Chapter 5: Emotional Bond

Iram’s POV

In my mind, I was like raising a million miles endlessly. I couldn't seem to get it off my head.

Her scent troubled me. I was never troubled like this in my entire life. How could a mere human smell like cinnamon and rose at the same time? It was a weird combination. Though I find it amusing to know that her scent was sweet seeping inside my nostrils and never leaving my system, that was also the very thing that I hated the most. I can never feel gullible to anyone yet I'm starting to feel like one in front of her. To a mere human.

That brazen human. How can she come to me and ask for something I couldn't control?  Slaves are slaves, be it the lowest rank in the werewolf species or humans, if they are deemed to be killed, no one must interfere with that. The royal decree declared the slaves' fate inside Prima Tierra Pack. But in just a blink of an eye, I found myself obeying her request like I was considering her to be my actual Luna. I became submissive. And it hurt my ego like hell!

I scoffed at my thoughts. There was no way I would consider her one! She's just a slave! A mere human. A faggot in the world that is a part of the evil race that destroyed the morale of this world.

I shook my head meekly and sighed. I rested my chin on the back of my hand while I was sitting on my throne.

I was spending my time alone after I saw the human slave sleeping safely and soundly. I hated that I had to leave my own chamber for her. I left that human inside because I couldn't bear a second to look at her lying on my bed!

I could remember myself staring at her innocent and gullible figure. I was just looking at her while I lay at the side of the bed, my arms supporting my head to clearly take a look at that insignificant view.

To my dismay, I found her beautiful in that position. A smile was plastered on my face. I must be looking like an idiot for doing this. It made me a bit anxious.

There was something in me that was awakened by her scent.

Her scent; was the very thing that filled the air inside my chamber. I absentmindedly inhaled a lungful of her.

I heard Ultor howling in agony. "Iram! Please take our mate! Take her now! She smells so sweet. I wanna lick her right at this moment. Can we have a taste of her?"  my wolf pleaded to me, a trace of yearning and desire lingered inside of his tongue. I know exactly what my wolf had in mind, and it was not something I wanted to do no matter what.

I shook my head at him. "We can't. She's just a human slave. We should not get involved with her other than doing what she had to do for us to get back to normal. We don't suppose to have slaves as our mates, Ultor. She's nothing but a failure to this world," I told him eagerly.

"But I know what you feel, Iram!" Ultor said, "I know that you also wished that she isn't a human. You wished that she is a born werewolf so that we could herald her as our Luna."

I growled at him and shook my head. "No!" I shouted.

"No? Alpha King, I am confused..." another voice suddenly interrupted me. When I looked up, I saw the confused face of my beta, Iñigo. Iñigo is my best friend. He had been my confidante and my protector.

Ever since this chaos was bestowed on me, I had my share of anxiety that I couldn't seem to erase from my system. My beta was the only one who stood before me and helped me to get through. He helped me find my human luna that can take away this disease.

"Beta Iñigo!" I uttered profusely. I was so unguarded that I was not able to change my surprised look for a moment. "W-what has brought you here in the middle of the night? You should be sleeping to ready yourself for tomorrow's ceremony."

Iñigo lowered his head. I had the urge to mind-link him but I stopped myself. I wanted to know if he would proactively tell me what was bothering his mind lately that he had to visit me at this hour. "My apologies, my King. But can I at least say something informal right now as your best friend?" he had asked me.

I nodded and gestured my hand to him. "Go on, please..."

Iñigo sighed. "I know certainly that human luna is a troublemaker!" he hissed and then looked me in the eye. "I can't believe you stopped our  Iotas from disposing of the slaves who participated in the choosing ceremony, Iram. This is not what we talked about when we initiated this plan. What if they plan to attack us? Do you realize how much danger they could impose on our pack?"

I gritted my teeth. "I assume you already know the reason why I stopped it. We are running out of slaves. I'm sure you can see that—"

"But that's not what happened!" Iñigo spat at me. "You ordered that because that human slave told you so!"

"She is my mate!"  I  snapped. I even slammed my fist against the armchair of my throne. My teeth were gritting in anger while looking at my best friend.

I saw him scowl away from me. His submissive posture seemed to tell me that he had made a huge mistake by questioning my judgment.

I sighed and closed my eyes out of frustration. "This isn't the right time to waste your strength on this matter, Beta. We have a bigger task to take care of and you know it. And quit lecturing me on how should I treat my mate. You are in no position to be hostile around her. You and I both know that we needed her. Understood?"

