I finished drying off my hair and slipped on the large black sweater he gave me, feeling relieved when it covered my butt. When I stepped out of the bathroom and left everything in its place I was disappointed to see Fox was still in the room.
"I thought you'd be gone by now." I stated, crossing my arms self-consciously and stopping a good ways away from the fire Alpha that was scaring the shit out of me right now.
"I thought you were wearing makeup, but we're both wrong." I furrowed my eyebrows at his comment, watching as he walked towards the door. He stopped and turned with raised eyebrows. "You coming?" I didn't answer and instead jogged a little to catch up, following him down a hallway and into another room. This one was humongous, significantly larger than the last.
Big windows with maroon curtains hung, the furniture dark washed with a rustic look and the bed had black silk sheets. The room was bright despite the dark colors, contrasting them in their place.
"This is my room." Fox explained and I nodded, the dark colors suiting his personality. If everything was blood red then I wouldn't be surprised either.
"Neat. Where can I stay for now?"
"For now?" He turned to me with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, when I get released." He chuckled at that and leaned towards my ear.
"You're not leaving." He whispered, giving me chills that I tried to hide.
"But you're the alpha of the Bloodrose Dusk pack. You don't care for a mate let alone companion, so why do I need to stay?" His amber eyes analyzed me before he spoke.
"Who said I didn't care for a mate?" Fox turned away and went into another doorway, disappearing through it.
"Wait, you want me as your mate?" I asked with confusion laced through my words. I thought he just wanted to torture me and then put me out of my misery. Isn't that the game he mentioned? Isn't that what he does to people that cross him?
"A strong pack needs a Luna, is that not correct?" His voice answered from the doorway. I looked back at the open door behind me and back at the door he disappeared through. Right as I ran towards it he somehow got to it before me and shook his finger.
"Ah ah ah... Trying to leave so soon?" I glared at him before looking down at what he was holding.
"What's that?"
"Pants." He threw them at me and I caught them.
"Why?"
"Because your butt is hanging out and it's distracting." A blush crept up my neck.
"Is being Luna all you find me useful for?" He shrugged and leaned on a desk, crossing his lean arms.
"What other uses you got in there?"
"So you're objectifying me now."
"No, you just seem oblivious to the fact that I'm also a werewolf, not a blood craving god." When I didn't reply he sighed. "Can you just-" he clenched his fists and his jaw, grinding his teeth as he looked away from me. "please put the pants on." My cheeks flushed again and I quickly put them on.
"Sorry." He looked back at me and I stared at the ground, avoiding his stare.
"Can you just stop skipping the question and actually give me a clear answer?"
"I'm not as heartless as they say, Naomi. I do actually want a mate, not a Luna for my pack." I instantly felt guilty for running and accusing him of plotting to murder me. But weren't the rumors true? Wasn't he supposed to be a soulless fire alpha? I didn't say anything and instead crossed my arms.
"If you're not that heartless then why do you brutally kill so many people without a care?" I looked up at him to find his amber eyes staring deeply at me, almost as if he were afraid to answer me.
"I said i'm not that heartless when it comes to mates. Never said I cared for other wolves."
"So you'd kill someone if they accidentally bumped into you?" He shrugged at my question.
"Depends," He stepped close and looked down on me, pushing my hair behind my shoulder to reveal my neck where a mark was supposed lay. "If I was having a bad day, maybe." I glanced up at him before taking a step back, leaving his hand in the air before he dropped it.
"So where do I stay?" Fox looked me in the eye and didn't move for a second. When he walked towards another door and opened it I followed through, finding another bedroom that looked almost the same, just smaller and with brighter colors.
"Here."
"There's no lock on that door." I pointed out, staring at him. He smirked again and nodded his head.
"Don't need one. We're mates right?" His voice turned into a flirtatious growl and I stiffened when he held my cheek, holding my face to look up at him leaving traces of sparks wherever his skin touched mine. I watched as his amber eyes analyzed my face. "If we're mates we don't need to hide from each other, right?" His tone was soft and I felt like my voice was ripped out of me and I couldn't speak. No Naomi, snap out of it.
"My brother will come for me." I whispered which seemed to disappoint him.
"I think he'll be pleased with what I have to offer."
"And what's that?" He ripped his hand away and backed against the wall.
"You're like a peace treaty, Naomi," My name rolled off his tongue like it was made specifically for him to say, and I secretly loved it. Was that bad or common? "war with my pack is not something you want your old pack to go through, trust me."
"Old pack? What's that supposed to mean?"
"God Naomi," He laughed lightly like I was still missing something and threw his head to the ceiling. "Why can't you get it through your stubborn head that you're going to be Luna to my pack, meaning yours too. We're mates, we'll mate. This is now your pack."
"I can reject you." That seemed to hit a spot in him because right after I mentioned it he growled darkly and slammed me into the wall, punching it and making a hole as he continued to growl. I jumped and made myself smaller with wide eyes, watching him lose himself. His eyes were a swirling orange and muted red-brown, creating the image of dancing flames, entrancing me at the beautiful sight.
"Do you want me to set this house on fire or something?" He spoke with a darker voice this time and I watched his movements cautiously, his face even with mine.
"N-no."
"Because it seems like you only said that to stir something in me, right?"
"I-I don't know." He got close again and clenched his jaw.
