CHAPTER EIGHT
WALK AWAY FROM ME
"I want her gone," Lucian said to his wolf as he showered. He could hear her retreating footstep on the stairs. He recalled how she had packed her clothes hurriedly. She had never seen him so mad. That at least would warn her to tread carefully around him. He showered quickly so he could get back to the party. He wished whatever transpired between them would stay that way for now. It would be a shame if he ruined his sister's night.
Then make her leave, the wolf replied. Still, she's someone you could consider as mate.
That was the simple thing to do. "Perhaps I will." He resolved.
While Lucian was having his talk with his wolf, Sophie stood with her back pressed to the door. She waited until the water stopped running before taking her leave. Needing so much to regain her composure, she took in deep breathes. Lucian had been silly to think she was going to let things go. Not if her life depended on it. Shaking her head as she recalled that he had been so angry. Whatever that was? She scoffed. But even that didn't matter as much as how humiliated she felt right now.
The scent of Lucian's cologne rented the air. Still not done with his ass, Sophie stepped back inside. "We need to talk."
"Not now, Sophie," Lucian said, grabbing a few things. "It's my sister's day. I don't want to ruin it."
"We can do this. It's…." Her nostrils flared as she sensed some intruder eavesdropping. She rushed to the door. Sure enough, a maid was just walking away. Sophie let her go. She closed the door and turned to Lucian. "It isn't such a big deal," she said, hating that her plan failed. Next time, she would be sure to get him sated. Maybe even get him drunk? "Can we talk about this later?"
"There's nothing to talk about," Lucian was adamant about it. "Now, if you will excuse me."
"My mother is beginning to think it's my fault we're not married," Sophie said, she had managed to get dressed now. Her pearls, which adorned her neck earlier felt like a burden now. She tossed it in her purse. "She might be getting me hooked up with other men,"
"Good for you," he said, storming out of the room into the adjourning bathroom. Before closing the door, he stopped to say, "You should walk away from me Sophie. I can never be that man for you." He said and with a smug look closed the door firmly. As he walked away, he started grumbling.
It amused Sophie to catch a few of what he said. It had to do with her saying her mother was hooking her up. "He's certainly jealous," she said to herself. That meant she still had a chance with him. Adjusting her gown, she made for the door. As she stepped out, she almost bumped into Marie. She scoffed. Marie was an ex of Lucian. A wolf she detested so much. The lady's demeanor and everything about her always rub off wrongly on Sophie. Hissing, she pushed off the lady and made to leave. Then she stopped. Where was she headed? Lucian's room? "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, pulling the lady back.
"Hey," Marie brushed off her hand and pushed back. "What's your problem with where I'm headed?"
"It's my problem when he's my man."
"Oh, is he now?" Marie asked, laughing loudly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Shaking her head, Marie started towards Lucian's room. She was stopped short as Sophie pulled her cloth. "What's this trash over someone who doesn't want you." She retorted angrily. "Feeling dumped?"
Sophie went after her angrily. Apparently, the nosy bitchy wolf had been eavesdropping on Lucian and herself. What does she know? she searched her mind trying to know how much Marie knew. "Don't you dare." She pulled at her hair, forcefully.
Marie, grabbing the other lady's hair tugged too. "You nosy bitch, wanting a man who doesn't want you." She yelled, taunting her with hurtful words to get the lady angry. It worked. Sophie screamed and pulled harder. Both ladies started to fall over the staircase.
Lucian hearing that rushed out. The scene that greeted him was hilarious. Both ladies had their hairs in each other's hands. He rushed to separate them. "What the heck?" he asked them both, pulling them apart. He held Sophie with one hand while the other hand pressed Marie to the wall. He looked from his ex to the current girl. "Please tell me this has nothing to do with me." he said, running his hand through his head.
"Of course it is." Sophie said, slapping away his hand from her wrist. "Your bitch attacked me."
"Bitch, watch it," Marie screamed back, "You're the one feeling dumped and saucy. Not me."
"What?" Mrs. Winterfed asked, just arriving at the scene. She had just heard what Marie said. She turned to her daughter questioningly. "Did you break up with him?"
Marie laughed scornfully, "Oh she didn't. He refused to be marked." She blurted out.
A few gasp made everyone turn around. Sophie felt ashamed. Now everyone knows she had tried to get Lucian to mark her. Though it was the 21st century, some things still remained purely insane acts. Asking Lucian to be marked was seen as a woman offering to marry a man. It should have been the other way round. Even now, she could hear the other wolves making wry comments about her morals. Not that she minded them a bit. But her family was here. And like always, her mother gave her the pure evil look. The look meant for the black sheep of the family. she turned away from her mother as she started to leave. Or course, she'd leave, her wolf brooded.
She would never understand how her own mother felt she was the black sheep. Her favourite child was her first daughter; Billie. Sophie's immediate sister. Had they not been of same blood, she would have thought her mother was preferential. The way Mrs. Winterfed treated Billie was almost bothersome. She'd do anything for her. The she-wolf known for her brutality. Even her mate knew what aa handful she was. Yet, her mother didn't see her as the 'trouble' in the family. She was.
