Chapter 11 - Happy Birthday

~~~ Hayden ~~~

The party finally started, which means that she’ll be here too. I’ve aged fucking decades while waiting impatiently to see her all day long. I knew she was fine as I’ve sent Liam, my trusted beta, to check up on her, but I had to confirm it with my own eyes.

My heart is throbbing in anticipation, I’ve sensed her enticing flagrance already, and it kills me inside that I cannot leave the ballroom for I have to greet the guests, I’m their fucking host.

It seemed like hours passed from the moment her scent enchanted my nostrils and until she graced us with her presence, looking stunningly beautiful like a walking statue. Her long black dress is seducing my judgment and her loosely braided hair makes me eager to grace her neck with delicious kisses.

Yet there is something else that drives my body to stiffen and puts my wolf on high alert, the cut in her dress that displays her right leg almost entirely. The thought of men watching her with lust takes a toll on my feverish body, if they fucking dare to hit on her, I will disregard the aftermath and make them pay.

No, I have to pull myself together, a few more minutes and I’ll be able to talk to her and take her to dance. I’ll feel her thin figure trembling in my arms again, and I’ll be complete again, soothing my raging wolf.

‘Our mate is leaving!’ Maddox is fuming with rage, threatening to come to the surface.

Fuck!

Where the fuck is she going?

 ~~~ Allaya ~~~

This castle is like a maze. Its design is fascinating and I might get lost in my quest to avoid all human beings. But if I were to admit, I’m more than anxious to prove that I was right about that damn room, to prove myself that I am not crazy.

My knees are growing weak with every step I take. I reach the second floor, and draw closer to the second room on the right. The door is opened and to be honest, I take it as an invitation to enter.

I shyly begin to scan the surroundings, seeking to establish if I’m the only one here. 

I let out a sigh of relief. I am the only one here.

There is nothing special about this place, what was I picturing that I’ll uncover in this location?

It doesn’t matter, for the moment it’s enough that I can breathe peacefully, this will be my safe spot until my parents decide we can leave. 

My brain now relieved starts to filter the shock from the last hour or so, I’ve lost track of time.

A stinging pain overflows my body and jealousy is stirring inside as I picture him with his girlfriend, that angelic girl so alluring that I’m no match to her. In fact, she’s the most adorable person I’ve ever seen, even more glamorous than my friend Amiera and I thought she had no rival.

Contemplating my appearance in a mirror, I take a step back, my mind tricked me for a second that another person was reflected in it. But I was wrong, it’s me and I’m a mess, tears run down my face as I recall the time I danced with Hayden. 

Sadness wraps around me like a blanket, I feel on the verge of breakdown, and I swear I cannot understand the strong emotions a mere stranger awakened in me. 

I laugh at myself thinking about all the time I’ve spent to apply the makeup today, how proud I was of this dress that now looks like a cheap rag in my eyes, may my parents forgive me for my unworthy thoughts.

Out of nowhere, another shape is truly flashing in the mirror, I turn around praying that I’m mistaken, but I’m not. A man is in the room with me. I feel like I’m about to faint, I lean on a piece of furniture for balance.

And I stare, I can’t help but notice how perfect he is from every angle I look at him. I continue to stare at him absorbed in his well flavored physique, wondering if he is even real.

Glancing back at me, he seems moved by the same feelings, at least that's what I crave to believe.

His dark blue eyes, glowing with lust, shatter every corner of my body, their demonic spark makes my heart skip a beat. This man emits a devilish power of attraction through every single pore, I feel as drawn in by a magnet I cannot not resist, he is particularly appealing.

“This is a song you cannot miss!” His husky voice interrupts my trance.

My mind dazzled, until a second ago, I was not able to hear the music, so immersed in my thoughts I must have been.

Starting to blink nervously, I recognize the man who stole my heart during some slow dances, the man that made my entire world shaken when I received the news that he has a girlfriend.

Yes, the man in front of me is none other than Hayden.

“What did you just say?” I inquire in an unfamiliar voice.

Reality just hit me, my heart beats like a drum, and I fear it cannot be ignored.

Why is he here?

Did he follow me?

‘It’s your fault, Allaya, you’re the one that wanted to isolate yourself from the rest of the world and to prove a damn point to your crazy part and you succeeded, now it’s confirmed that you’ve indeed lost it!’

“I’m talking about this song, don’t you like it?” His tone laced with sarcasm interrupts my introspection again, I cast him a lethal glare.

