Chapter 11: first blood mark
1168 Words
TYLER
She turns off the screen immediately, keeping the phone by her side like she’s hiding something. I only caught a single word—‘Jake’—but it seems like there’s more to that name than she’s letting on.
“I like my privacy,” she says smoothly.
And I frown.
“Who is Jake?”
Her eyes widen a bit, but she relaxes in seconds.
“A really good friend of mine.”
“Then why are you hiding the chat with this ‘good friend’ of yours?”
She raises her chin. “Like I said, I love my privacy. Shall we continue shopping?”
Kyle stirs in me. He wants answers, and I do too, but I don’t push further. I lead Aurelia onward, urging her to grab as many clothes as she likes because we won’t get to do this every day. Surprisingly, she only picks a few tops—which are mostly dark shades—and some pants.
“No gowns at all?”
She shrugs. “I’m not a fan.”
I just nod and lead her to the shoe section. Her eyes brighten for the first time since we got here, and when I think she’s going to pick those high heels, she goes for flats instead.
How can she be so unladylike?
“I’m done.” She smiles at me. “We can head back to the pack house now.”
After I finish sorting the bills, we head to the car with someone carrying all the shopping bags.
Aurelia settles into the car. “Thank you for deciding to bring me here.”
“It’s my duty,” I say, starting the car with a deep frown on my face. I’m still baffled by the way she hid her phone earlier, just like I’m a bit baffled about why she’s here after disappearing that night.
What exactly is she here for?
Why was her pack even wiped out?
What is Aurelia Rivers not telling me?
Am I putting my pack at stake by getting married to her?
‘Are you forgetting that we need an heir?’ I hear Kyle groan. ‘We have to mark her. And f**k her. And put our pups in her.’
I sigh. I know.
‘The elders aren’t saying a word, but I’m sure they’ll start threatening your position as Alpha after some time without an heir.’
I don’t need Kyle telling me all of that.
I know them already.
That’s why I was so eager to find Aurelia.
Because I can only get an heir through her.
No one else.
As soon as we arrive back at the pack house, Dave rushes toward me. He glances at my mate, then mindlinks me. “There’s something important you need to see, Alpha Tyler.”
I nod, tapping Aurelia’s shoulder. “You should head in. The maids will bring the shopping bags shortly.”
She looks between Dave and me and mutters, “Okay.”
The second she’s gone, I turn to face Dave, raising my brows slightly. “What’s that important thing I need to see?”
“Her mark. I knew the mark on her neck was a little bit familiar, but I wasn’t quite sure. It was why I didn’t point it out earlier.”
“Where did you see it?”
“In an ancient book. I had Grant do some research about it a few days ago.”
I let out a low growl. He was carrying out research about my mate without me? “Why didn’t you f*****g tell me?”
“Because I wanted to be sure it meant something.” He lowers his head. “Forgive me, Alpha Tyler.”
“So,” I say, my voice smooth and calm, but in reality, my wolf is thrashing inside me. I never realized I’m this eager to know some things about my mate. The fact that her entire clan is wiped out is making it hard to get more information about her. “Tell me more about this mark.”
“It’s called the First Blood Mark.”
“First what?”
“First Blood.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Grant said something about asking a witch since they should know more about this little piece of history.”
The more I get to know my mate, the more she’s making me wonder if I’m making a mistake or not. “I’ve never seen that mark before,” I say. “I thought it was a birthmark.”
Dave shakes his head. “It’s more than a birthmark.”
Knowing what the mark means might tell us more about her clan and why it was wiped out. So I nod at Dave. “We’re heading to Hasley’s.”
His eyes bulge. “The witch? Now? Alpha Tyler, she doesn’t like visit—”
I shrug. “Not like she has a choice now. I need answers, and since she’s the only one who can provide them, she’ll have to let me into her home.”
A part of me feels bad for not telling Aurelia before leaving the pack house again. My thoughts run through what she might be doing right now. Is she eating dinner? Or trying out the clothes? Or just sleeping in bed because she’s completely bored?
“We’re here,” Dave tells me, pulling up in front of a small cottage-like house with leaves and talismans at the entrance. It gives this eerie vibe that says you should turn around and leave, but things like this don’t bug me.
I’m not really a fan of witches anyway.
They’re too cunning.
And treacherous.
Even before we knock, Hasley’s door opens on its own. She stands at the entrance, large eyes like saucers locked on Dave and me.
“If you’re here to seek answers about your mate, I can’t provide you with that.”
I stiffen. “How did you—”
“I see whatever I want to see.”
“Then you have to tell me what the First Blood Mark means.”
Her eyes grow wide. “She has the First Blood Mark?” She looks like she’s just seen a ghost.
“Is that something we should be worried about?” Dave asks. “Please, Hasley. We need answers.”
Instead, she slams the door in our faces. I pinch the bridge of my brows, eager to punch something. I eventually punch the wall as Dave stares at me.
“What do we do now?” he asks me with a slightly worried tone, and I stare at Hasley’s door again.
“She’ll come around,” I say. “It’s either she blurts out what I need, or she faces the consequences.”
“You can’t torture a witch.”
“I never said I would.” I smile. “There are other ways to get these creatures. You still have a lot to learn.”
- Writer
