5

I almost choked at his question as I was suddenly unable to look him in the eyes. I tried to steady my racing heart so he wouldn't grow suspicious of me.

I should have known that he was bound to ask questions about my family background and pack, but what I didn’t realized was that it'd be this soon. 

"Uhm... Ruby Gem's pack." I mumbled under my breath, feeling so guilty for lying yet I couldn't tell him where i originated from in order not to cause more question or even worst suspicion.

Ruby Gem's pack was a neighboring pack to ours and has a history of their Alpha selling them off as slaves. It would only make more sense if I was from there and thankfully, seem Alex had bought my lies as he simply gave a curt nod, his eyes now staring down at my hands.

"And your parents?"

"I'm an orphan..." And I truly wished i was even though i wasn’t.

My mother suffered a stroke which made her lay on the bed all day without moving, speaking or doing anything other than just lying there.

The one job i hoped  father would give me was to take care of my own mother, but he was cruel to kick me to the kitchen instead while assigning strangers to take care of her in my place. 

The man i knew as my father had since turned into a cruel monster without shame or remorse for anything. He only cares about himself and sending me here to retrieve that stupid gem of vitality.

Honestly, father was never like this when i was young. In fact, to me, he was the best man and father in the whole world. Not a day passed when he went for work that he did not come back without a gift for me.

He treated me like a porcelain doll, always telling me stories and taking me on horse riding around the wood. 

It still amazed me how my life took a 360° turn when mother got a stroke. At first, father was optimistic about it, hoping she'd be okay in less than three days, but after six months, the situation got so worse that she was unable to move. 

One year down the line, father turned to a beast.  He grew moody at every thing, returned home late, failed to tell me the usual night stories, forgot to tuck me in and began hitting the maids at any small provocation.

His life was miserable, but I still tried to see the optimistic side of his behavior and thought the condition of his Luna must have brought him down mentally and emotionally but i needed my father, his pack needed him but he became a complete shadow of himself.

He became a ruthless monster who cared only about himself and what he wanted.

But thinking of everything now, I realized that the red gem might be capable of restoring life to my mother seeing as the power was well sourced with pure magic from Elite witches. At least that was the legend surrounding the gem creation.

It was rumored that the gem was created long  ago by witches to give life to an Alpha King Luna who was dying. The gem had restored her back to health before it was locked in a safe somewhere in the pack. Maybe it would do same for my mother  if I could get it. 

Even though father never mentioned it was for that purpose, I’m tempted to believe it is so.

Alex suddenly stroked my chin, noticing i had grown distant in my thoughts again. Maybe he thought I was probably sulking from having remembered the death of my parents. 

"I'm so sorry... " He whispered, cradling my face, slipping some strands of stray hair behind my ear.

"It's okay... you were just curious. It's not a big deal." I inhaled a deep breath before forcing a smile on my face as i stared at him.

There was this rush of intense desire connecting us as he continued to stare into my eyes, holding me hostage. I couldn’t look away from him even if I tried. It was as if my body wanted to be molded to his so much so that i didn’t realized when he had locked lips with mine.

The kiss started off slow before he leaned in more, angling his head as he got access into my mouth that was slightly parted, pushing his tongue through when he grabbed my neck from behind asking for more permission.

I gasped around his lips, melting into the kiss some more. A satisfied little moan escaping my mouth at the sweetness of it all.

However, when he knocked down a glass of water, I jumped back in fright, my eyes wide with panic.

"Sh*t!" He quickly got up and carried the tray off the bed before dropping it on the bed side table. 

"I’m sorry, Are you okay?" He asked as he helped me off the bed as well. 

I nodded mutely as I stared back at him. He was acting too over protective and caring, and i feared he might turn out to be just like my father. After all, this was exactly how father acted at first before he became a terrible monster to me and everyone around him.

No, i wouldn't dare fall for him whether mate or not. I had suffered enough In the hands of father already. It will be best if I just get what i came her for and left rather than suffer another heart break. 

After all, he already has someone who was madly in love with him like Lizzy. The same one he did not hesitate to nullify his feelings for when he realized he had a mate.

 I’m sure he wouldn't hesitate to change the way he feels about me too the moment he realizes am here to steal from him.

"I'm fine." I murmured a reply, feeling wary of what I was wearing for the first time since it was wet and clinging onto my body, and making my upper chest region even more visible.

"I'm going to take a bath... you can join me." 

A gasp had escape my mouth at those words. My cheek instantly getting heated under his gaze.

I swallowed, looking down on the floor, "I'll take a bath after you do." 

I felt a gentle finger under my chin, lifting my face back up to look at him. “You’re very shy are you not?”

I gulped, looking away. My heart starting to race with thoughts. The heat radiating from his finger against my chin making my thought to become a jabbed mess.

"We're mates, so it's only normal that we shower together and besides, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to "

Even though his words sound very reassuring, I was still reluctant before he snaked an arm around me, pulling into his chest before planting a kiss at the side of my neck, somewhat inhaling my scent. 

The gesture left a shiver snaking down my spine as it was soothing and alluring at the same time.

I moaned softly, bracing my hands against his chest as I felt his tongue crease over the exposed flesh before trailing down further against my collar bone.

“So beautiful” He whispered. 

"Alex .. " I gasped when I felt his hand slipped under the hem of my cloth, and before i knew it, he had pushed it off my body, leaving me completely bare and vulnerable before his intense eyes. 

“Even more beautiful than I thought” He breathe out, his eyes narrowing with hunger.

Feeling exposed, i tried to cover myself with my arms, all the blood in my body rushing up to my cheeks but he pulled my arms away and further into his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist and smashed his lips against mine again.

This time, even more possessive than before, and leaving me jellyfish arose the knee.