3

Dorian was still enjoying the bliss of his mate's presence close to him as she slept.

He had barely been able to sleep as all he did was watch her all night, and now it was day.

The comfort of being able to feel the warmth of her was more than Dorian could ever wish for.

So this was what it felt like to have a mate.

All those years of sleeping in the loneliness of himself, he couldn't imagine a day now without her.

He smiled at the way she yawned once she was awake.

Even at the dishevelment of her hair, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

She was his woman.

"Good morning, my love." His voice sounded husky and deep but at the same time, soft.

He had already expected her reaction when she would see him lying beside her in bed but what he didn't expect was when she pushed herself away and unfortunately, he hadn't expected her to do that so he failed to stop her as she fell at the other end on the floor.

She had slept at the far edge without knowing.

With a pained groan, Penelope tried to get up but when she saw him coming to where she fell, her eyes Quickly shot at the side table where a tray was placed, spotting a small knife, she grabbed it.

"Stay away from me!" She threatened with the knife.

Who knows what he had tried to do to her while she was asleep.

She panicked when he didn't listen but kept coming closer.

"I said stay away!" She yointed the knife at him as though saying she'd hurt him if he came closer.

The knife torched his chest, poking slightly but he wouldn't stop.

Penelope's hands were trembling terribly as she watched the knife go deep, almost cutting through, but then her hand released and the knife fell to the ground.

A table knife.

Really?

Dorian wanted to laugh at his mate's petty threat.

He got closer to her taking note of her trembling hand, wasn't he the one who should be trembling in fright.

Wanting to know how bold she was, he kept walking until he felt the tip of the knife against his chest but he didn't stop.

Her hand freed the knife and it fell to the ground.

Even though he knew she didn't have such a bold mind to stab a person, it warmed his heart knowing his mate wouldn't hurt him.

Drawing closer, he grabbed her trembling hand and pulled her into his embrace.

Ahh, so warm, he snuggled his face against the crook of her neck feeling her small body struggling to be freed.

He drowned in her sweet scent which belonged only to him.

This little girl here was his world now, his life and his everything.

"Let me go!" Penelope struggled even more in an attempt to free herself but it seemed the more she did, the more he grasped her, but in a way, gentle enough not to hurt her.

"I'll never let you go, my love." His voice sounded like a man who was droused in intoxication and truly, he was intoxicated by her sweet scent.

"Never…" He breathed letting his warm breath fall against her neck which looked too bare for his liking.

Not yet Dorian, not yet.

He would mark her when the time was right.

"Alpha, you need to come down stairs now"

A grunt could be heard from Dorian who looked displeased that his moment with his mate was being disturbed.

"What?" He growled through a mind link at his Beta, Azrael.

"Tordoff is here!" Replied Azrael 

Dorian's eyes immediately hardened at his Beta's words.

What was that foolish tyrant doing here?

×

Penelope, who had been trying to free herself from this man's grasp, felt his hands loosen around her as he let go.

A scowled look on his face that didn't seem directed at her but was enough to make her shiver.

He walked out immediately leaving Penelope confused but a bit shaken by his behavior.

Not having enough time to ponder over anything, the door snapped open making her jolt slightly at the unexpected motion.

Another man who she seemed to recognize walked in.

He was the second man she had seen in the car that day when she was abducted.

He had a deep tint of ginger coloured hair which seemed quite real, slightly curly and it fell down to his forehead, stopping at the top of his ginger coloured eyebrows.

If anything, he looked in his early twenties, or less?

"Hi," He waved his hand at her with a gentle smile on his face.

"I'm Felix, and your name is?"

Silence followed his question as Penelope just stared at him.

Silence.

"Okay then, it seems you're not quite a talker, so uhm, what would you like to have for breakfast?" He asked but she still didn't respond, just kept staring.

"You must have a favorite dish, so what do you want?"

"I want to go home." She replied.

She finally spoke but her words left Felix rather transfixed.

Now he was the one to keep mute, not knowing what words to say to her.

"Please…," she begged, her voice sounding as though she would cry in the next minute.

With a sigh, Felix took steps, approaching her, standing at the other side of the bed.

"Look, our Alph…." He stopped mid sentence, what was he about saying, if he addressed Dorian as Alpha to her, she would be confused, so instead, he used a different word.

"Our boss really isn't a mean person, he's a good person." He said.

"What kind of good person kidnaps someone and keeps them against their will." She retorted, her voice choking itself down her throat.

"Well, ...if you put it that way, but…."

He sighed

"Listen, our Alph—our boss doesn't mean any harm to you, he really means good for you." He answered.

"Then why am I here?"

Wow, he really thought she wasn't a talker.

"You'll understand soon, I'm not the right person to tell you the reason."

"I just want to go home."

"You will, soon, all you have to do in the meantime is just cooperate, and I promise you'll be able to go home."

"At least I think so." He said the last bit in his head

"See," he approached further, "you're a very special person to our boss and…."

He really didn't know how to explain this to her.

Dorian was the one to do it.

"He would nev—"

A groan left his lips at the pain he felt in his head. His hand went to his forehead.

Penelope was still listening to this man who had entered the room when he stopped mid sentence and groaned, reaching for his head as though in pain.

"A-are you alright?" She asked genuinely concerned.

"You have to come with me now." He said in a tone of urgency with his hand stretched out to her and a frown could be seen on Penelope's face, she was confused.

