Silent Noise, page 10
My gaze shifts to the two females standing slightly behind her again. They look like servants of some sort. Just by glancing at them, I can clearly see that they are very uncomfortable with the whole situation.
“And where exactly do you think my place is?” I snarl, shifting my eyes back to her. I can feel my wolf pushing to get out and rip the insolence off her pretty face.
“Definitely not in Raiden’s bed,” she almost growls at me, taking a threatening step closer.
We are mere inches apart. I can feel my fangs elongating in the back of my mouth and claws threatening to push into place. She is trotting on very dangerous ground, and she doesn’t even know it, yet.
“What would you know of Raiden’s bed?” my voice coming out low and deadly.
Her arrogance is starting to get under my skin.
I see her visibly flinch when I focus my Alpha dominance solely on her while I wait for her reply. The power radiating off me seems to make her falter a bit, but she only takes one, uneasy step back. While the gesture is quite small, it is enough to tell me that I have the upper hand.
She looks a bit taken aback by my power, but quickly fixes her posture and flashes me an evil smirk.
“Well, I should know, I’m his chosen Luna.”
Chapter 28
Lord Hale
As I hover only a few steps away from her, I can clearly see her pupils dilate in anger as it bubbles and simmers just beneath the surface.
I know her body well, and I know what she is capable of. That is also the reason why I will stop at nothing to gain back the control I have lost over her.
I will take her back, even if it means taking her by force.
The two she-wolves in the hallway are glaring daggers at each other, while completely oblivious to my company. For now, I will not dare to make my presence known, while I enjoy the remarkably interesting events unfolding right in front of me. This is good. This is very good.
I lean back against the wall, casually observing the fight that is about to break out.
A lover’s quarrel, or should I say, love triangle? Perfect.
Doubt and deception will rip the two lovers apart, leaving her alone, desperate and weakened. I could use this to my advantage.
First, I must get her alone, and then I can take my sweet time in invading every single inch of her body, just like old times.
My thoughts are momentarily interrupted by a man sprinting around the corner and sliding to an abrupt halt against the opposite wall. He looks desperate and extremely nervous. Wait a second, I know this guy. That face and powerful aura of his is not something I would easily forget.
He is, or should I say, was my host’s mate. How intriguing that he had run here and at this very moment. I draw my brow together and look him over sceptically.
The Alpha struggles to regain his posture and almost loses his footing when he sees the two women standing face to face in the middle of the hallway. Shock is clearly written all over his face as he shifts his gaze from the one to the other.
He is breathing erratically, not from being tired, but rather a mixture of anxiety and nervousness. Little beads of sweat instantly appear on his forehead as he slowly steps towards my former host, completely ignoring the other female.
Both women are staring at him now. I am slightly behind them, so I can’t see their faces, but I can feel the thickness in the atmosphere. It is definitely tense.
The Alpha male makes his way reluctantly closer to my host, with his arms stretched out towards her. He stares at her with pleading eyes, not even sparing a glance at the dark-haired woman. This makes me sizzle. She is mine, not his. He needs to drop this act while he still can.
The male stretches an anxious hand out towards my host once he reaches her, almost as if he is afraid of frightening her away.
“Lily, please,” he says pleadingly.
She does not move an inch, nor does she say anything. A look of utter desperation is quickly taking over the male’s face.
“How could you?” I hear my host breathe out in a shaky voice.
The male shakes his head, eyes still locked onto hers. “I can explain. Lily, please just give me a chance,” he blurts out.
Floating closer to get a better view, I watch as my host breaks out in pure white fur, all the while keeping her eyes focused on the Alpha male. When she finally falls onto the ground on all fours, her wolf looks up at him with flashes of black threatening to take over her golden orbs.
The male carefully crouches down in front of her magnificent white wolf, studying her body language closely. Just behind him, the dark-haired woman stares at the scene in front of her with wide-eyes and her mouth slightly agape.
“Raiden, Baby? Who is this?” she asks in a sultry voice from behind, careful not to come any closer.
I watch in amusement as the Alpha’s muscles instantly stiffen and his eyes visibly dilate.
The beautiful white wolf lets out one final, agonizing howl, before bolting down the hall.
Her shredded clothes are lying scattered on the ground where she had stood only seconds ago. The Alpha stares at the ground for another moment in disbelief before he falls to the ground onto his knees. He is slumped over like someone in mourning as he pushes his hands into his hair and tugs on it in frustration.
The dark-haired women’s mouth is opening and closing like a fish out of water. She is clearly at a loss for words, shock and disbelief written all over her face. After a while, she turns and walks away hesitantly, with the two servants trailing quietly behind.
Silently, the male starts to gather all the pieces of shredded clothing, still lying around him and gently presses it to his chest.
Another bulky male comes sprinting around the corner. This guy is huge. He stops a few feet away from the Alpha male, still slumped over on the ground and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He does not say anything, but I can see that he is showing empathy towards his broken friend, pathetically holding the pieces of clothing to his chest.
