008 - A Glimpse of His Soft Side

(Free Chapter)

ALTHEA.

The last two days went by so fast, and I felt like I was just floating, making sense of everything.

I was picked up from my comfort zone and thrust into a world I knew but had never experienced yet. 

The wolves and their pack.

All I knew was that I liked Lucy, the half-she-demon and half-she-wolf who needed my help. I promised to help her, but in return, I asked her to kill my grandmother, Patrea. 

She was trapped in the demon world for many decades. 

I did ask Lucy to kill her, even if I didn’t want to, because it was the only way she could be freed from that realm.

My mother told me that Patrea sold her body to a demon king, thinking she was outsmarting him by not binding her soul to him. But she didn’t know the demon would take it literally and trap her body in that realm. 

And to make it worse, he did something to her so she wouldn’t age, and no one but him and his bloodline could kill her in the underworld. My grandmother wanted death, as she was tired already and wanted her soul to return to the spirit world.

Meeting Lucy and finding out she was the daughter of the same demon king that took my grandmother was a chance I didn’t want to let pass by. She had the power in her to kill Patrea.

So I focused on the task given to me while I shoved any emotions I had at the moment regarding Blade away so he could not distract me. 

He was furious at me because, at some point, I called him a monster and introduced him as my father to the warriors around us. 

He became grumpier after that, and I wondered why he stayed when he could just leave, as his initial assignment was just to bring me here.

But then, I really didn’t know anything about him. Money was probably more important than his comfort, as I heard he got additional pay for staying in this territory to watch over me in case I needed one.

I was sure I didn’t need security until things got serious. 

I was not an expert, and this was the first time I summoned the spirits for a big task. And before I knew it, I was already creating spells bigger than me.

I thought I had everything under control until reality slowly sank in.  

A few minutes after my spells were completed, the thing Lucy was afraid of happened.  Mystic Pack was on high alert as their Alpha was abducted, and Lucy was also gone.

I was brought here to protect this pack from the demon king, and I was able to put the shield around the territory. 

But I was not prepared for the demon king to find out about me and haunt me for the spell I created, specifically the one involving Lucy. 

I wanted to cower and just go back to the comfort of my cabin and forget all about this, but it was too late. 

I was already thrust into a world far bigger than the red mountain. And even if I kept denying it, I knew it was only a matter of time before the demon king could find me.

Blade then decided on his own that we needed to leave this pack because he thought the wolves would not be able to protect me. 

“Oh, Spirits! Blade! I told you I’m not leaving this territory!” I yelled in frustration at him for the hundredth time as he shoved my clothes inside my luggage, and I kept pulling them out. 

We’re playing a game of tug of war, and up until this moment, no one was winning.

With the shield up, I thought I would be safer here, but Blade thought otherwise. But what does he know?

“You have no say on this one, Althea! We’re leaving! We’ll go to a safer place where the demon lord can’t reach you!” He snapped at me, tugging the last pieces of clothing from my hands before shoving them inside my bag. He zipped it up and threw it by the door, where it landed with a loud thud.

“This is my life on the line! Why do you get to decide for me?”

“I’m not going to let another mate die before my eyes, Althea. Even if that means putting myself in front of you to catch all the fire! I will fucking do it if I get an assurance you will come out of this alive!” His jaw twitched as his eyes dilated into darkness.

I swallowed and opened my mouth to speak, but the words got caught in my throat. How do I retort back from that?

“Get moving! We don’t have all night!” 

“But we will be protected from here. We are more vulnerable if we go outside the territory.” 

“Do you think your shield can protect you? How long have you been doing shields? I’m not a witch, but I’ve met a lot of them. Unless you are a hundred years old, I don’t think you alone could hold back a demon lord from entering this territory. And I’m not going to take fucking chances just because you think you can! Now get your ass rolling and pack your witchy gadgets, or I will do it myself!”

I rolled my eyes at him, but I hurried to the desk, where I laid out some of my potions and books. I carefully gathered the runes in a small black pouch and placed them in my pocket before I tucked the rest of them in a black sling bag I kept handy all the time.

