Dallan got a little confused. Abe was always the type to crack jokes, laugh, and make people feel at ease. But this particular type of congratulation did not sit well with Dallan. Who knew what the warlock had seen?
"Abe, I don't understand." Dallan nervously cleared his throat. "Why are you congratulating me?
"Wait... Are you telling me that you do not know?"
"Know what?"
Abe feigned a look of surprise. It made a corner of his lips tilt up. "Are you yet to feel the mate signs?"
"Oh. Is that what you are talking about?"
"Of course!"
Kai who was now smiling gently plopped on a sofa. He allowed them to discuss. Dallan also sat on a sofa. Now, only Abe stood.
"Please, sit." Dallan tried ushering him to a sofa, but the man refused.
"I am okay this way. I want to know why your face looks this way. You don't even seem excited that you have finally found your mate. What is going on?"
"If you saw a vision about me getting my mate, did you also see who the mate is?"
"Of course I did!" Abe frowned. "I know it is the Mer you captured."
Dallan looked directly into Abe's eyes. The disgust or reproach he expected to see there never appeared. Rather, Abe had a look of confusion. "Are you saying that you are okay with me being mated to a Mer?"
Abe scoffed. "Why shouldn't I be okay with it? Why are you asking all these?"
When Dallan looked at the floor, Kai took this opportunity to speak up. "Silhouette pack's wonderful alpha wants to reject his mate. Actually, he has forced Hazel, the Mer, into believing that they are not meant for each other. She has also agreed to reject him."
Abe's frown got deeper. The fact that Dallan said nothing with his head bent low told the warlock all he needed to know. "Dallan, look at me. I have always warned you never to talk to a man and lose eye contact. Look up, now!"
Dallan not only looked up, but he also sat up—straight. Of course, Abe had always given him survival lessons. Not only was the man a father to him, but also a mage, and spy. Most of the crazy things discussed in the council meeting of elders were directly reported to him. That way, he always managed to stay out of their troubles.
"Dallan, didn't you learn anything from your father?" Abe asked. "Have you no sense of reasoning?"
"I... I do."
"Then what is this I am hearing about mate rejection rites? Do you want to reject her? Hazel, right?"
"I can't accept Hazel as my mate," Dallan argued. "She will not be strong enough to help me in running the pack. She will be unnecessarily oppressed."
"How do you know she is not strong enough?" Abe asked. He weaved his fingers into each other and rested them on his chest.
"I asked him the same question," Kai interjected. "I don't know why he chooses to be so unreasonable."
"Didn't you hear me the other time?!" Dallan cast Kai a warning glare. "She said she has no powers." At the mention of that, Dallan remembered. "Yes Abe, I almost forgot. I will need your help in reading her. I want to know if she is lying or not."
"That might be impossible," Abe said. "Mers are complex creatures. If she is lying about not having any form of power and I try to forcefully read her magical energy, she could die. Especially if she tries to suppress it. All your efforts will be wasted. I will advise you to accept your mate, love her, and you will find out the truth."
"I... should accept her and try to coerce the truth out of her? Hmm, that is a nice plan." Dallan did not notice Kai and Abe exchanging knowing looks.
"I should be on my way now. I have a meeting with the elders. Dallan, take care of yourself."
"I will. Thanks, Abe."
"You are welcome."
Just as the older man's hand touched the knob, Dallan called him back. "I forgot to tell you my plan. I intend to make her my maid from tomorrow morning."
"That is perfect. That way she will be closer to you." Abe smiled and continued his journey out of the house. Kai got up moments after the warlock left.
"Let me see how things are going in the pack. Give me a moment."
"Don't be long. Don't leave me alone for long in this big house."
"You are not alone." Kai made sure he was very close to the door before adding the next part, "Hazel is upstairs. She is your mate."
"Get out!!"
Kai chuckled and did as commanded. "Don't call me back!" he taunted over his shoulder. The laughter disappeared from his face when he got outside. As expected, Abe was standing on the front porch. They started walking in the direction of the gate. "That was a lie, right?"
