Ce naste din pisicã soareci mãnâncã.
It must be a diamond that cuts a diamond.
“Alpha, not to cause offense,” Ion said from the seated position on the log, “but it has been three days since your female closed the bond, and she still has not spoken to you. Perhaps giving her some space should be considered.”
Vasile bit back the retort he wanted to fling at his third. He had no right to berate one of his own for being honest with him. It was true. Alina refused to speak to him not only that but she refused to even look at him. That, of course, was when he could even find her. She was very good at slipping past him when his attention was elsewhere. Ion was also correct in encouraging him to go home. There was much that needed to be dealt with now that he had spoken to the pack members, and he could not put it off for much longer.
“I am sending you and Nicu back,” he told them. He made a motion with his hand when they started to argue. “I need you to be my eyes and ears while I am absent. Even though we have had a good response from the pack, that does not mean that there are none who are unhappy. With the changing of the guard, so to speak, there are always a few who might attempt to take advantage of the upheaval that such a change brings. I need to be able to squelch any possible uprisings before they happen, and I cannot do that if I do not know about them.”
“How long until you follow?” Nicu asked.
Vasile ran his hand over his face and mentally noted that he needed to shave. He tried to think then of the last time he had taken a dip in the river and decided that the reason Alina was avoiding him was because of his lack of hygiene as of late. That reason was more tolerable than the truth. “A few more days and I will return,” he finally answered.
He watched as the two warriors phased and immediately headed off for home. Part of him truly wished he was going with them but not without his mate. He growled knowing that in a few days that is exactly what he would be doing. He had to mend what he had broken before then. Unfortunately, he did not have much, or any, experience in dealing with upset females.
“She still will not speak to you?” Petre asked as he walked over to the edge of the forest where Vasile stood.
“I do not really blame her. I did not consider her feelings when I started discussing her future with you. I was so concerned with you hearing what I had to say and submitting to me that I did not bother to hear what she had to say.”
Petre patted his back in a fatherly gesture, and Vasile swallowed down the pain at the reminder of the loss of his own father. “It will not be the first time you forget to consider her when you want so badly to protect her and keep her with you. The males of our race tend to have tunnel vision when it comes to our mates.”
“Do you have any advice?” Vasile asked with a desperation that he normally would not have shown to another male, but he could not hide it, not at this point. The chuckle that came from the other male did not incite a whole lot of confidence.
“Honestly, all you can do is apologize. Make sure she knows that you are sincere. They always know when you are just blowing smoke up their skirts.”
“Noted,” Vasile said with a slight smile. As Alina’s father walked away leaving him to his thoughts, he began to formulate a plan. It was a complete act of desperation. And if ever asked by any of his pack mates if it was true that he went crawling to his future mother-in-law to ask for help to get back in his mate’s good graces, he would deny it to his grave. It was probably a long shot anyway. He had a feeling that Alina inherited her stubbornness not just from her father.
Alina was struggling to stay away from him. Every time she saw him, even just out of the corner of her eye, she argued with her wolf not to run to him and tell him she was sorry for closing their bond. She had not done anything wrong, and yet she felt like she was the one being punished. She tried to just continue to go about her daily chores, though she did at times alter her route in order to avoid seeing him. The day before, she had met Sisily at their usual spot by the river and explained everything that had happened. It had made her mad all over again until Sisily started laughing over the lion-like roar that Vasile had let out. She told Alina that they actually heard it at her own house, which in turn made Alina laugh. It was much needed humor after several emotional days.
That morning she had a slight panic attack when she caught the two wolves that had been with Vasile leaving in their wolf forms heading back towards the main village and to the castle. From the side of the cottage, she had searched frantically for a sign of Vasile with the pair but then saw him standing with her father on the far edge of the forest. It was then that she realized there was no way she could let him leave without opening their bond back up. The separation already was like a knife in her chest with every breath. She could not continue on like this, and―even if she wanted to―her wolf was not going to put up with it much longer. She wanted the connection to their mate, and she was ready to make her human half submit to get it. It was the first time Alina could ever remember her wolf attempting to take control. Usually it was the other way around.
