Page 14

T he silence was heavy. Thick. She took a nervous step back.

"What did you just say?" The question was calm, but there's nothing calm about the way his eyes went greener. There's nothing calm about the way a shiver of dread worked itself through her bones.

"Your e-eyes, it's doing a c-c-color thing—"

He glared at her. Big, green , glare.

She lifted her hand's palm out as if to ward off evil, "I'm really really sorry. I needed the money to buy my meds!" Shit, her tone is back to a squawk!

He took a predatory step forward. She stepped back again and collided with a wall. The same wall he'd kissed her senseless on a few minutes ago. She can still taste him on her lips .

Another step forward, he moved into her personal space, caging her to the wall again, but this time around she knows for sure it's not to kiss her senseless. More like to murder her.

Ismena squeezed her eyes closed, "Please, please, please, have mercy! I didn't mean to p-pawn your ring, but I needed the money! I know it was stupid of me—"

"It was indeed stupid of you." He looked and sounded absolutely calm, but she can see the banked anger in those amber-green eyes like a storm.

"The store is in New York City, I can show it to you!" She gasped, "We can book a flight there, it might take a few days but—"

He stepped back, severing all contact with her. "We leave for New York now. Come and show it to me." He is already walking out of the door before he was done talking, leaving her to follow.

"Wait! Now? But we didn't book any flight, how are we supposed to get there!?"

He swiveled his head behind him, "The private jet will take out. We don't need to book a flight."

"P-Private jet!?" Her eyes widened to unbearable degrees. Of course, she knows the man has money but a PRIVATE JET!?

So, why is he trying to make her life miserable because of one small ring? She swallowed the baffling question and followed him begrudgingly.

Licking her lips, she tasted him again, like a drug in her system. She shook her head. You have it bad for a man who looks like he'll have so much joy in him tearing you apart for his ring.

And what is that thing about his eyes? Did he put on a contact lens that changes color occasionally ?

Two Hours Later...

'CLOSED DOWN'.

The bold sign at the door of the pawnshop almost had Ismena swallowing her tongue. Closed down?

She turned back and peeked at the man behind her. His face was blank, he only returned her gaze.

"H-Here. This is t-the place." She pointed hesitantly behind her.

"So, why is that sign at the door saying 'Closed Down'?" He crossed his arms, leaning back against the limousine they'd rode here, his broad shoulders resting on it.

Even the relaxed stance he took, screamed dangerous to her. "I have absolutely no idea, I pawned this ring two days ago. M-Maybe there was a mix-up somewhere, I'll just uhm... I'll just ask around."

His only response was a blink of that long black eyelashes, that's supposed to be illegal because no man is supposed to have eyelashes that are more beautiful than a woman's.

She turned around and gave the store a big once over, then, her eyes jumped to the stores across the road. A mall.

"Just a minute..." She crossed the road and entered the mall. Going straight to the counter, she smiled at the receptionist, "Hello,"

"What can we help you with, ma'am?" The woman was smiling too, but her eyes went behind her and her smile faltered .

Ismena felt his presence before she turned around, to see him standing at the door in all his frowning glory. She returned her gaze to the receptionist, still smiling to calm the woman's fears, "He's with me."

"Oh..." The woman lowered her voice, "Your man is very handsome. But he..." She trailed off, fear behind the smile.

"Looks like he eats children for breakfast and drinks blood when he's thirsty? I know that too." She whispered too in a mischievous voice, not bothering to correct the woman's notion about him being her man. Then, she raised her voice, "The pawnshop across the road? Do you know when it'll open?"

"Oh, that shop? It's not opening again, I believe. Didn't you see the 'Closed Down' sign at the door? Mr. Haggins has closed down, he even packed out from our district, according to his neighbors. I think—" she cut off suddenly when the man at the door growled.

The sound so animalistic, it scared the two women. They looked at him.

Wolfariane stalked towards the counter and banged his fist on it.

Both women jerked at the same time. "Ohmygod!" Ismena exclaimed, startled.

"Do. You. Have. Any. Idea. Where. He. Went. To?" He didn't shout. He doesn't need to.

"N-No, no, no, I s-swear it! I d-d-don't have an idea! B-But, I can write down his f-former address to y-you," the woman reached for a paper and pen, her hands trembling badly.

"You're scaring her to death!" The words tore from Ismena's throat before she could stop it .

He swiveled his head and pinned her with that deep oceanic blue eyes that held fire.

