Chapter six.

~Ethan.

I dragged my eyes lazily between the two girls dancing before me. It was an eyesore, their presence, and actions, yet I kept my eyes fixed on them to remind myself that I wasn’t who they said I was.

 I was Ethan Balor, the Alpha king of Sturgeon Moon pack, the one who has imprinted fear and respect in the hearts of all other packs, the king who has elevated his pack to the second richest and most resourceful pack in the whole werewolf kingdom, I was Ethan, I wasn’t less of a man, right?

Right?

Adjusting myself on the couch, I signaled with my index finger to one of the girls, she was pale skinned with a dark long hair that dropped to her waist. With a wide grin, she cat-walked to me, her boobs bouncing in her loose bra.

“At your service, my lord,” she whispered into my ear, slowly running her hands up and down my chest. Her fingers against my skin burned, like my body was being destroyed by some toxic chemical. I wanted to push her away and find my way back to the solace of my chambers, but I couldn’t, I needed a reminder that I was better than whom they said I was, than who Isadora said I was.

I told myself, after Isadora toyed with my feelings, that I wasn’t going to reduce myself to the level she had mentally placed me, but I couldn’t keep to the promise, presently I needed a reminder or rather, a validation that I am and has always been a man.

“Kneel.” The lady dropped herself in between my legs as the command left my lips. “The better I feel, the higher you earn.” she nodded. I threw my head back and spread my legs apart to give her more space. 

A knock came on the door, overshadowing the unbuckling sound of my belt and almost immediately, the door pushed open.

“Forgive me for bothering you, My Lord,” A feeling of relief washed over me at the sound of the familiar voice. Perhaps, I needed no validation, perhaps all I needed was to be with the right people.

“Would you now state your needs, or would you rather I dragged the words out of your mouth?” 

“I didn't mean to bother you, but, I came to inform you that the doctor has arrived.” I gripped the lady's hands to stop her from touching me any further, “Leave. Don't worry about your pay,” I added, seeing she was trying to protest.

“But you may also be informed that there is a little bit of a problem” I paused, waiting to hear more, but Sam wasn't giving it.

“For heaven sakes, Sam, spit it out,” I snapped as I stood up the way out of the room, leaving Sam to follow behind.

“The doctor is a mother and her child was taken alongside her.”

I paused in my tracks and turned sharply to Sam, “what do you mean by that? Whatever am I supposed to do with a child?”

“We had no choice but to take too, we couldn't leave it back.” 

“You brought me kids, goodness!”

Sam gulped, “one child,” he muttered, and I sighed and headed for the dungeon -where I had informed them to keep her- to meet the lady who had dared to go against me while swearing under my breath to make her regret wasting my time.

A blanket of unease and restlessness covered me as we neared the dungeon, I felt beads of sweat forming on my forehead with some rolling down the sides of my face as Leo, turned and howled restlessly inside me.

My breath turned fast and heavy as though I had taken a thousand laps round the pack, and I paused in my track to catch my breath.

"Are you alright, my Lord?” Sam asked, and I nodded as I continued on my path, but, Leo's restless jumping inside of me told me that I was not in any way okay.

I wiped the beads of sweat off my face with the back of my palm before stepping into the dungeons, and a strong scent of magnolia and orange filled my nose, welcoming me in.

“You prepared this place for her,” I said matter-of-factly with furrowed brows, and Sam shook his head with even more furrowed brows.

“We didn't prepare any room for her,”

“Then what's this scent I perceive?” I asked, ignoring his statement. I didn't care about her comfort. I used to, though, I cared about her comfort before she decided to defy my orders and go against me.

“Scent,” Sam asked as he sniffled, drawing much air into his lungs, "the stench of blood?” 

Which was what I was supposed to perceive. The dungeon was not a friendly, so why was I being fed a friendly scent?

“Something lemony,” I muttered. Leo howled as the words left my lips and as if drawn by a force, I advanced further into the dungeon, only stopping when I heard the angry grunts.

Leo jumped and howled as soon as stopped in front of the doctor who was kneeling with her hands bound behind her and a bag over her head but, her bondage didn't stop her as she tried to fight off the two men that were holding her down. 'Mate,' he howled 

A little boy barely old enough to be left without his mother clung unto her, trying as hard as he could to keep his tears from escaping his eyes.

Mate? I asked rhetorically. What did Leo mean by that? And was she the reason he was being so jumpy?

'Mate.' Leo howled louder. A wave of thick cold air passed through me and I shivered as beads of sweat began to appear on my face and arms.

The irony. I was more than surprised by that.

“Take off the bag, now,” I said to one of the warriors with a snap of my finger, and they both let go of her and began untying her.

I wanted to see the woman who had this much effect on me, this much effect on Leo. I slapped away the hand losing the bag over her head and began untying it myself.

This was a matter of life and death, and any little delay could lead to my death.

Literally, I could die from my curiosity and the effect of Leo's over excitement. 

I pulled off her head and dragged the other warrior with the flashlight closer, and my jaw dropped to the ground out of shock as the light fell on her face.

She was the doctor? How was she the doctor? Goodness! She was my mate, how was she my mate? And the child? She has a child! A thousand and one questions ran through my mind and sat at the tip of my tongue waiting to be poured out.

“Aurora?” I muttered. I had wanted to ask her all the questions going through my head, but, her name was the only thing I could say. The shock and surprise overwhelmed me.

“It's Rory now. And, when do I get to eat? It's past dinnertime, you know.” She blew away the hair that fell on her face.

Aurora, my Aurora, was the doctor and…my mate?