CHAPTER SIX - OLD ENEMIES

VALENTINA

PACK OF LORE

“Worry less about Jayme, he’s harmless…” Teira said to me, honesty in her voice, though I doubt she knew he had just nearly strangled the wolf out of me.

I kept my pace steadily beside her, some part of me felt more comfortable with the tall and beautiful Sentry, actually, almost all of me felt more comfortable with Teira even if all she showed towards me was cold formality.

We climbed up a flight of stairs, the second and highest floor or the building and where I was sure only Lucean and a select few were allowed as the Sentries stationed at the main door to this floor growled rather ferociously once they picked my scent.

To my surprise, these sentries did not bow or show any sign of salutation respect to Teira.

“The Alpha has ordered he not be disturbed miss.”

“The Alpha gave ‘me’ personal orders to bring her up here.” Teira fired back almost immediately.

“We have our orders. Just as you have yours. We must consort this with him before—”

“Do you two want to lose your fucking heads?” Teira said, but this time so slowly, like a venomous snake creeping up to it’s prey.

There was a bit of a silence. For a moment no one said anything and I half expected Teira to turn around and take me away from here but the sentries stepped aside, their eyes remained on my head and it was then that I realized, it was not their orders that kept them from letting us through, they just didn’t like ‘me’

Teira took me further down the floor and into a room not too far from the main entrance, we walked into the room, through an opened glass door.

A oval, wooden table sat in the middle of the dining room, with five empty chairs on either side of the round table one of which the Alpha sat backing the entrance to this room.

Turning to the other side of the table, I bit my tongue the moment I briefly made eye-contact with the Alpha and for a long while, all that could be heard was the sound of Teira’s receding footsteps and the crackling of embers from the fireplace.

My fingers trailed along the top of the chair I stood behind, eyes flickering around the many dishes on the table. My mouth immediately watered at the sight of succulent meats which I had imagined for many days in hands of Variq and then my attention lifted to the fruit bowl, hunger punching my stomach at the apples, berries and mangoes resting in it.

My tongue ran over my lips and I swallowed harshly in frustration.

I always had more than enough to eat like this when my father had still been Alpha.

“You should sit Valentina.” The Alpha commanded. I swayed ever so slightly, lips parting to protest but the swift, sharp look sent my way made me hesitate. My stomach growled softly when I slowly dragged the chair from the table and sat, hands folding in my lap. Immediately, my gaze was pulled back to the delicous smelling food around me.

“The food seems to have caught your attention,” The Alpha rumbled, gold eyes so probing as he gestured to the food dishes on the table me and then to my plate that was empty. “Help yourself Valentina, to whatever you want and eat.”

When I did not move, he sighed.

“If what your taste desires is not here on this table then you can tell me what you want and I will have my cooks bring it up here for you. Apart from that, I can not have the mother-to-be of my children starve herself so either you pick up the plate or I shall feed you myself, Valentina.”

Ignoring the ‘mother of my child part’ but cringing at the thought of him actually feeding me, I pulled the bowl of fruits close and took out a single apple, buying into it and chewing as slowly as I could.

“I have all day Valentina. I will wait until you finish everything on this table.” His tone causal.

I looked at him, surprised. Better I got over with it and out of his sight then spend a whole day with the mad-Alpha.

Pulling a dish close I stabbed out a piece of hot venison with my fork, scooping out a delicious looking jellof rice from another bowl and adding it besides the meat. All the while Lucean had his eyes on me, a satisfied look settling in his gaze.

I raised the first spoon of rice to my mouth, pausing and putting it back down and along down went the look of satisfaction he had.

“Is it poisoned?”

He physically veered back, eye brows shooting up like I had just asked the most bizzare of questions.

“Do you really think I would attempt to kill you in such a cowardly way?”

I shrugged, pulling my eyes away from his where I found my gaze being sucked into his suns.

The Alpha said nothing until I was done with the food before he said. “Good.” The delicious bursts of flavors from the warm meal still coated my tongue and it made me crave for more though I did not show this, he knew it somehow.

“If you are still hungry Valentina, there is plentiful more on the table.”

I gazed at him, he has his elbows braced on the table, his fingers laced into a fist where he rested his chin. His voice soothed me in a way I could  quite not yet understand, his frame as imposing as it was inviting.

But I filled up the empty glass before me and gulped the water, allowing it to completely fill me up.

He stood all of a sudden, I followed his movement carefully, it was bad already I had to be with him now worst that I was in an enclosed room with a male that was easily twice my size.

He returned with a card of what seemed to be yellow tablets and what looked like journal.

“These will help with the slight pain in your ankle.” I closed my eyes when his voice was right beside my ear, his breath warming the side of my face and an unusual but sensual sensation churned in my belly.

