Chapter five

 Ariadne POV, 

His warm breath tingles my skin to goosebumps. "Unless you don't want to leave here, you should keep your mouth shut, mate." He muttered, suppressing his wolf. I tightened my grip on my black skirt with a lump in my throat.

It was an undeniable fact that he looked like a walking specimen on earth, his dominance and confidence radiating from his very being. But that didn't mean I was attracted to him, that would never be possible, even if I were, I would have to pulverize the feeling out. No chance for some Alpha-Abyss relationship.

In the pit of my stomach, I know I'm screwed, he scratched the back of his neck.

"Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about." I hesitated, pushing him real hard.

"I was just teasing, guess I'm bad at jokes." He grinned. "It seems like I don't have much of a choice now. But there s something I'm going to need you to do as soon as the car comes."

He leaned in again and I swear I savoured him more and more, my mate.

"I'm going to need you to have your phone by your side." Confusion clouded every thought in my head. "Stay out of trouble, mate." He brushed my hair, his touch kept me on the diff.

I was drawn to him, his scents. He had become the bane of my existence. Bryson wasn't vivacious as I was told, all my perceptions of him were now lightweight compared to my feelings.

Bryson looked at me quickly before looking straight again. And the SUV car zoomed in.

———I'd taken no more than two steps through the street, my gaze pointed to the wall where several red aprons were hung on a hook mounted in the centre. Behind it was a winding to my dismay, a man had his hand intertwined with a woman and a ring. She was perfectly charming, young, but unfortunately, one with rather high social aspirations and not leaving her career for any man.

 I fancied myself a world-weary, cynical sort. I wouldn't be rude enough to directly insult the couples. After all the blabbering that he couldn't marry a working-class woman, with higher earnings than him. He fucking did. I concluded when my gaze pointed to the matching rings.

"Ariadne." He let out, his face red and looked like he got a porcupine up his arse. "Who will know I would get to you, it's one of today's several surprises."

"Of course, I've come to Oak Borough not too long, I see you with her. Wife?" 

"Yes, we're a couple. Got to the altar last month."

"A month? Thought it wouldn't last a second. You get the big thing." I muttered looking at his belly and slowly at his groin. His hand quickly made a cross.

Carmen cleared his throat, his wife hangs forward her hand.

"He is big enough when it's hard." She shook my hand. "I am Mary."

Carmen coughed out, looking away.

"So you working?" Carmen asks but no one, not even a woman having a baby at home to feed could be any nervous and haste as I was.

"Yes, staying here," I lied.

"You know each other?" The lady's gaze flew back and forth.

 I quickly replied. "No. Not too close. Met him in a pawn shop."

She smiled."Why don't we meet for dinner at our place?" Mary handed me their card. "Carmen hardly had any friend this close."

"She isn't my friend." Carmen chimed.

She cocked back. "Lover then." Her eyes trailed to his groin and she sneered.

"You're so warm and kind. Of course." I suppressed the outburst.

"Weekend?"

"No other perfect day. Adieu." I said running out of their presence.

I begin to wonder if I had stumbled into a brothel, the so ravishingly rich and exotic apartment had turned into some cacophony overnight, and my eyes trailed. This far I prefer my peace, not this.

I wanted to slide away. Linda says blandly, "you mustn't go anywhere, you owe me a drink, you know."

"Heaven!" I uttered, swivelling back and facing her, 

"Great. Something important? strolling out early and jogging late." Her gaze flickered to the group of men.

"I thought you needed some time off to clear whatever mess your heart and mind were in."

That should give her more reason to let me have the feel of my warm bed in peace, and not blot me up with alcohol.

Not that I found the men individually forbidden but that any woman would have been an imbecile to succumb to their disapproving lustful glare, they were decidedly boring and annoyingly ambitious. Rogues apart, when I saw one that had a scar running across his cheek down to his nasolabial pattern. I went dry.

"Wait for me. I will be back before you know it."

I sent an irritated scowl in their path and wished I could strangle the person that decided to throw the party, increasing misbehaving. It's ugly as it is.

I stood by the side waiting for Linda, the receptionist. Only to see a disappointing sight, a man pushing Linda to the wall and jerking his chunk out. I hate that.

"Linda, we should just have other drinks." I interrupted his rape attempt, tensed and scared Linda hurried behind me, without a word.

"You're such a lifesaver, thank you, Ariadne, I am indebted." She muttered with an ambiguous glare from the man and I snarled at him.

"Now that is a statement that may come back to haunt you, "I chided as I found myself a seat in the booth.

"You're not so friendly, but never mind I still fantasize about you like that to be cold yet warm." She made a quick gesture of pouring me a cup full.

"I'm stressed, and frankly, I think I've had the worst two days of my life, today being the guiltiest," I say.

