Chapter Four

Hayden

I returned to my territory late in the afternoon hoping that nobody would notice me. I didn’t feel the need to sleep but I knew I had a lot of thinking to do. But before that, I had to change my clothes. 

Steve or whatever his name was, was smelly and Luke was growling at me to get rid of the stink. As such, I went inside my home and threw the clothes in the bin before stepping inside the shower.

The hot water rejuvenated my senses and I felt instantly refreshed. However, the face of Madeleine kept swimming in front of my eyes. A small part of me was worried that Steve would hit her again because I had been impatient and bit a large part of his ear off though Luke tried to assure me that I had just grazed his ear.

Even he was getting restless that I was the reason to make her suffer again. But then, I couldn’t go running to that pack territory every now and then. My relationship with Garron and his pack wasn’t cordial and we bared our teeth at each other every now and then.

Though, I had to thank her for the way she had saved my neck while lying to her alpha and the beta about not knowing that I was going to attack Steve. I let myself soak in the warmth of the hot water as steam surrounded me. The water drops ran down my hair as I smiled recalling the feisty girl who was brave and defiant.

Her face was terror-stricken and the way Steve had walked out of the house with a broken glass bottle in his hand, charging at her, I couldn’t have assumed that she needed saving from anyone else.

‘She is courageous and quick-witted even while being injured and facing the alpha and that jacka** Steve who abuses her.’

I thought and then was surprised that I was still thinking of her. There was a knock on the door and I turned off the shower and draped a towel around myself before heading out.

As expected, Charlie was at the door, and I responded “Come in” before walking towards my wardrobe.

Charlie bowed his head to acknowledge me before asking, “Can I know where you were yesterday, alpha? We were worried about you.”

I knew that he was waiting to know the same and sooner or later he would find out when Garron and his pigs would try to make a big show of how I had entered his territory, both uninvited and unannounced.

Holding my wardrobe door wide open, I tried to make myself busy and show that I hadn’t heard him.

Shuffling through the clothes, I pulled out a t-shirt and jeans and put the t-shirt on while wiping my head with another towel.

“I left to get some air, I am sick of you guys trying to throw girls at me.”

“But, you have to find someone sooner or later, alpha. You wouldn’t even agree to attend the ball.”

 I slammed the open wardrobe door shut and turned to look at him, “Do you want me to walk out of this room again? You can say so directly.”

My voice was annoyed and Charlie instantly stiffened when my wolf let out a growl. 

“But, I was just…”

His voice turned hesitant and I rolled the towel I was wiping my hair with into a ball and flung at him. That made him duck and leave me alone for the time being.

Once he was gone, I combed my hair and put on the jeans before walking out of my home. The coast was clear for once and it was clear, no beta or omega troubling me for attending the ball.

As such, I ran towards the packhouse and closed the front door before anyone could follow me. 

After going inside, I shuffled through my drawers and tried to find something that I wasn’t even sure I still had with me. My office was simple; it didn’t have any fancy furniture or unnecessary showpieces.

I walked through the length of the room that was sparsely decorated. It only held a few cupboards consisting of old files, a large desk with drawers, and a chair.

Digging through the drawers, I almost turned the entire office upside down until I found what I had been looking for. Picking one of the hardbound dusty registers, I coughed a little while wiping the dust away. The register was in tatters and it was a miracle that the loose pages hadn’t come off.

Walking back to my desk, I placed the register on the table and gently flipped the pages open. As I carefully searched through the pages, I heard a knock on the door.

I knew it was my Gamma, Ben. When Charlie failed to convince me about something, usually he would send Ben.

Why were my two best soldiers so damn predictable?

“I am busy, later Ben,” I spoke in a loud voice not bothering to look up. However, what I had failed to notice earlier was that Ben was not alone.

The smell of freshly baked cookies wafted through the air, seeping from underneath my office door and I knew I was in deep trouble.

 ‘Shit’ I growled and Luke laughed knowing that I couldn’t walk out of this situation like yesterday.

Quickly, hiding the dusty register, I walked near the door and opened it to see Raine smiling at me.

My face broke into a smile to see her and my arms instinctively went around her to hug her.

“That’s a pleasant surprise, why didn’t you tell me that you were coming? I would have come to pick you up myself.”

Raine thrust the small box of cookies in my hand and ordered, “Taste it, and tell me how it is. I tried a different recipe this time.”

 As I put one in my mouth, my taste buds exploded as the cookie melted on my tongue.

“Delicious as always, Raine,” I said licking my thumb. Behind her, I could see Ben eyeing the box of cookies hungrily. 

Before I could, she elbowed him and said, “I have packed boxes for all of you, go take them and distribute them among all, and if anybody comes complaining to me that they didn’t get enough, I am going to chop your head.”

Ben bowed his head low in a mock salute and left before saying, “I am going to pick the best of the lot.” 

We both laughed to see him prancing towards Raine’s car to get the cookies. She loved to spoil us and I let her.

For a bunch of miserable bastards that had no family in this world, she was like a breath of fresh air...fresh air that came with the smell of cookies and warm hugs.

However, now that we were left alone, dread began to fill my heart. I knew why she was here and I didn’t want to face her.

“What am I hearing, Hayden?” she asked in a stern voice and I shrugged my shoulders.

“I don’t really know what you mean.”

With that, I turned around trying to hide my nervousness from her but she quickly held me by the elbow and turned me around.

 “You know very well what I mean. Are you not over her yet?”

My heart skipped a beat to know how well she understood me despite not living with us but with the humans far away from our pack and territory. Living among humans had definitely not dulled her werewolf side.  

She was still the same old strong and feisty she-wolf who had the ability to invoke both terror and respect just by showing up.

 “Why would you think that, Raine? I am just busy with work.”

I tried my best to hide my emotions as she walked through the large room to reach my desk and said while pointing her fingers at me.

“Well, that’s settled then. You are attending the ball next week…with me.”

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