The rest of the day, I was avoided like a terminal illness on two legs. Anyone who happened to find themselves in the same room as me fled shortly after mumbling about some important business they needed to tend to.
This would be my life for the foreseeable future. Everyone would now only see me as the shadow alpha's mate, too afraid of his title to even give me the time of day.
Save a few.
Rachel, my family, and Louisa of course weren't obviously trying to avoid me. But the look of pity and mourning in their eyes every time they caught wind of me caused me to try and avoid them.
I felt alone.
It was late by the time I felt myself drawn to go to the kitchen. The sunlight already leaked completely away by the time I walked into the room.
I hadn't expected to see anyone down there so late, perhaps a maid or stray cook prepping tomorrows food.
I was shocked to see my mother slumped at the island, two empty bottles of wine and one nearly complete sat beside her on the counter. The only light on was one directly above the island, almost like a spotlight on her.
She must've been too intoxicated to acknowledge her senses because she didn't rouse to the sound of me as I approached.
"Mom?" I peeped in a quiet voice, gently touching her shoulders.
Her head peered up from her arms and her glazed over eyes scanned my face for a moment before creasing as she smiled. Her usually pristine makeup was smudge and completely missing in some places.
"My beautiful girl." She mumbled and reached up and began stroking my head, her fingers occasionally detangling snarls in my hair. "You doing okay?" She said light and airy.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I give a small smile and lean into her touch.
"You're hair was always so wild when you were little. No matter how much I brushed it. It'd seem like a minute passed and it go back to a jungle." She murmured absent mindedly, her voice slurring and over pronouncing parts. "Just like you were though. Always running around causing mayhem."
"Can't say much has changed." I chuckled lightly, hoping to invoke a laugh. My eyes quietly taking in my mother's face. Studying the wrinkles she's acquired and streaks of ash bitten hair falling from her bun.
My mother then stopped and frowned. "No." She began. "You're grown now." She gazed over my features and studied me like the cover of a book. "You've turned into an remarkable women. Strong and fearless." Her eyes watered, her voice becoming more restrained as she tried to keep composure.
"I have failed you as a mother." She couldn't help the sobs that tore from her body, tears dripping like raindrops down her cheeks. "I couldn't protect you. And now your going to be taken from me." She creaked the last bit like her throat was beginning to constrict her voice.
I rushed to hold her, clutching my mother tightly as her shaking body clung to mine like at any moment I may disappear. "Don't say that. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here with you and dad." I whispered to her, trying to soothe the whimpers that crushed me. "I'm right here." I whisper again.
She hugged me like I was a lighthouse in the middle of a raging stormy ocean. That if she'd let go for even a second the waves would swept us apart.
At some point her crying died down and her eyes began to droop. I helped her stand and walked with her through the pack house up to her room.
Before she headed in she reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear and gave a sad smile. "Goodnight, Aspen."
"Night, mom." I said to her as she opened and closed her bedroom door.
I sighed and pushed down the ache of my heart.
It felt like everything I knew and believed in all came crumbling down leaving me to try and piece together the remains.
"You know, I think I saw some whiskey downstairs if you'd like to join me."
My head snapped to my right and I jumped back on instinct. My nose took a sharp inhale when I saw the Red Druid Alpha standing in the middle of the hallway staring at me.
"Unless your mother got to it too." It sounded like a joke, but he didn't smile. He just kept a calm neutral expression, his eyes glowing in the dim evening lights.
"What?" I asked confused, my eyebrows furrowing and my stance as defensive as physical possible. "What are you even doing out this late?"
Hunter sighed and then started to stroll past me down the hall, his shoulders a void of tension as he placed his hands in his pockets.
"Coming or not?" He called out, not evening slowing his pace.
I stared at his shrinking back for a long moment. Debating in my head, my better side telling me to walk away and just go to sleep.
This man was known for his cruelty. Anyone who chose to be near him was almost asking for their very own 6 feet deep nap.
Despite all this I found my legs nearly jogging to catch up with Hunter. I told myself it was only because I didn't trust him wandering the pack alone, but a part of me also was curious to get know more about my other half.
I followed Hunter all the way into the library, neither of us spoke a word the entire time. Though I was certain I saw the traces of a smirk in my peripheral on his lips when I had caught up.
Hunter moved smoothly through the room, stopping by a table stocked with crystal decanters and glasses. I watched in anticipation near the entrance as he poured two drinks with a deep rich liquid I could already smell from across the room.
