Chapter 3

Draven had to be bluffing.

I scoffed and shook my head. My fingers quivered and a cold, frosty feeling clenched my thumping heart. It made no sense. There was no way I was going to believe that my Malric was really going to…ha!

I laughed, but even that couldn’t keep the tears from swelling up in my eyes.

“Look at them!” Draven continued, “Future Alpha and Luna, don’t they look perfect?”

The small crowd chorused a cheerful roar of approval. Were they all blind? Malric had thick, untamed black hair with subtle streaks of midnight silver near his temples! While she was blonde and not so good looking and…

Oh, who the fuck was I kidding?

My insides curled when I looked at her again. She was a goddess! With flawless skin and golden hair, gleaming as if she just floated out of the sun’s glorious rays. I took a deep breath. I needed to calm down and trust my knowledge of Malric.

Yes, girls have always swarmed around him, ready to drop their pants at the slightest brow raise, but he has always been polite, gentle and kind in his rebuffs. He always had one excuse which repelled their advances.

“I am the future Alpha and I am waiting for my Luna. I cannot frolic with anyone else.”

I was the only one who knew that it was all a lie, a front just to ward them off. He was sleeping with me after all, I was his mate! The Alpha’s Luna had to be his mate, so as far as I was concerned, since the day we experienced the spark of the matebond, Malric’s search for a Luna had ended.

I clenched my fists as I regarded her. Sure, she was pretty and sweet, but I knew Malric would burst her bubble very soon. All I had to do was wait for him to visit me. He couldn’t resist my scent, that would surely take his mind off Lyra…for good.

***

For days, I thought that Lyra was the delusional one, but it all blew up in my face like a bomb.

Walking through the hallway five agonizing mornings later, I caught sight of Malric and Lyra next to his locker. She was leaning against him and Malric wasn’t grimacing or flinching! He let her rub her body against his and they were both smiling at each other.

My doubts swooped in immediately, like dark clouds threatening to release pellets of sadness to drench my heart. She covered his ear with her palm and whispered something into his ears. Malric grinned while she giggled.

They were drawing in all the attention now. Everyone who walked past them either smiled or murmured something to the person beside them. I stood frozen to the spot, right in the center of the boisterous hall.

Someone suddenly shoved me as he walked by and my books scattered to the floor. Draven only glanced at me impassively and walked away without an apology.

“What a jerk.” The familiar voice of Chadwick said as he stooped to assist me. “You alright?”

Of course, I wasn't!

Fuck Draven, Malric and Lyra were swiftly becoming the talk of the school. Their names were on the lips of everyone, their relationship was the focus of the gossip at every gathering. I couldn’t take it! My heart pounded a hole into my chest each time I saw them, it felt like Malric was slipping out of my grasp and I could do nothing about it but watch!

“Jeez, Alruin, are you alright? You’re sweating profusely!” Chadwick exclaimed, a note of worry in his voice.

I slapped his hand off my shoulder and rose to my feet, “What?” I gasped breathlessly, “Me? Sweating? Of course not. Why would I be sweating when the morning is so cold? See you in class. Bye.”

I held my head low as I briskly walked to class that day. I had high hopes for this particular night. I knew what this was. Malric was just creating a distraction. He was going to be with Lyra in public, then come to me in private. It wasn’t a jolly set up, but at least his intimacy remained exclusive to me.

I rushed home that evening. Malric had promised that he would visit this week and today was Friday. He never visited me on weekends, so it had to be tonight. I had been saving up for a year now to be able to afford a bottle of Hennessy; his favorite liquor. He usually arrived by eight pm. I had my shower and went over the ritual of making sure everything was immaculately arranged. I even made sure I smelled like lavender; he loved it!

It was nine Pm already and everything was perfect for this night. Only one thing was missing.

Malric.

“Where is he?” I mumbled nervously and bit my lip quivering.

My heart sank to my stomach when the clock ticked past nine thirty. It was too late, he never came so late.

I sprang to the telephone on the bedside desk, my heart was racing, my bottled up tears made my eyes swell. I swallowed dryly and dialed his private number. I wasn’t allowed to text him normally, or call. This was my only access to him and most of the time, he didn’t reply.

Sadly, this was one of those nights he didn’t reply.

I paced around the room, my mind was in a turmoil, I could barely think clearly. I hated it when my fingers twitched, it always indicated that I was about to do something stupid…and I did. I scooped my phone from the bed with shaky fingers and did the forbidden.

I called Malric.

The tears I had bitten back long ago gushed out from my eyes the moment I realized that I had been blocked. He…he didn’t want me anymore.

He had Lyra, I was nothing to him now…oh no, what did this mean? I had to talk to him somehow!

***

My desperation to meet Malric made me break all the rules he had set for me.

Two days passed, he still hadn’t called and my line was still blocked. In school, he avoided me like a plague, clothing himself in the attention his intimacy with Lyra drew to him.

Something was wrong! I could feel it, like an itch at the base of my weary heart.

I waited till after school that day, hoping I would get the chance to see him. This particular corridor on the last floor was empty as all the students were outside the building now. My heart almost jumped to my throat when I saw him sauntering out of his class room. I glanced around and rushed to him.

The moment he saw me, his eyes widened with shock and panic.

“Malric!”

His deadly eyes darkened like fire choking on ash, molten rage blazing in them and they stopped me dead in my tracks. His voice hit my chest like an electric bolt, sharp and thunderous.

“Haven’t I told you not to speak to me in public, you peasant?”