Chapter 47
NADIA.
Idropped Riley’s hand without a warning and ran towards the packhouse.
“Katarina!” I was shrieking in excitement. I didn’t even know where I would find her, but I just let my feet take me where they wanted to go.
‘Careful! You might fall flat on your face!’ Riley’s mind was linked with mine, and I could hear him chuckling at the other end.
I giggled, but I didn’t answer him back as my feet hurried towards the big receiving area on the other side of the house. I was excited to see her. She was the only part of my old life that I didn’t want to throw away.
I found Katarina sitting on the big couch, flipping the pages of a magazine.
I stopped by the entryway, catching my breath before calling her attention.
“See something that you like?” I asked, hands on my hips, and I watched her head snap in my direction. It took a while before she started shrieking and hurriedly ran toward me.
“Oh Goddess, Nadia! I’m so happy to see you! I thought I would never see you again!” She blurted out as we hugged each other tightly. “Eww! You reek of Alpha Riley!”
She pulled away from me, her nose scrunching up as she feigned a gag.
I giggled before anchoring my arms with hers as I walked us to the couch. “What can I do? He can’t keep his hands off of me!”
“Awww… you like him!” She blurted out, and I couldn’t help my cheeks from blushing.
“I do!” I admitted as I nodded my head, a smile still curled on my lips as I slumped my body down on the couch, taking her along with me.
“You need to tell me the details about how you met him! Damn girl, maybe I should run away and bump into my mate along the way. Then I don’t have to go to this stupid Claiming!”
“Wait! Isn’t the Claiming supposed to be this month already? Oh, Goddess!”
“This one was canceled. I had no idea why, and I never asked Darvin. I was just thankful that it was. Although it will resume after three months.”
“Oh, thank Goddess! But are there still no changes to the plan? Are you still pushing through with this?” I asked her, knowing that she didn’t really agree with this but was forced to accept it.
“I can’t do anything. Darvin is using emotional blackmail, and you know how much I love my brother.”
“But still, this is not right. But have you already met this Alpha? What’s his name again? I forgot.”
“Aeon. Alpha Aeon. And no, I haven’t met him yet.”
“So up to now, you still have no idea what he looked like?”
“No. But Darvin said the engagement party will push through next month, so I will see him by then, I guess.”
“Weird. Are you not even interested in knowing what he looks like? And him, he didn’t even bother to visit you?”
“Well, Darvin said he saw me already. But I have a feeling he’s not interested in me, so maybe it’s better that way. I would rather we keep away from each other’s business than have him hovering over me.”
“Are you not scared if he looks like a monster?”
“You and your descriptions of people. No, I don’t think he looks like a monster. I’m sure I’d seen him before. But enough of me. Let’s get back to you and your mate! So how’s the scary Alpha?” She wiggled her brows before she leaned in closer. “So, is he really scary?”
I shook my head. “In fact, he’s as cuddly as a teddy bear.”
“Who’s as cuddly as a teddy bear?” A deep baritone voice erupted into thin air, and delicious tingles immediately spread between my legs.
Our heads tilted to the entryway, and we saw Riley leaning on his side against the post with his arms crossed against his chest, brows hiking up, but his mouth was twitching as if suppressing a smile from forming.
“My pillow.” I smiled cheekily at him, my cheeks hurting from the wide smile that was plastered on my face.
My Goddess. Riley looked like a god leaning against the pillars.
“That’s me, right? You’ve been using my body as a pillow night after night after night.”
My eyes widened as I stared at him dumbfounded, hoping he would stop embarrassing me.
“I didn’t know Alpha Riley knew how to joke or flirt. What did you do to him?” Katarina whispered beside me, but her face showed no emotions. She was still not comfortable around my mate.
“Got your tongue tied, my love?”
Oh, fuck me now! I bit my lower lip and crossed my legs before I opened my mouth. “I’m thirsty, Riley. I want something to drink.”
“What do you want to drink? Coffee, tea, juice, water?” He asked, his eyebrows hiking up before a mischievous smile tugged at his mouth. “Or me?”
My mouth hung open as I stared at him, bewildered.
“I’ll get you water then.” He smiled and winked at me, and I was still speechless.
He turned around, ready to walk away, but then he turned back again, this time looking at Katarina. “Have you met my Beta today? Was he around when you came?”
