"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...