He has a nerve, the cheating bastard! A few minutes ago, he was downstairs with his stunningly gorgeous girlfriend and now he’s here with me, pretending like he’s single and wanting to dance in this room, alone? I believe that is what he implied, he did, didn’t he?

“I don’t fancy this kind of music and I don’t think you’d go and have it changed! And even if you’d do it, I would never ever dance with a stranger in a room alone!” I declare, my voice still trembling.

My body heat increases in response to his closeness, I take a step back as he already inched towards me to the point that I feel his hot breath on my face.

Why is the need I feel inside so damn consuming?

When was the last time I’ve felt such a powerful connection with a man? Never.

The air is filled with tension, the sexual kind, and my hands are itching to touch every single part of him. Unwanted feelings are making me liquid between my legs, his predatory glance is screaming arousal too.

“I must have misread the desire in your eyes, then!” He whispers to my ear. “Also, if you came here alone, it means that you had a purpose and it's not hard to guess what you wanted.”

My skin is burning with an urge to be touched, and when he approaches his body to mine even more, I can feel my entire figure paralyzing.

I need to gather strength and show self-control, it’s mandatory, I’ll never stoop so low to meddle in their relationship.

“If you suggest that I was looking for company, you couldn’t be more wrong! I just wanted to be by myself for a while, can’t you understand that? Alone, to get rid of all that noise.”

‘To get rid of seeing you with your Arianna!’ I wanted to add, but it would not do any good. 

There is nothing between me and him, we share no involvement that would render me the right to ask for clarification, so why do I feel so much misery as if I had known him since forever?

“I can’t actually. How were you able to handle the agitation in the club, then?” He insists, why is he so pushy?

I know he cannot miss my angry glare, I’m not hiding it. Does he find some sort of sick joy in enraging me? Is this a game for him?

I take a deep breath. “That was something completely different and I don’t see why I should explain myself to you.” I state, my voice as calm as I could feign it.

He is really getting on my last nerve, and my emotions help me regather some force.

“I see that you don’t want to chat, should we go straight to business then?” He inquires, his devilish eyes landing on the summer material that covers my figure, instantly igniting a fire inside me. “You were a lot more gracious in the club, was I your flavor of the night or you just loved how my body connected to yours on that dance floor?”

My heart is pounding in an unprecedented way, I try not to lose my cool. I struggle to keep control over my being, but a desperate thirst takes over me, a thirst to feel his lips on mine, his skilled hands all over my body.

Where are these wicked thoughts coming from?

The mere mental picture makes me blush, I can feel my cheeks in flames.

What is wrong with me?

Why am I so pathetic?

I need to get out of this situation, of this room, away from his sight that releases the beast inside me, torturing me with sensations I’ve never before developed.

So I should retaliate, I should give him the final blow, make this torture end. “Have you seen Landon? He is the one that made me want to attend this party to be honest, I haven’t seen him for a while and I’ve missed him. He was in the garden earlier, but I had to go inside because there was a birthday party here and my parents asked me to greet the host.”

Hopefully this will be a turn off for him, the air is more and more suffocating, it’s getting challenging to breathe.

“And did you do it?” He narrows his eyes, I can spot a tint of rage.

Good.

“What?” I ask, displaying my best innocent face.

“Did you wish ‘Happy Birthday’ to the one that’s celebrated tonight?”

“No, I haven't got the chance yet.”

“Well, this happens to be my party and I’ve just decided that you’ll be my birthday gift.” He claims, gently pushing aside a stand of hair from my face.

Needless to mention, his touch made me shiver from head to toe, I took a step behind.

“What are you doing, not wishing me a happy birthday? What is it that bothers you?” He glances in my eyes as wanting to extract his answer from them.

‘The fact that you have a girlfriend, fucking idiot!’ I wanted to cry out, but my pride would not let the words out of my mouth, my eyes shooting fire at him.

“Who are you again?”

“Cut the crap, Allaya, and tell me what is wrong! Every cell of your fucking body is aroused, you are fucking dying to be in my arms so get to the point so that we could move on. What’s wrong?”

The bastard has the audacity to talk to me like this when the first scene I saw upon entering his damn castle was the one with him and a girl, both out of this world gorgeous, how dare he ask me what’s wrong?

But yes, I did yearn for his presence. I do still, even more now that he is so close to me.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about, I’m going downstairs to search for Landon! If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave now. And oh, happy birthday, may all your wishes come true!”

I say all that while heading to the door and looking aside, hiding that my eyes are filled with unshed tears. I need to get out of here now and never see him again.

I open the door, but he closes it with a bang, then I feel some hulky arms embrace me from behind.

Damn! I’m doomed!