Chapter six

Keith

Once Davina had gone and Jason had not returned, I decided to turn in for the night. I ached from my struggle with my rather strong Luna and I had the wounds to show for it. Alone in my sleeping chambers, I eyed the adjoining door between she and I. It would only take the twist of a key that we both had possession of and I would be in her room. However, she did not want me and I was not so clouded by lust that I would beg for affection from a female.

 I gingerly lowered myself to my bed after stripping off my clothes and tossing them over a chair. My room was in disarray but it was not as cluttered as the space in my head. I was supposed to be the murderer of my mother and not many people had forgotten. The pack members rarely ever visited the House of Alphas and when they dared to, they preferred to seek audience with Davina, shunning me in the background. They wanted nothing to do with me and my reputation was shot.

 The open gash on my back was slowly stitching close, slower than usual, a sign that I was losing my strength. A mate was only a half of a greater embodiment and ever since we had knelt under the moon, we had not completed our mating ceremony. Davina and I were supposed to mate officially and the lack of physical contact was both maddening and weakening. Even the woolen sheets on my bed could no longer keep me warm and I couldn’t even have an affair. Once one was mated, other werewolves begin to lose their appeal.

 Turning over in frustration, I searched for friction to at least get off but I was on my own for the night. All I could think about was that flimsy piece of clothing she had on, that dreadful dress that gave me an eyeful of everything I was missing. Granted, Davina was beautiful and her body sinful but I was not sure I wanted what would come afterwards: commitment and worse of all, expectancy of love. I did not know how to love anyone but myself and that was fine by me.

 “Why this temptation, Goddess? She rejected me by banning me from her bed. I will not beg for my due.”

 Confident in my resolve, I shut off all thoughts of Davina and faced the blank wall stubbornly. If Davina wanted me, she would have to beg for it. 

***

 The next morning was a continuation of my grumpiness and everyone was wise enough to avoid me. An Alpha was a leader but in the state I woke up in, I couldn't lead a line of ants to battle. My mother had come to my dreams with more of her cryptic messages. Dreams of her made me sad and allowed me never to forget that I was a prime suspect in her death. It hadn't looked good when I had woken up covered in blood and with no memory of the previous night. 

 “Ugh! Bah! What stinks around here?” 

Davina marched in, immaculately dressed in doe fur with her handmaid trailing after her in perpetual silence. Once she spotted me, she frowned and folded her arms on her chest.

 “Why aren’t you dressed or showered at least? You smell like rotten possum.”

 I served her a deadly glare to pass along the idea that I did not care for her tone. She relented but kept her judgemental mask on. When she remained transfixed, I figured there was something I was forgetting.

 “Oh no, don’t tell me you forgot, Alpha,” she mocked, deepening her frown and lifting a brow. She was obviously enjoying herself at my expense and making me look like a fool.

 “Just say what you want to say and leave me be! I am not in the best of moods and your chattering is not improving it one bit.”

 “Oh, forgive me for trying to carry you along!” she outbursted selfrighteously. “This is your pack and you should know your responsibilities. An official meet and greet has been put together so that the pack may know their two leaders properly. We have not spent a lot of time together in public and soon, pack members will begin to ask questions.”

 We have not spent any time together at all, physically or otherwise, was what I wanted to retort, sexually frustrated. Instead, I got off my chair and walked out of her presence, wanting some sort of peace. A half hour later, Davina was gripping my forearm and strolling along the paths. She put up a good act, smiling at pack members and making us look like the perfect couple. I managed to stretch my lips in a smile every now and then to promote her mission.

 A nursery for young pups stood beside an oak tree and I could hear the pups making a hell of noise. Davina was visibly pleased by our progress and her radiance lit up her face like a house on fire. Everyone was happy to see us, well, most of everyone but it didn’t matter because no one was keeping count. A woman emerged from the nursery, all smiles and excited. 

 “Alpha, Luna, it is a pleasure to have you here at last. I am Calma. We thought you were still too tangled in the clouds of the newly mated. I remember my first time. It was. . .”

 “Would you please begin the tour? We have other business to attend to,” I interrupted, not in the mood for nostalgic love stories. I took Davina’s hand which she gave after a minimal second of thought and tucked it in mine. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously but she went along with it. In the nursery were lots of pups, each one with a different personality. Some dangled of the window sill, daring gravity to do its worst. Davina chuckled when a naked puppy ran past us obliviously.

 Her laugh was musical and short, gone as soon as it had come.

 “These pups belong to families who want their children to be knowledgeable to some extent. The humans are influencing the New World and soon without knowledge of their innovations, one could perish,” the nursery woman explained at length. 

 Searching through the faces of the pups, suddenly, a female pup ran towards us, crying and screaming at the top of her voice. Calma rolled her eyes in exasperation and waited for the little girl to make her report.

 “He hit me because I wouldn’t share my doll!” she wept, rolling her balled fists against her eyes. Calma apparently disbelieved the story, only listening for our benefits. Before I could control myself, I sank to a knee and held her small palm.

 “What is your name, little one?”

 “Libby,” she answered, sniffing noisily. I opened my arms to her and she ran in at once, her tears subsiding. Above her wee head, I caught Davina’s astonished expression. Even I was surprised at what I had done. Her usual glare at me– harsh and displeased dissolved into a softer look. Libby wrapped her hands around my neck and refused to let go.

 “Libby,” Calma warned subtly. “Let the Alpha go now.”

 Sluggishly, she obeyed and I put her down, her complaints forgotten. “Will you come to see me tomorrow?” she cleverly inquired. I stared at Davina who said nothing, still in shock.

 “I will visit when I can. Till then, Libby.”

 She actually pecked me on the chin and rejoined her friends. On our way out, Davina kept peering at me like I had grown another head. Was my show of compassion such a big deal? She cleared her throat at some point and I was puzzled to see that somehow, I had taken her hand automatically. The contact was the warmest thing I had felt all week. A sizzle passed from her hand to mine and she snatched back her hand immediately. I watched her stomping away in a pissed mood and a smirk grew on my face. It turned out that I was not the only needy person.