Page 9

Sandra knew she has been deceived when she came out of the bedroom but couldn't find Ismena and Eline anywhere. Her best friend had done everything to convince her to stay in Naturiah but she'd refused.

If you're going, then, I'm going. She'd repeated these words to Ismena over and over again. She'd been pretty adamant too.

Finally, her best friend had caved. She'd promised that they will go together in the evening. But as Sandra took in the nearly empty room, without Eline and Ismena in sight, she knew that she'd been deceived.

Those misleading, traitorous women!

Sandra was practically fuming as she flung herself down on the couch and crossed her arms together. "You just wait for me in Oklahoma, Ismena. I'll pull your hair from the root, strand by strand until you're completely bald!"

A knock came at the door.

A hopeful sigh escaped her lips as she sprang up from the couch. Maybe, she'd been quick to judge —

But, it wasn't Eline and Ismena. It was Alphose.

Butterflies spread out in her lower belly and her heart fluttered in her chest. Her anger was momentarily forgotten as she quickly unhooked the locks and opened the door.

"Hey, Kassandra." He greeted her in that deep voice that never ceases to spread shivers down her spine. God, she has it bad for him.

"Hey" Her voice was breathless. Stepping back from him to enter, she cleared her throat before she continued, "What are you doing here at this time of the night?"

"It's still early nights, Kassandra. I wanted to ask you out for a drink with me. That's eerm...if you're interested to go." He finished, faltering.

Seeing the usually-confident Alpha stumble over his words made Sandra's heart race. He's asking me out on a date! It's a date!

Don't forget that you have to go back to your world, tonight. Her voice of reasoning came through in her mind.

Well, she can always go back tomorrow. This night is already looking out to be so beautifu!

The expectant look on his face reminded her that she hasn't given him an answer. "O-Of course, I'll be happy to go. Just give me a few minutes to get a change of clothes."

"Alright, no problem, I'll just wait here." He walked to the couch she'd just deserted and settled down on it. His big body dominated the space, suddenly making the couch look small.

Sandra practically flew to the bedroom to get changed, with excitement coursing through her body.

Slowly, Wolfaraine went down on his knees.

With his arms wrapped around her waist, he placed his head on her belly and whispered in a deep, sad, defeated voice, "Stay, please... I am sorry for letting you go in the first place. I am sorry for everything. Please, don’t leave me, Ena."

A funny thought crossed Ismena's mind. I have cried more in the past two weeks than I've done in my entire adult life.

Even now, waterworks were happening in her eyes.

Her heart somersaulted in hope and happiness that he came for her, but at the same time, it hurts too. It has more to do with seeing a powerful man like him on his knees than it was about his words. Her eyes hurt just seeing it.

"Get up, please." She urged him with her hands too,, but it was like trying to move a rock. Fortunately, he listened to her and got to his feet.

The sadness in his eyes called to every part of her that was his mate, feeling her with the overwhelming urge to hug him tight and make it better.

Also, her body seems to develop a mind of its own, she had to dig her feet to the ground to stop from walking into his arms and letting him make her feel better.

She fisted her hand as she resisted, "You shouldn't be here, Wolfe." she whispered.

"There is no other place I'd rather be, Ismena.

I thought I could let you go. I thought I could close my eyes to it and let it happen, after all, it was for the best..

." he said the words like they left a bitter taste in his mouth, ".

..but, I can't. I don't want to do what is right, anymore.

I don't want to do what is best. I just want you. "

She opened her mouth to say something but he grabbed her hands and squeezed so softly, "I apologize for hurting you like I did. For letting you go when you needed me the most, and I promise to make up for that in the best way I can. Anything at all. But, don't leave."

Every word he spoke was like a healing balm to her broken heart. They felt like cold water on her burning soul.

Every word he spoke unlocked her memories about three nights ago when she was dying and suddenly, she was remembering everything he said to her in those wee hours of the morning when he'd thought he was alone and she would never remember. She remembered everything words for word.

Tears spilled from her eyes as her hand rose and cupped his cheek. "You cried, that night." she whispered in awe, "You cried for me. You were scared for me. You spoke to me..."

Wolfaraine knew that there was only one night that she could be talking about. "You remembered...?"

She nodded, sniffling softly, "Yes. The memories were hazy before but now..." She shook her head, "I remember everything."

Wolfaraine has never been a male who shows people his vulnerability or like to be caught in it, but he has realized a long time ago, that this woman standing right in front of him, is not just anybody.

He looked her in the eyes and told her the truth, "I have never been so terrified in my entire life as I was, three nights ago, watching you dance around the river of death.

Even when I was in captivity in that lab, I was never so terrified.

I didn't only cry, I called unto the deities of the humans too, in my desperation. "

Ismena remembered Eline telling her exactly that, in the morning. God, how could she have been so mad at this man, two days ago? It was not his fault that he had to go through unspeakable horrors of life which wired him to be the hard man he is today.

"I'm so sorry, Wolfe." She whispered, sincerely. "I'm so sorry for scaring you that bad. It was never my intention."

His hand cupped her cheek in the same way hers was cupping his. "You need not apologize for things you had no control over, Ismena."

A small smile tugged on her cheek. The way he said these words to her was like a balm to her heart. God, she has missed him so terribly.

"Maybe, it's time you take your own advice too.

Stop apologizing for things you have no control over, Wolfaraine.

Don't ever apologize to me again for what they forced you to do to me in that lab, eighteen years ago.

And stop trying to take responsibility for them.

It was not your fault and it is all in the past," she stated passionately, looking him in the eyes, "What matters is the way we move forward. "

She saw him fighting with himself on that particular subject, but she stood her ground.

"Please, Wolfaraine, please, promise me.

