Part Three - Chapter 10

“Who knows you better than your own brother?”

― Karen Joy Fowler, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

DARYA P.O.V

Two more days. Just two more days and then, I am going to move to Quillon’s pack for the next sixty days.

Dear Lord!

I don’t know what kind of surprises I have in store over there. I know his pack members don’t like my pack, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they hate me. But there is also a limit to hatred and I will not tolerate it if they cross that line.

I also knew that from my side, I am not going to keep hatred towards any of them. While I go there and live there for the next sixty days, they will be my family just like Emperor Pack wolves are.

Right now, I was in my farm, watching over the loading of cucumbers into a truck. After the customer made payment, I decided to take a coffee-break.

I informed Nick, who drove me to the café.

“You are not coming?” I queried Nick who was frowning.

“No… I don’t want coffee now” he said. I stared at him in confusion until I realized that he was mind linking with someone.

“Is everything alright?” I asked abruptly.

“Yes” he replied and then smiled, flaunting his dimples. “Just problem in work” he muttered shaking his head.

“Okay” I said and then walked into the restaurant.

After placing my order, I opened a story book and then started reading it. Five minutes later, the waitress brought my order. While I took a sip of my coffee, I sensed someone smoothly sitting on the seat opposite me, but I didn’t look at them as I was busy reading my book.

I heard a low growl coming from that person and I realized he or she is a wolf. My wolf started standing up defiantly because the scent of the wolf who was seated opposite to me was an unfamiliar one. When my wolf started pacing, I realized she didn’t like the other person.

I felt the other person’s gaze on me, but I didn’t look up. I patiently waited for that person to talk something first. Dimly, I even wondered how this wolf came so far into the territory.

But before I could ponder over it, the person opposite to me placed their hand on the table, with a loud tap, to catch my attention. “Listen here bimbo….” A feminine voice shrilled and that definitely earned my attention.

As I raised my lashes and looked up, my eyes clashed with hazel ones of the she-wolf who was sitting opposite to me. The slim brunette, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, was beautiful with her exotic tan skin. She had a heart-shaped face with dark brows, high cheekbones and pink pouting lips. Her seductive hazel eyes were glaring at me in repulsion and that outraged my wolf.

“…You might be Q’s mate but no one in the pack will accept you as their Luna because they already chose me for that title” she stated with supreme confidence.

A hollow feeling engulfed me as all color drained from my face. I knew where she was going with this but I didn’t want to hear her to spell it out to me. I couldn’t bear to hear that. If I do, I would shift into my wolf right in front of all these humans.

I clenched my fists tightly, under the table, and stared at her smirking face. Boy! How I wish to wipe it off, with a few slaps on those perfectly high cheekbones.

My wolf started snarling and her fur bristled as Goosebumps appeared in my body. The thought of Quillon and this brunette together made me nauseous.

“Don’t be fooled that just because you are called into my pack, means Q wants you. He only did it for his mother. That stupid woman, blackmailed him” the brunette continued and crescent started forming in my palm as my nails dug in. She was even insulting Grace!

My wolf, who was all aggressive until now started whimpering in pain, because she honestly thought Quillon wanted her to come to his pack. She didn’t know Quillon was forced by his mom.

Beside me I heard a growl and I realized that two teenage boys of my pack, who were also in the café, were standing near my table and glaring at the slim brunette. They were trying to protect me from the poisonous words of the she-wolf, who had dared to call me a bimbo.

“Q doesn’t want you because he is in love with me” the brunette had to add that part and even though I expected her to say something like that, I couldn’t stop the pain that ran all over my body. Blood dripped from my hands and I gritted my teeth to stop my wolf from forcing me into shifting and tearing this shrieking harpy’s bones apart.

I was one step away from breaking into pieces and crying my eyes out. It hurt me so much that I felt incredibly vulnerable. Her words were affecting my wolf and she would whine in pain. She felt sick with degradation.

I felt betrayed. I felt shattered.

I was begging for it not to be true.

Quillon didn’t give me any such impression. It can’t be true. This harpy is lying.

The brunette’s amused eyes were zeroed in on me. She was waiting for me to cry, beg her to leave or even better tell her to keep Quillon for herself.

