04. Wants

My mind refused to believe it was Alpha Lennox I was seeing.

How did he track my location? I was careful never to leave any imprints whenever I went somewhere.

“Mate? Funny how you can say that word when you reject me once you find out I was your mate, Alpha Lennox,” I said, whispering in his ears. “You hated me, right? You find me repulsive. So why the heck are you recognizing me as yours? That’s ridiculous.”

Alpha Lennox’s face darkened.

I scoffed. “See? You’re not answering my questions, Alpha Lennox.”

“I want us to start again, Keira.”

Start again? Why? So he would reject me again when he did not want me?

“No,” I answered flatly.

One man tried to touch my butt, but Alpha Lennox grabbed it and twisted it. The man cried in pain.

“No one’s touching her,” he said possessively. The man, still crying in pain, nodded hastily. “Go.”

And he did. As if he was scared Alpha Lennox will kill him which the latter was capable of doing.

Sensing his bad mood, the other men moved their seats away from us. Damn it. Who would give me tips now if he was scaring my potential customers away? How would I pay my rent now?

A rapper was suddenly singing on the stage, while the women continued dancing. The manager will be mad at me if he sees me talking to Alpha Lennox.

I hugged myself. The cold was now biting my bare skin.

“You want us to start again? I’m not buying it.”

Alpha Lennox, brows furrowed. “You think I am lying?”

“What could it be instead of that?”

“An alpha wouldn’t lie.”

“If you won’t be caught,” I replied with the same intensity of the gaze he was giving me. During the duration of our talk, Alpha Lennox did not even look at the dancers. Even to the woman beside us, who was doing a lap dance. No matter where I looked, all I saw were butts. Lots of women’s butts.

I shivered not because of his touch but because of the cold. I was showing too much skin, which I did not usually do. But because of some circumstances, I did. Having a wolf would be beneficial since I would feel less cold.

He stood, and out of habit, I winced. Then, he pulled out his jacket and wrapped it around my body. It reached below my knee and could pass as a dress. No matter how much I avoided inhaling his scent, I could not. It felt like Alpha Lennox just hugged me.

“What’s the meaning of this, Alpha Lennox? Are you now the romantic type?”

He was cold and a jerk three years ago. He called me names. Saying hateful things which made me cry and the worst of all? I was still expecting that he would still accept him. Until I saw him kissing the daughter of the beta under the shade of the tree. And they looked like they were having the best time of their lives. Devastated, which made me pursue my plan of running away from my pack.

He chuckled. “My little Keira. My slave and my mate. I told you I want us back together. I’m trying to win you back.”

“Sorry, but I am already happy in the human world. And no. Our story has already ended.”

He clogged the contents of his glass. Werewolves had high alcohol tolerance and did not get drunk easily.

“Sit.”

“I don’t want to.”

“This will be a lengthy conversation.”

“Not interested.” I turned my back to him and was on the verge of taking my first step away from him, but he suddenly pulled my hand, and fell on his lap.

“This is where you should be, Keira.”

Gritting my teeth while putting both of my arms on his chest, I said, “Let me go. I still have work to do.”

“I can pay you. You don’t have to strip while those bastards feast on your body.”

“Will that make my heart flutter, Alpha Lennox?”

“It should be. But… I am certain it did not. Keira. Three years had turned you into a feisty woman. Back then, you were like a cute little puppy who did not even know how to fight back. Your little bullies would be amazed at your transformation. Including Fay. You remember her. Do you?”

“I have to grow or others will take advantage of me.” Just like you, I wanted to add but stopped myself from doing so.

The night was getting colder and older.

“Now you’re becoming intelligent. That’s good.”

“Good for you?”

“Yeah,” he retorted, shamelessly.

Time was ticking and it seemed he really had no plans of letting me go. For now. Which left me no choice but to humor him.

“Alpha Lennox. You said you will pay me. How much will you give?” I asked boldly. “You see? Staying in the human world is expensive. I need to pay everything from food to my rent.”

He looked in my direction, grabbed a bottle of beer, drank it, and put it down. He wiped some spilled liquid on his lips and said, “How much do you want?”

“Why? Will you give it to me?” I asked, not even feeling embarrassed. Why would I when this alpha was a jerk?

“Do you want to? I will give you anything you want, Keira.”

I want it. Everything he could offer that night.

Alpha Lennox leaned on me, his breath fanning my face. He smelt of cigarettes and alcohol. I could feel the fast beating of his heart while the rapper continued singing in the background.

“I will give it to you if you entertain me, well.”

I covered my body by crossing my arms on my chest. “I’ll never give my body to you.”

“Oh, a virgin, then? No man to interest you so far? That’s good. You’re mine alone.”

His possessiveness was not romantic at all. Instead, it made me feel sick all over. What’s my assurance that he would never do what those bullies did when I was in his pack? Nothing. Instead of love, I felt nothing but anger toward him. Towards the man who did nothing, but turned his eyes away from the suffering of his pack. He was always focused on leading his pack.

“Don’t give me that possessive attitude, Alpha Lennox. It will not make me happy at all. However, I’ll be glad if you will give me your money, and let’s not meet again, shall we?”

A woman approached the alpha, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Finally, when he was not looking, I was able to break away from him and sat opposite him. As much as I wanted to leave him, I still needed cash. Badly.

Glaring, I said, “I own myself.”

“Wrong. I own You. You’re practically my slave. The lowest of the ranks among the Stonewind Pack.”

“You want me back? Then are you okay that I will be the luna of the pack? An omega and a slave?” I said, mustering my courage.

“I can still use you.”

Bastard. He never changed. “I won’t allow it.”

“Go back to our pack and marry me. We don’t have to consummate our marriage. I can use someone else.”

Marriage? He was delusional.

“You’re saying funny things, Alpha Lennox. Perhaps your mind is already tired from drinking too much. Go home.”

“I won’t unless you come with me.”

I zipped his jacket on my body. Odd. His scent brought comfort.

“Where?” I asked, lazily. “I’m not giving my body to you if that’s what you are saying.”

“You don’t have to. Come with me to Stonewind. Father wanted to talk to you.”

The previous alpha? He was the only one who was kind to me and defended me against my packmates. However, their envy of the affection that the alpha was giving me made them do hurtful things to me.

“About what?” I asked, casually. “You can say my greetings to him, but you cannot make me go with you, Alpha Lennox.”

May the alpha forgive me for being stubborn, but what’s the point of running away from that place if I would only be back?

“My father….” He looked away. “He is dying.”

My eyes widened. “What? But it is too soon. We usually have long life spans. So why?” I squinted my eyes when I realized something. “You are lying, right? You’re saying those things so I will return.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I do not lie when it comes to Father. He is constantly looking for you. He is barely hanging and before he leaves this world, I want to give him what he wants. And that’s you. I do not know what kind of potion you give him, but the moment you left in the pack, he fell ill.”

“I get it, Alpha Lennox. You do not want me back. Your hidden agenda is making me return to your pack. But I hate to break it to you, but I won’t. Never.” I stood and surprisingly, he allowed me. “I’ll be returning your jacket if we happen to meet again.”

For the second time, I ran away from him. And for the second time, Alpha Lennox did not stop me. Was this disappointment I felt just now?