CHAPTER THREE

Frustrating seconds drag into minutes, long minutes into hours, freaking hours into a full-blown day.

It's the second day since I visited Alpha Arthur and it is rumored that he stays true to his words, I either give my response today or have Hendrix killed.

I hate it. I hate that I have to finish off what my late papa started. I hate that I'm faced with the worst when I don't even have my life figured out. What would he have done differently if he were the one to make a choice? Knowing my papa, he would save the human boy, but even so, would he at his only child and pack's expense?

Tired of the endless dilemma, I slouch on a seat nearby.

Giving up Hendrix is definitely off the hook and so is getting tied to his punk ass of a son.

Lazily, I rise and strip to the barest minimum and head into the bathroom, soaking myself in the bathtub of warm water a maid had prepared earlier.

Instead of the fresh scent of honey and rose, I smell the soft scent of lavender and herbs. The perfect combo causing a whole lot of wreck in my head.

I toss my head backward carefully to not crack it open from its impact with the tip of the tub.

It's as though my mind sips energy from the water, as it leaves me hotter and in a state of frenzy while the water grows cooler.

I remain there for the longest and when the warm water suddenly becomes icy, I get off the tub and drape myself in a towel. For the umpteenth time, I wrap myself tightly with the damp towel, as though I'm guarding my confusion.

There is a soft knock on the door.

"Lady Natalie, it's me, Sasha." Her tiny voice finds it difficult to seize attention.

"Oh, Sasha dear, how may I be of help to you?"

She responded... I'm certain she did, but her tiny voice makes it inaudible. Stressing both her and myself.

"Come in already, I barely have time for this."

The door opens and she steps in, locking the door immediately. She's one person I'm fond of and comfortable around, although I'm careful to not let my guard down around anyone.

Sasha is quite the comic character, extra and fun altogether. Owing to my late papa's love for young minds, you guess right if you think her young.

While I went to school, Sasha was right by my side as my personal maid. Fast forward to date, she still is.

"I'm sorry to bother you..."

She seizes my attention.

"Parson me. What were you saying?"

"The cook is done with your meal, would you rather I serve you in your room or the dinner?"

"I rather you don't." I walk out of her sight and towards the mirror to tend to my now dry skin. "I won't be eating this morning."

"Ma'am?"

She knows better than to woo me.

"You heard right, now run along and go see to other activities.

With that, she's gone. I shrug off the towel, take time to massage my fruit mix lotion onto my skin, wriggle the excess water off my hair, and wrap it up in a smaller towel.

Hendrix?

My mind races. For all it's worth, it may not be the human boy. How on earth would the moon goddess set me up with a human? As though my life is not complicated enough.

Wanting to clear my doubts, I pick out a leafy green dress to suit the camouflage and slip into it. My hair is wound up in a knot, and my look is simpler than ever. I put on my footwear and walk out of the room in slow fashion.

"Lady Natalie, Beta Xavier sends word of his absence. I should have relayed it earlier, but..."

"It's fine." I interrupt the servant, bored from his incessant rants. "Tell him to get a word across to Alpha Arthur and inform him that I choose none."

"Alright, lady Natalie. Will that be all?"

"Yes. You may take your leave." I dismiss him.

"Very well lady Natalie. Do you want me to get the guards ready, it seems like you're going for a walk and..."

I give him a cold stare and he stops abruptly. Not saying a word to him and him not being too dumb to assimilate, scurries off.

The walk to Doctor Cain's house is longer than imagined. My feet hurt, and the sun, a harsh lover burns my skin. After a while, I'm standing in the same spot I was two days ago while I watched him tend to his concoctions.

Unlike me, he's nowhere to be found. I persist for a while, deliberating on going to knock and talk to him in person. I know he's around, the soft scent of lavender and herbs gets stronger by the minute, intoxicating me.

Unable to handle much torture, I get out of hiding and start to make my way to his door.

Surprisingly, the door opens to see Elder Cain step out first. I retreat, still undetected, thanks to my best choice of color.

The young man comes out minutes after, his bright sea blue eyes so cheerful. There's something about the sparks in them that brightens my mood.

'Mate! Go meet him.' My silly wolf urges.

'You'd comport yourself.' I scold her.

There's an incessant murmur between the father and son, before elder Cain walks away, taking the other route, luckily.

This time, he isn't bare-chested. His right sleeveless shirt hugs his firm abs tightly, leaving to my admiration his hard biceps. His thick dark hair hangs freely on his face and stops just about two inches from his eyebrows, adorning the side of his face.

I arch my hand forward, and the urge to take my fingers all over his thick sexy hair sickens me.

He hums ignorantly, his rich and deep baritone a symphony to my ears. Huge pots of brewing herbs are before him, and a small mortal for the mix is on a table, where he crushes some items.

The day gets darker by seconds and the night sky is now fully out. It's crazy when the realization hits me that I've been watching a stranger for the past hours without food or drink.

Indeed, I'm hungry and thirsty, but for him, the feel of him on my body and in my mouth, tasting him greedily and drinking his fluid.

I'm desperately arching to have a taste of his full lips and his blood, marking him as mine forever.

If my wolf has a hand in this, I'm certainly enabling her.

Having seen enough for one day, I turn to leave. I walk for a while and slowly, the night's light makes it difficult to trail my footsteps back to the pack house.

There's the familiar sound of rustling leaves, it grows stronger. I pause in my track to let the attacker surface or pass me by, I wish the second would come through because I'm without my sword.

Four men appear in front of me, heavily armed. My heart sinks.

Even though I could use my fangs and claws, I'm not so better off without my weapon. I start by elongating my claws and having my furs sprout, then my eyes and fangs. Going fully lupine, my big white wolf burst out of me, ripping my dress into shreds.

The men attack, striking aimlessly at me, hoping one hits me squarely. I keep dodging, taking the side of the defense. With a swift strike, I launch on the first, pulling his head off his neck as blood gushes out of his ripped vessels, and the thin flesh that's left of his neck struggles to hold his head in place.

As he slumps, I dive unto another, bringing him the same fate, my fangs in his throat and my claws deep in his abdomen, rooting out the coils of life in his depth.

I'm about to jump off him when the sharp blade of one of the others sears into my thick wolf's skin. I let out a loud howl in anger and pain.

For a moment, I try to shake it off. This is probably the real scar I've gotten since I started fighting. Warrior's badge, my papa would say.

Vexed, I go for the attacker like a fired rocket, landing flat on him. He tries to ward me off and while I sink my claws into his chest, he drives a knife into my stomach.

I gasp in pain, almost going blackout.

The last one sees it as an opportunity to defeat me. He plunges his sword forward and I'm quick enough to leap off the third's body. His sword drives into his friend's lacerated chest and with a swift swing of my arms, I knock him out.

I transform into my human form, stalk naked and vulnerable. Too paralyzed to even stand or walk, I slump on the ground, breathing slowly.

Blood seeps out of my stomach freely, as I watch consciousness slips out of me. Horrible seconds turn into long minutes and the last thing I feel is a hand sculpt me upward to its bosom.

The scent of lavender and spice, faintly hovers.

I remain straddle to its chest and when I manage to flick my eyelashes... A familiar pair of blue eyes greets me. The most beautiful sea blue pair I've seen.

There's a total blackout.