I eyed the drugs, some part of me suspecting them to be sleeping pills. He might not have killed me with the food but the drugs was a wild card I was not willing to take.

“You do not trust me do you Valentina?”

I wanted to ask him how in the moon goddesses name he would think that I would have a sliver of trust for him but I refrained for the thought, instead choosing my words more carefully.

“My leg is fine now, I do not need pain killers.”

“Hmmmm.” He sighed. “You do not have to lie to me Valentina.”

I blinked, the way he spoke like he could read my mind was oddly comforting.

When I did not make a move on the drugs he proceeded to open up the brown covered journal, his eyes focusing on the writings on the page.

I cleared my throat. “Can I go now…? Alpha.”

He glanced up at me, then he looked disapprovingly as the food that was still warm and in much amounts in the table.

“Where do you want to go?”

My thoughts went to the rage Jayme who had almost murdered me a while ago. He might still be there waiting for me in the hallway and though I had sounded courageous when I had told him to go fuck himself, the fact still remained that he had had me at his mercy.

“Back to Teira’s cabin.”

He sighed but gave me a small nod and I immediately pushed up to my feet, walking so fast to get past him I was in the speed just after walking and under jogging.

I averted my eyes from his once I noticed just how close to me he was, he had blocked me on my path using his wide frame.

“Only my sentries and common people call me Alpha, my name is Lucean.”

I shifted on my feet, keeping my eye on the ground and hating it; the way my stupid knees seemed to jelly whenever he was half a foot close to me.

Biting down on my tongue when he stroked away a careless strand of hair from my face and squeezing my eyes shut so I would not fall into the temptation of looking into his golden gaze.

On the table lay open the journal and I gasped when my eyes found a single polaroid attached to one of the pages. Suddenly the Alphas voice and very presence had become a distant blur, my heart beat not increasing but the thump of each beat was now a strong pain in my heart as I looked at the silver eye gaze on an edged face. He had someone’s arm around his shoulder but the photo had not captured this other person.

“Valentina ?!” Lucean’s voice woke me from my daymare and it was only then that I noticed my face had become wet with tears.

“Ryker…” I bent low, snatching the polaroid from the journal and not minding that I tore out the page with it. I held it up to my face, murky and vague memories of a more deranged version of Ryker formed and dissolved in my thoughts.

“I may ask you Valentina, how do you know this person?”

My teeth gnashed against each other, anger beginning to simmer with the pumping blood in my veins.

“Why is this picture here ?!” I bit out harshly, my eyes never leaving the silver gaze of the younger and happier face in the picture. He looked happy—humane; nothing like the murderous psychopath that had murdered my parents. It was almost un fair.

“That’s someone I once knew, a long time ago.” Lucean stretched his arm to the picture, wrestling it from my grip and he had use his other hand when I would not give up my hold on it. “For someone your size you are a lot more stronger than you look.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Over a decade, I had not touched that journal till today either.”

A million and one thoughts rampaged through my mind, all trying to decipher the quickest way I could use this moment somehow to kill Ryker.

“Are you still in touch with this friend of yours?” I asked, my voice bleeding in desperation, my fingers now drumming against the table in an aggressive manner.

But Lucean only growled under his breath. Not an agressive one but one that indicated his confusion.

“You are confusing me Valentina… I do not understand the nature of these questions.”

“This friend of yours had succeeded where you failed Lucean! He’s responsible for the death of my parents and shall he ever come to this pack to catch up on old ‘murderous psychopath’ times with you, I will kill him.”

**********

PACK OF LORE

ALPHA LUCEAN

I rummaged through the cabinet, throwing it and it smashed to pieces against the wall when I could not find it, another good cabinet ruined and now frustration doubling.

Someone opened the door and my muscles ticked when I shot a glare at whole dared.

Teira looked around, awe on her face, at the wreckage of wooden and ceramic ornaments that lay in pieces on the ground.

“Gawd Lucean I know you’re crazy but this is totally insane.”

“I need to find it.” I growled at her.

“Find what?!” Her tone soft.

“The other piece the…” I trailed off, my eyes drifting to the single lamp that stood on its place on my bed frame.

I stomped to it, knocking it away with the back of my hand and it shattered into multiple pieces of glass against the wall but just as I thought. It was where it had been, where I placed it and over a decade ago. Lifting the torn piece up and retrieving the other piece from my pocket, I held them together and the jagged line that separated the two pieces fit together seamlessly. The single arm around Rykers shoulder completing to the left part of the polaroid where I stood beside me. Two happy and identical faces, where my eyes would glaze a burning gold his a gleaming silver.

The last photo I had taken with my brother before his supposed death.