14

ELEANOR

The thing that was hanging between Adrian's legs felt hot and hard beneath my thighs. Though it

happened for only about two seconds, I felt it. My heart raced rapidly as if I'd just run a marathon

and I was too nervous to glance back at Adrian's face. So I immediately picked myself up from his

lap, before Alexander, who was already glaring threateningly at him, explode like a ticking bomb.

The room was filled with Alexander's low growls the next moment, and I nervously looked up at

him, but his gaze was completely fixed on his brother.

Whipping my head to the side, I caught Adrian smirk at him, making my eyes widen in confusion

and shock. I turned my head to look at Alexander who I noticed was clenching his large fists.

I gulped, suddenly burdened by the stink of heavy tension swimming in the air around us. I could

have sworn their energy were clashing in the middle right where I stood amidst it all.

As I looked closely at Alexander, I saw his eyes darken completely, his black wolf showing. I drew

back a bit and felt my heart race rapidly while I watched the scene.

"What's the matter, brother?” Adrian asked, before plastering yet again another sly smile on his

handsome face.

He was teasing our mate. I glanced at Alexander and caught him close his eyes abruptly, as if in

desperation to take control over his body once again, as his wolf seemed to be rather furious that

moment when he saw me land on his brother's lap.

"N...Nothing.” Alexander replied, gritting his teeth as he said so.

I whipped my head to look at Adrian, who is now watching his brother with an amused expression

on his face. I looked at both at them back and forth as they shared a moment of silence.

Suddenly, I felt something stir in my stomach. I feel like somehow, I had something to do with the

silent battle between the two.

I gulped, racking my brain for words to break this awkward moment between all of us.

"Adrian was just showing me the paintings, Alpha, sir" I struggled to release the words with my

hands behind my back and my eyes dropped to the tiled floor.

The next second I felt his fingers on my chin, raising it for our eyes to meet.

My heart skipped a beat when I looked into his dazzling eyes, and he into mine. His wolf seemed to

have retreated and our mate seemed completely in control. Relief washed over me, knowing there'd

be no fighting scenes happening anytime soon.

"Alex. My name is Alex." His voice came out deep and husky and just inexplicably dangerously sexy.

My lips parted while I let my eyes trail down his pink, plump lips. I could barely resist licking my lips.

Hunger and lust caved its way all the way down my core, as the smell of my own arousal filled the

air.

He sniffed my scent lingering, then a low growl reverberated through the room quite instantly. I

withdrew from his touch gently, feeling so flustered I wanted to jump through the window and

swiftly disappear.

Damn these urges. I groaned.

My cheeks burned from embarrassment and I looked down yet again, allowing my eyes to roam the

minute details engraved on the design of the tiles beneath me.

"What are you thinking about, Eleanor?” His voice came again, but it came through a whisper in my

ear. His breath tickled the skin on my neck, I was trying not to shiver.

I slowly raised my head, looking up at his godlike face and saw deep through his eyes the want, the

need, the desire that drove our wolves crazy within.

"Nothing" I pretended. Had to. I just couldn't believe how easy he was able to make me feel this

intense, with only his breath touching my skin closely.

He stalked closer towards me, and the more he got closer the more I clenched my thighs tightly

together.

"Oh?" He stopped literally one inch apart from me.

Even though our skin didn't touch, I could feel him. Somehow, my wolf deemed it necessary to paint

inappropriate images of me rocking this dangerously sexy beast to the core, and me reveling in the

pleasure he and I could give to one another so fiercely.

Before I could take another piece of Ares’ imagination and mix it with my equal desire to touch our

mate, I stuffed those thoughts deep in the shadows of my mind where light would never touch

them anymore, burying my feelings deep within it.

'I'm sorry, Ares. We can't. You should know it better than I do that we can never give in to our own

desires." I reminded my wolf.

Ares said nothing, looking as dejected as ever upon recalling the bitter truth. Long before we were

even born, this stupid curse has forbidden us to have our mate.

I locked eyes with Alex.

“This can't be happening’ I thought to myself.

The sound of the door knob being twisted and pulled snapped me back into bitter reality as I shot

my eyes at the door.

"Pardon me for my rudeness. I was just about to leave when I realized I was being a disturbance to

your MATING session. Please, continue.” He pulled up a wide grin before banging the door as he

made his exit.

Alexander and I stared at each other a few seconds later before realizing we've completely forgotten

about Adrian, standing there probably talking to us for who knows how long. He must have gotten

so pissed off that he left.

