6. Fight

Aria's POV

"I've been looking for you, and you're just here with my..."

Nicholas paused and glanced at Matthew with a bloody expression. He seemed angry, yet despite how deadly he appeared, I couldn't help but admire his gorgeous golden eyes, shining fiercely like a sun in this poorly lit woodland.

"What are you two doing here at this hour?" he said interrogatively.

I didn't respond.

Matthew stared at me, his eyes seeking help, but I just shrugged my shoulder. He was the one who brought me here, so he may as well tell Nicholas the reason. 

"I just brought Aria here to relax," Matthew reasoned. "I swear I didn't do anything to her."

It's funny how he sounded so cautious in choosing words before threading them into a sentence. As if Nicholas would hurt him if he did anything horrible to me. Though, I doubt that will happen. 

"Don't forget what we spoke about, Matt. I'm keeping an eye on you," Nicholas warned before snatching me away.

Unlike Matthew, this bloke has always been rough on me. The freaking Sainthood loves dragging. And given how aggressive his pulls are, I might end up losing one of my arms one day. 

"Aria, you better listen to me..."

Nicholas's voice interrupted my thoughts, and when my gaze wandered, I noticed that we were almost at the border. His pace decreased, and his grasp on my wrist softened. But despite the change in his actions, his expression remained the same.

"I'll surely have your hands shackled the next time you try to escape," he said in a threatening tone.

My brow immediately wrinkled, finding his arguments foolish. The terminology he used made him look even more desperate.

My freedom is not his to control. It's mine. 

"Nah!" That was all I could say before leaving him and walking away.

Male shifters really have this superiority complex in which they tried to make their other half inferior when both should establish harmony. I'll never understand how desperate they are for possession when a mating bond is about a mutual relationship rather than ownership.

"Aria!"

The night is young, but Nicholas's constant rambling may make me old instantly. His mouth talks like a never-ending machine, and every word he spoke were like a grain of salt thrown into a new wound. It was toxic.

"Do you get me?" he asked.

They say that first impressions are lasting, yet mine with him changed merely a day later. I'd rather have him cold and silent than this one. He's like a fly that never stops buzzing until you get tired of it.

"I'm hungry, Nicholas."

His gaze suddenly softened, and for a hundred times, pull my wrist as if I didn't know where the kitchen was. I sighed and resolved to go with the flow rather than complain. I'm exhausted.

"You should have told me earlier," he uttered, opening the kitchen door.

There were just a few omega visible when we entered the dining hall. Surprisingly, he does not tell them to prep the food and does it himself. If Nicholas weren't a narcissist and a domineering Alpha, I'd climb on his lap the second I realized he was my mate. Maybe even initiate the mating process. 

"Eat now."

I grabbed the pair of golden utensils, stuffed them with food, and shoved it into my mouth. Nicholas sat in the opposite way, his gaze fixed on mine, observing every motion I made. Even when I finished the platter, his gaze remained locked on me.

His searing stare wasn't of appreciation or love; it was of something unknown to me. There was an emotion lurking behind the mask he was putting on, and he was concealing it from being known.

"What are you thinking?" I wonder, wiping my lips with a napkin.

Nicholas exhales and shakes his head. "It's nothing," he said.

I knew he was lying. The way his eyelashes flutter and his pupils twitch only confirms my suspicion. What is he hiding from me?

A wave of silence enveloped us for a couple of seconds. Until Nicholas stood up and broke it. "I'll send you now to your room," he declared.

He did walk me to my room. 

The first thing I notice after getting in is my red luggage next to the wooden cabinet and several of my bags on the rack. I dashed over to it and examined everything; nothing was missing, and everything was intact. Nicholas must have brought this here or the omega. It doesn't really matter.

I did some of my night care routines before changing into comfortable pajamas. And as I lay on the comfortable mattress to rest, my curiosity about Nicholas suddenly bubbled up, followed by a slew of inquiries.

The reality has only dawned on me now. I was caught up in a pack of completely unknown shifters, met my mate who sought to dominate me, and I absolutely had no idea of the pack's background.

