CHAPTER NINE: OZON. LAVENDER. MINE

CHAPTER NINE

*** NOLAKAI'S POV ***

TEN YEARS AGO

Ozone. Lavender. Mine.

The scent filled my nostrils almost immediately, my gaze scanning the entire park to find where the delicious scent was coming from.

Ozone. Closer. Lavender. Closer.

The scent driving me mad with each passing second, my legs moving purely out of instinct, pushing past whoever stood in my way till finally, I saw her, standing a few feet apart.

Time slowed, and the world faded till it was just both of us.

She seemed to have been searching for me too as she came to a halt when our eyes met.

I stared at her frozen in place, unsure of what to do. I'd always wondered how it would feel to meet my mate, but nothing really compared.

She was fucking beautiful. Her silver hair catching in the light, the white sundress she was wearing, a complementary contrast to her hair. The white sundress, further accentuating her tanned skin.

Mmm. Just how I like it. My wolf purred, a deep rumble erupting from within my chest.

I wasn't sure I had a preference before but now, I fucking did.

Apparently, silver-haired women in sundresses were exactly my type.

I did a quick sweep on her, eager to memorise every nook and cranny of her. Her silver hair shimmered beneath the afternoon sun. Warm brown eyes watched me with the same stunned wonder I felt. Even from here, the scent of ozone and lavender wrapped around me like a promise. Her beautiful smile—no words could qualify.

She was fucking sunshine and right there and then, I knew she was perfect for me.

Gosh.

I already loved her and I didn't even know her name.

My heart skipped a few beats.

What if she doesn't feel the same? The thought crossed my mind for a second too long and settled deep in my stomach.

Was I nervous?

I'd been a lot of things but being nervous was not exactly my forte. My people—the stormfang pack always prided themselves in their ability to process things quickly and move on. I shouldn't be any different, especially as a young alpha.

I finally summoned the courage to meet her eyes. I'd been avoiding that partly because I didn't trust myself not to grab her and claim her right then and there and because I didn't know what I would do if she rejected me.

I let out a shaky breath as I took the sight of her in again. My nostrils flared, relief washed through me when I caught the unmistakable scent of her excitement. A smile creeping up my lips as deep satisfaction coursed through me dissapating any doubt I had in how she's perceived my appearance.

We looked at each other for what felt like ages, still feet apart, smiling like fools.

If anyone would have told me before that I'd have been standing in front of a girl, with my cheeks all red and my heart threatening to burst out of my rib cage today, I'd have called them a bloody liar.

My skin prickled with the awareness of how childish we seemed to watchful eyes. We were standing like the people in those human TV shows for fuck's sake.

But I couldn't care less, the last thing I needed was to scare my mate off. We would stand here for as long as she needed.

"Mei?" A male voice called out as he came running behind her, his action suddenly bringing the world back into existence. His arms resting on his knees as he stopped beside her.

Oh. Mei. I'd never heard such a beautiful and unique name before.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" He asked, and my wolf practically growled at him when he straightened his posture and moved even closer to her, taking a protective stance.

Nobody stands that close to what's mine.

My gaze narrowed as I studied his every move. His blue eyes met mine and he held his stare till he eventually yielded.

Good.

He was a beta, of stormfang at that. But I'd never met him.

"It's okay Devon. He's my...." Mei said after a while holding out her hand to signal him to back off. Her voice trailed before she could complete her statement and I winced before clearing my throat.

Did she not want me?

"Mate. I'm her mate." I said quickly, a deep need to take her and mark her as mine rising deep within my chest.

She smiled as her cheeks stained with a hint of red.

Somehow that was enough to ruin every sensible thought I'd ever had.

My mate was shy.

I couldn't help the smile that creeped up my lips as I studied her every move, the action suddenly becoming my favourite thing to do.

"I'm Nolakai." I said breaking the silence after a while as I moved closer to her. Not enough to intrude her personal space but enough to drown in the haze of her scent.

"I'm Mei." She said, smiling sheepishly. Her face a crimson red as she extended her hand to shake mine.

Oh. I couldn’t lie and say I was expecting a handshake, but it would have to do, now— although a hug would have been deeply appreciated.

My brows raised in amusement as I looked into her beautiful brown eyes, completely ignoring Devon's irritated glare. They say the eyes bare the soul and I deeply needed to know what was behind hers. What was she like? What colour would they reveal—in her vulnerability?

What pack did she belong to? She couldn't be stormfang —her eyes were brown and I'd have sniffed her out, she wasn't a veil—shadowcrest— because she'd have masked her scent.

Or was she just letting me get a whiff of her?

Most werewolves chose to mask their eye colours thus masking their identities into the most common eye colour —brown. They usually could as teenagers but only strong ones could for a long amount of time.

Pride and satisfaction coursed through me and settled with a sweet taste on my tongue as my wolf purred. My mate was strong. Strong and just mine.

"Let her go." It was Devon that spoke bringing me out of my thoughts. His dark blue eyes catching in the sunlight, as he shifted his weight. He was preparing for an attack.

I hadn't even realised I'd taken her hand and refused to let go.

"And who the fuck are you?" I asked with a sharp growl as I narrowed my gaze on him. How dare he tell me what to do with my mate? My gaze shifted to her to take her in. She seemed pretty fine to me, amused even. It wasn't like I'd hurt her or anything.

"Her brother." Devon snapped, and I didn't need to smell him from a mile to know they weren't siblings.

I opened my mouth to say something—her hand still in mine— when I heard it.

The sound of a bell ringing over and over.

I knew what it was but I wasn't ready to let go. Not yet.

"Answer it Kai." Mei spoke, her eyes looking intently into my soul. I shivered at the way she called me 'kai'.

The ringing continued as she said.

"You know you have to." Her smile was torturous as I nodded my head in denial.

My heart skipped a beat as panic began to set in. I held unto her hand tightly like she'd disappear if I let go.

"You can always come back." Was the last thing I heard before the world around me materialised and I woke up from my dream.

She did disappear.

The image of her face and her brown eyes still vivid as I struggled to stop the stupid alarm.

The sound ended with a low thum of the button.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Ten years later, and the face, scent and eyes of my mate still haunted me, even in my dreams.

I missed her so much, so fucking much. I needed her it hurt too bad.

I took in a deep breath to stop my wolf from lashing out. It had been liked this since the last time I saw her, and while some days were easier to go by, this one was fucking not.

I couldn't help it as my bones started to crack, my wolf pushing forward. I groaned at the excruciating pain that followed as my body morphed into the beast it was beneath all that flesh.

Yes. I was a beast.

I rejected my mate, I deserved all the pain in the world.

My wolf growled as it shook aggressively. My entire senses hightened as I finally accepted the switch.

Beast. Blood. Pain.

I embraced it all and darted out of my mansion, through the window in my room, straight into the woods.

I landed with a loud thud and my hind leg shifted with a crack, as I'd just jumped down from the third floor.

my wolf let out a deep howl as it charged forward. I paid no attention to the leg, it would heal. I was an alpha.

A beast.

The words, repeating in my head as I charged forward. It didn't matter now.

I deserved this.

The trees vibrated as I howled through the forest, hunting prey. Deeply in search of anything....

Anything to ease this pain.

Anything to fill the large void my mate left in me.