"I believe you already know the answer to that." Abe kept his eyes fixed on the front. "You are the smart one. Don't you think I lied?"
"I know you did."
"Good." Abe nodded. "And that lie should remain the truth—to Dallan. I would rather lie to him than see him destroy his life. The things I am seeing about this Hazel of a woman are too good. If Dallan misses her, he will leave his entire centuries in regret and loneliness."
"Before now, I had already told him that all female mers have powers. I don't know how his mindset will be how considering what Hazel said. I am very sure she has powers but is just hiding them."
"Yes, she does." Abe nodded again. "In fact, she has great powers. Time will unravel it. Now that I told him she could die if we try running any test, he will drop that plan." He wanted to say more but stopped himself.
"But..." Kai paused in his steps and frowned. "Couldn't you have just done the test and lied to him?"
"The part where I said she could be suppressing her powers wasn't a lie." Abe looked around to be sure no wolf-ear was listening in on them. This was something he didn't like about wolves. Their annoying ability to focus on and hear things from afar made it practically impossible to whisper or tell secrets. "Let's keep walking. If she is trying to suppress it and I enter her mind, there could be a violent release of all her magical essence."
"Hmm. It would look like she went berserk."
"Exactly! While that may be a good thing considering the energy that will be unveiled, it would hinder Dallan from focusing on anything about his mate life. Knowing him as I do, he will only be interested in those powers for his personal gain."
"I support that. Sometimes I wish he ruled this pack just like our father. Being authoritative and ruthless has its advantages. I never saw anyone in the pack and beyond doing anything to irk Alpha Morsephus. They would have had their head chopped."
Abe chuckled. "Since I worked for that man too, I can not help but agree. Working for his son should not be too difficult if that son can just listen for once. Dallan's father always listened to me and, goddess bless her soul, his wife. That woman tamed the wild in him, harnessed it, and controlled it to the benefit of everyone. The goddess wants to duplicate that kind of love in Dallan's life, and he wants to push it away just like that?"
"Wow. What did you see, Abe?" Kai knew he would not receive a good response. Abe never told anyone about his visions, and he knew why. It was a well-known fact that those the gods blessed with the gift of visions were never to tell anyone what they saw, or else the vision will be distorted and manifest great negativity in the person's life. Kai did not want to experience that. "I know you will say the usual."
"Yes, I will. It's forbidden to tell anyone what I see. I don't want to distort the happiness I saw and simultaneously put you in trouble. My job as the warlock of this pack is to keep everyone, especially the alpha, out of anything troubling."
"No. Your job as the warlock of this pack is to guide and protect your children, like the alpha. Dallan sees you as a father so you should see him as a son. That man loves you."
"Yet he doesn't listen to me..." Abe snorted. "Very stubborn just like his father. During all of my years of serving the late alpha, I learned a lot. It was like going through an academy course." Abe stopped walking when they got to the front of the elders' meeting hall. "I must go now."
Kai clicked his tongue. "Fucking council of elders. They do nothing than make life unbearable for me and Dallan."
"Please don't allow Aliana and Modeus to hear that," Abe chuckled. "Just keep our secret... as usual."
"I will. You know that." Kai watched him as he ascended the steps into the building. He hardly knew those other two members of the council of elders Abe had mentioned. Hell, no one in the pack knew them. The highest you could get was a view when either of them decided to come out for reasons known to only the goddess. They did not relate with the pack like Abe, maybe that was the reason everyone preferred the warlock. Kai knew that Aliana and Modeus were wolves and had worked for Dallan's father. Abe had come in much later when the late alpha's death was close.
Most people said that the alpha and Luna lived to a ripe old age and had gone back to meet the goddess. At that time, others said they were murdered, stating that wolves did not suddenly die like that without a trace or indication of a sign. Most wolves Dallan's father age were still alive. This was the part that confused Kai the most. Were the late alpha and Luna murdered as people rumoured? If they were, by who?
Kai and Dallan were out when it happened. Kai had only gotten home with Dallan to see the bodies of his guardians stretched on the bed, and the entire pack worshipping the goddess for giving the couple a great life...
