Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Soleil

Funny how time flies so fast, and could turn my world around in the process.

A few days ago, the only thing that kept me occupied was arranging the mapping ceremony. A Mapping ceremony is held every year, in every pack of every region--the East, the West, the South and the North. Each region has werewolf packs within the territory. North has five packs, South has three, West has four and East has only one.

Well, actually, East has two werewolf packs but the other pack was hidden. No one knew about it. And if you ask me why I know, well, because that's where I came from.

That was my home.

Until it wasn't, oh well.

Anyways, in the Mapping ceremony, she-wolves who turned eighteen will locate where their mate is. This is possible with the help of an enchantress and the magical map of the werewolf realm. Just a drop of blood, and the pack and region of the blood-owner's mate will light up.

Once you know where your mate's from, you'll attend your future mate's Mapping Ball, where your mate will claim you in front of their Alpha and everyone.

I was excited to go through the process but my father ruined it for me. Just a few days before my eighteenth birthday, he announced my engagement to someone I don't even know.

Now, here I am, fishing for hours in the river, and far away from home. I'm miles away from the East region, I think the land is in the Northwestern part. I shrugged, not bothered by my exact cardinal point.

What bothered me was not being able to catch a fish even after four hours of fishing.

It's close to midnight! It's just an hour before I finally turn eighteen and I don't want to welcome my big day with a grumbling empty stomach.

Ugh. Fuck this.

Letting go of the fishing rod, I grabbed the hem of my shirt, pulling it out of my body.

I'll swim with the fishes and catch them with my bare hands, since the rod and string I improvised wasn't doing what it was supposed to.

Diving in the cold water, it only took me half an hour and all my patience until I finally caught a fish!

I emerged from the water, holding the trout in one hand.

"Aha!" I giggled. My grin didn't leave my face even when I wiped the water off my face.

It was when I felt a familiar heat on my back that I realized I wasn't alone. And someone was looking at me.

"Who's there?!" I turned and held the fish in front of me, as if it were a weapon.

Quillon's golden brown eyes were pitch black despite the moonlight. He was looking at me, a slight frown on his forehead. His eyes looked at the trout in my hand, arching a brow before trailing his eyes lower.

My eyes did the same. His body was waist-deep in the water, and he was naked. My eyes trailed the lines of his bare chest, down to his chiseled abs and my mouth parted.

Fuck me, his body is so well built!

My eyes went back to his and I caught it already looking at me. His jaw clenched too tightly that I wondered if it'll break.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, placing the trout on my side. "You scared me for a second." Yeah, because I was mesmerized by your hard chest--and abs.

He exhaled, too loudly that it came out exasperated.

"Hey, don't be mad. I was here first."

He arched a brow. "I was here for an hour and a half. In the exact same spot."

"Oh?" I looked around, and he was right. The tree where I left my clothes was far from where we were. "I must've swam farther--wait, you don't own the river, why am I explaining--"

"Is it normal in your old pack to talk casually while naked, child?" He said with the same irritated tone.

I looked down and remembered I was naked! Blood rushed to my face, as shame occupied my head.

My breasts were on full display and my nipples were hard from the cold! And the moonlight was not helping in concealing it at all!

My first instinct was to cover myself, but upon hearing him call me 'child', it made my blood boil. My rebellious side is winning over the shame.

Instead of covering my chest, my back straightened and my breasts perked up even more.

"I thought rogues weren't conservative. You just proved to me that you came from a pack, too. You can't deny it now."

"I didn't deny shit." Then his eyes went south to my breast again. "Go get your clothes and cover yourself, child."

I swear, the tips of my ears were burning. I'm just not sure if it's because of his gaze on my chest, or from how he kept calling me a child.

Damn, it makes me want to prove I'm not.

"Why? Are you affected?"

I sucked on my lower lip as I walked closer to him. His eyes met mine and the irritation was laced with something else.

He let out a slow and silent breath. "I see nothing I'd be affected by." But the forced firmness in his voice didn't escape my ears.

