The Prophecy

|| Chapter Seventeen ||

Bea hugged the bottle of water close to her as she curled up in a foetal position on the shaggy rug. Her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead and the rapid rise and fall of her chest only highlighted the red flush of her skin. She’d swear if she could but her screaming muscles drowned out the thought as she stretched out to lie spread eagle. This is it. She’s done. This is the end. All she could do was stare at the ceiling until death finally took her.

A low chuckle drew her gaze to the doorway. Alexander, armed with his own bottle of water, leaned against the frame dressed only in low slung sweats. Like her, his skin was flushed and glistened with sweat. The difference being he’s still standing and looked like he went on a leisurely jog while she looked like she’d been put through a wringer.

He took a sip of his water and nodded towards her prone figure, “so, that good huh?”

“Shut up Alexander Knight,” she craned her neck up and hissed at him, almost instantly regretting the decision.

He chuckled again and disappeared into the bathroom. A few seconds later, Bea could hear the water running and smell the sweet scent of vanilla and mint.

“Maybe you should take it easy and hold off on training, hey?”

Bea sprung up on her feet and ran into the bathroom, her previous aches and pains long forgotten. She was about ready to lay into Alexander and give him a piece of her mind when she noticed the ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

She was a vision. All flushed, hair wild around her face with absolute passion and fury in her eyes. But when her gaze softened and she reached out to punch him softly on the shoulder for teasing her, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. Her muscles finally catching up to her, she sagged into his arms. He reached out and turned the tap off and gestured to the tub now filled to the brim with bubbles.  

“Join me?” Bea nodded towards the large tub, “there’s room enough for two.”

Eventually, they disentangled themselves from each other and undressed swiftly before welcoming the embrace of the searing hot water.

“We should escape for a night,” Alexander murmured into her shoulder.

They were both seated in the tub with her back settled against his front. They had sat in silence for a few moments while the hot water worked its way to loosen their tights muscles. He began to massage her shoulders, eliciting a low moan from her, causing her to tilt her head back to rest on his shoulder.

“Ok,” Bea mumbled and smiled while her eyes drifted shut.

 ---

A few hours and a much-needed nap later, Alexander escorted Bea through the doors of a busy restaurant, tastefully decorated with modern pieces, tones of grey, and strong lines. The hustle and bustle in the room spoke to the popularity of the venue and the Michelin plaque on the maitre d’s counter confirmed Bea’s suspicion

“Are we going to get a table?” she whispered under her breath, smiling as they passed other waiting parties.

“Of course. Who do you think I am?” Alexander replied smoothly, earning himself an eye-roll.

As they approached the maitre d, he looked up with annoyance but there was a flicker or recognition and before his eyes widened.

“Alpha Knight,” he greeted discreetly, blowing slightly.

Bea sniffed and recognised the tell-tale scent of a werewolf. Opening up her senses, she noticed the familiar scents of the passing wait staff.

“A quiet table for 2, please.”

He nodded nervously in response and gestured for the couple to follow.

They were seated in the back corner of the dining room, away enough from the main crowd but with a strategic view of both the entrance and the pass. They were served their sparkling water to start and Alexander simply ordered “the usual”.

“Do you come here often, then?” Bea asked once the nervous host left them alone.

Alexander nodded towards the pass at the head chef calling out orders, “Alpha Cohen’s brother-in-law owns in this place. Human, but very close relationship to the pack, and offers a good place for young wolves who decide to live in the city.”

A waiter dropped off a basket of sliced baguette with butter while another seemed to appear with a bottle of red wine. He filled both wine glasses before disappearing off again. Bea took an appreciative sip and her eyes slid shut in appreciation.

“So, you’re a red wine girl, then?” Alexander asked as he mimicked her.

“Mhmm. I like deep reds, light whites, and smooth whiskey.”

Bea placed her glass down and rested her chin on her knuckles to study her mate. His dark hair was neatly groomed with nary a lock out of place, his blue eyes were indifferent at first glance but upon further examination, showed shrewd intelligence and just a hint of mischief. Lips were lightly stained by the red wine complemented a sharp jawline. There was an unapproachable air to him but that seemed to suit him just fine.

“Darling, you’re starting to drool.”

Her eyes snapped back to his and she could feel a blush spread across her cheeks. She grinned at him and winked cheekily. “What, I can’t appreciate my mate?” She took her time to butter a piece of bread and take a huge bite.

