FIVE - Ashes and Dust

Cain Cadell 

This wasn't what I wanted when I thought about having a mate. A woman who's sarcastic, rude, and shows no respect to me. 

How she spoke to Daniel… It really got on my nerves. Being all friendly and nice, smiling at him like they were friends. So far, she didn't smile at me, not even once. 

"I believe you should show me some respect, darling." I gritted out in a tone that was more threatening than I had intended. 

"It's not my fault that you're used to people bending backward to satisfy you." Her voice raised slightly higher and she looked at me with fire in her eyes. 

I stumped towards her, my steps heavy on the ground. "If you think you'll get away with this…" 

Daniel's voice interrupted the warning I was about to give her. "Alpha." I gave Cordelia one last glare then stepped away from her. 

"Could you also get me a clean box or a bottle or something?" She asked Daniel, ignoring my presence. "I need something to contain the ashes." She flashed him a smile then leaned next to the coffin. 

Daniel shared a look with me, prodding on my mind again. "Take it easy with her, Cain. She's your mate." His words echoed in my mind, but instead of soothing me, they only made me angrier. 

He had no right to tell me how to treat my mate. My wolf growled after Daniel left. I watched her, kneeling before the coffin and mumbling something under her breath. 

I believe it was latin, so she must be doing a spell. A second later and she stopped, then she tore off the dress on the skeleton and discarded it on ground next to her. 

"So, I made sure the coffin was fireproof, and after I burn the bones, I'll do another spell to separate the dirt from the ashes." She informed me with her eyes focused on the bones before her. 

She let out a sigh, which sounded very sorrowful. "This is the worst thing to do to a dead witch. Honestly." She whispered and her tone sounded really hurt. 

It almost felt like she could relate to the dead witch personally. As impossible as it sounds. 

"We don't have other options here. Sheila is my sister, and I'll stop at nothing to save her." 

She looked up at me, the first time I saw the softer side of her gaze, "Loyalty to family is one thing I can understand, Alpha Cadell." 

"Cain." I corrected her. trying to ignore the way I took pride in the way she looked at me. 

Her eyes remained on mine, and at that moment, I felt that connection between us. But all too soon, she averted her gaze back to the coffin. 

Daniel came back with a small wooden box and handed it to her. She put it next to her then mumbled again. I saw a blue flame in the palm of her hand; it started out small, but grew bigger as she continued chanting. 

She passed the flame over the bones, and after every single one was on fire, she stepped back. "We'll just have to give it some time."

"Why do you seem to care so much about what happens to her? She's dead, it doesn't get much worse than that." 

"Someone like you could never understand." Her tone was degrading in every single way. 

I didn't feel myself except when I was holding her arm in a bruising grip, and I felt my canines descend down my jaws. "I keep telling you to watch your tone, Cordelia." 

Her face contorted in pain, but I refused to let her go, even as my wolf howled in my head, telling me to not hurt our mate. She needed to understand her place. 

Her heart skipped a beat, and her gaze held mine. I expected her to relent, apologize maybe, but she simply glared at me. "You say you want my respect, yet you're only trying to entice my fear." She shook her head, as if she was disappointed at a child, "I don't understand how come you're the Alpha to one of the biggest packs in the world." 

I felt the loud growl ripping off my chest, vibrating in the air around us. She was insinuating that I wasn't worthy of my position, that I didn't deserve to be the Alpha. 

I've fought every battle and went through wars just to prove to the world my worth. To prove to that dead man who called himself my father that I deserved this. 

"Let me go, Alpha Cadell. This is a fight you don't want to start, a fight you can never win." She said firmly, despite the smell of fear coming off her. 

But I didn't let go, I kept my hold on her, even though I didn't know what I'd do next. She was breathing heavily on my neck, then her hand touched my shoulder, to push me away. 

And just like that my anger dissipated. I was again entranced in her dark blue eyes, "Why can't you understand it?" I leaned down, speaking the words in a softer tone. "How come you can't feel it?" 

She gulped, the sound of her racing heartbeat was so loud in my ears. It was no longer fear that she felt, "The only thing I understand is that you have mood swings and serious anger issues." She let out a long breath, and casted her eyes down, "Just let me go." 

Her words were choked, like she was about to cry, and I was hit with a wave of guilt. I slowly let her, my wolf had calmed down too. 

She quickly stepped away, as my mere closeness burned her. She kneeled down next to the coffin, watching as the flames died down. Any traces of a human being there had vanished, and nothing left but ashes and dust. 

"Look." I started taking a careful step towards her. I didn't know how to continue though. "I didn't mean to…" 

"Go all wolf on me with your red eyes and long fangs?" She chuckled humorlessly, "I didn't expect you to me Mr. Well-mannered, but I also didn't think you'd be a total jerk." 

"You provoke me!" I exclaimed loudly. 

"I did nothing wrong!" She yelled, "If you can't stand my presence that much just go somewhere else! Morgana will tell you when I'm done." 

She turned back to the coffin, and held the open box in her hand, mumbling under her breath, and I saw the ashes floating into the air and into the box. 

How could she ever think that I couldn't stand her presence? How come she didn't feel what I felt?! 

Is that what the Moon Goddess wanted? Did she want to torture me with a mate who didn't feel the bond? A mate who just happens to be my natural enemy. 

If this isn't cruelty then I don't understand what is. Perhaps I'm cursed, doomed to live half a life. Maybe this is my punishment for all the shit I've done. 

A loud scream pulled me out of my thoughts. It was followed by another and I heard a riot coming from inside the mansion. 

Cordelia stood straight with alarmed eyes, "What's going on?" She asked worriedly. 

At the same moment, Daniela ran towards us with blood splatters on his face, "Alpha, you have to come inside. It's Sheila!"