"Hello..hello. Ma.." Tara whispered into her mobile phone. It was the middle of the night and she stood in the bathroom with her left hand gripping her hair in a panicking posture. The service seemed to be poor and now she had to end the call.
"F*ck!" She cursed. She prowled about the bathroom till she had her back leaning on the door as she took deep breaths with her eyes shut. Her heartbeat was loud, it could almost be heard. Her eyes opened at once like something had struck her mind.
MORNING.
Ding-dong,
Tara stood outside the door to an apartment. She wore a fine red blouse tucked in a short white leather flare skirt. She had held her hair up in a ponytail and applied nude make-up that made her eyes more conspicuous. While she waited, she turned around to catch a glimpse of the compound. It was rather impressive but her attention was soon diverted by the creaking sound of the door knob she heard.
"Tara," Stark said,
"Hello. Mind if I come in?" She inquired.
"Oh yeah sure." He let her in.
"You don't seem too happy to see me." She said as she walked in.
"You shouldn't joke like that. I am indeed surprised plus was getting ready for work. You didn't inform me of your coming." He said,
"Considering we will be getting married soon, I guess it's something you should be getting used to." She said, having turned towards him.
She could see him standing with his hands in his trouser pockets. He was certainly getting ready for work. He was already in his suit pants and his white turkey sleeve shirt that he had buttoned halfway so she could see his cleavage.
"I guess so." He said with a smile. "Care for anything?" He asked her.
"I'm good." She told him.
"Hmm," he voiced. "I spotted your escort by the car. Seems your visit is a short one, I only wonder why you haven't said anything about it yet." He told her.
"I came to ask you some questions," she told him.
"Questions." He repeated, "alright. Take a seat at least. They don't bite." He told her and then moved to sit on a couch not too far from where he stood.
Dropping her purse on the stool beside her as she sat directly opposite him, she carefully crossed her legs while she maintained a fixed gaze at him. He was comfortable and wasn't showing any signs of being intimidated or less confident. It vexed her.
"Is it your wish to marry me or the doing of our parents?" She asked.
"Why would you ask that?" He replied.
"Why do you find it hard to answer the question?" She said,
"I just find it absurd that you ask me a rhetorical question." He told her.
" What happens when you find your mate in marriage?" She asked.
"You are my mate." He told her with a smirk.
"Am I?" She retorted.
"You are." He affirmed.
"Then why don't I feel the same? I thought it happens both ways? Like the feeling is supposed to be a mutual one." She asked him.
"I believe these aren't the questions you hope to ask me."
He said,
Her eyes dimmed at him with rage and he only relaxed in his seat with a faint smile on his face.
"How far would you go for power?" She asked him.
"I didn't see that coming." He said,
"Answer the question." She told him.
"You are being strange." He told her.
"How far would you go for power?" She repeated.
"Far enough." He answered.
"How far?" She asked in a louder tone.
"I don't know what you want me to say but I sure will go any length to keep power." He told her.
"You mean murder?" She asked him with a straight face.
"Tara, if everyone lives, the world wouldn't be enough." He told her.
"You just sounded like a total psychopath." She said,
"Normal people don't rule." He said,
"Apparently, we are too different to be a couple," she told him.
"We aren't so different. You just need to see things differently." He told her.
"I see." She said, She got up and was ready to leave.
"Is that all you came for?" He asked her.
"What else could I have possibly come for?" She asked furiously.
"I don't know. I can only feel it."
He said,
"Feel what?" She retorted.
"Your entire being calling for mine." He said,
"Is this your definition of seduction?" She asked. "It's pathetic." She said and then stormed out.
He heard the door slam. He remained seated.
"Your entire being calls for mine." A masculine voice mimicked. A fine man appeared from a corner holding onto a teacup. He was completely dressed in a grey coloured suit.
"Still terrible with women." He added.
Stark exhaled and then got up on his feet.
"You eavesdrop like a b*tch," Stark responded calmly.
"I can't help it. I'm a wolf." The man said, looking out the window. "They're gone." He said,
"Sometimes I think I have spoiled you too much and now you forget your place, beta," Stark said,
"What can I say? I'm adorable." The man said, turning towards him with a smirk.
"There's something different about her," Stark said,
"Her attitude? I must confess I like her better now, belligerent. She was too unsavoury to be Luna." The man said, sipping his tea.
"I'm serious, Cain, I feel like she's a different soul in the same body. She has this fire in her. I feel it. She's raging on the inside and then there's something else." Stark said,
"What?" Cain inquired.
"My wolf Burns for her." He said,
"But that's impossible. This is only an arranged marriage. You've known yourselves for months and it never did that." Cain speculated.
"Yes, so why does it now?" Stark asked in a worried tone.
"I don't know what's going on for sure but remember this isn't real. You can't fall in love with the daughter of your father's enemy. We both know the length he could go once he finds out. Keep your hand in the game Alpha." Cain warned.
"Do not be silly. I am not the lover boy, you are." Stark said,
"Ahh, yes, and I advise you to leave that title for the pro- your entire being calls for mine, never say that again," Cain warned as Stark smiled faintly while exiting his presence.
————
Tara stood outside a door, leaving three knocks on it. Slowly it opened up from the inside and she could see Ma dressed in her pyjamas.
"You are just getting out of bed?" Tara asked doubtfully as she stepped in.
"Yeah, why?" Ma asked scratching her chaotic hair and then holding onto her forehead with a painful expression on her face, having shut the door behind her.
"You emptied the bottle?" Tara exclaimed seeing the bottle and glass lay next to each other on the table.
"Why are you yelling? You said I could eat and drink as much as I wanted." Ma replied.
"Yes I said that but I didn't bring you all the way here just to end up being a drunkard," Tara said,
"Watch your mouth young lady, I am still your mother." Ma said,
"Hmm-hmm." Tara voiced, watching her struggle to get to where she stood.
"Besides, I am fine. Had a few cups and overslept, so what? Just fill me in on why you disturbed my beauty sleep." Ma said to her.
"I continued reading through her diary," Tara said,
"Whose? Your sister's?" Ma asked.
"Well, l don't put it like that, you make it sound awkward, Ma," Tara said,
"You know I still think all of this is a terrible idea. You could get hurt, I could get hurt, everybody could get hurt." Ma said,
"Well, I remember someone telling me to fulfil my destiny," Tara stated.
"Yeah, but I didn't tell you to get yourself killed." Ma said, "and why are you going through her diary, sleeping in her room and impersonating her when you already know the whole story? It's risky now." She added.
" because I know she isn't coming back anytime soon," Tara said,
"Wait-what?" Ma inquired
"The last time she was seen equals the day of my accident." Tara began.
"You had an accident?" Ma got worried.
"No, well yeah, but I'm fine. Not a scratch and now I know why still the main thing here is that she went missing, no one knows because well she only told her diary what was going on." Tara went on.
"What are you saying?" Ma asked her curiously.
"I am saying that Alicia, my twin is missing and no one knows this because they believe I am her and from her diary, clues are pointing to whom it might be," Tara responded.
"So you are saying she was what? Abducted?" Ma asked in fright.
"Yes and if she hasn't come back or tried to make contact with even her family or friends, then it's most likely she could be..dead.." Tara said,