Episode 5

☾☾☾

SASKIA'S POV

☽☽☽

"Forgive me, dearest." He says, without making any efforts to sound or seem remorseful. After pulling me out of the car, his grip finally loosens on my arm. I am about to breathe a sigh of relief when he swings his hand back and interlocks his fingers in mine.

"What the hell are you doing?" I spit through clenched teeth. He grins crookedly at me, all crisp, perfect teeth on display. I yank my hand from his hold, but he squeezes my fingers tightly then clasps his right arm around my waist, pulling me smack against his side.

Gasping, I insert a hand between his rib and my chest to add in enough space for my sanity while terribly hoping that my face has not turned scarlet like a red LED bulb. That would be embarrassing.

Gulping in oxygen, I nearly gag, as the air, to my dismay, is thick with his scent—mainly of musk and amber, and like he'd frolicked in the woods. I overlook how they wrap around me, clogging every open orifice, and instead wait for his answer.

By the time he opens his mouth to address my question, my neck has begun to hurt from craning it for too long to see his face. I attempt and fail woefully to comprehend whatever the reason could be for his mountain-like height. He's virtually as sturdy as a boulder.

"What did you say?" He questions with an absent-minded atmosphere about him.

I let loose a silent groan. "I asked, what the hell are you doing?"

"Taking my lady with me."

"Your lady?" I feign annoyance by flaring my nose in faux-disbelief when I am secretly, only slightly, revelling in his possessiveness.

"On whose command?" I tug on my captured limb, and yet again, my effort is in vain.

"Mine." He sneers at me, an expression that curls the corners of a kissable mouth. Not that I think so or feel the urge to press my lips against his at all, by the way. I most certainly do not.

"Is this how you treat the woman to marry you? You capture her out of nowhere?" I make sure my 'indignation' is palpable without any miscommunication.

"She did not come to me. So I came to her. And she will have to plead her case once I've taken care of some pressing matters." How can a voice be so...so...good-looking? Its vibrations work their way through my body, mercilessly torturing me. My lungs shrink, their capacity to hold enough air for one breath gone in an instant. My body is on the verge of betraying me. I can tell by the lust seeping into my favourite lacy panties.

I am barely breathing when his palm strolls down my back. I frown. Suddenly, I cannot tell whether he is resting his hand on my lower back or my upper butt. What in the—

"In fact, I might have to punish her,"

Punish? Who? My mind flails at his words. And his touch. Especially his touch. The damned thing was causing traffic in my head, forcing all my rational thought processes to collide with one another. "Keep your hands off me!" I hiss, but he ignores my request, which makes me contemplate whether to scream like a banshee or stay calm, cool and collected. Neither option is really calling out to me in this case.

"Stay still." he refers to my struggling, and when he fixes his gaze back at me, I gawk, transfixed. His eyes are no longer amber-coated like they were before when his wolf was ascended. Instead, they are ice blue, alert and intelligent. They smoulder brilliantly, hot and cold all at once. And I can say with foolish confidence that they rank top on my list of 'most beautiful irises ever seen.'

"What do you..." I stop in the middle of my sentence when he closes his fist around a portion of my long tresses.

"Your hair. Nay, I do not remember it this gloomy." His accent is sexy and thick, but I don't ponder on it. I shouldn't give myself the tempting option of basking in his charms. That would be too risky.

So, I smack his arm away and draw back from his now open reach. I can only go so far since his other arm, still on my waist, is immovable. "I dyed it." And, wait just a minute, Mr. Alpha. "What do you mean by you don't remember it that way? Have you met me before?"

His expression hardens at my question, and I believe a look of puzzlement crosses his features. He recovers speedily, nonetheless, and gives the vaguest answer he could have pulled out of his ass. "You'll know someday."

"I don't care for that. Let me go, or I'll screech and let the whole world know that I'm being kidnapped." Not my best threat to date, but it's the sweat of my brow taking in the absence of coherence in my scattered mind.

"You can go ahead, sweetheart. Anytime." He gifts me a close-lipped yet confident smile. One that hints he is aware that I'm bluffing. I shake my head to rid the anger building up. Forget about the giddiness spinning in my stomach at his presence; the man is equally as annoying as he is prepossessing.

To confirm my declaration, my eyes lick up his muscular, beyond-fit body—visible even in clothes matching the 'summery' weather—then end their journey on his artistic, manly face, complete with low arching eyebrows, brown short lashes and a full beard. And I know I am a liar. Most certainly not equally.

As if to offset the bright, startling attraction burning under my skin for him, I hold my ground and carry on with my considerably ridiculous threat. "I hope you meant what you said because I have a good mind to alert the public of this..." I wave a hand between us, "abduction in progress."

"What are you waiting for?" His eyes sparkle with mirth as he gazes at me intently. "You can do so anytime. But then again, I'd hoped you'd be a lady smart enough not to draw attention to yourself in a place you have not the upper hand." I glare at him, but I know he is right. I could not even pinpoint his spy as a werewolf. Who knows what other creatures loiter around, and worse, are not under his command?

