Upon returning to the packhouse, I was pleasantly surprised to find Corel in my bedroom. She all but threw herself at me, grabbing my hair and kissing me passionately, “Do you have any idea how cruel you are?” She said, laying her head against my chest. “It’s been almost a month since you met me.” Her eyes brimmed with tears, “If I hadn’t come here today, you would have not even bothered to meet me, would you?”
“Today?”
She pulled away and looked at me with teary eyes, “So, you don’t even remember?” A sigh escaped her lips and she wiped off her tears. “Never mind then; Go back to hunting your wereheretic.”
My gaze fell on the calendar. Damn! It was the twelfth of April. I ran up to her and pulled her inside. I made her sit on the bed and knelt in front of her, “I am sorry, Corel. I didn’t mean to forget your birthday. It is just that….”
“Your head is so filled with that bitch that there is no place for anyone else; not even your mate!” Her voice shook with anger and hurt.
She was right in a way. I clasped her hands and traced lazy circles. “I am sorry, Corel. I know I have been neglecting you but I just can’t seem to help it.”
A pang of regret clenched my heart as I looked into her eyes. As her mate, it was my duty to keep her happy but this search had driven me so crazy that I was not able to give her time or attention. Then, there were those memories of Hera. I shrugged off those thoughts before they could dominate my mind again.
I kissed the corner of her lips, “I know I have made a huge mistake. Tell me how I can compensate you for it; how I can put that sweet smile back on your face?”
“What can you do for me, Justin?” She challenged, her eyebrows twitching slightly. “I want to see how far you can go to make me happy.”
“I can do anything for you.”
“Can you give up looking for Hera?”
I licked my dry lips and a sigh left my lips, “I can do everything except that…. My mother was killed by her and….”
She raised her hand and got to her feet, “I don’t want anything, Justin…. You can remain stuck up in your stupid quest for all I care.”
She wanted to leave but I held her back and begged, “You know how important this quest is for me… You can ask me for anything else. I promise I won’t refuse.”
She paused for a moment before pursing her lips, “Let us see then. Are you willing to break the conventions of your pack?”
“In the blink of an eye.”
She slid the fabric of her top and caressed the region below her collarbone, “I want you to mark me this very moment. Consider it my birthday gift.”
My breath hitched and my heart started drumming loudly, “Right now?”
“Yes, right now!”
“Can’t we wait until the search is over?”
She pushed me away and tore her hair, “I have had enough, Justin! All you ever speak of is that stupid wereheretic! All you ever do is keep searching senselessly for that stupid bitch.” Her expression turned cold. “I think I should just reject you! I am so done with this stupid relationship where I am the only one who cares!”
Her gaze grew extremely cold as she spoke, “I Corel Ralph, daughter of….” I pushed her against the wall and muffled her voice with my lips before she could complete the sentence. I kept kissing her for a very long time, pouring all my pain, agony, and frustration into that kiss. When I finally pulled away, we both were breathless.
Corel’s face flushed and she muttered, “That was just wow… But…”
“But, my demand remains the same. I want my birthday gift.” Seeing that I was still reluctant, she gave me a coy smile and started unbuttoning her blouse, one at a time with deliberate moves. She took off her shirt revealing her black, lacy bra.
She pushed me against the wall and pressed her body against mine. Leaning closer, she whispered, “What would you like to do with me?”
My mind became heady with her scent and a moan escaped my lips. I grabbed her neck and started kissing her again. Between the kisses, she managed to open my shirt too. She pulled away for a brief second and winked, lacing her finger through the strap of her bra, “Do you want me to take it off too?”
I gasped as my gaze lingered on her breasts. Heat developed in the pit of my stomach filling me with an intense desire to possess her in every way. My inner wolf took over and a primal growl escaped my lips.
Pushing her against the wall, I licked the region below her collarbone before sinking my teeth into her flesh. She let out a scream mixed with pain and ecstasy. Grabbing my hair, she moaned, “Justin, please don’t stop. I want to feel your canines reach my bones.”
With a grunt, I let my teeth sink deeper. She closed her eyes and let out another moan. The fragrance of our mixed scents filled the room with a sweet smell, filling my heart with unbridled mirth. I moaned against her skin and the name ‘Hera’ inadvertently left my lips.
Corel froze. She pushed me away, grabbed her shirt, and started putting it on hastily, her fingers were trembling and I could see her shoulders shaking.
“Corel, I didn’t mean to…” I tried to explain but her warning glare made me pause. She shook her head and bolted out of the room, slamming it behind her.
