Chapter twelve
Reyna's POV “Are you okay?” I heard someone ask from behind me. I turned around and it was Stephanie. I wiped the tears in my eyes, but not before she could notice that I had been crying. I felt humiliated that I couldn't heal from a simple cut. “Let me see,” She took my hands which had been wrapped with a plaster. I was lucky John stood up to prevent the lord from stabbing me, else I'd have been dead. “Instead of stabbing her, why not give her a little cut? We just want to be sure she can heal for sure, right?” John had suggested just before Lord Bernard could think of stabbing me for real. Lord Bernard had taken a brief moment to ponder over John's suggestion. “Very well,” he sighed, after which he took my hand and with everyone watching, he placed a cut on my wrist, and I bled. All eyes were on me waiting for me to heal, but that didn't happen as the bleeding continued. “Call for first aid,” John instructed, and in no time, they were there. “She can't be admitted into the pack, John,” Lord Bernard declared. The hall erupted into murmuring, and I felt embarrassed, unable to understand what was happening. I knew I had healed the last time. I wished Jake was around to at least defend my cause, but too bad he wasn't. I think he had been avoiding me after what happened between us. I must have been stupid to think we could be friends. “I understand exactly how you feel,” she smiled at me. Maybe she was saying it just to make me feel better. “My sister went through something similar.” “Really?” My curiosity got piqued. It was the first time I'll be hearing of someone who had passed through something similar to what I was passing through, and I was interested in knowing how she handled it. “Yes, her wolf form didn't find expression till she turned twenty five, and she was really sad.” “So what did she do? How did her wolf from eventually find expression?” I didn't know if I was asking too much, but for some reasons, I really wanted to know. “She found her mate, and mated with him.” “Is there really no other way?” I thought to myself. “Have you and the Alpha…., you know…” I understood what she was referring to. “You mean Alpha John?” I didn't spare her the looks. She smiled and moved past me, walking towards the pool. “I saw him kiss you the other day. You must be his mate,” I wished what she was thinking was true, but I was almost certain it wasn't. Nothing special happened to me after I kissed John, but with Jake, it felt different. “What are you thinking of?” She must have noticed that I have drifted off in my thoughts. My mind was indeed, playing tricks on me. “Let me show you something,” She gestured for me to come towards her staring into the calm waters of the pool. I moved towards her, though sluggishly as I was still trying to come in terms with the possiblity of Jake being my soul mate. I couldn't deny the fact that he was handsome, and hot! Probably hotter than his brother, but he was too wolf like for my liking. I needed a mate like John who have mastered the art of bringing balance between his human side and his wolf side and not some sort of hot headed, inhuman werewolf like Jake. Stephanie pickled a stone from the ground, and tossed it into the pool, causing the calm waters to begin to form ripples. “You see these ripples?” She pointed towards the circular patterns which now seemed to disturb the calmness of the pool. “This is exactly what happens when people like you meet with their mates. There's always this agitation, like the ripples from the water. But just as you can see, the ripples have disappeared because the effect of the stone I tossed in has eventually ceased.” For the first few seconds, I was only wondering why Stephanie was telling me all that she was telling me. I could begin to understand why I couldn't heal like I did that last time. Jake was with me the last time. It was his presence and the brief emotional connection we had shared that had agitated my wolf form. “When you kiss the Alpha, do you feel anything? Like the ripples in the calm pool waters?” I could see where she was driving to at last. But why? I imagined. “I…I…” I stammered. “You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I just want you to know that according to what my father taught me and my sister, sometimes as werewolves, the ones who become our mates are not the ones we love. “What are you trying to say?” I finally mustered the courage to ask Stephanie. “I don't know, but I was wondering.” “Wondering what?” I rolled my eyes. *You said you healed before when the Alpha's brother stabbed you with a dagger. But now you're cut on the wrist, and nothing happened.” “Yes, I healed after Jake stabbed me on my shoulder. He told me I even almost ripped out his head.” “What happened before then?” She gave me a suspicious look, like she knew what had happened between me and Jake. “Nothing,” I answered. I haven't trusted her enough to tell her something so personal. It was bad enough that I kissed Jake in John's absence, and it wouldn't be wise on my own part to begin to tell someone else about it. “Really?” She must have seen through me that I didn't trust her. “Look, Rey,” she placed a hand on my stabbed shoulder. “Your wolf form will only find expression when you finally have sex with your one true mate. Why not try that out with the Alpha and be sure, that's if you two haven't done it before now.” Stephanie's suggestion made sense to me. I was yet to make out with John. The one time it would have happened, he left in the middle of the romance shattering my expectations for the night. She bid me goodbye and left for her room, while I kept staring at the calm pool waters.Jake's POV“Why weren't you around for the imitation ceremony earlier?” John asked, as he walked into my room.“What has my presence or absence got to do with the ceremony? And besides, I was trying out some of the new skills I had learnt from Seth.” I grimaced.I expected John to know better that I don't fancy such occasions, especially where the lords would be gathering. It kept reminding me of my misfortune, and how I was deprived of my rightful place as Alpha of the pack.“Every other member of the pack was present, but you, my own brother, you weren't there.” He reached out for my dagger sheath which was on top of the drawer and tossed it at me, and I gave it a good catch.“Reyna was cut today but she didn't heal,” his voice became softer.I furrowed a brow, and then pulled the dagger from its sheath.“I thought you said she healed the other day you stabbed her.”“Yes she did,” I ran my fingers on the sharp edge of the dagger, reminding me of how blood thirsty I could be. There
