Chapter Seventy Six.

Aleric Dolce POV.

Sapphire sat frozen to the ground, unable to move. Her eyes were filled with conflicting emotions as she stared back at me, stunned and too traumatized by everything she had experience, dark mascara streaked across her cheeks.

She wasn't meant to see this. The existence of werewolves were meant to be hidden in secrets away from the eyes and ears of every human. But those drunk baboons were too foolish, too stupid and horny that they had to transform into a wolf to have their way with her.

It was against the rules of this Pack for any werewolf to molest a woman, not to talk of shifting into a wolf before the eyes of a human, so I was left with no other choice than to do the necessary as the future Alpha of the Lykoria Pack and also fulfilling my responsibility of protecting my mate, which was to brutally kill them in the worse way possible for trying to have their way with my mate and for also traumatizing her after shifting into a creature she was never meant to see.

I approached her with slow and cautious steps as I dissolved my Werewolf form into human, my clothes shredded and useless after my transformation.

I saw the surprise in her beautifully stunned amber eyes as she whispered out my name in a disbelieving and unsure tone. "Aleric?"

I smiled softly at her, giving her time to process everything she had seen in her head as I got to her.

I crouched down beside her, my eyes narrowed, tracing the ripped fabric of her dress and the trail of blood that ran down her arm. The sweet, metallic scent of her blood wafted up, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. My teeth gritting in a mixture of anger and restraint. In that moment, I wished I had inflicted a slower, more brutal death on those motherfuckers who harmed her.

My eyes closed involuntarily as I savored the sweet scent of my mate as we were just a feet apart. My throat tightening as it ran dry with the urge to sink my fangs into her but I knew I had to get a hold of myself.

'This wasn't the time Aleric!' I scolded myself inwardly and snapped my eyes open. Her gaze was still on me.

I could tell that she must've been confused by my actions, unaware to her that she was the reason behind it.

Now, I was considering revealing the whole truth to her about the existence of werewolves in Lykoria City, and I perhaps also letting her know the reason why I was so damned drawn to her even when I didn't want to was because she was my fated mate but at least, I knew could not do that here.

"Matteo," I called out and Matteo appeared before me from the shadows, both hands fixed into the pockets of his silvercrest jacket.

"Lend me your Jacket," I instructed but Matteo didn't move. He raised a questioning eyebrow at me, hesitant to do what I said.

I let out a low growl, my gaze still locked on hers, "She needs it, Matteo." I added and his gaze went down to Sapphire for a while before I heard him let out a deep defeated sigh, shooking his head as he reluctantly took off the jacket and handed it over to me.

Sapphire's body was exposed in the cold of the night and was badly bruised. I knew the reason Matteo wasn't willing to hand over his Jacket was because of her blood and I doubt if I'd return it to him. And even if I did return it, I was sure he wouldn't accept it. He would rather get a new one.

I came closer to Sapphire, wanting to put the jacket over her but she shifted away, fear in her eyes.

"It's fine, Sapphire. I won't harm you, okay?" I reassured in a hushed whisper. "You will be fine, trust me."

Noticing her body loosen up and wasn't as stiff as it was before, I tried again, wearing the jacket over her and scooping her into my arms as I rose up to my feet.

Her eyes widened, shifting in my arms, "A-aleric, what are you doing? Put me down. I don't want to stay here anymore. I need to go home," She stammered, fear and insecurity in her voice but I knew I couldn't let her go home immediately. I needed to have a word with her.

"You will go home. I will take you home but not now. First, I have something important to talk to you about," I said, striding to my bike.

"What do you want to talk to me about? Where are you taking me to, Aleric? Put me down right now!" She pounded on my chest, flinging her legs into the air but I didn't feel as she weighed close to nothing in my arms.

I placed her on my bike, "No, I can't. And yes, you're going with me to my penthouse. I can't let you go home. Not after everything you had seen today." I said while also getting on my bike. I passed her a helmet to put on but she didn't accept it.

"Take it, Sapphire," I gritted. "Take it and stop being so stubborn all the time. It's for your safety."

I could see Matteo chuckling at the side. I was sure he found this whole wolf thing revelation hilarious to watch but it's way more serious than it seems to be.

"Why must I go with you? You think I'd go along quietly after you had clearly popped from nowhere in a beastly form and chopped off two heads with your teeth right before my eyes?! You think any sane person would agree to go with you?" She scoffed defiantly, folding her hands over her chest.

"Yes, you will because you have no choice, bumblebee." I said decisively and I saw her forehead crease from the mirror on my biker as she glared at me. "Stop glaring. It's for a good reason, Sapphire," I added.

Darting my gaze to Matteo. "You know what to do," I said, signaling to the dead wolves and blood that was littered on the floor. He needed to clean the mess up before any human would come across them.

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Sapphire's POV.

I stood in Aleric's penthouse, my eyes scanning the wooden interior that seemed understated yet elegant. The garage to the side housed his prized bike, the one he always rode. I turned my attention to Aleric, who sat on the couch before me, his expression unreadable. My mind reeled as I tried to process the revelation he had just shared.

"So, you're saying that most people I thought were human... are actually werewolves?" I asked, seeking clarification. Aleric nodded slightly, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"Yes, they are. In fact, everyone at college is a werewolf. Every single one of them, Sapphire," he said, his words dropping like a bombshell.

My heart skipped a beat as a terrifying thought crossed my mind. "... Including Lisa and Cameron?" I whispered, hoping against hope that my friends were exempt from this supernatural world.

But Aleric's nod crushed my hopes. "Yes, they are. Your friends are the Gamma's children." I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "What?!" I exclaimed, my voice barely above a whisper.

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