The boys who were standing beside the table, who until now looked ready to attack the brunette took a step back and then walked away. I realized that they were ordered to walk away. I mused it might be Sel who had done that.

But I didn’t want Sel coming here and rescuing me like she always does. So with phenomenal effort, I pushed back my wolf and then cocked an eyebrow. “That’s not the impression Quillon gave me when he kissed me” I said, watching her with eyes as sharp as knives.

The brunette couldn’t even stop herself from growling and leaning forward. If she expected me to surrender to her, than she had another thing coming.

Her reaction didn’t bring any relief to my wolf, but I was pleased to see it though. That’s why I added the next words, “That just shows how little you matter to him.”

As she saw my smug expression, she narrowed her eyes. Then all of a sudden she smirked and leaned back against her seat, “You are lying” she declared with an air of superiority. “Q never kissed you. You are just hitting back. Don’t think I can’t see through your act of being all smug and confident outside, when inside your wolf is mewling like a weak kitten” she said with a scorn and I stiffened. “I know Q and you only met once and a wide lake was between you and him” she stated proudly while I narrowed my eyes.

She didn’t know.

She thinks I have met Quillon only once so far. When in reality, I have met him thrice.

So does that mean whatever the she-wolf barked until now was all a big fat lie? My wolf stopped whimpering and then started growling rethinking her words.

The she-wolf picked her bag and stood up, “Next time when you lie to me, make sure it is something believable” she said.

“Ditto” I couldn’t help but add smugly.

“Well, if you don’t believe me, then come to Serene and see for yourself” she stated proudly and then holding that pencil neck high, she glided towards the café door.

I frowned as I heard her words.

She has to be lying. She has to be. I will not believe her malicious words.

But what if she and Quillon were really involved?

That thought made me sick. Picking up my bag and tossing few bills on the table, I practically ran towards the café door. The harpy was gone when I had come out and it was a relief.

As I was making my way towards my car, Nick held my hands and stopped me. “Let me go” I growled at him.

My wolf had had enough and I knew I couldn’t keep her in bay for long.

“Darya” he called sympathetically. I didn’t look him in the eye because I definitely didn’t need his pity now. Thrusting my bag into his hands, I rushed and climbed inside my car.

While I was driving, rashly, my vision was getting cloudy because there were tears in my eyes. Blinking and wiping them, I drove ahead, trying my best not to think about what the harpy said. My head was spinning and I couldn’t wait to reach the woods.

After around fifteen minutes of driving, I brought my car to an abrupt halt at the side of the road. Climbing out, I took off in the direction of the woods. Mid-way, I shifted into my wolf. I loved it when fur grew from pores of my creamy skin and my bones changed so that I could effortlessly shift into my black wolf.

Digging my sharp claws into the earth, I hustled through the dense forest. My surroundings were a blur to me. Occasionally, I would hurdle above the bushes, slid in between the trees.

I don’t know how long I was running but after some point, I started slowing down. When I found a hollow in a tree trunk, I went and sat in there. The hollow trunk wasn’t exactly enough to accommodate my huge body, but I could still settle half my body inside it, very comfortably.

Resting my head on the paws, I closed my eyes and recalled the spiteful words of that brunette.

“Q doesn’t want you because he is in love with me”

What if it’s true? What if there is something brewing between them? The day we met, Quillon wasn’t really happy to see he has a mate. Was it because of that she-wolf?

They say there is no smoke without fire. So does that mean Quillon was unhappy to see me because he is in love with her?

My wolf whined feebly and a drop of tear from my eyes rolled and fell on the ground. At the very moment, a raindrop hit my muzzle. I craned my neck and looked at the dark clouds.

With a groan, I lowered my head. The nature was sensing my mood. Since I was sad, the gloomy black clouds appeared covering the bright blue sky. Soon, rain poured from the sky, in thick panes of water, and I watched as ground got drenched by it.

I could have stopped this unforeseen rain if I wanted to, but I didn’t because the raindrop concealed my tears. I was soaking and sludge smeared my glossy black fur. It felt sticky, but I didn’t let it bother me.

I was only thinking about Quillon. Did he really ask me to stay with him for the next sixty days because his mother forced him to do so?