3. THE FREAK, THE MONSTER

CHAPTER 3- THE FREAK, THE MONSTER

Silver Crest Packhouse,

12 midnight.

Kendra Sullivan was waiting at the entrance of the Packhouse when the carriage pulled up.

It was late, but try as she did, she couldn’t sleep.

And how could she?

Killian was out there with some other woman!

Kendra knew that the whole pack was in danger if Killian didn’t break the curse before the Red Moon, but she didn’t think she could handle it if he alighted from the carriage feeling excited because he had hit it off with Yennefer Macguire.

No. It was too soon. She needed more time to psych her mind.

Back in the carriage, Killian groaned as his eyes landed on the beautiful woman excitedly waiting for him at the entrance.

He had half a mind to skip the annoying ‘dates’ that were sure to follow and just ask to court his Beta instead, but he knew Kendra.

And he knew that settling down was the last thing on her mind.

She was going to turn him down if he asked, then things were going to turn weird between them. So he was just going to save himself the trouble.

“How was it, Kill? Did you hit it off with Yennefer?” Came her excited question as soon as his feet touched ground.

He looked into her brown eyes shining with an emotion he couldn’t quite place. “No, Ken,” He said, “We’re not compatible… it-it wasn’t going to work.”

Wait, was that… a glint of happiness in her eyes?

Before he could make sense of the look or say anything else, the female-Beta grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside.

Right. Into. Her. Room.

“Too many nosy ears,” Kendra explained hurriedly, slightly out of breath as she shut the door behind her.

“Now what did you really do, Kill?”

“What did I do?” He was genuinely confused.

“Yes, what did you do? I know you, Kill… you’ll sit there and act so tense that the poor woman wouldn’t feel comfortable saying a single word,”

Killian chuckled inwardly.

Now, why was that so accurate?

“You’ll sit there looking like seriousness personified, and you’ll be too blind to notice any hints she’ll give you to show her interest!” Kendra finished heatedly, shooting the Alpha a glare.

“You can’t really blame me, Ken,” The broad male wolf said, “I’m new to all of this, and truthfully speaking, it’s fucking overwhelming.”

Now, Kendra got that.

Truly, she did.

But time was of the essence here, and they didn’t exactly have that in abundance.

A bright idea popped up in that brilliant head of hers.

“You know what? Maybe I should give you some pointers!”

“Pointers?” Killian was confused.

Pointers on what exactly?

“Yeah, pointers. No offence, but the fact that you can’t fall in love doesn’t mean you can’t act smitten to a woman, you know?” The she-wolf insisted. “The key to making this plan work is you getting them to fall in love with you, Kill.”

She closed the distance between them, and Killian’s breath caught in his throat.

What the hell was she doing?

She had never done anything like that before, it was making him feel things… unsettling things.

“Easy, Kill.” Kendra smirked, reaching up to caress his sharp jawline oh so slowly. “Take deep breaths and calm down, I don’t bite?”

Kendra Sullivan was truly enjoying the moment.

It wasn’t everyday one made the Alpha so uncomfortable… if anything, he was the one always doing the intimidating.

The she-wolf had never felt more powerful.

“Women like to know they’re having some effect on you, Killian… so don’t hide it.” She whispered softly, absentmindedly as her fingers got lost in the Alpha’s thick dark hair. “Some will also be brazen enough to initiate contact— like I’m doing,” She continued. “Let them. Make them think they have all the power…”

Killian was burning up.

He could feel the already familiar yowl bubbling in his insides… wanting to be let out,

He couldn’t let that happen!

It could happen in front of anyone else… anyone else but Kendra.

Killian didn’t want to see that shine that was always ever present when she looked up at him vanish from her eyes.

He didn’t want her seeing the monster that Aphrodite had made him become,

And so he pushed her away.

Albeit with much force than he intended, but the damage had already been done.

“I should get going,” He said in a rush, “Thanks for the pointers, I’ll be sure to use them next time.”

And then he was gone.

Kendra pressed her fingers against her lips, slightly dazed from the suddenness of the whole thing.

She had allowed her feelings to get the best of her, and now she had pushed him away with her actions.

They had almost fucking kissed!

Kendra couldn’t believe it. She had dreamt of the scenario countless times.

That was never how it ended?

It always ended in the both of them being naked, locked in a tangled intertwining of limbs, basking in the glow and high of post-coital bliss…

The she-wolf stood up from her bed and shook her head to clear the thoughts and the bitter sting of rejection.

Perhaps it was for the best.

*******

TEN DATES!!!!

Killian had already gone on ten dates, and someway somehow he had managed to sabotage all of them.

Kendra didn’t understand,

How fucking hard could it be?

A sadistic part of her felt elated at the news though… because it meant that he didn’t belong to anyone. Yet.

