CHAPTER 12

       "Faking myself?" She burst out laughing. Hiding the nervousness in her voice. Her heart thumping rapidly, she had to get on her foot. "You're right." She just had to agree with him. "I was faking all along."

     "Just as I've thought." The smirk was still plastered on his face. The bluish-grey eyes he had, like clouds between sunshine and storm, make him a combination of danger and safety.

     Then her mind thoughtlessly wondered what the alpha looked like—what's the face of the most powerful aura she had felt from no one else before? What are his features? How wide is his shoulder? What is the colour of his eyes? How tall is he? As she just realised how her mind became unfocused on what's in front of her, she shook her head to erase the nonsense things.

     She sighed, leaning back with resignation and looking outside the transparent window.

     "You want me too, right?" His voice was rough and low, and the look in his eyes was pooling with desire.

     That made her get back to his gaze. She sucked some air, her throat dry from lack of water, or probably the situation just warmed her too much. She doesn't know anymore. Guess she really had to give herself a break sometime. The unleased heat in her was cracking to get on the surface.

      But also, this way, she can distract him. Even if it means burning herself on fire a little. A dangerous but pleasurable heat. Licking her lips unconsciously, that made Jethro trace her tongue by his eyes.

     "Yes, I was only faking that I don't want you." She doesn't know where her voice came from. It was low and heavy. Like talking makes her lose a breath. Is this what her hungry desire made her into?

      She gulped and cleared her voice that had suddenly run out. Why is everything wrong timing? And with someone who shouldn't be? Too much stress for everything. She had to relieve it. Before it clouds her judgement, she had to get it off. But now isn't absolutely the time.

      "I do want you, Jethro. But no." She stated in a hard, decisive tone.

      "That's why I want you more." He declared openly.

     She smirked. "We both know the timing is unlucky."

     "Damn right." He agreed.

     "How unlucky for you that I don't have a mobile to contact myself." She shook her head.

     The disappointment in his eyes can be seen. The man had the easiest eyes to read. And can effortlessly wrap him in her fingers.

     "My mobile broke when it fell when I was travelling." She stated, though it's useless. 

     She knows though that he has another agenda. After finding out the identity of the hunter he was looking for, he's waiting for an opportunity to get to Lorna. That would only happen if she let him, which is never.

     The desire she had felt earlier with him quickly went out the window as she thought of her goal. Her needs can wait. Right now, she had a mission to accomplish. She can't afford to play carnally at the side.

      "Okay then, I'll just spend my time with you as long as you're here."

     Now, he makes her the reason for his target. She arched a brow at the man across her.

     "Fine. Stay as long as you want." She shrugged her shoulder and folded her arms. Turns out he's boring at all, she thought.

     "Hello!"

     They both look up to one familiar voice, Lorna. She placed a blueberry milkshake in each one for them on the table.

     "That's in the house." Her warm smile on full display. "The chef saw you both just talking, and my friend here is waiting for me. So he told me to get refreshments for you both." She continued, babbling.

      Melisca can sense the tremble in Lorna's voice along the line when the girl speaks. Of course, she's nervous. She knows that the wolf might already have found out about her crime towards his friend. He's there for her.

   "Okay, I'll leave you two now." She twirled around with her tray and walked back inside the kitchen.

     "I love this milkshake already," Melisca stated and quickly sipped her drink. Her throat had dried earlier. Now just what she wants—a cold, sweet milkshake.

     "This is their best. That's why I ordered this for you earlier, remember?" Jethro finally talked, then he gulped his glass of the treat.

      "Yes. And thank you for the heaven-tasting milkshake you had let me experience." Right then, she regretted saying those. The meaning of her words gave her different thoughts too. Dangerous yet delicious ideas.

     Without looking up at him, she knows that's what's on his mind also. Guess her foolishness is endless.

     She glared at him, knowing he's about to comment on what had just slipped out of her tongue.

     "I can assure you this milkshake is nothing compared to me." He had said it after all. Confidently sure he is.

      She groaned inwardly, knowing he's right. Just the tip of her tongue can taste the air and how yummy he could be. Even just one look at him—those solid muscles, strong arms, her hands clenched, for she imagined how good his abs were as she touched them.

      Pretending that her drink is much more interesting than the person before her, she sipped more and more, wanting the coldness of the sweet to shove away the rising heat of embarrassment she felt and the shameful thoughts on her mind. Can she just kill herself? No, she had a mission to accomplish.

     She finally looked up at him. He had already finished his drink. That was fast. Well, of how delightful it was, or maybe he felt the same heat again that he also wanted to disseminate, so he consumed it immediately.

     Then she noticed his eyes went droopy. A moment later, his head thudded on the table and remained unmoving. Had he lost consciousness just by finishing the milkshake? She asked on her mind.

