Episode 2: My Mate

“Nonsense.”

                  Holding a chalice full of red wine, I gritted my teeth to such thought. An Alfarro will always be an Alfarro, they’re deceptive and ferocious. I should have not underestimated this Abberant Alpha, seems like I will be needing more time to take his complete favor.

“Commander Gaia,” another voice called, making me turn back to the banquet hall. This home coming feast was part of their customs after every army have successfully won a battle. A tribute perhaps.

                 I raised my cup, giving them a toast. I can’t risk staying inside with the faint smell I can’t take off. It’s like deceiving and alluring me to find where that comes from and I can’t be wrong, that pea-brained alpha caused all of these ruckus and unfamiliar feeling inside of me from the moment he mentioned that word.

“I’ll excuse myself if you don’t mind, I have a crucial thing to do. Enjoy yourselves, warriors.” Finding my way to the exit, I left the hall. Heading towards the dark woods just behind the palatial mansion. As soon as I isolated myself, heat arises off my body. I can feel the sudden urge for something I don’t even know what.

“So, this is a crucial thing?”

                This voice…

                I can feel my eyes turning red, the scent is near. So close that it’s driving me crazy. With all my ability, I escaped from him. Running as far away as I could. I may not hold this thirst for long, and I cannot expose my identity this early.

“Run all you can, I’ll wait who will scram back to me”

                Even his voice is now in my head! What on Claveria is happening to me? I came to a halt and knelt on my knees, the heat rises to the utmost level that I no longer have the control of my own body. The urge became more unbearable when a scent of blood lingers around.

“I already told you, Adira.”

                    My whole body automatically turned to him. His blood was freely flowing from his incised skin making my eyes glow and glare at the Alpha standing ahead of me with a smug smile on his face. In a flash, my fangs pierced his exposed neck. Quenching my thirst and feeding on him like it was an unlimited source.

“How many days have you been not drinking?” He groaned as I departed and wiped my lips. Ignoring his complaint, I simply bit the other side which he again whinged. “Are you gonna drain me to death?” To the pain he didn’t expect, he grabbed my head away from his neck.

“Creatures like you do not deserve any sympathy,” I answered as I lick off any traces of his blood on my mouth and recede a meter away from him. “What would you do next now that you have seen through me?”

“Nothing.” He shrugged. I raised a brow, creating a smug look at him. Such a delusory kind of clan he belongs should never be trusted and will always be treated as a crumpled paper thrown to a blazing fire.

“Let me escape then?”

“Go on, have you forgotten the reason why you are here?”

                I was left dumbfounded, why do I ever come across with this kind of sharp-tongued person? And he easily concludes the situation. I really have underestimated this Alpha. “So, you’re letting an enemy stay at your place?”

“What if…” My brows furrowed as he haltingly walks towards me and leaned, making our eyes meet like arrows darting. “You are not an enemy for me?” Apart from his alluring azure pair of eyes, his sun kissed skin stands out. Even his sneer smile that don’t have any plan to leave his lips taunts who he is. This man possesses an attraction I may fall if I stupidly loosen my guard down.

“Then it is an advantage for me. Mind if I ask the reason why you are this inattentive knowing I am here to spy?”

“Because of a reason your fun-sized brain wouldn’t understand.”

                    I clenched my teeth; had he just called my brain ‘fun-sized’? What do he consider his head then? Vacuous brain perhaps. “Oh, the mate thing? Are you out your mind, Alpha?”

“I’m still on the normal state unlike you. Also, call me by my name when you are talking to me.”

“By my name it is.” I nodded as I took a step back and stretched out my hand, pressing the wound he had purposefully cut a while ago to draw my attention. “Kindly explain that mate thing you are constantly quoting about, mister By My Name.”

“Stupid,” he grumped as his eyes rolled.

“I’m not. You’re the one who’s being dumb-headed. I am of different lineage yet here you are deceiving me with such claims. And I am not that dense to believe you,” I replied while walking around him, inspecting any suspicious thing I could get from his body. And to confirm this intuition, I brushed his collar down to his shoulder revealing the lunar crest.

                 Sarcastic smile formed on my lips, “An Alfarro indeed, mind if I ask the feeling of carrying a bloodstained name since the day you were born.”

“An honor it is.”