"Sorry." I mumbled, taking my eyes off his irresistible, gorgeous ones. I just couldn't seem to focus

on resisting to be pulled by him when I'm looking at him directly.

"No, there is nothing you need to apologize for. By the next moon, you will be my mate.” He smiled.

Whilst I cringed, knowing damn well he's right. And that's exactly why I could never let that happen.

Why I could never be mated with the Alpha of the Red Silverwood Pack. My father's target enemy.

He stepped back, shoving his hands in his pocket. I blinked at him whilst he sighed, frustration

showing clearly in his cerulean blue eyes.

"Did my brother say anything about... how our parents died?" He shifted his gaze away from me,

making me raise my brow slightly.

I thought about it for a second.

"He said they died in the war ten years ago, between our packs.” I said softly and carefully, scared

my words could trigger him somehow like I did his brother.

He shook his head, dropping his gaze to the floor. I caught his lips curve slightly upwards, and his

shoulders were slumped as if he just lost the whole world in his hands.

"They didn't die because of the war. They died because of me." He lifted up his head and his eyes

started to water as he smiled sadly.

It was then that I stopped on my tracks.

I looked at him sympathetically, bringing my hands to my chest closely.

"What do you mean?" I lowered my voice, not wanting to startle him or scare him off.

He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before he looked at me again. I could sense his pain,

although I wasn't sure why I have the capability to suck in his emotions.

"One day, ten years ago I ditched training. When I came back it was chaos. And then our enemies

caught me off guard. I was targeted and my own weakness cost me our parents’ life." His voice

came out hoarse as he reached the end of his sentence.

He's in pain.

I can say that much. His gloomy aura making me feel the intensity of emotions reeling in him. In

that moment, my eyes softened, and so did my heart. The tear that slid down from his eyes twisted

the knot in my stomach. His grief to me was as clear as daylight, but his eyes slowly turned into

midnight black, showing me nothing but darkness that was starting to consume him entirely.

I bit my lip, uncertain of what to say.

"After they died, Adrian screamed at me for hours. Saying that it was my fault for not training so

hard. It was my fault for fucking around and being weak despite having an Alpha wolf. He kept

reminding me how I wasted my wolf's strength, and he cursed the moon goddess for giving me a

wolf instead of him. And you know what? He's right.”

His smile didn't last for long. The small curve that formed on his lips faded slowly and started to

bend downwards.

I opened my mouth and was about to tell him how wrong he was, when he stopped me the next

instant he got.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking for pity. All I'm asking from you is to be patient with my

brother. Deep inside, I know he hates me. I just don't want whatever it is now going between me

and my brother to stress you," He gave me a sad smile.

Somehow, I could feel his extreme anxiety and pain weighing in on him like two massive rocks

forcing him down to solid ground, though on the outside, he appears fierce and strong, inside he is

hurting so bad. Maybe it was the way he spoke, or the way his eyes glistened from the tears

threatening to escape him that gave me such an idea. I knitted my brows, confused all of a sudden

as to why I could sense his intense emotions.

Ares whimpered in pain, feeling exacly how his wolf feels now too.

"I understand. I'll try to be more patient with him. But I really don't think the deaths of your parents

are yours to take the blame." I took a step forward, reaching out my hand to touch his face without

even realizing it until he withdrew with a step back.

I was startled, and my heart ached a little knowing he just avoided my touch. My hand closed as he

left it hanging in the air.

I put my hand back on my sides before looking up at him, my eyes softening in both sympathy and

hurt.

"You don't know that" he croaked. Alex then turned his back on me and lowered his head, as if he

was trying to block me from seeing the sad expression on his face. Although I knew my wolf and I

couldn't bear seeing him look at me with a hurt expression, I knew I just couldn't stand here and

watch as he suffers on his own.

Clenching my fists, I firmly pursed my lips into a thin line and stepped forward towards him. It

seemed like he stopped breathing when I gently placed my palm on his shoulder.

"They say death of a loved one breaks your heart a million times over and over, but they always

leave a piece of them within us, and that's what gives us the strength to keep going... and move on."

For a moment, there was no response. I sighed, and I was about to draw back when he suddenly

touched my hand on his broad shoulder.

He slowly turned around and gazed into my eyes as though he was searching them for something.

"Eleanor Raven, I want you as my Luna. My mate. Chosen or not. Do you accept?”