Promise me that you will do everything you can to look beyond the past, that you will do everything you can to stop shouldering those guilts that are weighing on you so much. "

"I will try." He muttered, at last, swallowing tightly, "I promise to try."

He felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders as those words left his mouth.

A grateful smile split Ismena's cheeks, even as she used her free hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks. It wasn't much but it was progress. "Thank you. I'm so sorry for being mad at you that day in the market—"

"You have nothing to apologize for. I understand, Ismena.

Just promise me that you are not going anywhere.

Come back to the castle with me, it has been so.

.." he took a deep breath, "...so lonely without you there.

I know I'm not the most perfect of males.

You deserve a male that can mate with you, love you, and spend the rest of his life with you.

.. I know I'm being selfish by wanting you to give up all those and be with me even when I can't promise you such a good life, but I still can't let you go, Ismena. "

The man does not understand, Ismena thought. There is nothing good in her life if he wasn't in it. He is her good life. Her happiness. Her everything. She loves him so damn much, so damn hard that her life is basically a big, ball of misery without him in it.

So, what if he can't love her? So, what if he can't mate with her?

She knows that he cares about her very much, and that is something. She will love him enough for both of them.

"I'm not leaving," Finally, she gave in to those overwhelming urges and stepped forward into his arms. The breath left her body as his strong arms encircled her and she practically melted into him, "Take me home, Wolfe."

All the tension in his body dissolved in the instance she walked into his arms. The wolf purred like a cat, quieting for the first time in days.

Between his other halves raising a rampage inside him these past few days and his sleepless, sorrow-filled male self, it felt like he'd taken the first breath of fresh air for the first time in a long time.

"Take me home and make love to me. I missed you so much." She whispered on his neck.

Just like that, his body jerked alive. It went from zero to a hundred so fast, that Wolfaraine would have wondered if it was normal if he wasn't liking it so much.

"You needn't ask." He groaned as he pulled back, palmed her cheeks, and lowered his mouth to hers .

The kiss was hungry and ravenous. They took from each other like starving people having the first taste of their favorite food. Ismena opened her mouth, moaning when he thrust his tongue inside, bursting her taste bud. God, it feels so good.

She touched him everywhere she could get her hands on, sucking on his lips like he was her favorite pacifier. The kiss went on and on, until they were both panting.

Finally, Wolfaraine broke the kiss and pressed their foreheads together while trying to get his body under control. "Heavens, Ismena..."

"Missed you...so much. Couldn't sleep well... Couldn't be happy... Couldn't stop thinking about you... Missed you so much..." Ismena was too far gone that she let her thoughts go, baring herself to him.

"Hell, dammit." He molded their mouths together again, her little confession killing whatever control he'd managed to acquire. His dick was so hard in his pants that they felt very tight on his skin. Fuck, it feels so good.

He walked her back until he pushed her against the nearest tree. His hand went to the back of her head and he ravished her mouth like she was the very next breath he needed to stay alive.

"Can I come back now, Alpha King?"

The hesitant request coming from the familiar voice of Eline filled his ears, drawing him back to reality.

With a groan of regret, he lifted his head, "I'll cut off your head if I smell you within walking distance to us, Eline."

A shocked gasp filled his ears. Far away, he heard the distinctive sound of her feet running even farther away from where she already was. A small smile tugged at his lips .

"Eline? Where is she?" Ismena asked. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, her eyes filled with desire and her cheeks flushed.

"Far away." That was all he responded as he kissed her forehead, before stepping away from her.

She sighed, "That woman. I don't know between her and Sandra who's more cowardly." But she was smiling.

"I'll say it's Kassandra." He offered with a smile of his own. Then he outstretched his hand toward her.

She took it without hesitation, giving him that big, all-eyes smile of hers he has missed so much. "I'll say it's Sandra too." She replied, before adding, "Take me home, Wolfe."

His heart felt elated for the first time in a long time. "Okay."

"Do we always have to wait for this man? I hate waiting and everything it represents." Dr. Beloca stated angrily.

"You think I love waiting too? But, in this case, we don't exactly have a choice." The general grunted.

Beloca muttered something under his breath before he raised his glass and downed the alcohol. The unusual amount of noise this bar produces was also getting on his nerves too.

One of Adeladin's men walked up to them, "Sir, the man you were waiting for dropped a message with me. I told him that you were waiting, so he should come give you the message himself but he said, he couldn't stay—"

"That rat bastard." Adeladin hissed .

"Calm down now, General. Let's hear what he came with."

The young man looked nervous, but when his boss gave a go-ahead, he cleared his throat and went on, "He said and I quote: 'The plan is in motion already.

The girl is leaving our world tonight. I want you and your men ready.

I will have her kidnapped and brought to your Lab myself so you both won't do a shitty job about it. Be on alert.'"

The man cleared his throat again, "Uhm... That was what he said."

They couldn't even bring themselves to be angry about the rude message because of the good news laced with it. Their plan is already in motion!

Number 6 will be theirs soon!!

"Damn, we gotta drink to this!" Beloca raised his glass and clicked it with Adeladin's own. "Just like this, I'm having a good night already."

"But, he insulted us. He said we do shitty jobs." His tone was gruff as he sent the messenger away.

Beloca waved him away. "We haven't been able to get The Successful, Number 6 or their child. So, you gotta admit, we've been doing a shitty job for a while."

Adeladin grumbled something that sounded like 'speak for yourself, you bastard' but Dr. Beloca couldn't care less.

Finally, he will get the chance to have his revenge on Number 6 for killing his mentor, Dr. Angor, his subordinate Simon Blackwell and not to mention all these men he'd killed.

Hell, he can't wait.