                 His simple answer aroused outrage and anger out of me. I managed to pin the Alpha on an enormous pine tree behind him with a sudden grab on his throat, but all I got was a chuckle from his mouth, which irritated me even more, wanting to bury him alive down a pit of igniting ember.

“Your definition of honor differs from the what the entire Claveria thinks of, your kind really is completely blinded by golds and acres. Tell me how could I be your mate if I am your complete opposite?” A question that comes out of my mouth expecting no answers to fill in especially coming from him.

“If I can choose a Luna to stand beside me myself, I would definitely not pick a creature as brusque as you.”

              My lips twitched on its own, why do I suddenly feel irritated by the words he said? Should I be much more ecstatic now that he clearly stated he don’t want me to be here? I brushed off those thought and faced him lateral with my head tilting. “Then here lies the situation. Because we are bound to face each other on a battlefield and never as mates. Now that you are letting me wander around your territory, I’d better take this as a wonderful opportunity.”

               I saw how his eyes glare at me and tightly seized my hand off his throat. My head then automatically elevated when he stood up at his height, he’s few inches taller than me and can’t deny how appealing he looks like with his jaws clenching. He clipped my hands on the rough bark of a conifer, reversing the scenario I played on him.

“What battlefield? You’re supposed to be in the mansion, taking care of our kids,” he stated in a mocking manner which my whole face fell in disgust.

“Obnoxious dog! I would never see myself nurturing a beast’s child!”

                    His grip tightened, as did the atmosphere around him. I kept my face tough despite the sudden thumping inside my chest. It’s not the feeling of fear but of something I do not even know what it is. But one thing’s for sure, it is all caused by this man’s presence so close to me.

“How dare you despise me like this.”

“Since in my world, you belong to a clan I am destined to loath until the last days of my life,” I answered rashly, not breaking the eye contact with his. “And if I really am your mate, I can try to stick with you. A prey and predator relationship it will be, or maybe a symbiotic one. We only stick together for mutual benefits perhaps. By the way, your blood tastes sweeter than the others. If you don’t mind, may I?”

“Tch, what a vicious vixen.”

                 Unexpectedly, the Alpha tilted his neck. Allowing free access for my fangs to dig in. My mission here seems to be easier than I thought, the Alpha himself will potentially allow me to run his pack if ever I ask to. This mate thing can actually be useful this time.

“Before you could think of ways to get rid of me. Bear in mind that from the moment you’ve recognize who I am to you, we are connected. If I die, I’ll drag you to death with me.”

                 I let out a smile, wolves really can speak with their minds. What do they call this thing?

“It’s mind-link, Darling.”

“Does knowing my name a scope of this so-called mind-link?”

“A yes and a no.”

                 He is calm this time, seems like the pain doesn’t trigger him anymore. With my both hands entangled on his neck, his blood drips and smeared my lips. I can feel the sharpness of an object behind me, my senses can’t lie this time. His claws were aiming down my neck ready to slit me to death.

“Alpha, the elders have arrived!”

                 My eyes widened, recognizing that voice belongs to his beta. I can’t be exposed to others. It is way too early to take action. I was about to dash away but this Alpha’s arms suddenly grip me closer to his body and turned away. Hiding the blood on my face and even my entire body.

“Tell them to wait,” he commanded as he keep his face a centimeter apart from mine while I withdraw my fangs and leaned at this tree behind me.

“Oh, what can be the reason?”

                  When his face glared at him, I felt his Beta's footstep get closer, which this Alpha blocked, and my umber hair unfastened from the knots I made, covering my whole face. “Oh, it’s a lady. Enjoy your time then.” Minutes after Cedric left when I felt his grip loosened. A nice timing for me to escape, I leap from the ground to a branch. Not even turning my head back for the last time.

“Code blue,” I muttered as I reached the fourth pace where Mayari and the other two were waiting for signal. Code referring to blue calls for halt, to the reason that something was busted. They nodded in apperception and then crossed the point they were hiding in able to not expose them.

“Don’t think of escaping me, Adira.”

                   My entire body stumbled on the ground before I could even look back, like an eagle shot with a single arrow. As I collapsed to the ground, everything blurred and not a single pain reflected on my body. My eyes were slowly closing when I noticed a shadow, and I'm not surprised who it was.