Keep Melissa away

Radulf sat stiffly inside the carriage, waiting for Melissa. The door creaked open, and she climbed in, her face obscured by a scarf. He glanced at her narrowly, noting that her hands were empty. Wasn't she supposed to bring back something from the Luna Queen?

"Why did you wear a scarf out of the blue?" Radulf queried.

Melissa hesitated, adjusting the scarf over her face. "Ah, that… I love wearing it," she lied in a casual tone.

Her fingers fidgeted nervously in her lap, and her eyes darted away from his. She couldn't let him see the truth—the humiliation she had endured at the palace. If he found out, he'd mock her just like everyone else.

Radulf's sharp gaze lingered on her. "You're a good liar," he remarked, his voice tinged with skepticism.

Melissa managed a faint smile. "We can't let more people gossip about us, can we?" she said with a fake smile, trying to sound lighthearted.

Radulf didn't respond immediately. Instead, his next question caught her off guard. "Do you have a wolf?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "Why do you want to know?" she asked, surprised by the sudden inquiry.

"I need to gauge how weak you are," Radulf replied bluntly, his piercing eyes fixed on her.

Melissa frowned, her fingers curling into fists. "I'm a wolfless omega," she answered.

"That explains it," Radulf murmured under his breath, almost to himself.

"Explain what?" Melissa pressed, narrowing her eyes at him.

Radulf didn't answer her, his thoughts turning inward. 'Damn it. She's releasing pheromones without even realizing it. Why the hell has my body been acting strange since this morning?'

His jaw clenched as he brought a hand to his mouth, trying to conceal his growing discomfort. The pill he had taken earlier had done nothing to suppress the heat rising within him. He averted his gaze, trying to distract himself by looking out of the window.

He knew exactly what was happening.

A rut.

And it couldn't have come at a worse time. For years, he had managed to fight through them with sheer willpower, but now, it was different. His control was slipping, and being near Melissa only seemed to amplify it.

'Radulf, we don't need to fight it. It's going to be painful for both of us if you don't mate with Melissa. Don't you think after finding our mate, this rut feels stronger from all the previous times?' his wolf, Black, spoke in his mind.

'I don't like her. She's the last woman I would ever like to mate. Did you not hear how Phillipe wanted to use me through Melissa? While I am keeping her by my side to fulfill my own desire,' Radulf told his wolf.

His discomfort was increasing and all he wanted was to reach the mansion as soon as possible. He would like to lock himself far from Melissa's reach, at least.

"Radulf!" Melissa placed her hand over his. "Are you alright?" She asked.

Radulf yanked her hand away, feeling jolts of electricity ran down his entire body just by her brief touch. 'Fuck! I need her. Her intoxicating fragrance makes it difficult for me to even breathe. Should I just kiss her? Will this pain then lessen?' he thought to himself.

Melissa, on the other hand, felt Radulf hated even her touch. "Mind telling me why you never wrote to me. The rumors about us started when I never received a message from you," she stated.

Radulf's mind was elsewhere. He didn't even hear what she asked or said to him. His pupils dilated, and he began feeling the blood rushing through his veins. His entire body was on fire.

Fortunately, the carriage stopped near a bridge. Radulf immediately exited the carriage, leaving Melissa all alone there. She opened the window to check where Radulf headed, but he was not in her sight.

"Luna, please close the window," Savio said.

"Where did Radulf go?" Melissa asked.

"He suddenly remembered an urgent work in the market," Savio replied.

Melissa got upset to learn that and she closed the window. The carriage again started moving. "Why did it look like he wanted to run away from me?" she murmured. "He is complicated to understand," she sighed.

~~~~~

Radulf arrived in his estate in his wolf form and jumped straight into the balcony of his room. As he transformed back into his human form, he entered the room and put on a robe, tying the knots loosely on it.

Punching the pillar, he tried to calm down his wolf. "Black, get a hold on yourself. We are not around her anymore," he said.

"But we are burning, Radulf. There are even omega servants in the palace. It's unbearable," Black growled.

Radulf dashed to the cupboard and looked for the pills that Savio left for him in the morning. He needed to take one to suppress this feeling even for a while. Finding the tiny bottle, he took a few pills and ate them, not caring about the side effects they would carry later.

He slammed his hand on the cupboard's door and he took deep breaths. Slowly, he felt much better. The heat started subsiding, but it would get worse by the night.

He headed to the washroom to cool off himself. Submerging into the cold water in the bathtub, his mind again shifted to Melissa. "She is driving me crazy. I will ask Savio to keep Melissa away from me. I won't be able to stop myself if she comes near me tonight. We both hate each other. Making love with her isn't a nice idea," he murmured.

~~~~

Later when Melissa returned in the mansion, she could not see Radulf. It bothered her why he suddenly jumped off the carriage in the middle of their journey.

She glanced at Savio, Radulf's beta, thinking he might tell her the reason. "Do you know anything going on with Radulf?"

Savio shook his head and refused. "I'll talk to the Alpha," he opined.

"Hmm. Please tell him I'll be waiting for him in the chamber," Melissa said.

"Sure, Luna," Savio replied.

"Thank you." Melissa went ahead, disappearing in the corridor while Savio went to see Radulf.

His entry to Radulf's chamber was smooth. But what worried him was Radulf's state. "You don't look well, Alpha," Savio remarked.

"The pills aren't giving any effects. Can you arrange something better for me?" Radulf queried.

"These are the strongest pill, Alpha. You can't overdose them. It's better to mate with Luna Melissa than taking these. You need to bring down the heat of your body," Savio suggested. "However, what bothers me is that your wife can't smell your pheromones."

"Yes, she can't. She is wolf less," Radulf replied, taking the wine glass closer to his mouth. "It will be troublesome for me in the evening. I want you to keep Melissa away from me," he instructed Savio.

Without arguing, Savio accepted the command. However, he was still bothered by the fact that Radulf didn't wish to mate with Melissa. Yet, before leaving he said to Radulf, "I've heard that Luna Melissa did a lot for this pack behind your back. She might be an omega by blood, but she's quite smart. You should consider making her yours."

Radulf watched his beta leave and chuckled before gulping the last content of the wine from the glass.

Behind the pillar, Nina was hiding. 'I will make sure tonight Radulf mates with me and marks me,' she thought with a smirk.