The Alpha is visibly shaking. His knuckles have turned a deadly white, and he has turned his face away from his friend.
Lily
I feel like I have no control over my emotions anymore. Am I starting to lose it? In the last week, I have shifted into my wolf twice, unable to control the raging beast inside me. The painful sting of betrayal is piercing through me like a sharp, scolding blade, leaving nothing but damage in its wake.
Letting my wolf take the lead, I watch through her eyes as we run through the forest, trying to get away from all our sorrow. I do not know where to go or what to do anymore. My life has turned into a complete mess. Should I stay? Should I go back home? I feel so humiliated and deceived.
I shake my head vigorously to rid myself of the agonising thoughts and bolt into a different direction. When I finally arrive at a clearing covered in the most beautiful tiny wildflowers, I stop. I just stand there in the middle of the clearing and let the beauty of the area soothe the anguish in my soul.
Relishing the beautiful surroundings, I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the sweet aroma of the flowers lingering in the air. It pacifies me for a moment, and I decide to stay right here until I have regained my self-control.
After a while, I lay down on the soft, cool forest floor and wait. I am still in my wolf-form and not planning on changing back any time soon.
Raiden
I wanted to rush after her. I wanted to comfort her. But I also knew that I was the one who had caused her suffering and that I was the last person she would want to see right now.
Gunnar advised me on giving her some time and space to clear her mind, although I wasn’t very comfortable with the idea, since I am not completely sure what had been said between her and Tanya.
It was getting dark outside, and she was still out in the forest, all alone. Knowing that that filthy entity might be out there somewhere, did not help to ease my nerves at all.
Gunnar led me to my office and tried to keep me occupied with pack matters the rest of the night, but I could not focus on anything. My mind was racing. I needed to be with her.
So, after hours of pacing in my office anxiously, I cannot take it anymore. I fail miserably in doing so and bolt out of the door, changing into my wolf and sprinting into the dark forest.
I track her scent through the thick undergrowth until I find her lying in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by hundreds of tiny white flowers, almost glowing in the moonlight. My breath hitches in my throat. The scene in front of me is probably the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. She looks so peaceful, as she lies there fast asleep, blissfully unaware of my presence.
Her body must be exhausted from all that has happened. She needs the sleep, in order to gain her strength back. I silently shift into my human form and walk over to her as quietly as possible. Crouching down beside her, I gently put my hand on her back, against her wolf’s soft white fur. I can feel the pleasant tingles starting to ignite in my fingertips from our mate bond.
I watch in awe as she lets out a deep, relaxing sigh as if she is unconsciously letting go of all her anguish.
“I’m so relieved that I’ve finally found you,” I whisper softly into her ear while gently stroking her back.
A few moments later, I feel a strange, tickling sensation under my hand and lift it away from her to inspect. Her white fur is disappearing, and she is shifting back into her human form.
This is strange. How can she shift in her sleep?
A lump instantly forms in my throat as my eyes eagerly scan over her naked body. The mate bond is truly something extraordinary, and the effect of a mate’s touch is more powerful than I could have imagined.
Her smooth, flawless skin has got me webbed in a trance, and I cannot seem to look away. A few strands of her shiny blond hair have fallen over her face, almost covering her long, slightly darker lashes. I know that I should look away, but I am completely mesmerized by her beauty.
As if snapping back to reality, I am suddenly aware of an eerie stillness that has fallen over the forest. I straighten up a bit and study my surroundings. It is almost as if every single being in the forest is cowering away, quietly waiting for an unknown threat to pass over.
My eyes search desperately through the dark, moving from one tree to another. I lift my nose in the air and take a deep breath. I do not smell anything strange, but my gut tells me that we are not alone.
The noise of complete and utter silence is starting to sting my ears.
When the hair in the back of my neck starts standing on end, I glance back down at my Mate. Tiny goosebumps are starting to spread all over Lily’s body even in her sleeping state. I watch as it quickly covers her entirely and takes it as a clear sign to get the hell out of here.
Bending down, I slip my arms underneath Lily’s body and hug her tightly to my chest. I hoist her up in one swift motion and briskly carry her back towards the castle.
Chapter 29
Lily
My eyes slowly flutter open, and I sigh contently, snuggling into the comfortable warmth of the bed.
Wait, what? A bed? I flick my eyes open quickly and take in the room around me. Black bedding with beautiful white and silver motives on it is draped over me—dark wood furnishings decorating the inside of the room with a plush, white carpet underneath. Different items are scattered around on the bedside table and on a large bookshelf close by; books, picture frames, sunglasses, and a gas mask. This must be Raiden’s room.
On instinct, my eyes land on the empty spot in the bed, next to me. How did I get here? The last thing I remember was lying down in the forest, on a bed of soft, tiny wildflowers. How could I have changed back into my human-form without noticing? Realizing that I had shifted, I quickly glance down at my nakedness, with a slight blush instantly creeping over my face.
