"What!" Hazel screamed. Her eyes bulged out; her jaws drooped. Dallan wasn't smiling, and it made her heart beat fast. She expected him to laugh and say it was all a joke, but nothing of such came. "Tell me that is a joke. Please," she begged.
"Do you think I am joking?" Dallan's brows knitted in confusion. "Are you saying you haven't felt anything since we met?"
"O—Of course I... have!" Hazel blurted out. She scoffed. "How can I be your mate? Is that why I can't stop thinking about you?" She regretted mentioning that last part. Dallan had already started smirking.
"Oh, I see. You were thinking about me, right? What were you thinking?" Dallan continued smirking as he inched closer. Hazel moved back until she collided with the headboard. "I can imagine your thoughts on my lips, or..." He caressed his groin. "I was so wet yesterday. Did you see an outline of my cock?"
"Shut up." Hazel nervously swallowed. Her legs trembled. "I... I thought nothing of such." Her eyes betrayed her. She found herself lingering on the bulge in his pants. A beautiful outlined design of his manhood stretched down—almost touching the lower part of his left lap. Hazel swallowed again.
Dallan's voice involuntarily dropped. The smirk disappeared. "Then why do I find you staring? Why do I feel you want me so badly as much as I want you?" He moved closer and collapsed with his knees on the foam. Hazel had nowhere to go; he slowly advanced, dragging his knees on the bed. His eyes narrowed on her. "Hazel, what are you doing to me? Why am I feeling this way?"
Hazel felt her heartbeat increase with every word he uttered. Her lips parted; she fixed her eyes to his with an intensity that fanned her uncontrollable desire to an inferno.
"I want to kiss you," Dallan rasped in a gruff voice. The way her body vibrated in acknowledgement made him move closer.
"Your eyes are glowing."
"What?"
"I said your eyes are glowing," Hazel softly repeated. It did not scare her. She was intrigued. As she reached out a shaky hand to caress Dallan's face, her robe parted from the middle to reveal her plump cleavage. Dallan's eyes went there before she had time to adjust the material. His tongue involuntarily traced a perfect line on his own lips.
Now, it was Hazel's turn to stare.
She licked her own lips to the view of the perfect glittering moisture his tongue had left. Whatever he used on his hair made it look very attractive. She could clearly make out the olive-and-coconut-oil scent lingering on his skin. His cold-blue eyes pulled her in. It was a very weird reaction considering how others would cringe just looking at his eyes.
Hazel knew what existed beyond his button-up shirt. The sketch of strong muscles and sinews were very visible through the material, leaving little or nothing to the imagination. She could tell the width of his chest, the hardness of his nipples; the way his thighs contracted and relaxed against the hard fabric of his pants. He exuded nothing but virility and whole masculinity. She almost saw the strength seeping out of him.
Oh, what she would do to have that energy all to herself! Not to talk of the fact that she had been mated to him.
"Your eyes are glowing," Hazel repeated. This time, her voice sounded clearer. She almost slapped herself when Dallan jerked back to stand at the foot of the bed.
Just like that, the magical love-dust an imaginary fairy had sprinkled on them dissipated. Dallan cleared his throat. "It happens sometimes." His voice no longer held ice. "Hazel, tell me... What are your powers?"
"I don't have any powers," the woman replied. Suddenly, her lips quirked up in a smirk. "Oh, is that what this mate stuff is all about? You need me to trust you and spill—let me put it in your words—"special mermaid powers." Are you that dumb?"
"If I find out that you are lying in any way, the punishment will be severe."
"I don't know how you intend to find out if I am lying or not. Do you have a power-reading machine here? Wow. I had no idea this pack has very modern facilities."
Dallan ignored the mockery in the tone of her voice. "We have Abe, a warlock and one of the elders of this pack facilitating decision making to ensure the smooth running of things..." He advanced closer with a domineering demeanor. "... I will not like to apply force in reading your energy. And if by chance I find out that you are lying—in any way—you won't like what would happen to you."
"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Hazel squared her shoulders and stared straight ahead—into his eyes. Fear clouded her mind, but her eyes showed nothing of such. "How in the name of the gods do you even hope to access my energy?"
"That is why I said the experience might not be too pleasant. You would not like to know what it entails for a wizard to break through whatever defences you set up in your mind." Dallan saw her breath quicken. Her eyes suddenly started turning pitch-black, just as he'd seen on the ship. He frowned. "What is it with your eyes?"
"I don't know what you are talking about." Her eyes settled back to normal before he could ask another question. Hazel smiled. "I had no idea all you do is kidnap helpless women and lock them in a room in your quarters. That's a little cringe. I don't want to imagine a man of your status a weirdo."
"I am no weirdo, woman. Actually, I am one of the best alphas you will find within miles and miles of here."
