Chapter 12: 12| Note to Self, Don't Ask an Alpha to be a Model

“Look, I could be out there trying to stop a war. But as much as you try to deny it, you mean something to that brat. In case things don’t go as planned, keeping you away from him is the best course of action.”

“I’m all for that, but why?” He scowled a bit at my question.

“We could have used you as a bargaining chip, but from what you said, the relationship between you and him isn’t exact-”

“There’s no relationship, trust me,” I said, cutting him off. Zak looked displeased at being interrupted, but ignored me and continued.

“We know for sure that he won’t try escaping or start anything if you are not with him. That is why I will have to babysit you until your Beta has been informed of the situation and made his decision.

I frowned at the word babysit, but decided not to question him in case I embarrassed myself.

“But why does it have to be you? Can’t Daniel or someone else do it? You could even go and inform the Beta yourself.”

“Because I don’t really think the others can handle this stink for long without fainting,” He said dryly. I gave him a sheepish grin.

‘And here I thought this would keep me away from Alpha males.’

I looked at the watch in his hand.

“The stink will be gone in a minute. It’s a scent masking potion to mask my scent. And if the stink is not gone by then, I can just remove it.” Zak looked at me like my cat pissed in his breakfast.

“I thought you told Daniel you didn’t have one?”

Oh well, let’s not get into that, shall we? It would lead to him realizing my special lying skills. I really needed to get away from him, or distract him. Maybe do both. This man was making my instincts go haywire.

“Speaking of Daniel, can I have him back? I told you this would be gone in a minute. Actually, should be gone by now,” I said, taking my antidote for the smell depriving potion I had taken earlier to numb my sense of smell.

He scowled at my question.

“No,” He answered simply. I glared at him.

The potion took only a few seconds to take effect, and a wonderful and elegant scent of winter jasmines, sharp like ice wafted throughout the room. It was all I could smell. My eyes widened as one word resounded in my mind.

‘Mate.’

I looked at Zak with wide eyes. This guy was my mate? An actual soulmate? I had a mate, and it was this Alpha Superior? I looked around the room and outside through the window. There was nobody out there. Indicating that Zak was indeed my mate. It all made sense now. My curiosity and attraction to him.

‘Oh, fuck me sideways. I’m screwed.’

This was so unexpected that I didn’t know what to do. I thought about it. I only had a few years to live. Ten years at most. There was no cure since what I had wasn’t a disease. It was just the way things were, and I had come to accept it.

But that might not be the case for Zak. I knew how painful it was for a Lycan to lose their soulmate. They would absolutely lose their minds. Although I had not known him for long, I did not want that to happen to Zak.

I made a decision. I would quietly leave without making a noise as soon as this total fiasco was over. Without revealing that I was his mate by not taking off the scent masking potion I had on me. That’s the best course of action. I laughed bitterly at my fate. Blessed with a mate, but not the life to spend it with him.

How cruel.

Zak looked at me curiously at my laugh. I shook my head at him.

“It’s nothing. Just thinking about stuff.”

He gave me a miniscule shrug. I looked at him with curiosity in my eyes, elbows on my knees, hands cupping my chin.

It’s one of those things that peeved me about Lycans. Their movements were so elegant. Like someone instilled that etiquette into their brains even before they were born. Zak’s movements were so rigid, yet so graceful. I felt like I had to take notes.

I was so jealous of him, and also a teeny bit proud that he was my mate, even though I was going to leave him. His hair was so dark, darker than the night sky, with a beautiful violet sheen. Impeccably trimmed, with only a few unruly strands falling over his pale forehead. My hands itched to brush them back.

A face so angular that even a beginner could sketch a masterpiece if they just copied the planes of his face. His pupils were a stark contrast against his icy blue eyes, that were speckled with gold.

He was perfect.

“Done staring at me?” Zak asked, looking bored. What a rude mate. He should be the one admiring me like I was doing to him. I forgave him because he had such an ungrateful mate as me.

“Not really,” I answered. He made a strangled noise of surprise.

“Do you have no decorum, woman?”

“I am just appreciating beauty. What’s decorum got to do with that? Can you pose for me? I just need to take a few pictures.” So that I could cry over him on a dark moonless night someday in the future. Maybe I was being too dramatic.

I took out my mythcom. Magicka and Mythicka had to use different communication devices, as our magical auras were different. We used Mythcom for nearly everything and adjusted its size and functions to our needs. But how much we could adjust depended on the price. Mine was pretty basic.

Zak looked taken aback and got up from his chair.

“What the hell are you doing?” He asked as the flat black square in my palm lit up.

“Trying to take pictures of you. What else? It annoyed me that he couldn’t even stay still for a bit while I was trying to take pictures of him. It did not cross my mind that asking a stranger for pics might be a bit rude.

“Why do you need pictures of me? Are you a reporter?” He asked curiously.

“No. Why would you think that? I just need some references.” I made up a dumb sounding excuse on the go. It’s not like I could admit that I wanted to take pictures of him because he’s my mate and I didn’t want to forget him.

Zak leaned towards me. I leaned back reflexively. The closer he came, the more his scent assaulted me. I also couldn’t handle seeing his handsome face up close.

“What?” He asked, looking extremely confused and too close to my face for my liking. I pushed his forehead back with my fingers. The small touch sent pleasant shivers down my spine. He leaned back obediently while frowning.

“Drawing references. I draw things for a living. You look handsome, so I was going to ask you to model for me so that I can sell my paintings and earn money.” He looked completely dumbfounded at this.

“Pack members who were born in other packs do not receive the money. The jobs are only available if you’re in school or twenty and over,” I said awkwardly, waiting for him to ask the question.

Everyone who learnt that I did not have a job or compensation and sold magical paintings for a living asked for it.

“Ah, you are nineteen, aren’t you? You must have finished school early.” He nodded in understanding.

‘Oh yeah, let’s go with that.’

I just nodded along. I did not want my mate to know that I got kicked out of school for disobedience. It’s not like I was going to cross paths with him again. No point in him having to know minor details like that.

I tried to distract him from the topic at hand.

“So, erm, you said that you just wanted to keep me away from him, right? I was actually going to run away from here myself.” His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“You have been planning this for some time now, haven’t you?” He asked quietly. Again, what was with him just stating things like that? He didn’t ask like he was doubting it, he just stated it as if it were a fact.