Marcus' POVThe tension in the room was suffocating. Every face around the table reflected the same frustration, fear, and a thirst for vengeance. Three of my most powerful werewolves had been beaten up— not just beaten up, but humiliated. The rogue responsible had made a spectacle of it, and it was a huge sting on my ego.It wasn't the first time we'd dealt with outsiders, but this? This was different. No one messes with me and goes away with it.I sat at the head of the table, my hands clenched tight in front of me as I listened to the others speak. The meeting had dragged on for nearly an hour, and with every word spoken, my blood boiled hotter."Two dead, Marcus," said Ryan, my second-in-command. His voice was steady, but I could see the barely concealed rage in his eyes. "One more wounded, and the rogue didn't even bother hiding his tracks. It's like he's daring us to come after him.""Daring us?" Jaxon scoffed. "He’s mocking us! He’s mocking *you, Marcus. What kind of wolf dare
I trudged along the hills, my every breath getting labored after the next. I pulled out my cell phone and tried powering it on but the screen stayed blank, I sighed. No battery life left, my backpack felt heavy on my back and for a moment I considered dropping it but I breathe in deep and tried gathering strength. ‘Come on Reyna, you can do this ‘ I said to my self and took a step forward and grinned when I saw civilization. I put more spring to my steps and hurried down the hills shouldering my backpack carefully not to let it slip off my tired shoulder. The sky rumbled and lightning flashed in the sky. ‘Please don’t rain’ I begged the universe, but it seemed the universe was in no mood for prayers because as soon as I said that in my head, the rain poured heavily without warning and in seconds I was as drenched as a sewage pipe rat. I managed to reach the restaurant and I rushed in soaking wet, the restaurant was devoid of customers and I thanked the universe agai
“You’re okay?” John asked. I nodded and sipped the hot tea nearly sighing as it warmed my body, John sat at a respectful distance beside me and I noticed him watching me keenly at a far corner. Jake stared at a fire sipping from a glass of liquor looking lost in his own world. “What happened” John asked and I sighed, his dark eyes roamed my face and I noticed how handsome he was. “My father, chased me away” I said and his eye darkened even further, he looked annoyed. “That’s wickedness” he said and I nodded, the tears I have been holding and promising myself not to shed started pooling in the corner of her eyes. “I am so sorry” John said and I nodded. The tears dropped and he tentatively wiped them away and I stared at him in surprise. “Thank you” I said and he smiled. Jake stood and dropped the book he was holding “I am outta here before you two kiss and talk in love” he said and I reddened, John looked embarrassed and he shot his
“Where is Jake?” I asked and John shook his head, “He doesn’t like parties” he said loudly over the loud music, around us werewolves danced to loud hiphop music, John twirled me around and I danced coming close enough to stare into his eyes and kissed him, ever since the day we kissed, we had become more exclusive and I learned werewolves males were very jealous with their woman and John certainly was, his hand held my waist possessively as if afraid I would wander off. “I won’t wander off” I said and John grinned and kissed my check. “Never trust when a lady says that” he said and I gasped playfully. “John! Ouch! So you don’t trust me” I said and he grinned. “One bit” he said and I punched him playfully in the shoulder. “Kidding” he said and we walked to a bar and he poured wine for me. “Cheers” I said and he smiled at me. “To what?” He asked and I shrugged. I flunked my glass with his and we drank
“Come on you dumb ass shit” Jake yelled, “One more” he said and with every once of my strength I pushed myself up and then collapsed onto the grass. Jake made no move to help me up, instead he circled me and scowled. “You are fucking weak” he said and I scowled at him, he grabbed my arms and roughly force me to sit. I smacked away his hand and he growled angrily. “Don’t ever touch me” I snapped and he nodded. “Good, I want you to be angry. Now channel that rage at me, think of everything you hate about me. Our power are mostly at their peak when we are in rage now punch me” he said and I hesitated, even though I probably detested him, for some reason I didn’t want to punch him. “Come on, don’t be such a wimp you idiot” he said and I scowled and charged for him. I punched him right in the face, and he stood there and took it without blinking, bleeding from the mouth. He threw back his head and laughed then he grinned at me. “T
I opened my eyes slowly and sat up, I suddenly remembered yesterday and peeled back my shirt and stared at my shoulder. It was perfectly fine and with no trace that I had been stabbed there. “You are good as new” came Jake’s voice and I turned to see him in the doorway, looking handsome, his long dark hair fell to his forehead enhancing those roguish good looks of his. I scowled at him and he smiled. “You stabbed me” I said and he grinned as if he enjoyed the moment. “You asked dear” he said with mock sweetness and I rolled my eyes. “And you still stabbed me” I said and he grinned and grabbed my hair brush and swung it like a sword. “I couldn’t miss that opportunity” he said and plopped on the bed beside me. “You’re a beast,” I said and he smiled. He extended a claw and grabbed my teddy and stabbed it in the heart. “Hey” I complained and he grinned and tossed me the teddy. I hid the teddy behind the bed and h
“What do we do?” I asked and Jake eyes darkened like he didn’t like the situation he was in, I didn’t either. He shook his head like he couldn’t believe I was asking that question. “What do you want us to do? have sex?” He asked and my cheeks reddened and I glared at him. “Do you have to say that?” I asked and he shrugged and grabbed a bottle of tequila and drank I watched as his throat bobbed as the drink went down his throat. “Yes” he said. He regarded me and smiled like he had an evil plan. “We should tell John” he said and my eyes widened. I still liked John and didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “What? No” I don’t exclaimed and he grinned like that was the reaction he was waiting for. He offered me a glass and I shook my head he frowned. “Take the damned drink from me or I’ll tell dear brother that you are my one true soulmate the one I get to bang” he said with a mock smile and I scowled.