"Ah, he has ego too," Hazel tittered. Her expressions annoyed Dallan. He found it hard to believe that this was the same woman he had come so close to kissing moments ago. "I can only imagine how much of an alpha you are to torment the lives of lesser creatures—as you guys call people like my specie. I wonder how many poor women must have been kidnapped by you and your men."
She was trying to annoy him, Dallan knew that. But it did not stop him from getting annoyed. "I am many things, and a kidnapper is not one of them. We are wolves. We rule. We were born to do that, trained for it..." Dallan got a flashback. His father had used those exact words when advising him. "We conquer and rule. I know you have no idea of what I am taking about since all you guys do is cower in fear before people like us."
"I definitely do not cower in fear." Hazel smiled and rested her back on the headboard. "If you are smart, you should have known that by now."
"I know that you are stubborn and insolent. I am trying to imagine how it must have been like for you growing up." It was a great comeback that hit the spot. Hazel smile disappeared. She glared daggers at him.
"What do you know about my childhood, you uncouth imp?!"
"You will address me with respect, Hazel."
"That will only happen when you choose to man up and admit how much of a loser you are! I hope your parents are happy with the son they trained!"
Dallan recoiled. Her words hit him square in the chest. His knees almost buckled. His father would definitely be ashamed of the son he had become. All his life, he was trained to be ruthless, cruel and domineering; to take over—by force—when it was necessary. But... those harsh lessons died with his father. Dallan did not have the balls to do that to the pack. His aggression and icy hostility always ended at the pack's overly large gates. In the pack, he looked so innocent, sweet. Outside, that was another story.
"Well, I am not the only one with some childhood problems," Hazel continued. The anger left her voice. She relaxed. "It's not cool talking to people like that."
Dallan grew limp. "I am..." Wait, what?!!! He frowned. Was he just about to apologize?
"You are what?"
"I... I am going for lunch. The pack will throw a party in my honor." Dallan smiled and gave himself a thumbs up. He had perfectly handled his apology by masking it like a pro. He started to the door.
"Wait!" Hazel called out.
"Hmm?" Dallan turned back to her.
"Are we not going to discuss about this mate stuff?"
"That's true," Dallan murmured. "I can not take you as my mate. I just can't."
"I can't too. You are not just up to the task."
Dallan ignored her remark. "I am happy we have both rejected each other. Finding a way out of this... issue will be more easier this way. We will denounce ourselves and follow all the due process. I will have to to ask Abe about that."
"Who is this Abe guy you keep mentioning?"
"I told you he is the pack's warlock. I might not have added it but he is also my father—my father and mother. I hope you understand what I mean."
"I do," Hazel responded softly. Her eyes lost their defiance. A part of her badly wanted Dallan, wanted to take a bold step, but his attitude and rejection would make her seem desperate for a partner.
"Okay. I will leave you now. Enjoy yourself." Dallan ran out of the room before he changed his mind and did something crazy. He desperately craved contact with her skin, or any part of her body. The moderately exposed flesh he had sighted in there was already making him hard with just thoughts of her. Now the real question remained if he would be able to reject Hazel considering all the crazy responses his body kept giving. It still came as a surprise to him how he had managed not to get an erection in there. It would have been downright embarrassing.
Dallan found only Kai in the living room, turning the TV from one channel to another. "I had no idea you still watch animations," Dallan mused when Kai settled for a rather childish channel.
"The best way to live is to embrace that childish part of yourself." Like an enraged teen, he rolled his eyes and completely turned off the TV. "What happened in there?"
"A lot." Dallan exhaled and collapsed on a sofa directly facing Kai. "We have agreed to reject each other. You said that is possible, right?"
Kai looked at the alpha in pity. "Dal, you were never this way: so unreasonable. If you guys go through the rejection rites, you could stay without a mate throughout your entire centuries. It will not be a very pleasant experience, trust me."
"I am willing to risk it."
"Is she not more beautiful than all the ladies you fuck?"
"Jeez! Who is talking about beauty? Yes, she is beautiful. And yes, before you ask, she is hot enough to make me hard. And yes, I would not mind fucking her."
"Good," Kai grinned. "As long as you find her sexy, at least physically, she is okay. I know you already love her. There is this desire that burns in your eyes whenever you talk about her. It been so long I saw you this thrilled, filled with excitement for a potential adventure. She excites you, doesn't she?"
"She does," Dallan answered truthfully. "I have never felt this kind of attraction in my entire life."
"That is why she is your mate. Trust me, she will also feel this same amount of longing as you feel for her."
"It did not seem that way when I was with her." Dallan pictured that hard glint that flashed across her eyes when he had said something about her childhood. He couldn't remember what he had said to irk her so much. How had the crying lady he captured just last night suddenly turned into a woman of steel? "She seemed rather happy to part ways with me. I don't think she even sees me as anything of benefit to her life."