But then she thought about the whole pack being in danger of total destruction—herself included— and how Killian was going to carry the guilt for eternity,

And that alone was enough to kill the misplaced happiness.

Kendra noticed too that the Alpha had been avoiding her, more so than usual.

He had since they almost kissed that night.

Now normally, they’d meet at least twice on the sparring grounds, and most evenings, she was in his office discussing pack business.

The normal Ton would have frowned at the fact that two unmarried people of the opposite sex were spending so much time together, but werewolves didn’t really mind that much.

Kendra was very worried.

She had had high hopes for ‘Operation Kill those Dates’ but now, she wasn’t so sure.

Ten dates!

The female-Beta stood up from her bed. A determined look on her face. She was going to see Killian,

She was going to get some much needed answers!

***

Killian’s muscles groaned under the pressure of the heavy weight he was lifting, but he went on undeterred.

It was the only way to calm his wolf.

He could have gone on a run, that would have been a much faster way, but he wanted to avoid his Beta at all costs hence the reason why he was cooped up in his room.

He should have known better than to let himself believe that some plan could get him out of a curse a whole goddess has placed on him.

At this point, Killian believed he truly was beyond redemption.

He was even contemplating transferring his entire pack to the Riverdale Pack.

At least he knew that his wolves would be well taken care of over there even if he and their Alpha, Tyrone didn’t always see eye to eye.

But then there was Kendra.

Killian knew that the stubborn woman wasn’t going to leave his side no matter how hard he tried, and he wasn’t going to make her stick around knowing that she could possibly die.

There was a knock at the door and Killian rushed to open it, thinking it was probably one of the servants bringing in water for his evening bath.

Instead, there stood Kendra Sullivan, looking as vengeful as a true angel of death.

“You’ve been avoiding me, Alpha.” She went straight to the point, using his title just in case other wolves were listening in. Killian said nothing, instead taking in her lovely features.

He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen her in a whole week.

He had… missed her!

He watched her shake her head in infuriation at his silence and brush past him into the room, her eyes taking in the huge, neat surroundings.

She noticed his naked torso showing bare skin she wanted to bite and suck on, and also noticed the workout equipment.

“So you’d rather skip a run and coop yourself in here than come out and face me? What’s going on, Kill?”

Killian could see the worry in her eyes.

“You used to tell me everything and now, I’m stuck in the dark, and we’re just down to five ladies.”

“You wouldn’t understand—”

“So make me.” The she-wolf interrupted.

“I can’t.” Killian left her in the first room and headed for his inner chambers, wanting to be anywhere else but there in that moment. Like the tenacious wolf he knew she was, Kendra followed him. “I’m not leaving until you tell me something, Kill… so the sooner you start talking, the better for everyon—”

“IT’S BECAUSE I’M A MONSTER, OKAY!!!” Killian exploded, finally fed up. His eyes were scarily silver. He was so close to shifting. “I’m a freak. That’s what everyone is calling me now, and I have come to terms with it.” He finished, chin held high like the true Alpha he was even though tears stood in his eyes.

“I’m making plans to have the pack transferred to Riverdale. It’ll be finalized latest by the end of the week. That way, the curse wouldn’t take them and they’d be free.”

Oh, Killian.

“I still believe we can do something—” Kendra gasped when the Alpha grabbed her by the waist, tugging her close to him. Her hands held unto his bare, muscled chest for support, and a breath caught in her throat. “W-what are you doing?”

Killian smiled. A very mordant one. “I’m making you understand.” His nose brushed against her jawline, and the Beta’s eyelids fluttered close.

Killian was going to kiss her, she could feel it!

Her lips parted as she eagerly awaited the kiss, but it never came. Her eyes fluttered open, and a soft gasp escaped her lips at the horrendous sight.

Killian’s heart sank.

Kendra was going to leave him like all the others. He awaited her screams of fear… waited for her to pass out at the very least, but she still stood there, studying him.

“Go on, you can call me a freak,” He joked. “You can make a dash for it, and I’m not going to hold it against you, Ken… I’ll understand.”

“She did this to you?” Kendra whispered softly, as she burst into tears.

The she-wolf never cried.

“What did you do to deserve this?” The question was rhetorical.

The Alpha’s face was an amalgamation of sorts… he was partly wolf, partly human and partly bird, and it didn’t look like he got the best of these worlds. He was truly hideous.

“Now that I know everything, I believe I can help you out now more than ever.” She whispered, her head set in determination. The male wolf did not have the strength to argue, so he just stood there observing her every reaction.

Kendra’s hand shot up tentatively and she reached out to caress his face.

Killian’s heart warmed at the action, and a tear slid down his face.

Kendra didn’t leave him.

She stayed.