Five

Amira struggles to swallow her spit and chokes herself up, Calix having to back up to give her some space while she gasps for air. “I’m so sorry, but there has to be a mistake. That can’t be right,” she says through choked breaths, still struggling to take a full deep breath. 

In one fell swoop, Calix grabs her arm and helps her to stand up properly, then grabs the side of her face and presses his lips to hers in a sudden kiss. She manages to take a sharp but deep breath from the shock, to which Calix pulls away and stares at her with what looks like genuine concern. Her lungs feel as if they have expanded slightly, and she can breathe a lot easier. 

“What the hell was that?” she cries, wiping her mouth. 

“You couldn’t breathe, so I gave you oxygen. What else was I to do?” 

She pats her chest and realizes what his intentions were, her face flushing a deep red when she also realizes her blunder. He wasn’t trying to kiss her, and the reason her lungs felt larger was because of the air he blew into them. What helped her breathe properly was the deep breath she took out of shock. 

She was too shocked to understand he was trying to help.

“I’m sorry for lashing out like that, but I still believe what you said is wrong, I’m not your mate,” she says. 

He once again closes the distance between them to a suffocating amount and grasps the bottom of her chin lightly to keep her eyes focused on his. 

“I moment I got a whiff of his scent, my wolf went wild and hasn’t stopped. I have been holding myself back since you entered the room, and only one of us can be wrong, sweetheart.” 

She lets out an audible swallow and closes her eyes, unable to meet his gaze any longer as her cheeks flare and legs tremble. 

“Will you answer my question now? What is your relationship with that boy?” 

She bites her lip, contemplating answering before caving. 

“We’re dating, we have been for the last five years,” she whispers. 

She doesn’t dare open her eyes to see his reaction, but she can feel the waves of anger crashing into her. 

“I heard he recently discovered his mate through Alpha Morin’s daughter,” Calix begins to say. “He was boasting about it during the meeting today.” 

This catches Amira’s attention, her head shooting up in agonized shock. She knows full well that Isaac was also present during that time, and wonders if he said anything in her defence but is scared to ask. 

As if reading her mind, he speaks. “That boy you call a companion stood there as still as a statue, he didn’t refute a single word Alpha Morin said, which tells me he hasn’t refused the acknowledgement of his mate. What does that make you, sweetheart?” He leans down to whisper in her ear, every word a knife to her heart. 

She feels the anger and depression overwhelming her once more, but she refuses to break down in front of this man taunting her with such devious lies, teasing her with something as serious as a ‘mate’ when he knows she is suffering on her own. 

“I think this conversation is done, I need to go,” she says and pushes him aside to run out of the room. To her relief, he doesn’t call or follow after her, allowing her to run out and right into Isaac who has been waiting the entire time. 

“Amira, what’s wrong?” he asks. She ignores him and collapses into his arms, burying her face into his shoulder to try and forget who is standing right behind her. 

“Whatever you did, Calix, I’ll make sure you answer for it this time,” Isaac threatens. 

She hears a low chuckle but nothing more before Isaac leads her away from the door, those smouldering eyes burn into her mind. 

He leads her back to his bedroom and sits her on the bed before running to the bathroom to get a warm damp towel to wipe her face. Usually, she would feel warm and tingly from the sweet gesture of her boyfriend, but for some reason now it feels forced, like he is doing everything he can to show her he is being a good boyfriend to make up for something else. 

This reminds her of what Alpha Volkov mentioned when speaking, trying her best to keep her mind from wandering to other thoughts. 

“Do you want to talk about what happened? Why were you crying when you left?” Isaac asks. He opens up the conversation himself for her to ask about the incident with Eris’s father. 

“It wasn’t anything serious, he was wondering who I was.” 

“Oh, what did you tell him?” Isaac asks nervously. 

Amira frowns. “Well, I told him the truth, that you and I have been dating for a long time. But he mentioned that he heard Alpha Morin mentioning how his daughter is going to be the future Luna of the pack.” She pauses to see his reaction, Isaac unable to look her in the eye, then continues. “He also mentioned you said nothing against it, so he assumed it was true.” 

“I wasn’t going to make an announcement like that in the middle of the meeting, that wasn’t what we were there for,” Isaac argues. 

He has another point, but she knows better by now that it is just another excuse. 

“Then, why don’t we do this now? It’s probably the best time before Eris and her family get ready to head back home and she continues to get the wrong idea,” she says. 

Isaac huffs and stands up angrily. “Why are you so insistent on doing this right away? Can’t you see I have more important things to focus on right now, and your issues aren’t the biggest concern?” he cries out. 

This feels like the final drive to the knife sticking in her heart. 

“I’m insistent because I want to know whether my boyfriend is going to leave me for another girl or not. Is that too much to ask for?” she sniffles. This is the worst time for her to be crying, right when she wants to appear angry rather than a blubbering mess, but she can’t handle the events of this weekend and needs a breather. 

“I need to go home; I can’t do this right now.” She gets off the bed and gathers her jacket and belongings from the vanity table with Isaac following after her. 

“Wait, Amira, I’m sorry. Please don’t leave,” he begs her. 

She shakes her head and dodges his touch. “There is a lot I need to think about and if you have such important matters stopping you from addressing my only concern, then maybe we should talk when you’ve handled everything. I have exams to focus on, anyways.” 

“At least let me give you a ride home, it’s too far to walk.” He continues to follow her out into the hallway. 

“No thanks, I can take the bus, that isn’t as far of a walk. I’ll see you at school,” she says over her shoulder. She double-checks to make sure she has everything before she leaves, not seeing a man with bright red hair jump out in front of her. 

“Hey Miss, where you headed?” a voice suddenly asks. 

She lets out a slight scream and jumps back from the man, recognizing that he isn’t a pack or staff member she has seen in the house before. 

“I’m sorry, who are you?” she asks. 

He gives her a salute. “Malachi, Beta of the Highmoon Pack, at your service1” 

“Okay, simmer down there. Is there something I can help you with?” 

“I was just curious why a human is here, it’s rare to see one in another pack,” he says with a childish grin. 

“I’m just a guest here, I attend school with Isaac.” She doesn’t bother telling anyone else who she is, in case she hears more horrible things her heart cannot take at the moment. 

“Are you heading home, is there someone picking you up?” he asks and tries to look out the front window. 

“You’re oddly curious about weird things, but no, I’m not waiting on anyone and I’m in a bit of a rush. It was nice meeting you.” She gives him a timid smile and moves past him to the front door. 

“It was nice meeting you too, Amira!” he shouts after her. She hurries down the steps but stops in her tracks when she realizes she never told him her name and wonders how in the world he knows it. 

As if answering her silent question, a black car pulls up in the driveway and the window rolls down to reveal a tempered-looking Calix. 

“Get in, I’m driving you home.”