Chapter 14

MALORY P.O.V

When I opened my eyes and looked at Little Bear, I found her lost in her thoughts. Her lips were parted slightly and her eyes were distant.

“Little Bear?” I called her. Okay, maybe she is in shock over the fact that Cortez, whom she knew as a friend, is also involved with O? “Little bear” I called again and shook her arms.

Snapping out of whatever thoughts she was lost in, Little Bear looked at me. “What?” she asked me.

“Cortez is working with O” I whispered sadly.

“Oh” she said sulking. “You think O is bad”

“I don’t think. I know O is bad” I told her honestly. Little bear closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. When she opened them, she had a pained expression. “What’s wrong?” I asked her.

“Nothing” she told me and shook her head. “I… I need to go. I will talk to you later” and without a backward glance, my best friend strode out of the door with smoke emitting from her track.

I sat there, staring at the door, wondering what was wrong with her. Plus, I had not even told her that Alpha Duncan was also involved with O.

“Zachary” I called my cousin as I saw him coming inside. I was sprawled on my back on the couch and Mumbles was lying on the floor.

“Speak Malory” he told me and I chuckled. It was a common dialogue between us since childhood as we loved the rhyme of our names.

“I am hungry” I told him and laughed loudly. “That sounded like a jingle too”.

I was truly hungry for a good lunch. That breakfast I made wasn’t enough to satisfy even quarter of my starved tummy.

Zach sat on my legs and then stared at a very sleepy Mumbles. “Sweet Lord! What do you feed him? He looks like a pig” Zach slurred, kicking Mumbles awake. Mumbles growled and Zach bared his fangs.

“Don’t scare my dog” I said through gritted teeth. To make me angrier, Zach held Mumbles hind-legs and forced him to stand up. Zach laughed while Mumbles struggled to balance himself. “Leave him” I said punching Zach’s arms. He let go and then laughed again as Mumbles went and sat away from us.

“Come on let’s go” he told me enthusiastically getting up.

“Where?”

“To any restaurant in town” he told me and I nodded. “Mom will take care of that pig” he told me even before I could ask him about Mumbles.

“I love you” I told him grinning widely.

“Everyone loves me” was his cocky reply.

‘Hunt’, that was the name of the restaurant we were currently eating at. Zach was sitting opposite me eating something, the name of which I couldn’t pronounce but it was broiled prawns, while I was having grilled chicken. The whole table was filled with food and I noticed few humans staring at us because the amount of food we had in our table would be equal to ten. However, it wasn’t me who was going to finish all that, it was the hungry male wolf sitting opposite me.

One of Zach’s peculiar habits is that he wants the table filled with food such that there isn’t any place left. Mama loves feeding that way to Zach.

I was eating my tomato salad when Cole Parker’s scent hit me.

“I called him” Zach said as I looked at him with wide eyes. “Thought you might need some distraction” he said with a smile.

I turned my head and grinned when I saw him coming towards our table. He sat beside me and I asked him to eat something because I was sure I couldn’t finish the food Zach had ordered for me.

“He is not here?” Cole asked in a whisper.

“Who?”

“Your boyfriend” he said and I smiled when I saw the fear in his eyes. Wonder how my face looks when Cortez glares at me.

“No”

“You never told me you had a boyfriend” Cole said accusingly. “Now I’m left heartbroken” he told me and I chuckled.

“Well I forgot to mention it to you” I said because that seemed convenient at the moment.

“So you guys are serious?” he asked me and I looked away.

“Of course they are serious” Zach spoke up. “She is living with him” he said and I turned beet red.

“My My, little Lory has finally grown up” Cole teased which only added more color to my cheeks. “Do you need some tips” he asked and Zach glared nastily. “Sorry” Cole told him. Cole then asked me few random questions about Cortez, to which I answered the way his human mind would understand because obviously I can’t tell him that Cortez is my destined mate.

“Now you have got to help me” Cole added after some time and I looked at him questioningly. “You have to find a new girl for me”

“Find one yourself” I told him before taking a sip of my water.

“Eat” Zach told me. I shook my head and rubbed my tummy. I don’t think I will be able to move for another half-an-hour.

“No… it’s difficult and I am so confused” Cole told me.

“Confused about?” I asked him keeping the glass in the table.

“Some are small in size, some are-”

“Gross” I shouted and placed my hands on my poor ears that had to hear such thing. The whole restaurant fell silent, except for Cole’s laughter, and I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. I glanced at Zach nervously.

“Dude” Zach called Cole with a frown in his face.

“Sorry” Cole apologized. “I just need a new girl because the girl who promised to ‘kiss’ me, dumped me in front of her new boyfriend.” Cole said wiping fake tears.

There was a murderous growl just as Cole finished that sentence and once again, the whole restaurant turned silent. I looked at Zach only to see him staring at the door. As I breathed in, I realized who was standing when the incredible woody scent hit my nose.

Slowly, I turned my head to face the door and whimpered when my eyes met Cortez’s murderous glare. He was wearing a beige colored vest and pants which were paired with dark navy tie and light blue dress shirt, the sleeves of which were folded up to his elbows. His hair brushed up in a corporate style.

Gulping, I stood up from my seat. I am so dead! I am so dead! I am so dead!

Throughout the day, I felt his presence in my mind link but I didn’t dare open it for him. I was afraid he would shout in my head. I can do this. Taking a deep breath, I walked towards him but stopped in my tracks and turned to face Zach when he called me.

“Will you be okay?” he asked me worried and I nodded. “Bye” he told me and I smiled. I gave a small smile to Cole, who by the way was glancing down nervously.

As I walked closer to Cortez, my heart pounded rapidly in my chest as if I was running a race. Once I was arm length apart from him, he held my wrist and began dragging me out of the restaurant.

“Lory” I heard Little Bear call me as we were making way to the parking lot. Cortez stopped in his tracks and I turned to face my friend. She had a guilty expression in her face and I knew she had called Cortez.

“I am sorry” she whispered and I looked away. My lower lip trembled and I wondered why did she do this? I had told her everything about Cortez and still she informed him about me.

Little bear took a step forward and whispered, “Lory, I…. I am O”