Raiden must have found me and brought me back to his room. I groan out loud with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment before falling back down onto the comfy bed. For a while, I just lie there, staring at the ceiling, and thinking about yesterday’s events—the women in the hallway, Raiden’s panicked face and our steamy make-out session from earlier. Just the memory of us together and how he had made me feel has got tingles erupting deep inside my belly once again. My core starts to warm up at the thought of him carrying me to his bed, completely naked.
Even though I still don’t know how to feel towards him, I can’t help but enjoy the familiarity of his scent clinging to the bed and invading my senses. Wanting to savor it, I turn onto my side and bury my nose into his pillow, taking in as much of him as I can.
A second later, the door swings open, revealing a young man, about my age.
“Yo, man, mind if I?” he starts but stops in his tracks and stares at me wide-eyed.
Snapping out of my state of shock, I yank the bedding up quickly to cover my exposed torso.
“Shit,” he blurts out, swiftly spinning around, and slapping his hand over his eyes. “I am so sorry!” he yells, still looking the other way. “Shit!” he blurts out again. “Raiden is going to kill me,” I hear him mumble.
I am shocked, embarrassed, and well, trapped on the bed, hiding beneath the covers, with my face probably the deepest shade of red known to mankind.
As if things couldn’t possibly get any worse, Raiden steps into the room, holding a tray with what looks to be breakfast in his arms. He stares at my shocked expression for a second, confusion written all over his face and then shifts his eyes to the young man standing off to his left, with his hand clapped over his face.
“I’m so sorry, Alpha, it was an accident,” the young man pleads.
Raiden’s body has gone stiff, and I can see his jaw clenching.
“You’ve never had a girl anywhere near your room in all the years, how could I have?”
“GET OUT!” Raiden’s voice booms across the room, cutting the young man off. He scampers out of the room so fast, he almost looks like a cartoon character.
Raiden doesn’t make an effort to move. I can see his wolf’s golden orbs, instead of his usual greys, although he is clearly trying to reel his beast back in. After all, Alpha males are known to be very possessive when it comes to their mates.
After a while, his breathing has returned to normal, and he turns to shut the door behind him. I am still sitting uncomfortably in his bed, completely naked, hugging the sheets tightly to my chest. Our eyes lock as soon as he turns to look at me.
“I am sorry about that,” he says in a gentle voice while he walks over to me with the tray in his hands. “Can I make it up to you?” he asks with a cocked brow and a tiny smile, holding the tray up to me.
I blush once again but cannot help the smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
Once he has my confirmation by means of a nod, he places the tray gently on my lap and walks over to his closet. Pulling one of his crisp white t-shirts off a hanger, he hands it to me so I can cover myself up and I gratefully accept without hesitation.
“I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I brought a little bit of everything,” Raiden says while turning his back towards me so I can quickly slip the shirt over my head.
Once I’m done, I clear my throat as a signal that the coast is clear. He turns around and instantly gives me a smoldering smile. I can feel my insides undeniably turning into goo. How can one man have this effect on me so easily? Damn the mate bond! I silently curse in my mind.
“I am supposed to be mad at you,” I say, wiping the goofy smile off my face and crossing my arms in front of my chest for effect.
He does not stop smiling but walks over to the bed and sits down right beside me. “I just love these little cheesy pork sausages,” he says while grabbing a sausage off the plate and popping it into his mouth.
I cock a brow at him. “Did you hear what I just said?” I ask him, completely ignoring the tray of food.
He sighs and runs a hand through his already tousled hair. “I know,” he groans out. “But I just can’t seem to focus on that right now. I mean, you are sitting in my bed, wearing nothing but my shirt. How can you expect me to even think straight?” He flashes me another one of his devilish smirks.
I pull my eyes into thin lines. “Fine! But after breakfast, you’ve got some serious explaining to do!” I say while pointing at him with my index finger.
“Alright, alright,” he says, throwing his hands up in the air as a sign of surrender.
This is going to be more difficult than I thought. He has got me wrapped around his finger, and I cannot even help myself.
Raiden eats breakfast with me, as there is more than enough food for both of us. He tells me about his pack and how they do things around here. We talk about everything, except for the big elephant in the room.
After breakfast, he offers to fetch some of my clothes from my room while I take a shower.
I close my eyes as the warm water cascades down my body, relaxing my muscles and rinsing away all of yesterday’s pain. Today will be the day that Raiden tells me everything. I will make sure of it. My mind is made up, and I will not take ‘no’ for an answer, nor will I let the love of my life slip away that easily.
I wash my hair, shave my legs, and breathe in the fresh aroma of Raiden’s body wash. The faint smell of him lingering in the room calms my senses and fills me with new determination. I will just have to work a little bit harder to get to him. I can’t just blindly trust the mate bond to do all the work. I have been naïve in the past, believing that he would just fall at my feet because of the bond we share.
I will make him fall for me.
I will be his Luna.