"Are you afraid now?" He lowered his deep voice and I kept my eyes locked with his.
"Are you going to hurt me?" Stupid question. I watched as Fox roared louder and turned around, flipping the bed before throwing a ball of fire at it. I watched as the fire died almost immediately with confusion before flinching when he got close again. When I opened my eyes I saw the disappointment on his face, fire in his hands. He could create the fire? Isn't that supposed to be impossible? Nobody's ever been known to do that.
"I'd never lay a hand on you in that way Naomi." I found sincerity in his eyes and relaxed my muscles. "Don't ever doubt that." The fire disappeared from his fists when a phone started ringing and he grabbed it out of his pocket, bringing it to his ear. I strained my ears to listen in but found some sort of barrier. Must be spelled so that other werewolves couldn't hear it.
"Fucking hell...yeah okay, tell him we're coming and to calm his shit before I send a troop down at his territory." He hung up and stuffed it back in his pocket as I watched silently. "Your brother is here earlier than expected, good twin senses. Follow me, we're going to talk to him." I followed him out of the room and sighed when I realized this house wasn't small. Of course he had to live in a flipping mansion.
"How did the fire go out on the bed?" I asked curiously as I tried to match his long and sharp strides. He turned his head to look at me and laughed.
"You'd think that I wouldn't get this place fire proofed?" I didn't say anything because I knew the question was stupid and instead followed him outside. My brother was standing by a car with Caiden, our Beta. Much to his disappointment his oldest Marie is only 16 and isn't ready for Beta position yet.
The outdoors was unexpectedly beautiful. The house was on top of a hill, overlooking the pack's town on one side and then viewing the mountains on the other, a forest filling in the spaces and ground below. We were on a cliff-mountain like hill.
"Nicholai, what took you so long?" I prodded him before giving him a hug.
"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that I was across the world?" I glared at him playfully for being sarcastic before a larger hand grabbed mine and pulled me back with a growl, tingles erupting from the touch and giving my stomach involuntary butterflies.
"Right, well I'm taking my little sister home now." When Nicholai took a step forward with an outstretched arm Fox pushed me behind him and growled lowly.
"Take another step and I'll fry your feet until they melt." Fox threatened and I smacked his arm.
"If you hurt my brother I'll reject you." I threatened back, doing my best to ignore his now flaming hands. He took a deep breath and the fire disappeared.
"Alpha Hayes, I want to talk. Care to follow me in?" Fox's demeanor changed to a more relaxed stance and I stood with less caution.
"Fine, but my Beta stays here with her, I don't trust your guards." Nicholai nodded at Caiden when it looked like he was about to protest his decision. I watched as Fox escorted my brother inside and closed the door before walking over to Caiden and prepared myself.
"How're my parents?" I asked and he crossed his arms again.
"They're worried about you, they've known Alpha Phoenix's family as a dangerous threat their whole service to the pack. It's also not a secret that he's insane." My attitude quickly turned bitter and I had an odd urge to defend him for his previous actions.
"How did you guys even find out where I was and that he was my mate? My mind link was blocked." Caiden immediately looked at me with wide eyes.
"You're mates?" Oh shit.
"W-what did you think he took me for?"
"Bait or a prisoner? We weren't sure."
"Oh."
"Well fuck," he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I don't think we can get you out of this, Mi." My heart sunk.
"Why not?"
"We can't take you away from him, an angry mate-deprived alpha with fire abilities and the strongest pack known doesn't benefit anybody. Not even you, you'd feel depressed, deprived, tired, etcetera. If you're taken away from your mate you start to feel effects. Even though you may not like him, your wolf probably does and she'll cause the effects to kick in."
"So there's no way out except rejection?"
"Have you asked him about it or does he want you?"
"When I threatened to reject him he got extremely angry, more than the average wolf. He wants me, he made that clear."
"If he doesn't accept rejection then there's nothing we can do to help besides go to the high court which takes years to apply for, I'm sorry Mi." I turned away from him and put the sleeve of the sweater into a fist, crossing my arms. Then why did Fox want to talk to Nicholai? After another twenty or so minutes full of picking grass out of the ground the front door opened and I perked up, watching the two boys walk out with a girl.
"Nicholai, what's going on?" I called and he avoided my direct gaze. He stopped right in front of me with the girl standing nervously with Fox, talking to him.
"Mimi," He gave me a soft look. "you're staying with him."
"What deal did you make with him, huh?" I punched his shoulder and he let out a breath, looking at me sideways.
"Don't do that to me."
"Do what?"
"Make me the bad guy, this is going to benefit everybody."
"Except me." He stayed silent for a minute.
"His sister is my mate."
"What?"
"Alessandra, right back there. She's coming back with me in exchange for you and an alliance to protect each other."
"Pack and mate over your own fucking twin, damn. What did I expect? You are the alpha. Them first."
"It's my job, Mi. I was born and taught to protect our pack."
"Your pack, Nicholai. Yours." His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me. "Goodbye brother," I hugged him. "I hope it was all worth it." I whispered in his ear before backing away to Fox. Nicholai continued to look at me, perplexed. I knew what it felt like to be stabbed in the back, I've lived it from my pack everyday at school. But this betrayal never felt so bitter.
•••
Hey fam, back for another chapter :)
Thanks for all the lovely support! I love you all you're my fam