“Yes. He was the one that allowed us entrance and met us in front of the packhouse. He’s with Sofia. She wanted to go around. I don’t trust her on her own, so your Beta offered to go with her. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No. It’s okay, I just couldn’t reach his mind.” He told her before shifting his gaze to me. “I’ll be back with your water. How about you, Lady Katarina?”
“I’ll take water too. Thank you, Alpha.”
He just nodded his head at her and then winked at me again before he turned around to leave us.
“What was that? What did you do to Alpha Riley? He actually smiled and he was flirting with you!” Her eyes widened as if she was really shocked.
I giggled. “I told you, he’s cuddly.”
“He’s smitten with you!”
“You think so?”
She nodded her head. “Amazing, really amazing! I have never seen that Alpha smile. And I wondered why he got along with Darvin when Darvin smiles all the time.”
“Well, he’s changed a lot from the first time I saw him. Did you know his wolf bit me right away when he saw me?”
“What?”
“Look.” I turned around and raised my shirt at the back, just enough for her to see the crescent moon mark that Hunter left on my hipbone area.
“Oh, Goddess! It’s beautiful! He didn’t bite you! He marked you. So he marked you first before the Alpha did?”
“Yes. Riley told me he was furious because they scented me in your territory, and Hunter thought I was avoiding them. Riley actually scented me on you, and he asked you to take him to me, but you dragged him to Trish.”
“Oh, no! So that was it! Well, if your Alpha told me he scented his mate on me, then I would have brought him to you. But he didn’t say anything.
He was just like…” She straightened her posture and puffed out her chest before she began speaking in a louder voice, imitating Riley’s.
“Who did you spend your day with? Take me to her!”
I couldn’t stop myself from giggling because it was almost the same as what Riley told me, but she was narrating it better.
“I thought Darvin was furious that I went out again, and he had asked Alpha Riley to find out where I went. And of course, I would never take him to you. Otherwise, I’d foil your escape plan. So I took him to Trish instead!”
“At least you made Trish happy that day, for sure.”
“Oh, she was overjoyed, and she kept blabbing about it for days about how he saw and talked to Alpha Riley.” She giggled before she reached for my hand. “By the way, Trish was heartbroken—well, probably for thirty seconds before she moved on and said she was happy you were mated to Alpha Riley.”
I giggled again because that was typical Trish. She had tons of crushes, but she moved on easily when she got tired of fawning over them.
Our laughter was interrupted when an Omega entered the room with a tray in her hands with pastries and juice, and, of course, water, followed by Riley.
“Is it okay if I leave you, ladies? I will just be at the training ground. The Gamma needed some assistance.” He asked as he stopped by the entryway, his hands in his pockets as he stared at me.
I nodded my head as I stood up from my seat and walked to where he was standing. “But you’re not leaving the territory?”
“No.” He smiled as his hand reached for the stray hairs on my face and tucked them behind my ear. “Link me if anything. I have warriors around the packhouse, so you have nothing to worry about security.”
“I’m not worried.” I smiled at him.
I wanted to kiss him, but I didn’t want to make the first move, and besides, Katarina might be looking.
But it had been days since we kissed.
“I am. So make sure you stay inside the house. Or let me know if you plan to go out.” He cupped my face, brushing my cheek with his thumb as his soft gaze locked with mine.
‘I’m not restraining you from going out. I just want to make sure you’re well-protected. I don’t want anybody to take you away from me.’ He sent over our mindlink, and I couldn’t stop the smile from gracing my lips.
“Okay. And let me know if you’re going somewhere other than the training grounds.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He chuckled before he leaned in but stopped midway and instead brushed his thumb against the corner of my lips. “I’ll see you later.”
And then he pulled away and turned around.
Damn, it was almost a kiss.
I let out a deep breath before running after him. “Riley...”
He turned around, his brow arched up. “Yes?”
I stopped in front of him, swallowing hard before I smiled shyly. “You didn’t kiss me.”
He smiled sheepishly, and I felt my core suddenly start throbbing. “I’m not sure if I am already allowed to kiss you.”
I rolled my eyes at him, trying to act brave, but his stare was making my knees wobble.
I puckered up my lips, urging him to press his lips against mine just for a soft kiss, only to be caught in surprise when his hand snaked on my nape as he pressed my head closer to his, crushing his lips against mine, and drowning me in a smoldering kiss.