Chapter four

Ariadne POV,

''You're angry.'' He says with puppy dog eyes. What a perfect way to get in. I scoffed.

    Alpha Creed had me locked up and tortured, he knew everything before I could act, so when Alpha Henry announced im his mate it didn't excite me. I feel down, I couldn't tear up if I wanted to.

I followed him, his voice was laced with command.

"Bryson or Alpha Henry, which one should I address you?" I questioned my eyes not drifting from his, and at that moment, the aura between us was musky as if laced with some dark energy.

He let out a smirk as he raised his head.

"You can call me any of the two dear little mate." He gestured for me to sit. 

Sure I was younger than him. He looked older and built.

The walls of the study room were painted in the dark colour of blue and black. 

Bryson forced his icy eyes on the lady talking in front of him and told himself to be more patient with her. After all, she was probably only complimenting his father because she thought it was what he wanted to hear. 

"Why did you lie?" I fold my arm, staring into his warm and yet cold eyes, the indifference was undesirable. He blinked to clear his vision.

"Yes I did, I heard you had an issue training with Williams. It's a good thing you're on your feet today, met Aiden from now on." He managed a frosty nod at me, words were quite beyond him. The female wolves had pressed in so close that he might just suffocate, judging from everything.

His frigid attitude made them throw scornful glares in my path.

'Easy wolf, ain't your pack member, you might want to save that till later.' I wanted to say.

"But Alpha Henry,"

"Meet up with Williams, he would direct you." He bit off.

The beta wolf girl cleared her throat several times with a glare, "I see. . . I believe you're quite busy."

Bryson said nothing, hoping an aloof demeanour would prompt her to leave. 

"I will meet up with you, it would be good if you take heed with either Aiden or Williams." He controlled his voice.

He was intelligent and athletic muscles rippling from his shirt made me gulp and melt saliva inside, my eyes did the sport of raking him.

I wiggle in my feet. As we were inside the study room.

"You are staying here." He commanded with a stern glare drawing me out of my trance.

"I'm sorry but that isn't possible." I spin.

"Hmmm," he growls. I watched as his eyebrow raises, a flash of curiosity crossed his face and his mask of indifference took over making me question his nature. His eyes grew darker and I felt his wolf trying to take over, I peeled my eyes away from him.

And again, because he didn't constantly run off at the mouth, I was more obsessed with what he had to say I wondered how valid their curiosity was—his pack members. 

He looked supremely confident, heart-stoppingly handsome, and the perfect specimen of Alpha manhood. Men would want his opinion on any number of topics and that Alpha swagger he bore made me remain calm, forgetting the anger I had come here with.

I was sent here and now my life was on the verge, between the man that I slept with and this creature that has a dynamic aura. It finally dawned on me the pull I felt towards him, was it because he was my mate?

The women both shifters and humans would swoon at his feet after Chris I hadn't felt the need to be with someone as much as this.

"Alpha Henry?" I muttered solemnly.

Alpha Henry's colossal body cast a shadow on me. His relentless eyes dig into mine.

A figure pulled over whoever it is had interrupted a lover's tryst, Alpha Henry Bryson craned his head and censored his nose in alliance with his ear so that he could hear better after all might have heard wrong.

As if I was some fool, I sat there gloomy, heaven knows I wouldn't have shown my embarrassed and betrayed face to him again if it weren't for Alpha Creed, as I have sworn.

"Bryson, I think you should go check out if you're that curious." My voice was so surprisingly kind and gentle. It fazed me.

"You still call me Bryson?" 

He already knew who was there. I'm sure he turns, there was a  groan, as his eyes snapped focusing on me.

 His face with a smirk, poor besotted fool.

"Yes, that is your name I believe, got some problem with that?" 

"It's  my name and I'm okay if you chose it over Henry." His voice was cold.

"Well," I said, sounding a little bit disgruntled. "So you're Bryson and Henry." I moved my hand in contrast. "That is a lie isn't it."

He leaned closer to me so that he could get a glimpse of me.

"I'm Alpha Henry Bryson Ford. If that is the introduction you seek, little chirp." He pulled back in a jiffy.

Alpha Bryson smirked as I fought for words. 

"I'm sure I might have misunderstood you... Or your miscommunication caused it." I was too negligent not to ask for his full name and simply went by Bryson. He didn't trick me technically. I was naturally being cool around him, I felt relaxed with him too.

"There is no reason to worry. The name doesn't matter in cases like this."

"What case?" 

He started to his feet, keeping his eyes focused on the door.

"Eventually you would have found out."

"How?"

 "If you pay heed to everyone."

Alpha Bryson turned around. He strode to the door and locked it.

"I believe you might want to have a tour of my library little bird." The word rested on the tip of his tongue, but it seemed that he wasn't fated to play the romantic God today as he did over the night. 

