"So since we have decided to become friends, I suppose I'm allowed to ask a question?" He paused for an answer, and when he saw none was forthcoming he continued."The Beta, earlier he mentioned something about how you didn't grow up in the pack, I'm curious." She arranged the few papers that were askew on the table and placed her hands on her legs one placed above the other."Have you not heard?""The servants hate me because they think I am power-thirsty and discontent. And even though I have not been out so frequently the few respected people I have met have deemed me worthless and fit to be used as a cleaning rag, that is apart from the Beta of course but a man such as he is not one for gossip. So my last resort is you.""I wonder why people love talking unnecessarily so much. All you needed to say was no.""I apologize for being such an explanative and good person, so out with the story.""There is no story. My father got angry my mother gave birth to a female child so he burnt

He sighed frustrated.Perhaps Ciara could give him a word of advice on how to woo his mate.Although he had left the managing of the pack in Ciara's capable hands needed to see his pack for himself.Soon he told himself.He got up and opened the door leading out of his chambers and went to Cassandra's chambers and he saw her doing her correspondence just as he expected.His pile of books had been put away.Given the way their last conversation as he hesitated at the door."Are you coming in or not."She said irritated.He smiled relieved anything even irritation was better than cold indifference.He went in picked out books placed them on each other and sat."You could have at least told me it was him you were going to choose.""To what result?"He blinked surprised."You answered me."She raised a questioning eyebrow."It's just that I usually have to keep talking for about an eternity before you even notice me.""That's not true. Not even logical. And I always notice you.""As much as you try not to?

Lightning flashed illuminating the room for one quick second and as a result, brightened her too. He cupped her head slipping his fingers through her coiffure that was now loose at the end of the day, he moved his thumb across her cheek in slow deliberate strokes savoring the feel of her soft skin. He slowly moved his hand behind her neck and his fingers worked to massage the tense muscles there, the small sigh she let out stirred dangerous things in his depths. The only sounds in the room now are the sounds of the heavy raindrops on the roof and the music of their frantic heartbeats.Her eyes were now closed, her lips slightly parted, he couldn't resist, he leaned in and felt the unmistakable sharp edge of her blade against his biceps.“Leave.”She sounded -to his dismay- betrayed. He stepped a few paces away from her gave a pained mock salute not even bothering to hide his hurt and left the room with an uncomfortable throb between his legs.His walk turned into a run in the heavy downpo

Athena rose from her bed with a dulling pain in her heart, one she tried so much to ignore but kept coming back. Everything about her was slowly succumbing to the absence of the annoying footman. She tried not to think too much of him but kept failing miserably every single time. She even snapped at Damien when he tried to make a joke about Alex's absence. She didn't want to be his mate but that didn't give anyone the right to talk carelessly about him in her presence. The gossipers around the palace have found a new rumor to spread, some said she discovered that he was not her mate, others said he rejected her cos of her stone heart, the bold ones went ahead to say that he had had a fill of he Rand decided that she was no longer worth it. All these Athena heard through the use of her discreet footmen planted across the village. Some of her footmen had wives that blended into the villages and got useful information for her. A knock on the door startled her and brought her out of he

"With your permission of course,” He paused. “With a woman as head strong as she I fear you may be faced with a rather difficult choice, Your cara or your people. I hopoe that it does not come to that but if it does, it shouldnt be an option." He added then left, and Alex released a long breath as he watched him exit the door. He went to the balcony where his people were rapidly gathering wanting to see their Alpha for themselves. He truly missed his people. The time he spent away from his pack felt like a few months instead of the few days it actually was. But when he was with Athena it felt like a few hours. If someone were to take his devotion to his pack on one hand and his love for Athena on the other, and place them on each side of the scale, the scale wouldn't tip to any particular side. Even as he missed his people he yearned to go back to her, he was already exhausting the eighteen days after which he knew he had to come back to his people with or without her. The problem was