Chapter five

Davina

 His sudden exclamation instinctively made me feel self-conscious and I glanced down at what I had on. It turned out that in my provocation, I had forgotten to change from my light domestic clothes. It was breezy and almost transparent. Lily had not noticed either and it was so embarrassing that Keith had been the one to point it out. Nevertheless, his reaction to it was more of frustration than critical. I had him where I wanted him.

 “And what about it? After all, we are in less than this when we shift to embrace our true nature. A few clothes should not bother you.” 

 “Who said I was bothered?” he immediately defended himself, a scowl furrowing his forehead. “If you would ban me from your bed, your own mate, you would be capable of doing anything even resorting to being a tease.” 

I had taken enough insults from him and that was the last straw. I launched myself at him, grabbing the lapels of his deerhide shirt and tugging him off his throne. A gasp of surprise left his lips and he was just fast enough to prevent me from tossing him on his back. To hell with reasoning! I wanted his blood on my palms and I would kill him once I got close enough, damn the consequences. 

 Keith rolled over and settled on a knee, anticipating my next move. He was not attacking, too confident in his skills perhaps but I was not interested in being calculative. I needed to leave an indelible mark on him somehow.

 “You can’t order me to inform you of my whereabouts and then insult me! I can’t take anymore of your verbal assaults!”

 “I don’t want to hurt you, Luna,” he warned, my title on his lips sounding like another insult. My wolf was not ready to listen to reason and I attempted another attack, getting close this time to taking a swipe at him. He danced out of reach and held my arms, twisting them behind me. Snarling, I wriggled restlessly to get free but his grip was tightly secured on my hands.

“Let me go, you bastard!” I cursed at him rabidly. He tucked an brunette lock behind my ear, holding both of my hands with just one. That he could do that and still hold me captive was a slap to my face.

 “Stand down, Luna,” he gave another warning, relaxing my tussled hair. Realizing he was distracted, I threw my weight to a side, succeeding in freeing myself from captivity. Going after him again, I tripped on a loosened hem and was headed for the hard ground when he grabbed me, swapping our positions. His body protected me from the stony impact originally intended for me. 

 Opening my eyes, I gazed into heated golden eyes and we were tangled, chest to chest in an embrace. My hair spilled onto his body and the ground in a messy heap. He still kept his hold on my wrists but it was the least of my worries. For the first time since we were mated under the moon before the entire pack, Keith had acted heroic. He had saved me by putting himself between me and danger.

 His hot breath graced my face and his nostrils were inflated. His mocha brown hair fell behind him like a saintly halo and his lips were in close focus. I actually laid between his legs, relaxed and unwilling to get up just yet. A mate was a blessing, Mother used to say, the most precious gift one could expect from the Goddess. Not everyone got to meet theirs, dying without even experiencing the wonderful gift. Mine was underneath me and that was the first time we had gotten within the space of each other.

 “Are you gotten your retribution now?” Keith suddenly spoke, ruining the moment. “Can you get off me?”

 My fists balled and caught heat off his chest. I was good at reading people and though he was a bit hurt at best, he wasn’t exactly bitter. “Tell me why you put restrictions on me.”

 He coughed out a sharp laugh, shaking his head from left to right. “Now you ask like a civilized person when we are lying across the floor like a pair of bohemians. How ironic. Why don’t you let me up so we can have a conversation that does not involve going for each other’s throats?”

Reluctantly—as much as I would have preferred to deny it— I pushed off him in a smooth motion, wishing I had a mirror. The left sleeve of my dress was torn, drooping down my arm like a limp noodle. A dent in the floor was the evidence of our struggle and how much we both weighed. 

 “Our scouts have noticed strangers hovering around our borders. Some settle while some move on. Whether they are allies or spies from an enemy pack, we do not know. I have been away for too long and the council elders fill me in on the details. Your restrictions are for your own good, Luna.” He examined the sleeve of his shirt for tears and seeing none, he vainly smoothened his palms on the soft leather.

 “Why bother? You don’t care about my welfare so why go out of your way to protect me?” I accused, taking a stand.

 His eyes having lost their previous intensity now stabbed me with a lazy stare. “I don’t have to care about you as an individual and I assure you that there is no love lost between us. However, I will not be accused of being careless with any of my responsibilities as Alpha. Even as I search for answers to the deaths of my parents, I am responsible for you and my order stands.” 

 I opened my mouth to challenge him but words failed me. He was so confusing, a walking conundrum. One minute, he was nice and considerate; the next, he was rude and proud. I simply picked up my shawl, draping it over my shoulders where it belonged. When I gave him no reply, he ascended his throne again.

“You may leave. Send Jason in as you go and for Goddess’ sake, dress accordingly. You are supposed to be a Luna.”

His words floated around me, sharp pricks to my pride. I chose to ignore him, heading for the door instead. He could say all that he wished but I had the edge now. I knew something that he had been hiding underneath his cold demeanour and sarcastic, caustic jabs. Within the icy male that was Alpha Keith laid a heart that was concerned about my wellbeing. Whether he cared to admit it, a part of him had some good in it and longed for company.