     Eyes still wide, she stared at her own drink. Maybe it was drugged too. She can't blackout with him, not when her goal is just opening up an opportunity for her to finally take place. Her heart beat rapidly, then she looked around. No eyes turn to their corner. No one had noticed that the person with whom she's talking just a few seconds ago had suspiciously fallen asleep.

     Or was he just playing a trick on her? But she can hear his breathing even. She exhaled a breath that unknowingly she kept in her lungs. At least he's still alive.

    Lorna. Melisca remembered that the girl was the one who gave them the drinks. But why doesn't she feel anything weird? Her mind worked just fine—not even a bit sleepy, not feeling dazed. Did the girl only spike Jethro's glass?

     "Liz, come on." Lorna's hushed voice woke her up in her shocked state. She finally closed her fallen jaw and retreated her bulged eyes back to their sockets.

     Lorna pulled her up from the seat carefully but as quickly as possible. To not wake up the hibernating wolf on the table.

     Melisca of course, would not leave behind her bags of food. "W-what happened?" She still couldn't forget what she had witnessed. That the girl just knocked him out so effortlessly in front of her.

     "We have to go before he wakes up. I'll explain it to you later. He's just asleep." Lorna told her as she dashed outside, this time without wearing her apron but the same red plaid skirt and white blouse. Only the present duffel bag at the girl's left shoulder was with her.

      Melisca followed her outside through the back door. They rushed to a vehicle that made her stop just at the sight of it. A mini cooper in citrous green colour and matt black at the front.

      "Mr. Bean, how cute." She marvelled at the car. She grinned as she had just seen the cutest car ever. Everything around her went black. Only the vehicle remained in her vision, in a spotlight.

       "Liz? Can you pop those stars in your eyes, please? This is not the moment to go car-struck." Lorna suddenly enlightened the world around her. "And it's just a mini Cooper. Let's go!" the girl urged her, standing right outside the driver's side.

      "Exactly, it's Mr. Bean's." Still feasting her eyes on the car.

       "No, it's Mr. Chef's." She blurted out. "Seriously, Liz, get in the damn car!" Her angry tone had not escaped Melisca's ears. 

      "No. I have a fucking big bike." She retorted.

      "What? You have a motorcycle?" Lorna's face lit up as the angry vein on her forehead faded.

      "Of course." She arrogantly replied and pointed where she parked it, at the front of the diner. "There, my baby." She proudly introduced, though it's a few metres away.

       "You haven't said so. Come on then." Lorna's eyes flashed with excitement, and she immediately trotted in the motor's direction.

       "Uh-oh, where are you going?" Melisca arched an eyebrow as she stopped the servant by grabbing the collar of her blouse in the back of her neck when she's about to get past her. 

       Lorna almost chocked from her blouse that stretched its collar from behind. Glaring at Liz, "Of course to your service. It's much faster than the chef's car. At least I won't be car-napping it anymore."

       "Fine. Get this. Take care of that." Melisca handed over the bags on her grip to Lorna. Then they started to approach her baby as she put on her mask and motorcycle gloves on the way.

        "What are these?" Lorna asked, referring to what she's carrying now.

        "My meals." She replied simply. Then she inserted directly the key to the ignition when they stopped before it.

        "Wow, this is so cool. But we need to hurry up—" Lorna's mouth ceased bubbling shortly when Liz inserted the helmet into the girl's head. She'll be fine without headgear on. "Before that man wakes up. The drug would only take effect in 8 minutes max before his blood would fix it."

      Lorna continued mumbling, though her voice wasn't that clear for human ears. She can hear her alright. Then she locked the chin strap to secure it on her head.

      She bent a little to level with Lorna's face and tap-tapped the tinted face shield of the helmet with a small smile on her lips. "Don't worry, we'll be fine." Not sure of the girl's reaction, but she bet Lorna just blinked at her, for she did not hear any more word from inside the helmet.

      Then Melisca got moving. She swung her legs to the other side of the big bike to position herself on the seat. Kicking the standback, she invited Lorna. "Get on."

      Lorna gets on the backseat while carefully placing the bags in between them. 

     "Hold on tight." She warned.

     Before starting the motor, Melisca saw Jethro getting up from the corner of her eyes by the window. Though a few metres away, they both locked eyes at each other, then she gave him a farewell smile and a wink.

    Then she revved up the motor and started on the way. Through the roar of the engine, her ear got the faint sound of the door suddenly flapping open. She looked in her side mirror, seeing Jethro walk over to a car.

     She smirked. Let the race begin. Says her mind as she pushed the speed higher that made Lorna yelp behind her and tighten the grip in her waist. The dusty breeze of air on their tail.