The distance between us was so close when I stopped. The peak of my breasts feels the warmth coming from his naked body. And if I inhaled too deeply, I'm sure my puckered mound would graze his chiseled abs.

He looked down at me, not even bending his head, even when I'm too short compared to him.

The top of my head barely reached his shoulders and from this angle, his features were more intense, more salivating.

"Really?" My voice came out low, almost a whisper. "Then I don't need to cover myself," I smirked.

His jaws moved again and no matter how he tried to make an unbothered face, it failed. There was madness in his expression, but I no longer think it was because of his irritation. There was desire in it.

I was ready to back down, because a part of me knew I wasn't prepared for this kind of intensity that was coming from him. It's not like I'm saving my first time for my mate; it's not a requirement for the mate bond. But I haven't entertained the idea of having sex with just anyone either.

Until now.

I took a step back and exhaled, without even realizing I was holding my breath. I shouldn’t taunt him more, plus the shame was slowly taking over. This isn’t a good idea, and I should back down for now.

The trout in my hand kept moving and I tightened my hold on it, trying to calm my heart from beating too loud and too fast.

I should be away from him before he could hear the chaos happening inside my chest.

A warm hand claimed my hip, its grip firm enough to steal my breath. Before I could react, Quillon pulled me hard against him—wordless, commanding, and utterly in control.

"What-"

My breasts were squished against his body, and his firm hand kept me still.

"You shouldn't be trying my patience, child." He growled in a deep voice. "You should be careful flaunting yourself around me, I'm still a man."

I wanted to laugh at how he indirectly admitted that he was affected by my nakedness but I couldn't. He was so close, and my body on him like this makes me feel like a thousand electric eels were swarming on my feet.

And then it hit me.

This feeling...

I felt my insides churn, my chest tightened, my vision blurs, but I focused on him.

He is the only one I see.

His grip on my waist tightened even more, and I'm almost grinding on him.

I had to hold on for support as my knees turned weak, and my hand grabbed his arm. The added contact made what I'm feeling more intense than it already was.

Quillon was frowning; he looked confused as I was, but his eyes changed color. The deep golden brown that turned black in the dark was now a luminous blue, glowing with an inner light like sunlight caught beneath clear tropical seas.

A growl came from his chest, his nostrils flared, and his grip continued to tighten on my hips.

He bent his head and I thought he would kiss me but he went past my lips. It was his breath that I felt on my neck first, and it was enough to make me moan.

Quillon pulled me closer as if the heat from our bodies wasn't enough. His lips were on the middle of my neck and shoulder, and I knew that was the flesh to place the claim of a mate.

I know this. I studied about it. There's no denying, I'm under a Haze. And a Haze could only be felt from your mate. And his circling his tongue on my particular skin made me realize he was about to bite on it, to stake his claim.

I felt his teeth replace his tongue and I shiver when he grazes my skin with his teeth, preparing to bite down.

The moan that left my throat was even louder and the fish in my hand had already escaped without me knowing.

Every nerve in my body tingles and it wasn't just from anticipation but because of his effect on me.

Damn, I'll be claimed. I’m--

Like a record on rewind, the haze was gone in an instant. The warmth I felt was no longer there, and all I shivered from was the cold.

Quillon was no longer in front of me. He was gone in a blink and I breathed out, huffing as if I'd run a marathon.

What the fuck?

What the hell was that?!

My mind wasn't clouded by the haze anymore, and I don't feel it churning inside me. There was no bond waiting to happen; there was nothing.

I really thought I found my mate. Wait, what time is it?

I glanced at the watch on my wrist and it said 12:04. My birthday. I turned eighteen. Fuck, I reached the mating age and reacted that way with Quillon!

Was it a glitch?

If he were my mate, then there's no way the Haze would fade in a second. That's just not possible.

Looking around, I saw Quillon a few meters away and out of the river waters. His hand was leaning on the trunk, his shoulders heaving, and his back was facing me.

"What-"

"Fucking cover yourself, Soleil." He barked and left without even looking back. The way he said my name did wonders for the spiders in my stomach. I hugged my arms across my chest and sighed with trembling lips.

What just happened?