She shrank away from him, "Don't mind me, don't mind me at all, you can scare her all you want, I don't mind at all! You can even put on a Halloween costume just to get the fear across, I don't mind at all. Don't mind me at aaaaaall." There goes that squawking again.

Heavens, she almost peed her pants! The man is really angry behind that expressionless face, she felt it down to her bones.

Wolfariane focused back on the woman. He reached out and took the paper she scribbled on. His eyes scanned the address, he committed it to memory, and let go of the papers. "Thank you, female."

"Y-You're welcome."

He faced the door and began walking out of it. Ismena threw the poor woman an apologetic glance before she turned and followed Big Bad Wolfe.

What if I just walk out of this mall and run far far far away from him, where he wouldn't be able to catch—

But he'll catch me, she muttered to herself regretfully. This man has proven to be very...resourceful when it comes to finding her. She entered the limousine begrudgingly.

Hell, she can't even enjoy her first ride in a limo because of his angry presence.

The sun has gone down really well, the night sky was shiny with the twinkling stars and the yellow half-moon that dominated it .

By the time they pulled up to the clearing of her apartment again. Ismena was well tired to her bones. It was a hard day, and she also missed her afternoon medications.

But all that doesn't matter at all when compared to the problem at hand. The trouble she'd gotten herself into.

The pawnbroker, Mr. Haggins, really did close down his store and left town.

No one knows where he moved to. No one knows his destination. No one knows how to reach him. Not a phone number, not a relative, not an address. Nothing.

She can feel him behind her as she stepped out of the limo. He hasn't said a word since their investigations. His silence terrified her more than his blank faces and eye-color changes. She walked sullenly to her apartment, unlocked it, and walked inside. He followed her.

Ismena was done peeing her panties in fear. She turned and faced him bravely, "So, what happens now? You gonna break my bones, cook me and have me for dinner?"

"I am really tempted to." He replied simply.

She-eeee... snapped her mouth shut. Okay, she didn't expect him to admit it.

Should she call nine-one-one?

Not an option. She will go to jail for stealing. "Look, I'm really really really really really sorry for pawning your ring, but I will be very honest with you, I don't know what else to you. Please, forgive me and let me go, please? "

Wolfarine was weighing his options. Considering his next actions. He has been at it since it began dawning on him that the pawnbroker had made away with his ring.

Could it be because of its worth in money? Or could he know what that ring really is?

The latter was trouble for him. For his people. This woman could have endangered his life, his people's life. That, more than anything, has kept him enraged all day.

"You're doing that growling thing again." She wiped her sweaty palm on her gown.

She shifted uncomfortably. He will give it to the woman for being so brave. She has stood proudly to his rage all day, even when it terrified her. Tough woman, his mate.

No. She is not his anything. He has no mate.

"Yes! Now I remember something else!" She suddenly gasped as she turned as hurried towards her bedroom.

Wolfariane crossed his arms and waited for her right there. The woman shouldn't think of hiding from him, because it will be a futile attempt.

A few seconds later, she screamed.

The loud piercing scream agitated his wolf, which forced him to close the distance between him and the door she'd walked through a few seconds ago. He entered the bedroom to see her staring fearfully at...

A glowing pearl. Blue light shone from the familiar little concretion, lightning up the surrounding of the drawer where it laid .

Wide brown eyes met him, "Why is it glowing? I-I just remembered that the ring fell from my hands before I pawned it. There were three pearls to it, a-and this one fell off, so I took it before pawning the ring..."

Wolfariane walked past her and picked up his pearl.

"It wasn't glowing before. W-Why is it glowing?"

"BecauseI am the owner." He replied simply. Either that, or the ring has fallen into the wrong hands. The latter is bad. Very bad.

Just holding the pearl calmed him a bit for the first time since he found out that his valuable ring has been stolen. Having been prowling and raging in him all day, the mountain lion stopped baring his teeth and receded to the deepest part of his mind.

Big Bad Wolfe was staring pointedly at the small pearl like a worm just crawled out of it. In all concentration, his brows furrowed in a profound frown.

She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Uhm, at least I reserved a pearl. Can you be really divine right now to forgive and forget?"

He pocketed the pearl. As if he just reached a sudden decision, blue expressionless eyes met her, "You are going to my home with me." He announced then. His tone brooked no argument.

"W-What?" Surely, she didn't hear him clearly.

He didn't bait an eyelash. "I am taking you to Naturiah with me. From this night henceforth, you will be in my custody until my ring is found and returned back to me."