"Remember that cooperation I talked about?" He asked.

Cooperation.

He had said if she cooperated, there were chances of her being allowed to return home, the only thing that bothered her was, what kind of cooperation he meant.

Either way, anything that could guarantee her being able to leave this place, she would do.

With uncertainty and distrust, she reached for his hand and he grabbed it, leading her out.

××××××××××××

"The rest of the pack are becoming aggressive." spoke the man who stood before Dorian, his aura, emitting power standing tall but not up to Dorian's which didn't just emit power but demanded submission as well.

"For the past weeks and even going to a month now, you've been dormant and neglected your duties as their Alpha and they wish to know what you're up to, if by any chance incapable, I can take your place as their temporary Alpha." He answered.

Dorian stared at Tordoff speaking with keen sharp eyes which looked calm but if one were to look closely, there was something scary lingering in them which a person was to be wary of.

"Tell them that I've been busy." He replied, his tone not sounding like he spoke of anything important.

"Busy? With what?" Asked Tordoff with a scoff.

"Searching for my mate." He answered with a flat tone.

The concept of 'mate' was a very important topic for a shifter and certainly, that reason was enough to get them to stop bothering about his absence and lack of acting to his title as their Alpha.

A misbidded laughter erupted from Tordoff who looked rather fascinated.

"Dorian, if you wish for me to make an excuse to them for your negligence to your duties, at least bring up a believable reason, I as well as every lycan who exist are well aware of your curse about not possessing a mate."

Tordoff spoke with utter confidence but Dorian rather, just stared at him without a word.

His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of the white sofa he sat on.

His eyes never left the man before him as he mind linked his Gamma to bring forth his mate.

He knew he didn't have to do something as silly as trying to prove this to him but he just couldn't hold back, he wanted to flaunt his mate, to let this imbecile know he also possessed a mate like any other shifter.

Soon, Felix stood by the ramp of the stairs, looking down at the two men down below, he led Penelope towards the left end of the stairs but once he got to the middle.

"Stop!" At the alpha's command, he halted.

He watched as Dorian turned his attention from the man before him to where they stood but then, a threatening growl left his throat.

Penelope wouldn't be able to hear it from their distance but due to a shifter's remarkable hearing ability, he was able to know their Alpha was displeased with something.

What was it?

His sight followed what Dorian was looking at that got him to growl and his eyes landed on his hand which held Penelope's.

At once, he let go of her hand, taking a small step away from her, the last thing he wanted was the ALPHA'S rath.

"She is my mate"

Dorian's attention went back to the man standing before him, this time, he spoke through mind link, his voice sounding proud and adoring like a person who'd just found the rarest of all treasures.

Tordoffs first reaction was that of doubt, but then he looked at the girl who stood on the stairs, a look of confusion covering his face.

"But....she is human"

He seemed even more confused.

"A fragile and weak human is your mate?" He asked as his eyes looked with astonishment at the girl.

"Watch your words!" Dorian warned threateningly not liking the disrespect Tordoff spoke towards his mate but instead, the man laughed, with a shake of his head.

"It seems the curse wasn't enough as the moon goddess decided to punish you with a weakly pathetic human as a mate."

"Get her away from here!"

Felix grimaced at the rage at which Dorian mind linked him but at the sighting of the alpha's claws already half turned, he realized how quick his Instruction was to be carried out.

"Now!" Dorian growled and immediately, Felix grabbed Penelope's hand, taking her back to the room.

"What is happening?" Penelope asked when she heard the sound of a broken vase

"Just keep looking forward." Felix ushered, Quickly leading her to the elevator, the last thing Dorian needed was for his mate to see him in his other form before he told her of what he was.

××××××××××

"Drag him out!" Dorian ordered his beta, Azrael who had been standing with them in the parlor.

Azrael then ushered for the two other shifters who were present and they dragged the bleeding body of Tordoff out, leaving a trail of blood behind.

Although Dorian didn't kill the lycan, at least the lesson he had taught him today would make him think twice in the future before addressing his mate with such disrespectful words.

××××××××××

Evening had already come and Penelope was still counting her stars on being let off from this place.

She was currently crutched up on the largely sized bed by a corner with her legs held up and her head placed against her knee.

All the while, thinking of how her mother was doing.

The click sound of the door pulled her attention to the man who walked in.

His expression was slightly hard when he came in but once he was in, it softened.

He approached the bed and immediately, Penelope got up from the bed standing by the side.

His eyes followed down to the side table and he walked towards it, using two fingers, he slid the lids off the plates and frowned at the fact she didn't torch her dinner.

He Walked back to her, taking hold of her hand, she flinched but didn't pull it out.

"Why aren't you eating, my love?"

He asked using his thumb to smooth down at her fingers

"Do you not like the food?"

He asked, his eyes gazing into hers with nothing but utter softness and adoration.

"I want to go home." Her voice sounded like she had been crying which made Dorian hurt inside.

"Please let me go home!" She begged, although she knew her chances were slim, if what that ginger haired man said, If even half of it was true, then she was testing her luck, she watched him shut his eyes closed making her confused but then his reply made her mind rave in relief.

"Fine, I'll let you go…." He said opening his eyes, "but on a condition." He said and watched as she looked at him with utter focus waiting for him to speak.

"Sleep with me…."