Iñigo nodded. "Yes, my King." I saw his jaw tense, a sign that he was still against my word. Given that I know about Beta Iñigo, he was very vocal about his opinions to me ever since I took this position inherited from my father. I know upon seeing his posture, he could still be hostile to the human slave that appeared to be my mate.

This time, I already accessed the mind link and started to know about his intentions. And just as I thought, he disliked the human girl staying inside Prima Tierra Pack. The fact that he recently knew about her stay inside my chamber upset him the most.

Iñigo never trusts humans. He hated them as much as I do. But there's something in me that screamed anger toward his hostile thoughts toward my mate. How could he think of killing her? Didn't he know that I needed her?

I sighed again and rubbed my palm against my face. After a minute of silence, I started to scramble a word or two. "I've been meaning to ask this to you..."

"What is it, my King?"

"This is my first time meeting my human mate. You know how I hated to deal with this horrendous fate for werewolves, but how can I stop this notion?" I asked reluctantly.

"Notion? What notion exactly, my King?"

"This... this thing that I'm feeling. I can't seem to be the same man who treated a human slave. This human girl, she... she can read my emotions and I can read hers, too. How can I stop this?" I reiterated.

"You mean, the emotional bond between mates, my King?"

"If that's what you call it, then, yes," I admitted. "How do I stop this?"

"Well, there's nothing you could do, my King, other than do the rejection rites. That way, you will sever and entirely cut off ties from the fate that was given to you by the Moon Goddess..." Beta Iñigo answered.

I clenched my jaw upon hearing the name of the Moon Goddess. I quickly turned away and breathed deeply.

Rejection? Should I reject the only answer to my life? Should I sever our bond, then?

As I was wracking my brain for answers, I suddenly was lost for words.

I sighed and nodded at him. "You are dismissed..." I told him and then he bowed in front of me and left the hall.

*****

The next morning, I felt a little tired as the servants readied my clothes. I hadn't had an hour of sleep but I needed to be in a ceremony. The servants all helped me to wear them. I was inside an iron breastplate. It was a medieval design for werewolves for the era of war in Europe. The iron body-hugging attire was delicately designed for me, the Alpha King. It was colored in gold and radiated an eminent aura that screamed authority.

Beta Iñigo came inside the dressing room after he was announced to be present. He was bowing before me with his steadfast face. "My King, the Iotas are readying near the borderline. We are now waiting for your presence to start our expedition," he announced.

I nodded. "Carry on. Order them to secure a 5-mile perimeter. We will be the last to march..." I ordered him.

"Yes, my King..."

"Wait for me. I will be the one to fetch my horse. Make sure no one will follow me, understood?"

"Yes, my King!"

All the servants including Beta Iñigo left me inside the room. After that, I decided to go out and took the path no one has gone before. It was my ceremony to take care of my horses inside Prima Tierra Pack. No one has the authority to groom or provide them with food except me. My battle horses were the descendants of the royal horses my father had as the Alpha King. Ever since then, it was accustomed that no one dares to feed or groom an Alpha King's horses but only me.

I was walking in a silent alleyway when suddenly, I heard an unusual noise coming from the other side of the wall.

This secret path is connected to the extended hall of Prima Tierra where Kappas or the civilians could come and gather.

I automatically stopped in my tracks as soon as I recognized the scent and the voice.

"Please, stop it! That hurts!"

A woman laughed. "That suits you, whore! You dare to seduce the Alpha King and become hope to be the future Luna of this pack? Don't get your hopes too high. You're just a sly human slave that will be forever abused by us no matter how you've become!"

Then, a loud snap followed.

I didn't know what has gotten into me but I just found myself stepping out of the secret path and showing myself to the woman who caused the commotion.

I saw the horror that struck everyone's presence. I roared at them all, holding the human girl's wrist while gritting my teeth. I didn't say a word and just quickly rushed out of the scene with her.

I found myself taking a different path. Back to my chamber.

"Where are you taking me?" the girl asked but I didn't answer until we reached the chamber.

I dragged her inside the room and found some bandages. That was when I held her arm where I heard bones cracking earlier. The kappas must have played tricks on her.

"What are you doing?" she asked again.

Without a word, I just continued what I was planning to do. I wrapped the bandage around her damaged arm.

For a moment, the place became silent but my ears were still filled with her heavy breathing and my nostrils were still profoundly caught up with her intoxicating smell. While I was wrapping the bandage, I slowly looked up at her.

That was when I realized that it was such a bad idea.

I saw the fear inside her eyes but her courageous look at me stirred something inside my stomach. Her lips seemed too inviting that I heard her throat ingest her saliva.

Goddess! Why did I find this sight so tempting right now?

That was when I lost it all. I lost already the moment I opened my mouth.

"Mate with me, human..."