Kai exhaled. He shouldn't be thinking about things of such nature. It would only make him more confused. As a beta, friend, and brother to Dallan, it was his duty to make sure the running of the pack went as smoothly as possible, especially when the alpha was indisposed to attend to some things.
Just like Dallan was now. If Kai could even call that an indisposition.
The first stop Kai made was the gate. He answered all the greetings offered before going to the kitchen, infirmary, then garden. Everyone was busy preparing for the feast arranged for the night. Their alpha had gone out and conquered once again. It was worth celebrating. Kai did not stop them even though he knew how much Dallan despised something as awfully pathetic as a celebration thrown in his honour.
"Master Kai!"
Kai did not need to turn around to know that the voice belonged to Drab, the leader of the pack's warriors. Dallan had forbidden anyone from calling his brother without adding the prefix 'master.' That way, Dallan made sure Kai also got awarded a reasonable level of respect. Kai didn't care about all that. "What is it, Drab?"
"Did you or Alpha Dallan order for the Mer to work in the kitchen or anywhere else in the pack?"
"No." Kai frowned. "What happened?"
"The people are saying that they want her to work in the kitchen. That way, they would have access to her at any moment of the day. I even learned that the head chef has left her an apron and space in the kitchen."
"What!"
"What!" Kai exclaimed in disbelief. "The pack has been planning all that?!" "Yes, they have. I wanted to know if it was an order from—" "No! I did not give that order! Neither did Dal—Alpha Dallan. Have the people gone mad? Shouldn't the alpha be the one to make that decision?" "I just thought to inform you." "Thank you, Drab. You may leave." Kai fumed. While Dallan was thinking about making Hazel his maid, the pack had kitchen plans for her. Kai did not even know who was the alpha anymore. Whenever Dallan gave an order, the pack members gave two to counter it. Still fuming, Kai went back to Dallan's quarters. The alpha was no longer in the sitting room. Kai knew he must have gone to be with his parents. Kai went straight to Hazel. He knocked. For a moment, it seemed no one was in the room. He knocked again. "Who is that?" Her voice came from within, low and confused. "It's... erm..." Kai slowly pushed himself in. "Hi." "Hmm, I knew it wasn't that imp. He would never ca
If there was anything Dallan hated, it was pack gatherings. He would have to face all the insufferable council of elders and the over-demanding pack members. The fact that the main theme of the celebration was to see the mermaid was a fact that he was well aware of. He had no idea why the pack wanted a mermaid so badly. He had been the one crazy for one. Initially. Now, his mind was pricking him. It felt like he did a very wrong thing by kidnapping Hazel. She wasn't the first person to be taken by him in such a forceful way, so it came as a surprise why he was suddenly feeling bad—no, remorseful. The trumpet sounded again. Dallan exhaled and slowly got up. It would be a very obvious lie if he should duck under his covers and pretend he didn't hear the summoning trumpet. The sound of that instrument could reverberate on an individual's eardrums from a surprising distance when handled by a specialist. The only reason he would flow with the party was because of his order for the men
"Gods, no." Hazel shook her head in the direction of the gown Kai neatly folded on the bed. "No," she repeated, shaking her head. "You don't expect me to wear that, do you?" "It's a beautiful dress. You will look good in it." Kai picked it up and held it against his body. "Look at the glitters." "And cleavage-exposing cups," Hazel added with a grimace. "And a long slit that will show..." She stopped. There was no need to tell Kai all that, after all, he knew nothing about women's fashion. The dress was probably picked by one of the pack's women. "I thought you will like it." Kai shrugged. "Since you will be meeting the entire pack tonight, I thought it will be important for you to appear beautiful. Though you will be very beautiful with or without the dress." For a moment, Hazel amusingly knitted her brows. Then she burst into laughter." How did you meet Dallan?" she asked. Kai looked lost. "I don't understand." "I said how did you meet Dallan, the alpha?" Kai frowned.