She chewed thoughtfully for a moment and her gaze landed on him again. “We don’t really know each other,” she said.

“I agree,”

“We should do something about it.”

“Alright.”

“20 questions?”

Alexander laughed in response and nodded, “Ladies first.”

Bea chewed on her bread thoughtfully and pushed her side plate aside for their first course. As the waiters placed down their French onion soup, she squinted at him. “Middle name.”

“Xavier. First boyfriend?”

“Really? That’s your question?” the soup was incredible, and Bea almost wished she had some bread left to wipe her plate clean. As if he could read her mind, and he most definitely can, he tore his untouched slice of bread and offered it to her. Nodding appreciatively, she swallowed her soup. “Fine. Lachlan, you’ve met him.”

Alexander snarled softly and spooned some soup in his mouth to cover it up.

“If you weren’t Alpha, what would you do instead?”

“Oh, that’s a good one.” Alexander finished his soup and placed his spoon down to think. “I would probably travel the world, documenting each pack and their histories. It was my father’s project before he passed away and it would be good to finish it.”

The stealthy waiters appeared again to replace their empty bowls with a plate of seared scallops.

“Same question, Bea. If I hadn’t whisked you away, what would you be doing right now?”

Bea was so distracted by the delicious lemon garlic butter sauce covering the scallops that she almost missed the question. “Oh, uh, well once Bennett took over for dad, I would’ve taken over warrior training. And I would probably have taken over running the vineyards and the business side of things.” She shrugged, almost sadly, and placed her cutlery down. Would she have been happy in regional Australia for the rest of her life? Satisfied, by what she could only describe as taking over her share of the family business. Probably not, she finally relented.

“Bea?”

“Hmm?”

“Your question?”

She popped another scallop in her mouth to give her a moment to think. Maybe now’s the time to get answers. “Who is Olivia?”

Alexander stopped eating and placed his cutlery down forcefully, attracting the attention of some patrons closer to them. He breathed deeply and reached for his glass of wine, taking a long sip. “Where did you hear that name?”

“It’s not your turn Alexander, it’s mine."

Alexander’s grip on the edge of the table tightened and Bea could see his knuckles turning white. “Ask me a different question.”

For a moment, Bea considered changing the subject and asking something more light-hearted, but she had this nagging suspicion that this person was why he is the way he is. And she had every right to ask. “No, Alexander, if I am your mate as you say then we should be equals. And seeing as this is your reaction to her name, I believe I have the right to know.”

If looks could kill, Bea would be dead where she sat. But she squared her shoulders and took a sip of her wine. She returned his glare and tilted her head slightly. “Well?”

“Fine.” Alexander took a deep breath and placed his glass of wine down, discreetly gesturing to the waiters to bring the next course.

“I met Olivia in the early 1900s. Her family was one of the few human families who lived alongside the pack in the village. They come from a long line of bakers and wolves and humans alike enjoyed their wares. When she baked up a storm, everyone would come running to be first in line. Her cakes were…” he trailed off as his eyes slid shut, there was a ghost of a smile on his lips as a memory flashed in his mind.

The waiters arrived with their main course, steak with a side of baked potatoes and roast vegetables. Alexander nodded his thanks at the waiters and turned back to Bea to continue.

“She’d just returned to the village after a stint in the city and when I met her, it was like time stopped. Everything else just fell away, nothing else mattered.”

“She was your mate?”

Alexander shook his head and sliced into his steak, “No, not quite.”

They paused for a moment to make a start on their main course. Bea could see, quite clearly, how this restaurant earned its Michelin hats.

“You see, I’d been waiting for my mate, for you, since I turned 18. By the time I met Olivia, I didn’t think I had a mate waiting for me out there. I thought that maybe Olivia was the closest I was going to get.”

Bea nodded, urging him to continue.

“So, we married, and we had a child. Thaddeus.” Alexander’s eyes shone now with barely concealed emotion, “He was my spitting image, my pride and joy. I loved them both very much.”

“So, where are they, Alexander?” 

Alexander took another long drink of his wine and just a few more deep breaths. “I had been away on pack business for a few days. Two days after I came home, the pack was attacked by vampires.”

