Chapter 45
Braxton
When I told Nyah I wasn’t mad at her, or Skia, I truly meant it but a presence I had never felt before came over me after I said the words. It was as if I was put on mute as I heard my own voice threaten to harm Skia. I would never cause pain to my mate or her destined wolf whether verbally or physically. So, who was this person speaking through me?
As quickly as the presence appeared it disappeared leaving me feeling slightly drained. With wobbly legs, I made my way to the dining room table and sat. I try to call upon my wolf to see if it was him, but he remains silent. What the fuck is going on?
“Braxton,” Nyah shouts as she rushes to the table and sits in the chair next to me.
As she begins to rub my back I tell her, “Nyah, you have to know I would never hurt Skia. She is a part of you, and I would be hurting you if I did something like that.”
“I knew you wouldn’t Braxton,” she says. “Trust me, Skia is very remorseful for the way she behaved. You scared the shit out of her earlier with those freaky looking yellow eyes.”
I frown. I’ve seen the color of my wolf’s eyes in reflections, and they seemed like normal yellow eyes to me, so what did she mean by freaky?
“Freaky like how?” I questioned.
“Shit,” Nyah whispers, looking down then back at me. “When you commanded Skia to submit in the conference room earlier and now with the threat, your eyes were yellow but different.”
“Different?” I asked, turning in my seat to face her.
Nyah clears her throat before replying, “Skia said they are of your destined wolf.”
I slump back in my chair with disbelief. I’ve heard of many things our kind can do but having your destined wolf start to come forth before it was time, is a new one for me.
“I don’t understand,” I mumbled.
“Skia is confused too, but my only rational is since we were mated and Skia has shown herself to me, your wolf is ready to merge as well. Skia came to me when I needed her the most, during the fight with Megan and I think yours will do the same when that time comes for you. She nor I know how he can come through now. I know this shit is crazy, but think about it, babe...we are of ancient blood and I’m starting to believe the normal traditions and customs of our Packs don’t apply to us.”
She’s certainly right about that, but I still had many questions, but the main ones are:
“Does Skia know his name? When do we officially merge?’
Nyah shook her head from side to side. “She doesn’t know any of that.”
“Okay,” I uttered.
Nyah takes her hand from my back, then locks both around my left one.
“Braxton, I know this is a lot to take in, but even unaware of the ongoing war our families have battled with enemies, or the fact that I connected with my destined wolf before you, it still doesn’t change the fact that even before any of that, I chose you to be my mate.” She points to the balcony. “That night, we accepted each other as mates, and nothing will ever come between that. You are our Alpha King. Skia and I will always stand by your side.”
Just as I’m getting ready to respond, the unknown presence tries to take over. With everything inside of me, I block him from doing so.
I glare at Nyah, standing. “He’s here.”
Her eye’s switch rapidly from brown to red.
“I know and I’m trying to keep Skia at bay. After their last encounter, I don’t know if he’s here to play nice or be an asshole.” She stands as well.
I understand how she both feels. Shit, at this moment, I didn’t know myself. Needing some clarity, I instruct Nyah, “Go to the bedroom.”
“But Braxton, I think I should stay...”
“No,” I say, interrupting her before a pain so sharp pierces through my skull, causing me to fall to my knees.
“Braxton,” Nyah shrieks, attempting to come to my aid, but I hold up my hand.
“Go, now,” I growl through my teeth. Nyah jumps, looking as if she wants to stay, but she takes off down the hall.
When I hear the bedroom door close, I take calming breaths as I rise, to go sit on the edge of the couch.
Inhaling deep, I closed my eyes, then sneered in my head, “All right motherfucker, it’s time for you and me to finally meet.”
Through the darkness of my mind, I feel like I’m standing in a pitch black room. Staring into the abyss, I wait for my wolf to respond. As the seconds pass, I get more and more angrier.
“Don’t hide, wolf. You wanted my attention, now you’ve got it. I know the Gods would not have gifted me with a destined wolf who is a coward to present himself to his Alpha but has no problem showing himself to our mates. Show yourself,” I demanded.
I did a full three-sixty, peering into the unknown as if I could magically see him. My demand was met when bold strange colored yellow eyes with silver flecks appeared before me. With his focus still on me, I now understood why Skia described his eyes as freaky.
“I am here, Alpha, but one thing about me you’ll soon learn is that I will never be a coward to you or anyone else,” his gruff voice says .
“What is your name?” I ask, getting straight to it.
“Ballian,” he replied.
“Tell me, Ballian, being my destined wolf, why would you threaten our mate? That shit right there is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
“It was not my intention to threaten our mate,” Ballian returns.
“No?” I questioned. “Then why didn’t you come to me before the shit in the conference room that had her scurrying away like a frightened pup or just a while ago when you said you would harm her or anyone else to protect Nyah. The words might have come from my mouth, but I never would have said them. I would snatch out my own heart before doing such a thing to the ones our Gods have chosen for us.”
The weird thing I find about Ballian’s eyes staring back at me is he never blinks. Now that is some freaky shit.
“Alpha, I would never hurt either of our mates,” he says. “You and I aren’t to merge yet, but after the Gods witnessed Skia’s blood lust in the conference room, they sent me to you. You are a powerful Alpha in your own right, but in the state that she was in, you wouldn’t have been able to control her with your previous wolf. He was no match for her. As for the threatening words, they were empty. Just like Nyah is your destined mate, Skia is mine. Skia is headstrong and resilient. She knows she is an Alpha, and I love that for my mate, but at the same time, she has been suppressed for so long, she can become feral if she’s not watched. That first taste of blood she got from Megan kicked things off.”
Interesting. “So, you witnessed the bullshit with Megan and my mother?”
Ballian chuckles. “Alpha, I’ve witnessed many things in your life. The Gods chose me for you the day you were born. While you grew and matured each year, I was training to become the warrior inside of you.”
“Did you know what happened to my brothers?” I questioned since he said he has always been with me.
With a heavy sign, Ballian replies, “Unfortunately, I didn’t. I think the Gods kept that from us because we were young and had we known the truth, our anger and rage would have triggered our merging before it was time.”
I nod with understanding. Although I wish things had turned out differently, who was I to question the Gods.
“Ballian, we share the same body, so please call me Braxton.”
His chilling eyes seem to widen. “I’m sorry, Alpha, but we are taught to respectfully refer to superiors as Alpha.”
“I am your Alpha?”
“Yes.”
“I am your superior?”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“And you’re to do as I order, right?”
“Yes, Alpha,” he replies again.
“Then I order you to call me Braxton. You and I are one, so there’s no need for all the formalities. Am I clear?”
Damn I wish he would blink his eyes.
“Yes, Alph...I mean, Braxton.”
“Thank you.”
“Braxton,” Nyah softly calls.
I open my eyes, to see her at the end of the couch.
“Are you, okay?” she asks with concern.