cross will allow it."
"And what is it?" Mikhail smiles at me in an eerie manner, but I shrug the feeling off. His eyes are the type that are so pale in blue that you wonder if they can pierce through you like shards of ice.
"An unlock, if you will. It involves a bit of blood and a lot of pain... for you especially." Mikhail tells me and I nod.
"Did Helari ask you to tell me this?" I ask and Mikhail smirks mischievously at me.
"Of course not. Despite me being the 'white' servant, I'm the more... mischievous of our group. Scar is a bit too uptight to play the games I do... Scar is the dark servant, if it wasn't obvious." He says and I nod.
"Where's Helari?" I ask and Mikhail grins.
"She should be arriving soon. Helari has been watching over this territory in case the said owner appears." Mikhail says and I sigh.
"And the problem continues." I mutter. "I'll inform Helari of my decision, thanks for informing me." I tell Mikhail, he nods his head and smiles.
"Of course." He says before decidedly leaving me alone to my thoughts.
I walked straight back into the pack house and fixed myself a cup of coffee. Just as I was gonna head up, I heard the sound of a large slam followed by shouting coming from the office.
Coffee cup in hand, I walked to the office and opened the door that was muffling the sound of a certain angry Alpha. Jasper, Trevor, Iain, and the other leaders including three females I hadn't seen before, stood still and all of them looked at me. Each one of them had been looking down at the floor, while Maddox's grip almost snapped the wooden conference table in half. Maddox's head was down and his entire body was trembling with anger.
I sighed, sipped my coffee, and walked towards him, setting my cup down just by his hands. Then I reached for his face and made him look at me.
"Hey. Get back here." I say softly and Maddox's blazing and almost... glowing amber eyes blink several times. A low growl escapes the back of his throat.
Well, there goes the soft and soothing route. I roll my eyes before I let my wolf out and snarl threateningly at him. The sound ricochets all around the office and Maddox stares at me, his eyes challenging me to back down. His wolf was in control and it was probably because of something really bad. So, I did what any female would do to an out of control male. I flicked my wrist back and slapped him so hard across the face that everyone in the room let out a gasp.
"Could everyone leave us for a moment?" I ask loudly in a cold voice. There are no words spoken as everyone leaves the room and the door clicks shut.
"What the hell happened?" I snap and Maddox, still in shock from the slap, turns his head and faces me.
"Children. This place we're attacking. Those women you saw were surveying the area when they spotted three children. Shot clear through the head." Maddox says and I swallow a lump in my throat as Maddox turns over three sheets of paper. They were printed out photos of the bodies.
On their arms were blood etchings and I find myself trying to recall a memory that feels hazy and blurred.
"Elair." Maddox calls out and I turn to look at him. His hands touch my face and he breathes a sigh of relief. "Sorry." He says and I raise an eyebrow.
"For what?" I ask.
"Losing myself there." He says and I shrug.
"This isn't exactly something we can be calm about. Where were the children from?" I ask and Maddox sighs.
"They're humans, Elair. I'm guess Helari has sent a few of her people to prepare a clean funeral for them."
"Humans? Why would there..."
Sacrifices. My mind answers for me.
Maddox sighs and runs a hand through his hair before sighing once more.
"I'm not going to regret killing the lot of them." Maddox tells me and I nod.
"What happens... by the way... to the children you come across?" I ask and Maddox looks down for a second.
"Helari handles the children. They aren't killed, but... think about it as a memory wipe. It's customary and although some don't agree with it, memory wipes are necessary if we don't want to leave traumatized or vengeful children."
"So... they're wiped clean and stay with her?" I ask and Maddox nods.
"Helari runs a good school and organization. She takes in abandoned wolves, humans, witches, and the list goes on... Anyone needing her help, she gives, in return, they swear total loyalty to her- which means denying her requests are an absolute death sentence." Maddox informs me.
"Are you sworn to her?" I ask and Maddox chuckles.
"Not in the way that they are. My family's served her for generations." Maddox says as he faces me and runs his fingers down my face, tracing it softly.
Before either of us can say anymore, a knock at the door has Maddox putting on a straight face again.
"Come in." He announces and I watch as the doorknob twists and Helari walks in.
"The children were etched with markings from the Sentinels. It's been a while since they've pulled such a bold move." She says and Maddox chuckles. At the sound of the word Sentinels, I feel a surge of pain hit my eyes.
Maddox immediately grips my hand and stares into my eyes.
"Helari." He calls and Ari is immediately in my face as well. Her eyes widen before she sighs.
"Shít."