watching them 18
1131 Words
Chapter 18
Stranger's POV
I watched them from the shadows for a few more moments before quietly slipping away. It was only a matter of time before he marked her. I needed to report back to my mistress.
Did he have any idea what he had done the night he slept with her?
She had returned home smiling, telling me she'd finally found a man who wasn't afraid of her—a hybrid, half wolf and half vampire. That night she had only been looking for a little fun, yet something about him had captured her attention.
The funny thing was... he never even realized she was half vampire.
When I arrived back at the estate, I found her standing before the fireplace with a crystal glass of blood wine in her hand. She stared silently into the flames, completely lost in thought.
I cleared my throat. "Mistress... I'm sorry to disturb you, but you asked me to keep an eye on the Lycan."
Her eyes slowly shifted toward me. "He became an Alpha tonight... and he found his mate."
The crystal glass exploded in her hand. Shards scattered across the marble floor as the dark red wine dripped between her fingers.
"Are you f*****g kidding me?" she hissed. "He found his mate? Has she been marked yet?"
I lowered my head respectfully. "I didn't see a mark on either of their necks. The elders had just finished the Alpha ceremony and were leaving. I saw the two of them walking through the garden together, but I couldn't get close enough to hear what they were saying."
She slowly wiped the blood wine from her hand, her crimson eyes burning with fury.
"Keep watching them," she ordered. "Do whatever you have to do to stop them from marking each other. I need time to get close to him again... to awaken whatever he felt that night."
A cruel smile spread across her lips. "That woman will never be his Luna."
She turned back toward the fire.
"I will."
I wasn't so sure about that. The way he'd looked at his mate spoke louder than words ever could. There had been devotion in his eyes... protectiveness... something no one could fake. But I wasn't foolish enough to tell my mistress that. Sometimes I wished she had chosen me instead. Instead, I was left watching the man she believed would soon belong to her.
Seren's POV
I couldn't believe it. He had found his mate. I should have stayed that night. I should have convinced him to choose me instead of walking away. Instead, my mother had mind-linked me, claiming my father had been attacked by rogues and that I needed to come home immediately.
The moment I arrived, I found my father sitting in the living room perfectly healthy.,He looked confused.
"Why are you home so early?"
"I came because Mom said you were attacked by rogues."
He slowly turned toward my mother before bursting into laughter.
"So that's why she's home already." He shook his head, still laughing. "You lied to get her out of the club?"
Mother simply crossed her arms. "She didn't need to be in a club full of mixed breeds doing only the Goddess knows what. I had to get her home somehow."
Dad only laughed harder. I couldn't even be mad. At the time, I'd simply shrugged it off. I'd had my fun, hugged them both, and gone upstairs for a shower. Not long after that, I moved into my own house. It was time. If my mother was willing to lie just to control where I spent my evening, then I needed my independence. But now… Everything had changed.
He had found someone else. Someone who was supposed to become his Luna. My hands clenched into fists. No. I refused to accept it. I needed to find a way to get rid of that girl. Once she was out of the picture, he'd remember me. It had only been one night...
But one night was enough.
I didn't just want another night with him. I wanted him. Every part of him. And sooner or later...He would be mine. No matter what it took.
Grill POV
I stood on the balcony outside my office, staring out over the pack grounds while the wind carried Ava's scent toward me. My lycan paced restlessly beneath my skin. “Mate.”
"I know," I muttered.
I could still feel her heartbeat from earlier, still remember the way she looked at me when I announced to everyone that she was my mate. There had been fear in her eyes, but there had also been trust.
Something I wasn't used to receiving. Chris walked out onto the balcony carrying two beers, handing me one.
"You've got a lot on your mind."
"I always do."
He leaned against the railing. "No. This one's different."
I stayed silent. "You really love her already?"
I laughed quietly. "Didn't think it was possible."
"But?"
"But something feels wrong."
Chris frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Ever since we met, I feel like someone's watching us."
He became serious immediately. "You think Catherine?"
"I think she's involved somehow."
Chris sighed. "I don't trust that woman."
"Neither do I."
There was something about Catherine that never sat right with me. Every smile looked practiced. Every tear looked fake. She wanted something. I just hadn't figured out what it was yet. A knock sounded on my office door.
"Come in."
One of my patrol warriors stepped inside.
"Alpha."
"What is it?"
"We found tracks near the northern border."
"What kind?"
"They disappear halfway through the forest."
I frowned. "Wolf?"
The warrior shook his head. "No."
"Bear?"
"No."
"Vampire?"
"They don't leave tracks."
He swallowed. "It almost looked... human."
Chris and I exchanged a glance. "Did anyone cross our border?"
"No, Alpha."
"Double the patrol."
"Yes, Alpha."
As soon as he left, Chris closed the door. "You think someone's hiding themselves?"
"I know they are."
Meanwhile… Far from the pack… The stranger stepped through the darkness until he reached an abandoned church. Candles burned with black flames. The woman waiting inside never turned around.
"You've returned."
"Yes, Mistress."
"And?"
"He claimed her."
Silence. Then...A laugh..Cold..Satisfied.
"So the bond has begun."
"He has no idea what she truly is."
"He doesn't."
"And if he marks her?"
The woman's smile widened. "Then everything begins."
The stranger lowered his head. "Should I kill him now?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I need the bond completed first."
Her crimson eyes glowed. "The Alpha thinks fate brought them together."
She laughed again. "It was never fate."
"It was me."
The room filled with dark energy as every candle extinguished at once. "The time is almost here…”
- Writer