"Whatever. Why should I listen to what you've said?"

"Your choice, love."

"I really dislike you," I say, praying I added in enough spite for my words to be taken seriously.

Apparently, there was neither enough spite nor seriousness for him to care. "Gwendolyn!" he completely disregards my comment and calls out loudly. I flinch at the unexpectedly boisterous volume and change in tone.

"Alpha," The cashier who snitched on Wade and me appears from behind. However, I don't know why I can't bring myself to hold a grudge against her. Maybe, it's because I know she must have been instructed to do what she did. Moreover, I'd planned to head for the pack with Wade after our short shopping spree. This was before I was intercepted by you-know-who.

The Alpha's intense stare does not leave my face while he gives his orders. And though I outright avoid his gaze, I sense the heat consuming my insides when his eyes switch tracks from his focus on my temples to my body. They roam sluggishly over my curves, and I barely hold back the shudder that shakes me up. Thankfully, he doesn't notice.

"You will return to the pack right away with him." He tips an index at my escort, who has been disturbingly quiet since the start of the whole ruckus. I regard him suspiciously. It is evident that he cannot do anything that will get him in trouble with my captor. That should be the reason for his absolute obeisance. Or, maybe... Could there be something else?

Before I can get lost in my head by thinking too far, I anchor my sentience to the present and make a conscious effort to keep it right where it is supposed to be.

Stories of Alpha Mikael and his well-fought battles are famously recognised across the realms of supernaturals, and they've proven he is indeed stronger than other pack rulers. Including my father. This, in other words, means I cannot underestimate him, no matter how handsome he is. And fuck, he is gorgeous. Maybe, too much so for his own good. Mine also.

"We should get going soon." He announces to me before centring his attention on Wade. "Crestengallt, isn't it?"

"Yes, Alpha," Wade nods solemnly.

"I fought with your grandfather, Greg. He was a great man. Stubborn, yet perspicacious leader."

A warm glow creeps up slowly on Wade's face, and I see hints of pride in his restrained smile. "He was quite smart."

"That he was. Wish we kept in touch before he met his inglorious end. Well, it's too late to cry when the head is off. They say, don' they so? Hopefully, you know better." Wade stays mute in response to the un-subtle jab, but I can tell he is all roughed up as the nerves in his face continuously tick without stopping. And is there something I'm missing? Why the ugly animosity from Mikael? "Talk to me later, lad. I have business to take care of, and I need not remind you why ye should drive safely. Or do I?"

"Not at all, Alpha." I take an extra note of how formal his tone and words are compared to his usual demeanour, and I feel an unwelcome chill run down my spine.

Am I expected to kiss the Alpha's ass as well? I mean, he does have a pretty fine one. But, what if he forces me to do so, figuratively this time, to be clear? Or results to physical bruteness to keep me in check?

I'd heard gory stories of his ways. But instead of experiencing any emotions comparable to dread, I feel a slight rush of anger. Why should I have to be obedient to him or be submissive? Why do I have to do anything of what he wants if I do not want to?

My decision is made then and there that I will never submit to him, especially if my dignity is threatened. After all, I am not a wolf. He can't force me to obey his behests.

"Good. Leave." Wade and his new comrade bow to the Alpha before settling in the car and speeding away with all my bags and baggage and, most importantly, my oatmeal cookies. I can't stop the profound feeling of loss that binds to me like a slug to a tree. It's almost like I have lost all that I hold dear. All thanks to my spouse-to-be.

"Why are you still holding unto me?" I snap. I need my hold on reality back. Since it's not likely that he will ever stop being wickedly attractive, I have no choice but to become immune to such winsomeness.

"So you can't escape, dearest."

I let out a prodigious puff of air in exasperation. "And what makes you think I'll do that?"

"The question, darling, should be what makes you think I weren't aware when you arrived in this city?" He checks his wristwatch then nearly shoves it in my face. I wind my eyes in a clockwise direction. "Which was almost four hours ago. What do we have to say to that now?"

"Nothing."

His brow immediately furrows, forming frown lines on his lightly toned skin. "I see you're quite the stubborn one, eh?"

"Do you always ask vacuous questions, Alpha?" I query and watch his eyes blaze in irritation as he lets go of me. Were they always that harsh?

When he smiles, the expression is so fake that I wish he'd stop trying. "I suggest we get on with what we need to and save the insignificant questions for later, my dear."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he says, leading me across the street. I avoid his wandering sight and hurry ahead of him. He, however, catches up to me in mere seconds and steers me towards a dark, expensive-looking ride.

It's a sports car, which I am clueless as to what it's called. But it is overly flashy. The windows are tinted, and I glance at our reflections standing next to each other. I almost look like a dwarf in comparison to his domineering build. Yuck? Since when was I this short?

His shock of long, marble blond hair happens to complement my midnight-coloured locks. But his piercing pale eyes make my green ones seem like they have since forever lost the battle in beauty.

Oblivious to my ogling, he opens the door for me. And in that hoarse voice of his, says impassively. "Get in!"