"Come on, everyone," said Mr. Munroe. He gathered his guest out and made signals with the guards. The humans mustn't know what was going on. "This will be sorted out. DJ? Some music please. Let's dance with my girl."
Sophie cried as everyone started to leave. Her tears though fell inwardly, unseen by anyone. Her father stood watching her. While everyone turned their back on her, including Lucian, he stayed. She had promised never to involve her father in her affairs. He had a flaw of not knowing when to stop. He didn't understand boundary. But now, she needed him. Boundaries be damned. She nodded at him then. They both understood what that meant. He smiled his sardonic smile and tipped his cap in curtesy. He would be seeing her tonight.
That been said, she grabbed her purse from the floor and headed out. There was nothing left here to do. She was sure the little she-wolf whose party had been interrupted wouldn't want her here anyway. Marie had dodged out too. She cussed loudly as she dashed for the park. That lady was going to get paid for what she did tonight.
A few hours later, Sophie knocked gently on her father's door. He grunted in response, waving her in. She walked into his study room, and found him on his table. He was bent over some document. "Dad," she called, "I think I need your help."
"Oh, I've been waiting to hear those words, baby," said Mr. Winterfed dropping the file. "Now, where do we begin?" he laughed.
His weird laugh got Sophie shifting uncomfortably. And that had her remembering why she had promised not to involve her father in her relationships. Her last relationship had been a mess courtesy of her father. Mr. winterfed had the uncanny attitude to make even the best of men stutter. Only a few had been able to stand unintimidated by him. Lucian was one of those few men.
Isaac, the man who she dated before Lucian had no idea wolves and other mystical beings existed. He was just a sweet innocent man in love with a wolf. From the beginning, Mr. Winterfed was against the relationship. But Sophie ignored him. He was what she needed at the time.
"He's a strong, confident man," she had told her father, warning him off. At least Isaac believed he was. In her mind though, she wondered if he really was. Sometimes, the man acted like a baby. Especially when they made love and her wolf took over. Once he had literally fainted. But it had been a good thing as her wolf had been ferocious that night. If he hadn't fainted, she would have had a lot of explaining to do.
Still, she liked him. Isaac made her feel what no man had ever made her feel. And for a she-wolf with no mate, she believed that was high praises. Only one's mate was ever supposed to make you experience that bliss. "I do with him," she had gone on to explain to her father. That was the millionth time he was asking. So, she warned him off again.
While she envied her parents relationship and their struggles to get her a man. It wasn't their fault she got no mate. They were mate. Loving each other was instinctive. But for her, she had to make do with anything she got. Mother nature hadn't been fair. That was what drew her to Lucian in the first place. They were in almost similar situations. He had lost his mate too and was without any love in his life.
But unlike her, Lucian had experienced life with his mate. Before her demise, he must have the connections and intimacies mates share. She never had that. She never might. She had given up on ever finding one. Then Lucian came along and she felt something. Not a mate pull, but something nonetheless. Something even Isaac didn't give her.
Well, when her father wasn't satisfied, he had gone ahead to test her man. Despite her warning. Mr. Winterfed wanted to test if he could survive the world he was being drawn in. And test him, he did. That day, Mr. Winterfed had invited his daughter's lover to the house. And he had chosen the nights the werewolves howled and shifted joyfully. A moon night.
There was a few thundering too as a heavy storm had been predicted. Unfortunately for poor Isaac, he had no idea what he was walking into. His girlfriend had never prepared him what she was and who her family were. He must have had his suspicions, but nothing this serious.
Sophie herself was out running errands and was running late. She had no idea her lateness was deliberate. That a few hours of it had been her father's doing. She had gotten home too late. The man she loved was on the floor, passed out. As she approached him, she covered her nose. Not only did he faint, he was drenched in his own pee. Whatever happened, she didn't know immediately. She poured him water while the werewolves were busy having a swell time hunting. When Isaac opened his eyes, he took in his surrounding briefly and ran off.
The next morning, she was told he had skipped town. It wasn't until some days later that she knew her father had showed his wolf eyes to him. That had been enough to make him pee on his body. And then he fainted when he bared his teeth. Sophie had been too angry with him to consider going to her man to patch things up.
It was okay if he fainted when her wolf fvcked him. But passing out over a glowing eyes was an unforgivable offence. "I wonder what he would have done had you shifted in his presence." She hissed. It was one of the wolves present that day that had eventually told her what happened. She had rushed back home to challenge her dad about the incidence.
"You don't need to wonder," Mr. Winterfed had replied his daughter. "He would have died."
They both laughed at that. Then Sophie had hit the table and leaned over her father. "Still, it doesn't wave off what you did," she told him, "I don't ever want you going near my man," she warned, "I loved that man."
"He's a weakling."
"Dad." She warned. Her father had raised his hands in surrender. "Promise?"
"Cross my heart."
His word was his bond. She knew that. Ever since, her father never lifted a finger about her relationship. Not when she started complaining about Lucian. Not when her mother started dropping hints that she should make Lucian her man. Never did he say a word about it. But now, she had invited the devil to dine with her. "Don't make me regret this, dad." She warned.
"Tell me what you need." Mr. Winterfed said to his daughter with a sweet smile.