Before he could make a sound,  I pulled back his right arm and landed a surprisingly effective punch squarely on his jaw.

"What was that for?" He questioned watching me in disbelief, his hand running through his jaw.

"That is for keeping your true identity vague." 

Alpha Henry laughed. He couldn't help it, I looked up startled, what was funny, or did I not hit him enough?

"You find my agony interesting? You were being intentional with your act, purposely provoking me."

"Oh please, it couldn't have been that bad," he scoffed. 

"What a sad pair we are, you are not worth it by the way." I managed to utter in an undertone. 

"Surely we can manage a conversation on a topic other than our respective terrible day Ariadne." We were silent, he said nothing.

"Well, I can't think of anything," he said and I laughed and laughed again, this time with more delight, and Alpha Henry Bryson once again found himself mesmerized by my smile as much as I did with his little smirk.

"Really… but you can think of me. Our perfect time together." His voice is husky. He then traced his hand up my chin.

"I give in," I gasped, eyes closed. "What has turned your evening into such a dreadful affair?"Something inside of me had changed, but I was trying my best to keep it up.

"What or the day itself, it's my mother's memorial." His gaze was cold again.

"Memorial?" I echoed, tilting my head as I looked at him. 

"This grows even more interesting." My wolf whimpered.

"Well I don't know what to say but don't be rude you should at least be there."

"Doesn't feel right." He scratched his chin.

"I'm sorry." I simply said, moving forward.

He caught his breath. I had been in the shadows and all I had been able to discern of his appearance was a wealth of thick, dark hair. But something about him quite simply sucked the breath from my body.

My brows, thick but winged, drew together."I think I'm bored reading if you keep glaring like that."

Not good at consoling. I gulped.

"Are you a natural born or you're trying to prove stubborn? I might just lock you up here." Alpha Bryson said sternly looking at me, I can't stop calling him Bryson, it suits me better when in contrast with Henry.

An uncharacteristic peevishness rose within me and my brows drew together as I asked, "An Alpha of a pack, wouldn't it be rather bad if you claim me in an unprecedented way, or is that how you claim everyone?"

He was standing there with a grin as if I were some sort of circus amusement.

"No offence, but you look beautiful when you're calm." He said in an undertone.

"I should get to my feet."

"So quick?"

    

    "I didn't come to you for friendship, I wanted to. . ." the word hooked me in my throat. I came to know him as I was instructed but I find his company consoling which is bad for both of us.

"Then I should walk you out." 

 I kind of sort of just wanted to stay with the Alpha. 

Of course, the arrogant Alpha didn't even give me the chance to accept. Before I  could manage and I'd be delighted, or even a mere, YES, he had me halfway across the room and to the door.

"I thought you said you would lock me up."

"My wolf deemed it but I'm also in control so I wouldn't cease a woman against her wish, Ariadne,"

"I'm concerned for your comfort, soon you will have to move into the pack house." He let out the words slowly calmly turning his head ever so slightly so I could take a good look at his face. I could see loneliness across his cheek which only made me wonder. I didn't dare take my eyes off him I watched his eyes run through every detail of my face like it was our first time meeting. 

Excruciatingly slow he let his eyes trail down to my neck.

I gulp as he scrutinized the rise and fall of my pulses and onto the rest of my body. 

 My heart sank deeply, to the floor as I knew my story will not have a happy ending.

"In your wildest dream Alpha." Williams' gaze darted to me in disbelief, I was being rude, overly, I knew it.

"Hmmm, my mate stays under my wing, Ariadne and you can't change that."

"Do that with your power within the walls of your pack, I'm not a subject."

"You might want to take that back, Oak Borough is mine." Only for a while, I thought. "You're not a subject, you're my property." He growled. " And you should know there are bad, big rogues out there."

"I'm not scared of them." I'm a trained assassin, I wanted to say.

He chuckled. "First of all call me Alpha Henry when we're outside and secondly you should keep it in the back of your head you're mine alone, anywhere, anytime. Ariadne." He leaned in.

I pulled back. "Although I find Alpha Henry too clumsy." 

He let out a chuckle. "Be the first to mock an Alpha's name, and you won't like what I would do to you, mate." He guzzles my ear.

"Alpha Henry. Bryson. Ford, what would you do to me?" I muttered, my voice sirened-like, and I could hear him growl.

His hair stands. Although we would later deny this his eyes met my own and like two lost souls we were engulfed in each other. We were mind fucking and I was damn sure if Alpha Creed was here to see us like this my punishment would be severely slow and inevitably death, that I was sure.

I noticed he was looking down at me, his eyes yet again locked on me. That mask of indifference passed across his face, but with warmth. It was only a one-night stand and nothing, nothing! I assured myself, no love, no emotions. But why do I feel like this? I closed my eyes and felt a warmth at the nape of my neck, my eyes bulged in the socket and I blinked.