Bea blanched and she felt her mouth dry. She could see him struggle to find the right words and through the mate bond, she could feel his despair. Her heart ached and this normally well put together man falling apart before her eyes.

“By the time I got to them, Thaddeus was dead, torn apart, and all I could find of Olivia was what was left of her dress, a single finger, and blood. So much blood.”

They were silent for a moment as Bea digested this piece of information. No wonder he was so hesitant to open himself up to her. She couldn’t even imagine the pain that he went through, but she guessed she didn’t have to. She could feel him try to rein in his emotions and by the time she looked back up at him, he was composed, and his mask was firmly back in place.

“Thank you, Alexander,” she reached out to place her hand into his. He squeezed her hand, gave her a tight smile, before turning his attention to his steak.

“You’re right, you deserve to know. I’m sorry this was kept from you. So, favourite flavour of ice cream?”

“Mint chocolate chip.”

“You’re disgusting!”

“Excuse me?!”

“You might as well eat a tube of toothpaste!”

“And what is yours, oh Alpha with the refined tastebuds.”

“Vanilla,” Alexander grumbled.

Bea choked on her bite of steak and coughed to cover up her laughter. “Seriously?”

“What?”

---

Bea collapsed into the king-sized bed and sighed contentedly. Her shoes landed on the plush carpeted floors with a thud and she stretched over the bed. “After the few days we’ve had, I feel like I could sleep for a week.” She rolled onto her belly and cradled her head in her arms.

She felt the bed dip and then Alexander’s fingers gently stroke her bare arms. She mewled, content, eliciting a deep chuckle from him. “Are you sure you’re not a cat?”

“Pretty sure I’m a wolf,” she mumbled into the pillow she had managed to drag over to her.

He continued his ministrations and soon his hands were tracing patterns on her back. She felt him slide her zipper down and began tracing those same patterns on her bare back, going as far north as the crook of her neck, right down to the end of her zipper, the touch of their skin producing trails of fire on her back. Her back arched to meet his wandering fingers and a traitorous moan escaped her lips.

Bea shrugged his hands off her back and turned, raising herself up on her elbows. Alexander’s eyes were filled with lust and she could see the black of his Lycan begin to encroach on the brilliant blue of Alexander, the man. His breathing was shallow as his eyes roamed over her face, to settle on her pink lips.

“Kiss me.”

The words had barely left her mouth when he dipped his head down to capture her lips with his. Those same sparks ignited at the touch of their lips and her moan allowed him entry. She returned the kiss with vigour, reaching out to fist at his dress shirt to pull him ever closer. His hand moved to cup her cheek, trailing a blazing path to her scalp as he tangled his fingers in her curly locks, his other hand trailing from her butt to hook behind her knee, pulling her body flush against his.

Alexander pulled back reluctantly, his eyes now more black than blue. “We have to stop, Bea,” he panted, struggling to keep his voice level. Despite his words, his actions begged to differ. His hand was still tangled in her hair and his grip on her calf tightened ever so slightly. “If we don’t stop now, Bea, I won’t be able to control myself.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

With strength that surprised even herself, Bea pushed Alexander onto his back and moved to straddle him. Making sure to keep eye contact, she pulled her dress over her head, freeing her aching n*****s from the confines of the tight fabric. Wiggling in a very unladylike manner (although Alexander would beg to differ), she slid her panties off and flung them behind her.

She sat astride him, naked as the day she was born, and looked down on the perfect man beneath her. From his features that played to everything that Bea could ever want from a man to his cool exterior that hid a lifetime of pain, there was just something about him that made her want to give him everything. It sounded awfully Disney but deep down, she felt like she would lay down her life for his in a heartbeat.

Bea could feel him between her legs, straining to be released. She flashed him a cheeky grin and rolled her hips, grinding herself down on his burgeoning erection, earning herself a frustrated growl from the man beneath her. He reached out and gripped her hips to stop her from rocking, his hands tightening like a vice grip until she placed her hands on top of his.

“Bea, are you sure? I, I – “

“I know, Alexander, I want to. We’re mates, you can lose control with me.”

That was all he needed to hear and in a flash, their positions were reversed and she was flat on her back with him looming over her. There was a clatter of buttons as he divested himself of his clothes and positioned himself between her legs. “I’m sorry, darling, this is going to be hard and fast.”

She grinned at him and wrapped her legs around his waist, “bring it on, Alpha.”