Elias had been home with me for a few days and everything seemed so at peace. We didn't have to worry about a rogue wolf near the territory anymore and Elias had even found his mate. He was so much happier than he had been over the past few months, his positivity radiating now more than ever. As I buried myself further into the sheets and held my pillow with a death tight grip, Elias sat up abruptly, tufts of his hair sticking up wildly.
"I... I think I'm going to go see Xander again today," Elias whispered contently.
Though my eyes were closed, I could hear the smile in his voice. Sure enough, I looked up to see his cheeks brushed with a light rosy tint, the edges of his lips pointed upwards.
"So shocking," I feigned sarcastically, causing Elias to ruffle my already messy hair.
"Shut up."
He spoke the words playfully, and it was obvious that he'd gained a hint of sass since I'd met him. About a year ago, I couldn't have imagined that he'd say that, even if it was jokingly. The fact that he'd opened up made me feel special.
"You know I'm right," I responded, deciding to sit up with him. "It's barely been a week since you two... since you've solidified your mate bond and you're almost inseparable!"
"What were you going to say?"
I pushed Elias' shoulder gently but enough to move him, causing him to break out in laughter. "You know what I meant! And I still can't believe you and Xander... Nevermind!"
"You'll understand one day, Luca." Elias lifted his chin up confidently. "When you find your mate, I'll be able to poke fun at you because you'll have emotions that are so much stronger than mine. I love Xander so much, but I know that my side of the bond isn't as strong as his because I'm human."
I couldn't help but wonder how having a mate made someone feel so ecstatic. "How is it, having a mate?"
Elias smiled vividly, his eyebrows raising in excitement. "It's so hard to explain, Luca. For me, I didn't feel any different when Xander touched me the first time, but when we cuddled at the infirmary I felt so warm and complete. Just having him close to me, us touching, it makes me feel at peace.
"Now that we're fully mates," he continued, a wide grin forming at his previous words, "I'm even more sensitive to Xander's touch. It makes me feel safe, knowing his skin is on mine even if it's just a brush of our hands."
My eyes widened at how filled with emotion Elias was when talking about his experience. To think that he was having such a rush of exhilaration from his mate bond when he was only human made it nerve-wracking to think of what it could feel like for me.
Soon enough, Elias fixed himself up and waved to me before walking out of the apartment door. I saw a small smile glued to his face as he left, and I couldn't help but form my own. Within the hour, I was already becoming bored. I stretched and went to Aspen's door, figuring I could hang out with her for the time being.
I knocked several times before hanging my head in realization, remembering how she'd briefly mentioned she would be running errands this morning. With a soft sigh, I headed back to my apartment. Neither Elias or Aspen were home, but I felt restless.
In an impulsive act, I decided to go to the Shadowclaw headquarters building. Elias would most likely be there with Xander, and I was sure that Felix would be around, too. If I was lucky, I'd be treated to a delectable lunch. My stomach growled at the idea, and I quickly shrugged a light jacket over my arms before shutting my apartment door behind me.
I strode to the Shadowclaw headquarters building when it came into view, passing many werewolves along the way as I coursed through the pack grounds. As I looked around, I noticed how amazing the Shadowclaw pack truly was; not one wolf had a skeletal build, and they all seemed rather healthy. I smiled thinking of Alpha Felix's ability to keep up the Shadowclaw pack's reputation, his innate leadership retaining the pack's prosperity despite his short time in command.
My pace quickened unconsciously until I reached the front door of the headquarters building. Two stoic guards stared at me for a moment until one of them recognized me and opened the doors. I walked in sheepishly, still astonished at the marvelous interior even though I'd seen it several times. As I gazed around in the large foyer, the only people I saw were a few beta attendants tidying up the large space.
"E-Excuse me," I said, tapping lightly on a woman's shoulder. "Do you know where Alpha Felix is?"
She informed me that she wasn't quite sure, but that he was often found in his office. I thanked her and made my way up the stairs, navigating the halls. Light emitted at the end of the corridor from under the door of Felix's office, catching my eye. I walked further down until I made it to the room, knocking softly before opening the door to see Felix and a girl who was frighteningly attractive.
The two of them were as shocked as I was; their clothes were on the ground and they were only left in their undergarments. Felix sat in his office chair and the girl was tangled up in him, her lipstick smeared across both of their faces, which held expressions of awkwardness that mirrored mine. Flustered, I quickly shut the door.
"Wait!"
I was already a few feet from Felix's office when I heard his voice, and I hesitated before ultimately turning around. I gulped nervously, knowing I had walked in on something I shouldn't have, but still reentered. The girl readjusted on Felix's lap. She smiled, an eyebrow raised.
"And who might you be?"
I moved a hand to the nape of my neck. "Um, I was wondering the same thing."
"I'm Violet," she introduced.
"My name's Luca."
Felix moved to get up, nearly pushing Violet off of him. I swallowed hard. His and Violet's appearance left little to the imagination of what they had been doing before I walked in. Much to my chagrin, his disheveled hair and bare chest reminded me of what had happened between us months ago. Averting my gaze slightly, I tried to focus more on objects around the room and less on my cheeks that were beginning to heat up.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, still breathing heavily.
"I-I was looking for you," I replied honestly, trying to keep my composure despite his near alpha voice, still coated in fading arousal.
Felix must have noticed, as his eyes widened for a moment before becoming slightly apologetic. He sounded surprised at my response and his irritation seemed to mellow out into the calmness he usually showed.
"Oh," Felix said, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Well, did you need something?"
"Do you want to join us?" Violet mused.
I became more flustered than I was initially and Felix gave her a near death stare. Violet smiled, amused at his annoyance and my bashfulness.
"Stop with the inappropriate jokes."
He attempted to be gentle, but I could sense the almost palpable tension in the room and the simmering hostility in his voice. Violet maintained eye contact with Felix as if they were having a battle of dominance, finally releasing a deep sigh once she realized he would win.
It didn't take long for me to notice how much she annoyed Felix. I wondered why she irritated him so much, and how they even knew each other in the first place. The way they looked at each other caused a tension that was only acquired through a treacherous history.
The two of them moved to put their clothes back on as I went to sit in one of the chairs by Felix's bookshelf. Violet followed me with her eyes as she put her pants back on, and I tried to ignore the seductiveness she exuded.
"How do you and Felix know each other, Luca?"
I felt as if I was put on the spot by her blunt question, but Felix answered it for me.
"I found him in No Man's Land near our territory a while back."
"And you took him in?" Violet turned to me, her expression amused. "You should feel honored, Luca. It isn't every day that Felix allows a rogue to live, let alone onto the territory."
"So I've heard," I responded. "Um, how do you and Felix know each other?"
Violet smiles, an almost devious expression mustering on her face before Felix interrupts her.
"We were together once," Felix said, an obvious hint of disdain in his voice.
Violet rolled her eyes playfully. "Why do you always trivialize it? We were more than that."
Whatever they were before, their relationship definitely felt strained now. I could tell the romantic aspect was gone, but I couldn't help but feel slightly envious. Strangely enough, my envy didn't stem from not having ever been in a relationship myself, but from a different reason that I couldn't pinpoint. It made me want to stay in the room despite the tension and discomfort, as if to be a barrier between their familiarity with each other.
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I know I'm posting everything at once now, but this chapter alone literally took A MONTH to write 😭 I wish I could say I was kidding, but writer's block hit like a freight train during my hiatus. On a different note, Luca meets Violet. What will happen next? If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a vote and comment what you thought! - D ♡