"Hope you like whiskey neats." Hunter voice sounded like it scraped against the sides of his throat before coming out.
He crossed the room, handing me a the drink before settling on one of the reading chairs in front of the dying fireplace.
I observed him from afar at first, like he was an unknown creature that's behaviour needed to be properly assessed before further contact. It was simple; I didn't trust him not to pull something. Even though I couldn't supress the way my skin fluttered and my core clenched with need. I felt hot and had to focus on containing my basic urges.
"Did you come down here just to stare at the back of my head or join me?" I suddenly heard him speak still startling and arousing me. Maybe the two were connected.
Slowly I rounded the room and sat in the opposite reading chair, though I sat on the edge and my back stayed stiff. I took a sip from my drink, the spicy warmth traveling down and adding to the fire in my stomach.
"I can smell the nervousness coming off of you." Hunter said, now openly looking at me. "You can relax."
"I'm fine." I lied. How could I not be nervous sitting only five feet away from him.
I took another sip from my glass, I hoped it would calm my nerves enough to stop reeking of anxiety.
"You seem to be settling in quite comfortably." I observed Hunter's relaxed shoulders and the way he sunk further into the plush chair.
"It's the whiskey." Hunter almost smiled.
"Paid for by Stone Lake dollars." Trying to facilitate the same uneasiness in him as he created in me. He should know who was funding his accommodations while he stayed in Stone Lake.
"Explains why it taste cheap." He downed the rest of his glass in one swift flick, not missing a beat.
Arrogant and ungrateful.
A streak of anger sliced through my previous reservations. His obvious disapproval of my pack spurred my attitude that I had kept in check.
"Sorry, we like to save the good stuff for when important people visit." I drawled and gave a bitter smile before finishing my drink as well.
"Ah." Hunter actually then smirked and chuckled. "Guess we'll have to come back when that happens."
I didn't miss his implications. He had purposely used 'we' to show he wasn't concerned with the upcoming hunt I had declared. It bothered me and he knew it.
"I'm going to win the hunt. You will have no choice but to leave without me and return to your pack empty handed."
The cat was out of the bag. I had blurted out the unspoken tension between us and now it was layered like thick fog in front of us.
"You're right." Hunter admitted and I was momentarily shocked. "If you won, I would have no choice but to leave for my pack."
I sensed a ulterior motive and glared suspiciously at the Alpha as he spoke low.
"Then with my army I'd return to Stone Lake and claim this territory and you for my own."
I abruptly stood, outrage at the blasphemy he threw so nonchalantly.
"That's illegal!" My skin crawled at the notion."It's against the twelve sacred laws to claim a mate who has won their freedom. Even an Alpha like you has to follow them."
"I won't."
"You'll be breaking the law!"
"I don't care."
"Then why are you even entertaining this idea! Why are we still here if this is all pointless!" I started to pace my frustration.
"Now you're starting to get it."
I stopped suddenly and stared with a poisonous intent into Hunter's eyes. He was trying to make me feel helpless before the hunt even began. Plant a seed of doubt in my mind and watch it eat away at my resolve.
I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing it succeed.
"I will leave Stone Lake and go on the run. You can return if you'd like but I won't be here."
"What if I said I'd kill everyone here if you'd run."
He knew he had me, but I was too stubborn to show I would be beaten.
"Go ahead."
Hunter smiled and gave me a look of almost respect. My bluff obvious that even I didn't believe myself, but I had the balls to say it.
"Then I guess I better win." He grinned with the same look in his eyes when he accepted my challenge earlier. A glimmer of excitement and hunger repressed within their little confines, desperate to be unleashed. I was certain it was the eyes of a predator.
For a moment I stood in front of him, like two adversaries making a silent promise we held each other in a death lock of stillness. Then I let out a huff and stormed out of the library before launching into a full blown rampage. I angrily stomped all the way to my room and almost slammed the door like an angsty prepubescent.
All of Hunter's words travelled through my mind, each one making me angrier and more determined to win.
Who did he think he was.
Sure he was an alpha, but even thinking of breaking the sacred laws caused every nerve in my system want to burst.
I ended up lying in my bed awake, too filled emotions and anticipation to sleep. A ball in my stomach kept growing and shrinking to the point I had to manually calm myself by focusing on breathing and trying to relax every muscle in my body. Slowly I managed to contain my stress and felt it melt away allowing my mind to settle enough for me to fall asleep.