"Wait..." Kai scoffed and leaned forward. "Dal, is that pain I am sensing in your voice?"
"W—What? Pain? Nah. Not at all. Why would I feel pained?" Dallan gave out a nervous laughter. "She doesn't want me. I don't want her too. It's that simple."
"But your entire body says otherwise. You look like someone fighting with himself over something that shouldn't be a cause of worry."
"I am fine. Thanks for your concern." Dallan fixed his eyes on the carved wolf figurine resting close to a window. It was as old as the pack itself. His father had always mentioned how much he cherished that particular item since it had come from his wife during one of his birthdays. Dallan had always found it strange that his mother had his dad wrapped around her fingers. Sometimes, all it took were some cajoling and caressing to make his father yield to her. Dallan wanted a love like that, a love that others found hard to understand. A love like his parent's. "Hazel will be my maid. She should start her duties tomorrow morning."
For a moment, Kai was lost. He knitted his brows in confusion. "You want Hazel as your maid?"
"Yes, I do."
"Beautiful!" Kai exclaimed in glee. "Tomorrow morning, she will be briefed of her duties." Kai almost yelped in happiness. At least, that position would push them close to each other—even if it was just a bit.
Dallan was about to reconsider the decision of making Hazel his maid when the front door slowly opened. Despite his friendliness, Dallan knew that nobody without business within the house would have the guts to barge in like that. He frowned.
A man walked in, smiling. His hair was long and completely white; his face had very little wrinkles, hiding the fact that he was in his eighties. The robe he wore reached down to his ankles. It made him look very athletic.
"Abe!" Dallan exclaimed. He jumped from the sofa and straight into the elderly man's arms.
"I can't believe you still do this to me," Abe laughed and patted his back. "You should know I am an old man. It would be devastating to get crushed by a wolf."
"You are not old. You look like someone in his forties." Dallan pulled back and returned the smile. "I wonder how you wizards manage to stay so young."
Abe rolled his eyes. "Says the specie who age an inch every hundred years." He laughed and turned to Kai. "How is it going, boy?"
"Very fine. Thanks, Abe."
"You are welcome. Dallan, congratulations. I am so happy for you."
"W—What are you talking about?" Dallan inched closer. "Wait, did you get one of those your visions? What did you see?"
"I am so happy for you, Dallan," Abe repeated, still smiling...
Dallan got a little confused. Abe was always the type to crack jokes, laugh, and make people feel at ease. But this particular type of congratulation did not sit well with Dallan. Who knew what the warlock had seen? "Abe, I don't understand." Dallan nervously cleared his throat. "Why are you congratulating me? "Wait... Are you telling me that you do not know?" "Know what?" Abe feigned a look of surprise. It made a corner of his lips tilt up. "Are you yet to feel the mate signs?" "Oh. Is that what you are talking about?" "Of course!" Kai who was now smiling gently plopped on a sofa. He allowed them to discuss. Dallan also sat on a sofa. Now, only Abe stood. "Please, sit." Dallan tried ushering him to a sofa, but the man refused. "I am okay this way. I want to know why your face looks this way. You don't even seem excited that you have finally found your mate. What is going on?" "If you saw a vision about me getting my mate, did you also see who the mate is?" "Of cour
"What!" Kai exclaimed in disbelief. "The pack has been planning all that?!" "Yes, they have. I wanted to know if it was an order from—" "No! I did not give that order! Neither did Dal—Alpha Dallan. Have the people gone mad? Shouldn't the alpha be the one to make that decision?" "I just thought to inform you." "Thank you, Drab. You may leave." Kai fumed. While Dallan was thinking about making Hazel his maid, the pack had kitchen plans for her. Kai did not even know who was the alpha anymore. Whenever Dallan gave an order, the pack members gave two to counter it. Still fuming, Kai went back to Dallan's quarters. The alpha was no longer in the sitting room. Kai knew he must have gone to be with his parents. Kai went straight to Hazel. He knocked. For a moment, it seemed no one was in the room. He knocked again. "Who is that?" Her voice came from within, low and confused. "It's... erm..." Kai slowly pushed himself in. "Hi." "Hmm, I knew it wasn't that imp. He would never ca
If there was anything Dallan hated, it was pack gatherings. He would have to face all the insufferable council of elders and the over-demanding pack members. The fact that the main theme of the celebration was to see the mermaid was a fact that he was well aware of. He had no idea why the pack wanted a mermaid so badly. He had been the one crazy for one. Initially. Now, his mind was pricking him. It felt like he did a very wrong thing by kidnapping Hazel. She wasn't the first person to be taken by him in such a forceful way, so it came as a surprise why he was suddenly feeling bad—no, remorseful. The trumpet sounded again. Dallan exhaled and slowly got up. It would be a very obvious lie if he should duck under his covers and pretend he didn't hear the summoning trumpet. The sound of that instrument could reverberate on an individual's eardrums from a surprising distance when handled by a specialist. The only reason he would flow with the party was because of his order for the men
"Gods, no." Hazel shook her head in the direction of the gown Kai neatly folded on the bed. "No," she repeated, shaking her head. "You don't expect me to wear that, do you?" "It's a beautiful dress. You will look good in it." Kai picked it up and held it against his body. "Look at the glitters." "And cleavage-exposing cups," Hazel added with a grimace. "And a long slit that will show..." She stopped. There was no need to tell Kai all that, after all, he knew nothing about women's fashion. The dress was probably picked by one of the pack's women. "I thought you will like it." Kai shrugged. "Since you will be meeting the entire pack tonight, I thought it will be important for you to appear beautiful. Though you will be very beautiful with or without the dress." For a moment, Hazel amusingly knitted her brows. Then she burst into laughter." How did you meet Dallan?" she asked. Kai looked lost. "I don't understand." "I said how did you meet Dallan, the alpha?" Kai frowned.