Though my main concern is Nicholas.

That man is a complete riddle I have yet to unravel. Apart from his name and position in the pack, I know nothing about him, not even his age or backstory. 

If he was desperate enough to take me, he should give me an overview of his life. And maybe we'll discuss the next step. He can't just claim I'm his without knowing who I am or vice versa. That's too archaic.

The night had passed, and the sun had risen, but my thoughts were stuck on one specific subject – Nicholas.

"Good morning, Aria," Matthew said as we passed each other in the corridor.

He looks as handsome as ever despite wearing only a plain white t-shirt, black cargo trousers, and combat boots. His black leather hair was a bit tousled, as though he purposefully styled it that way.

"Morning."

Instead of passing over, Matthew joined me in my glacial pace. Apart from the greeting, he said nothing further and accompanied me till we were outside—his like some bodyguard trailing over my tail.

"Where do you plan to go?" he asked.

My cheeks flushed with a cheeky smile as impish ideas flashed through my mind. "Would you like to join me in heaven?" 

Matthew looked puzzled, prolly muddled by my response. I naughtily winked at him, and seconds later, possibly realizing what I meant, his ears got red, and he averted his eyes elsewhere. His expression was so epic that I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm just kidding, Matthew," I said, tapping his shoulder. "Don't take it seriously."

I started moving forward, following down the paved road, unsure where it would take me. But after about a kilometer, I turned around and saw him standing exactly where he had been. "But if you want to take it seriously, you may," I shouted humorously.

I heard Matthew groan in frustration and mutter sharp curses. 

I was still relishing the entertainment Matthew gave me when a familiar silhouette surfaced in front of me. My brow wrinkled as I scrutinized the varmint from head to toe, confirming that it was the crone. 

Her protruding red-painted lips are about to explode from all the forced pouting. I hate to pass judgment, but she looks like a duck in a human body.

"It's a pity," Natasha said, her gaze falling on my chest. "Nicholas has such a low-grade mate."

Her unsolicited opinion just fuels the fire within me. And the rage I fought to contain yesterday is poised to erupt. 

"But I think he'd be more pathetic with you as his mate," I smirk. "You lack both the beauty and the brain."

My last comment made her face much more hideous than it already was. She then lunged at me with her long witchy claws, which I was able to avoid, and before she charged another attack, I kicked her directly in the abdomen, forcing her to collapse to the ground.

"Hey," Matthew said as he stood in between us. "That's enough."

Natasha was groaning and gripping her stomach as if my kick was too powerful for her. She dared to start it, and now she's behaving like a wuss. 

"Aria, please go back to your room for the time being," Matthew begged.

I sighed, rolled my eyes, and did as he asked. My day has only begun, and this bitch has wholly wrecked it. But because I don't want the situation to escalate, I concede.

I turned around and started heading back to the building where my room was located. I had scarcely moved five steps away when someone abruptly yanked my hair out. It was so intense that it felt like it was being ripped out of my scalp.

Shit! 

I tried to disengage Natasha's hand, but my distraction only gave her access to scratch me. Fortunately, her sharp nails did not hit my face directly but my neck, maybe because I was kinetically active.

"Natasha!"

Matthew pulls Natasha away from me. However, she was so aggressive that he struggled. Natasha's grip was only broken when I twisted both of her hands. The pain must have left her with no choice but to let go. 

"What's going on here?"

We all shifted our heads to where the voice was coming from and saw Nicholas coming in our direction. His gaze was drawn to me, then to Natasha. 

"What happened to your hand?"

The witch immediately amplifies her acting. "Aria broke it," she added theatrically, faking her tears.

Nicholas shot a frigid, judging look at me. "What's wrong with you?" He then soothed Natasha, giving me no time to react.

When they were completely out of sight, the writhing discomfort in my neck and head became noticeable.

I decided to bear the agony and return to my room. However, just as I started pacing, Matthew grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. His gaze is fixed on my neck, and his expression is concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I just stare at him with utmost disbelief. "Are you stupid?"