Blade knew fairly well I didn’t want anyone touching my things, and despite being annoyed with him at the moment, I was grateful he remembered not to touch them.

“But where do you think we can go? I’m sure I’m not safer in the mountains than I am here.”

“You mentioned your ancestors being part of a coven. I knew a coven of witches somewhere in Salenda. We can start from there, and maybe they can track which coven your family belongs to, or maybe they will take you in.” His voice was calmer now.

“But how about you?” I asked, making sure my voice didn’t break, although my heart clenched in pain.

A coven of witches, according to my mother, was not allowing werewolves to live with them. They accept them as visitors for a few days but never take them as members of their communities. And if any coven accepts me, that would mean Blade would be on his own.

“What about me?” He asked, slipping his hands inside his jeans pocket, but his eyes avoided mine.

“Where will you go if we find a coven to take me? I’m not sure they are willing to take you in as well.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m used to being alone. I will survive.”

“I thought Alpha Stone paid you to protect me? Why will you abandon me?” I had no idea how I got the courage to ask him. I wanted to push him away, yet the thought of not seeing him anymore was making me uneasy.

“If you didn’t realize it, Alpha Stone is not here anymore. So I am doing this for free now.”

My chest heaved. I wanted to be mad at him, but he was right — we both didn’t like each other. 

“Just as long as you’re safe, then my work is done. We need to get going. Because I’m sure he’ll come back for you soon.” He didn’t wait for me to reply as he opened the door and slipped out before adding, “I will just pick up my bag, and then we’ll go.”

After a long discussion with Alpha Adan Stone’s family, we all decided it was best for me to leave their territory and set out on a journey to a coven somewhere in the midwest.

After we said our goodbyes to everyone, we didn’t waste any more time, and Blade helped me into his car.

He let me in and began fixing my seatbelt with our faces just inches away from each other.

Once he was done fumbling with my belt, his gaze locked with mine. “Althea, do you trust me?”

My heart thundered as I stared at him. Even if I kept saying I didn’t want him, I knew I had no one anymore, and I should be grateful that he was putting himself in danger to protect me. The best I could do was trust him, so I nodded my head in response.

“Words. I want to hear words,” he said grumpily, but he didn’t take his eyes off me.

“I trust you, Blade,” I answered in a soft tone. I had no energy to counter his grumpiness at the moment because it had been a long day.

“I want you to remember that when the time comes that I ask you to do something.” He added, and it made me bite my lower lip, all the while, we kept staring at each other. “When we step out of this territory, it will just be you and me. I want you to trust me enough to tell me your plans and what you are thinking. Am I understood?”

"Yes," I answered in a hoarse voice.

And then he smiled, something he never did in my presence — not too wide but not forced either. A real smile and it was enough to make my heart somersault in my chest. 

He was really handsome. If only he could smile all the time. 

I was still reveling in the memory of his smile when he did one more thing I was not expecting. 

He leaned forward, bridging the gap between us, and placed a soft kiss on my forehead while his hard, calloused palm rubbed the skin of my arm so gently that it felt too sensual, sending shivers down my spine — down to my core. 

Blade had never touched me this way. Not this intimate, and never this careful. 

“Good. Now, be a good little witch and stop defying me so we can have a peaceful trip,” he said as he pulled away. 

A smug smirk was back on his face, and it just made me roll my eyes, but I decided to shut my mouth because my core was still throbbing from his touch. 

Blade slid into his seat, and I waved goodbye to the people on the steps as we drove off.

The moment the packhouse was out of my view, my gaze shifted to look at the man driving the car. I could only see one side of his face. 

Blade looked dangerous, but the way he smiled earlier showed me a glimpse of his soft side — or maybe I was just imagining things. He seemed to be too cold and distant. 

I closed my eyes and leaned back in my seat. 

I knew a dangerous time was ahead of us, and I had no idea if I would come out alive after all of this. But if I do, I hope Blade does as well.