Dallan gasped; his jaw almost touched the ground. He felt a surge of his wolf, an excited dance of jubilation in his guts. The moon seemed to shine brighter, or maybe it was just his eyes. The feeling of adrenaline pumping through his veins was soon replaced with a feeling of peace and serenity. It was a familiar feeling. He had always felt that way whenever his mother hugged him. As a child, feeling undefeatable in her arms was an everyday occurrence. That was the same feeling that attacked Dallan when he set eyes on Hazel. Her choice of dress—he doubted if it was her choice—left very little to the imagination. Very little. The green net covering the white body-hugging dress not only outlined Hazel's shape but her eyes as well. The green of her eyes perfectly matched the dress to the extent that the colour of her eyes was evident from afar—not considering the sharp eyesight of his specie. She wore a stiletto, also green in colour. Hazel stopped walking. The stares she was receiving
Hazel gasped and shot away from her chair with her palm clasped over her mouth. Dallan's face was creased in pain, his palm pressed tightly over his stomach. The celebration crashed. Everyone ran forward at the same time. Hazel had always heard about the agility of wolves. She saw it in action. Even in their normal form, they ran way faster than an average human. She almost mistook Kai for a gust of wind. The beta was the first to stand beside Dallan even though he had stayed at the back. "Is he okay?!" "My alpha?!!" "Alpha Dallan!" Hazel stood still, petrified as questions rang from all directions. The sentries were pushing the people away from Dallan to prevent crushing him. It did not work. Some people managed to get past the human wall. They were repeatedly pushed back. "Is he okay?" Hazel asked in alarm. She shivered. Dallan looked so tired. In that split second, she imagined something happening to him. Like death. The thought made her heart beat fast. She could not give a
Hazel's mouth formed a wide 'O' as she stood in front of what Dallan had called a garden. She had never seen such a beautiful harmony of flowers in her entire life. The garden looked like the goddess' liar. Beautiful flowers that Hazel had no idea of were planted in rows, leaving space in between each for passage. Her love for Dallan rose another bit. A man with a love of nature would appreciate life—and what it had to offer. Hazel walked forward. The milky glow from the moon reflected the colors in beautifully bright hues. Hazel felt like snapping all the lampstands off. The natural light from above gave out the real beauty of the garden."This is beautiful," she murmured. Dallan heard her."I am happy you like it." Even without turning, Hazel knew that he was smiling. The tone of his voice held pride and satisfaction. He seemed very happy that she appreciated the beauty of his pack, or was it just her imagination? Hazel ran her hand on some of the flowers at the front. A little
She would kill him if care wasn't taken. Dallan's thoughts ran wild as he closed his eyes to get back some decent amount of fresh air. His mind ran in all directions. For some moments, he couldn't think straight. And he knew it was Hazel's fault. How did a handjob feel so pleasurable? Dallan exhaled softly and opened his eyes. Hazel's face swam into view. "Are you okay?" she asked. Dallan scoffed. "You have successfully made my limbs immobile, at least for the next five minutes." Hazel chuckled. "I did nothing," she said in defense. "I gave you a handjob, that's all." "Nah..." Dallan was shaking his head from side to side. "You drew out every last drop of my soul. I can almost feel my thighs vibrating." "Shut up." Hazel smiled and leaned down to kiss him. Her hair fell over his chest. Dallan caressed her back and neck. He pulled her closer. As if Hazel realized what she was doing, she pulled back. "Please, don't go," Dallan begged in a low voice. "Stay with me." Hazel tucked