"Do you know how worried I was when I came, and they said you left?!" Her hips swayed as she bounced forward. "That was a few days ago. They didn't even want to let me in!"
The burly guard from earlier stood by the entrance with his face bearing a claw's vicious slash. He was unable to successfully hinder Aliyah's entry as he had been told to, so now he could only dread the punishment he knew would come later.
"Apologies, Alpha."
With a sigh, Nathan motioned for him to leave then his eyes focused on Aliyah, a smile stretching across his face. "How have you been, Ania?"
A moment's glance was the only acknowledgement Brittany got just before the woman's shoulder nudged her, shoving her aside then clinging to Nathan's arm. "It's Aliyah! Oh my god, you're so mean. Hmph!" Her pretty pink lips jutted into a pout and her fingers ran down his skin in a gentle, seductive swipe. Her stunning crimson hair had perfectly cascading curls that stretched all the way down her back, and as if that wasn't enough, she was blessed with both a voluptuous figure and the face of a goddess. "You know, yesterday I nearly had a heart attack when some psycho told me you got married." She laughed. "But worry not, I killed the fool who had been spreading such ridiculous rumors."
The two were now at the center of attention, and Brittany, who'd been rudely shoved aside, now felt like a third wheeler. She took an awkward stance, looking between them. It was obvious that the girl was one of his many women people talked about. She was beautiful, no one had to look twice to tell that Brittany's average appearance was brutally inferior to hers. So once again, her mind had the question: 'why me?'
"Did you?" Nathan's eyes swirled with a hint of something Brittany couldn't quite decipher. Was it annoyance? But his smile said differently. His hand moved up, fingers curling into Aliyah's hair. He raked through it, and she leaned into the touch in a desperate hunt for affection, her flushed cheek brushing his chest. "Then you must've killed your own for speaking the truth."
She looked up at him. "Don't even joke about it! You of all people would never commit to another woman, not after the last. You said it yourself…if she is not your mate, then you do not need one. You would be breaking that promise if you really went and marr---" She paused before finishing the sentence, for Nathan's gaze had narrowed, boring into her with a wicked intensity. His distaste was no longer hidden behind a smile.
Aliyah sunk her teeth into her lip and lowered her head, her hands leaving his body as she took a step away from him. "O-Oh! I was wondering why the houses were all empty." She gripped her arm tightly, the skin reddening under the hold. "So, this is where everyone has gathered? Am I interrupting something? Why is it so quiet?"
She changed the subject smoothly, but the damage was done. She had already tread upon a forbidden territory.
Noticing that the atmosphere had drastically changed, Brittany gulped. Nathan's eyes, though still amber, now reminded her of those belonging to rogues that roamed the unclaimed territory, particularly the kind who were moments away from going feral. And it wasn't only him, everyone's faces had visibly gone sour. She wondered what they were thinking, and even more so, the secrets they were clearly hiding. Another woman, Aliyah said. Then was this Nathan's second marriage? But she heard nothing about that, only of his love for women and sex.
"Alpha Denzel…" Aliyah's eyes rose to where Denzel stood above the crowd and managed a smile despite how quickly it wobbled away. She stepped forward gracefully, bowing her head only slightly. "Apologies for not greeting you earlier, I was just really happy to see Nathan. Ah, my father gave me something for you, but I left it with one of the patrol guards. I'm certain you will be pleased."
Benedict Donovan; Aliyah's father, was apart of the werewolf council, and the forth head of his sector. They were a group formed mainly to address and settle disputes within the werewolf world. Benedict was a great asset, but his daughter was a woman people hated to see coming. She was both stubborn and entitled, an annoying combination. But her infatuation with Nathan was the foundation of Denzel's ties with the council. With her, they could easily control the council's involvement in their pack's affairs.
For that reason, she was the first candidate for marriage with Nathan.
"Oh! A gift?!" Denzel's expression faded beneath a broad smile. But even Aliyah herself could tell he wasn't amused. "Well, thank you for coming all this way. As for the confusion regarding my son's marriage, it was a few days ago that he chose his bride. Your father knows of this, I believed he would've passed on the message. It must've slipped his mind. Worry not, our visitors are also extending their congratulations today. Meet Brittany Evans, the newest addition to our family."
Her body stiffened at the revelation and her eyes first lowered, gazing down at the floor blankly before her head snapped around, brows furrowed. "W-What? Nathan…? That can't be…true. Y-You wouldn't…" She looked to Brittany and this time, her gaze actually travelled her body, examining every dip and curve in her figure. "You would never!" She bellowed.
"Say hello to my wife." Nathan moved, his hand latching around Brittany's wrist.
Her lips shook and the vile curve of her fingers like claws made Brittany's heartbeat spike. She wriggled her wrist out of Nathan's hold and took a well-needed step back. She stood behind him, shielding herself from Aliyah's view. Was it a lover's spat? It didn't take a genius to decipher the meaning of the looks she sent his way. But with Nathan she couldn't tell.
"So you married…that woman? A woman who's name I have not heard before? Who the hell is she? An Alpha's daughter? A beta? A gamma? If she is nothing but a mere, lousy commoner, I swear to the goddess, I will have her sliced to bits, her bones burned to ash before your eyes and her severed head hung above the bed you sleep!"
Brittany's eyes bulged. The threat was profound and filled with promise. She clutched Nathan's shirt, holding it tightly from behind. He said he would protect her. This was the perfect time to do it.
"I…I am…" Her voice trembled. "I am the daughter of the head of the council… You cannot find a wife better than me! So why…why can't it be me? I have done so much for you! You think I will just let you set me aside and marry whomever you wish?! Or…" A shred of hope danced in her eyes as the thought that crossed her mind calmed the rough waves of her heart. "…is it that you plan to entertain multiple wives? If that…if that is the case, then please tell me. Father might not like it but I will marry you regardless! I even tolerated all those women even though they were beneath me!" She lunged for his hand, gripping it tightly. "No matter what the others say about you, I still want to b---"
"I think there is a misunderstanding." Nathan jerked his hand away, shoving it into his pocket. "When did I ever give you the impression that I had any intention of marrying you? I told you plain and simple…that I would never have you as my wife. We might've fucked a few times but that was it."
"What…?"
"You knew there were no feelings involved, yet even after I ended our arrangement, you refused to leave me be. Your constant bickering made my blood boil and your desperate cries for attention made me want to rip your head off your shoulders. Father said to hold my temper with you so I allowed you to roam my pack as you wished, and I allowed the disgusting talks of marriage to linger, but there is a limit. Can't you tell? I am fucking sick and tired of your whining."