I slumped on my bed and buried my face in my hands. What exactly was I doing? How in the world did I end up saying Hera’s name at such an intimate moment?
“Fuck!” I cursed as I smacked my palm. My mind veered to the day I had kissed Hera; the sweetness of her lips, her smile were still clear as crystal in my mind. I had tried so hard to get rid of those memories but they were imprinted on my soul.
I pulled out the blood flower from my pocket. I traced my fingers lightly over its contours as my mind replayed the conversation I had with Hera.
The way she confessed her love, the way she proved it, the way her lips moved when she spoke, her smile, her cynical attitude; everything was so bright in my memories.
I tried to recall the time I had spent with Corel. In comparison to my memories with Hera, the time I spent with Corel seemed so distant and the memories I shared with her had faded. Damn! Even the moment I marked her was already pushed to the recess of my mind.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Corel was my mate. I was supposed to be madly in love with her. I was supposed to protect her. There should have been no place for anyone else.
A sharp knock sounded pulling me out of my reverie. I adjusted my clothes as I walked towards the door. Denmark was standing there with an enthusiastic expression, “We have found the wereheretic. She is staying at an old Tavern in the village.”
My heart skipped a beat hearing his words. Did I or did I not want her to get caught? I was still in a state of confusion when Denmark grabbed my hand and led me to the Tavern, “The waiter informed me that Hera had booked a room two days ago.”
“Which room did you say that girl was living in?” He asked, motioning a waiter to come closer.
“Room number 5, sir,” the waiter replied, giving us a curt bow. Denmark grabbed the duplicate keys to the room and rushed upstairs. I followed close behind, wondering what I would do if she was really caught.
I could pretend to catch her and let her escape later on. What if she attacked us? What if she thought that I had betrayed her again? What if she tried to kill us? All these ‘what ifs’ made my head pulsate.
I was saved from making a choice as the room turned out to be empty. “Seems like she already left,” I stated, hiding my smile behind a mask of seriousness.
“The waiter had seen her about an hour ago. She must not have gone far.” Denmark said as we made our way out of the Tavern again. We searched all over the village but couldn’t find her. For the first time since the search began, I was glad that she couldn’t be found.
***
I bought a bouquet on my way to The Moonmist Packhouse. I had upset Corel on her birthday. This was the least I could do to appease her.
My steps faltered as I neared the gate of the packhouse. There was something about the environment that made me restless; something that symbolized the sense of impending gloom.
“Why is it so eerily quiet today? Aren’t we celebrating Corel’s birthday?” I asked as the guard opened the door for me.
“Master,” He bowed from his waist, “I don’t think I can explain this to you. It is better if you should go inside and see for yourself.”
I nodded and trotted along the path paved with stones. Why did the guard look so flustered? My feet came to an abrupt halt. Had Corel told everyone about what had happened? No, that wasn’t possible. Corel wouldn’t humiliate me like that. No girl would discuss such intimate details with others. Then again, Corel was different from others. She was bold and outgoing.
A gasp left my lips as I entered the hall. The furniture, curtains, and even a part of the wall was charred. The hinges of the door were broken and the wooden structure was lying in the corner of the hall.
“How did this happen?” I gasped as I looked around. A servant came up to me and bowed, “Master Justin, a fire broke out while you were away.”
“What the hell! Where is Alpha Hades?”
She lowered her gaze, making my heart sink. I grabbed her arms and shook her up, “Why don’t you reply? Where is my father?”
“He…umm… He is in the infirmary.”
I released her and rushed to the infirmary. He was lying motionless on the bed. Corel sat right beside him, holding his hands. With staggering steps and a trembling heart, I drew closer to him.
I sucked in my breath, seeing my father’s condition. The left side of his face was completely burned and what was more he didn’t look like he was healing. I dropped to my knees beside the bed. With trembling fingers, I brushed the strands of hair away from his forehead, “How did this happen? How did my father get hurt so badly by a fire?”
“It was not an ordinary fire, Master Justin,” the healer replied as she walked over. “It was a magical fire. If Corel hadn’t brought Witch Dalinda on time, the entire packhouse would have been burned to the ground.”
There it was again, the magical fire. I should have probably destroyed the blood flower the moment she gave it to me. My father wouldn’t have suffered then.
How could I have been so naïve? She used a honey trap on me and I fell for it like a fool. My stomach twisted at the sight of my father’s distorted face. First, she killed my mother, now she hurt my father. Who would she target next? My mate?
Enough was enough! I wasn’t going to let her hurt anyone else.
“Corel, please take care of my father,” I stated, getting to my feet.
“Where are you going?”
“I am going to put an end to all of this.”