"But in all seriousness, what makes you so anxious? If your days have gone that far downhill since our pact I'd believe your evening will be fair. Not with the rogues and those clumsy perverts,"

I let out a bitter chuckle. My life was too controversial that she wouldn't have an inking.

"With that on. . .you're in sad plights. I have a friend that squirmed after an attempt."

"How shall I put this," I mused, "so that I do not completely offend you? I'm used to it. Not that, I could have used the bottles to defend myself."

She gurgled and we both gurgled.

"Bad show, it's not easy out here, working here mostly," I said. "Laughing at your saviour and of course your drink partner."

"I'm sorry," she said, her lips tight from trying not to smile.

"No, you're not and I can see that in your face." I pointed the beer cap at her, intending to throw it right away. 

"All right," she admitted,

"You might have met something to trigger your stay here, isn't it obvious, the scent you came in with yesterday, wasn't those of a rich velvety, you'd swoon over?" She rolled her eyes.

Bryson?

Everything traces back to him.

I blinked, she must have known I had slept with Alpha Henry Bryson.

"And what was your derivation?" I gulped the booze at a go.

"No other than a male species of course." She blurted.

I relaxed a bit, she must have been a member of another pack not to recognise the whiff of Alpha Henry Bryson.

Relief.

"It's obvious I had a one-night stand, don't worry, no need to open your mouth wide again, it's not my first time and you shouldn't worry still."

"Tell me honestly you haven't felt a mate bond?"

"Not that I can admit, it makes you look like a fool and clumsy too, what's the speciality?" I said flatly.

"Oh damn, you haven't felt your heart flustered, the sight of him, your wolf yearning for your man and you just want to get things made out with him."

"Have you ever felt any of these symptoms?"

"I have but I'm afraid not Ariadne. But only because I have had to suffer the same torture for two years and today makes another count, It's difficult to summon too much pity for a mere evening's worth."

"You will never get the chance if you don't get it down your throat, forget about it, it's not something worth grieving as you said."

"Why don't you just find someone to marry and put yourself out of your misery?" 

I shot her a sharp look. "Are you asking?"

I felt the blood leave my face.

"I thought not." She took one look at me and let out an impatient exhale.

"Oh. For goodness sake! You can start breathing now, Ariadne. I was only teasing." I would have said Chris but no one is to know about my life, the past that haunted me. Hannah was right, Im was ever secretive.

I wanted to make some sort of dry, cutting, and utterly ironic comment, but the truth was, she has so startled me that I couldn't utter a word.

"To answer your question," I continued, my voice a touch more brittle than I was familiar with hearing from myself maybe because of the shock.

" A werewolf lady, of course, can consider her options but I think we must agree if he is not a decent male wolf, then it's easy you might suffer, your wolf, although you can reject him and move on." I shook my head.

"Not easy." Linda continued, there were two others, both just as repulsive and some sort of harem, my heart is stiff now but—"

I looked at her thoughtfully. "Do you want to marry your mate?"

Her words earlier were banging in my head, frankly, no one had ever taken their time to ask such a sensitive question and I wanted to get from her vantage point.

"Yes of course, who wouldn't? Mates are stronger together."

"How many mates have you had? Boyfriends aside." 

"Wait, are you patronising me?"

"No, no I would never do that." 

We chatted for a long bit I was careful in my choice of words.

 "I didn't know you were so fun to hang around with Ariadne. Thanks for the company."

"Goodnight Linda, you were such nice company too."

I made my way upstairs when my phone rang and I picked it up.

"You kept it close." Bryson's warm voice cut in.

"Staying out of trouble, yeah, but I'm in a mess right now. You shouldn't have called."

"Of course, you're a mess for thinking beastly and acting vulgar towards me. Or was it that. . ." He went silent for a few minutes. "Dinner today at Fairfield." He muttered.

"Alpha Bryson, what makes you think I would come? If it's not gullible enough."

"Do not underestimate me, I guess as I was kind and gentle enough to let you go, you would be elegant to return such with a dinner, plus your dabbing." He chuckled. He finds it amusing.

"Because you've suddenly developed some consciousness to have snuck my number into yours and for the slap, unapologetically given, I didn't think you were innocent either, Alpha Bryson."

"Not every man gets to do that these days, don't they?" He answered, ignoring my true sarcasm. "Only when we're alone would you mouth Bryson. Little mate." Ugly nickname from the wood.

"Well, I'll be," I said nonchalantly. "You might just be a nice person after all," I said, as I locked the door behind me.

"I'm hardly nice, Ariadne. But be sure to be on my good side, now that im nice to you." he scoffed.

"Perhaps, but you're hardly cruel, either," 

"That's because you haven't seen what I'm like when I'm with someone I don't like."

"Good night." My voice was low than a hum, Truly hope he slept well.

"Damn, hardly a fate worse than death, I could have just said NO," I said to myself. I don't know but emotion took hold of me and I broke into tears.