Dallan gasped; his jaw almost touched the ground. He felt a surge of his wolf, an excited dance of jubilation in his guts. The moon seemed to shine brighter, or maybe it was just his eyes. The feeling of adrenaline pumping through his veins was soon replaced with a feeling of peace and serenity. It was a familiar feeling. He had always felt that way whenever his mother hugged him. As a child, feeling undefeatable in her arms was an everyday occurrence. That was the same feeling that attacked Dallan when he set eyes on Hazel. Her choice of dress—he doubted if it was her choice—left very little to the imagination. Very little. The green net covering the white body-hugging dress not only outlined Hazel's shape but her eyes as well. The green of her eyes perfectly matched the dress to the extent that the colour of her eyes was evident from afar—not considering the sharp eyesight of his specie. She wore a stiletto, also green in colour. Hazel stopped walking. The stares she was receiving
Hazel gasped and shot away from her chair with her palm clasped over her mouth. Dallan's face was creased in pain, his palm pressed tightly over his stomach. The celebration crashed. Everyone ran forward at the same time. Hazel had always heard about the agility of wolves. She saw it in action. Even in their normal form, they ran way faster than an average human. She almost mistook Kai for a gust of wind. The beta was the first to stand beside Dallan even though he had stayed at the back. "Is he okay?!" "My alpha?!!" "Alpha Dallan!" Hazel stood still, petrified as questions rang from all directions. The sentries were pushing the people away from Dallan to prevent crushing him. It did not work. Some people managed to get past the human wall. They were repeatedly pushed back. "Is he okay?" Hazel asked in alarm. She shivered. Dallan looked so tired. In that split second, she imagined something happening to him. Like death. The thought made her heart beat fast. She could not give a
Hazel's mouth formed a wide 'O' as she stood in front of what Dallan had called a garden. She had never seen such a beautiful harmony of flowers in her entire life. The garden looked like the goddess' liar. Beautiful flowers that Hazel had no idea of were planted in rows, leaving space in between each for passage. Her love for Dallan rose another bit. A man with a love of nature would appreciate life—and what it had to offer. Hazel walked forward. The milky glow from the moon reflected the colors in beautifully bright hues. Hazel felt like snapping all the lampstands off. The natural light from above gave out the real beauty of the garden."This is beautiful," she murmured. Dallan heard her."I am happy you like it." Even without turning, Hazel knew that he was smiling. The tone of his voice held pride and satisfaction. He seemed very happy that she appreciated the beauty of his pack, or was it just her imagination? Hazel ran her hand on some of the flowers at the front. A little
She would kill him if care wasn't taken. Dallan's thoughts ran wild as he closed his eyes to get back some decent amount of fresh air. His mind ran in all directions. For some moments, he couldn't think straight. And he knew it was Hazel's fault. How did a handjob feel so pleasurable? Dallan exhaled softly and opened his eyes. Hazel's face swam into view. "Are you okay?" she asked. Dallan scoffed. "You have successfully made my limbs immobile, at least for the next five minutes." Hazel chuckled. "I did nothing," she said in defense. "I gave you a handjob, that's all." "Nah..." Dallan was shaking his head from side to side. "You drew out every last drop of my soul. I can almost feel my thighs vibrating." "Shut up." Hazel smiled and leaned down to kiss him. Her hair fell over his chest. Dallan caressed her back and neck. He pulled her closer. As if Hazel realized what she was doing, she pulled back. "Please, don't go," Dallan begged in a low voice. "Stay with me." Hazel tucked
Dallan ended up summoning Drab to get him drinks from the celebration. He sat by his window, drinking and taking in the view of the peaceful night. Even though his heart wasn't in any way at peace. He just told Hazel that they should pursue the attraction between them. He had taken a bold step into the next phase of his life. What would this mean for him? Dallan continued to slowly sip on his drink until the noise from the square started dying down. It came as a surprise that the people wanted to stop partying by midnight. At once, Dallan knew what could be the reason for their early departure. He was the reason. They did not want to disturb him. Dallan smiled. So considerate of them. It was a good thing they stopped because he needed silence to think and reflect. Nobody prepared him for this phase of life. No one told him that it would be this draining. Or was he the one draining his strength, thinking over something very inconsequential? Dallan tried to imagine what his moth