“How are you doing?” her mother asked as she joined her pulling down the dry clothes from the line.
She nearly laughed at the timing of the question. Just as she was about to cave, her mother comes to inquire of how she was holding out. Georgeta had actually agreed with Alina and told her that she needed to set the precedent now that she would not be dictated to and walked upon. Alphas were notorious for being over protective, especially of their mates. Her mom had explained that it was not that they meant to be disrespectful or thoughtless, they genuinely thought that whatever it was they were doing in order to protect their mate was the right thing, regardless of how their female felt.
“Honestly?” Alina asked.
“No, dear one, I would prefer you lie to me,” her mother retorted.
Alina grinned. “Perhaps you should spend time with Vasile so that he can see where I get my nerve from.”
“Oh believe me, I think he is well aware.”
“Okay, well if I am being honest then I am about two seconds from phasing to my wolf and rubbing myself all over his legs.” Alina’s face warmed with the heat of her blush as she spoke the words. They sounded so much worse out loud than they did in her head. Georgeta did not laugh, which helped lessen the embarrassment.
“Truthfully,” she stopped folding the shirt in her hand and met Alina’s eyes, “if you did not feel that way, I would be worried that something was wrong. True mates cannot stand separation of any kind for very long, whether it is the mental bond or physical separation. They are two halves of one soul and crave that closeness.”
Alina felt slightly better, but regardless of how the separation was hurting her, her pride was keeping her from admitting it to him.
Her mother must have seen something in her face because she added, “When something that starts out as a necessary action goes on for too long, it becomes a prison not only for the one the action is directed towards but also for the one who instigated it in the first place.”
“So you are saying I should talk to him,” Alina said with an exaggerated sigh.
“Stop acting like I am telling you to cut off your fingers and cook them in a pie,” Georgeta snorted. “He is just a man, honey. They make mistakes just like you and me.”
“Are you admitting that you have made mistakes, Mother?” Alina teased.
“I have no idea what you are talking about, daughter. Now go find that arrogant mate of yours and bring him to heel.”
Alina laughed. “Can I tell him you said that?”
“I think you will find him in your usual spot,” her mother answered before leaving her standing at the clothes line.
Alina watched her mother scurry off, looking all too pleased with herself. It was when she considered her mother’s words, find him in your usual spot, that she realized that Georgeta had just played her like the Pied Piper. She shook her head as she hung the shirt back up that she had just taken down. The smile that threatened to break across her lips finally broke lose when she imagined Vasile going to her mother for help. That must have been something to see.
Alina took her time as she walked towards her favorite spot by the river. Her thoughts were going a hundred miles a minute as she went over and over what she wanted to say and how to say it. But the minute she saw him standing there, his broad shoulders pulled back and his narrow waist tapering down to strong powerful legs, all coherent thoughts were gone. The wind blew through his hair as he stared at the running water. His arms were folded across his broad chest, and his handsome face was narrowed in a frown. It irked her that even frowning he was still the most handsome creature she had ever seen. She hoped that she would go unnoticed so she could just watch him, but werewolves were not easy to sneak up on. The incredible hearing kept a lot of mischief at bay in their world.
“I did not know if you would come.” His deep voice carried over the sound of the rippling water and rustling wind. He did not turn to face her, just continued to stare at the river.
“I am not sure why I did,” she admitted. “I am still mad and hurt.”
He turned then to look down at her. His features had softened and the frown was gone now, replaced by a tenderness that made her breath catch.
“I would sooner cut off my own arm and feed it to the dogs than hurt you. That was never my intention, Mina.” His voice rang with sincerity.
She nodded. “I do not think your were trying to hurt me, and I know my father would never intentionally hurt me either. Regardless of either of your intents, your words and actions are what matter not your intentions.”
“I agree with you and that is why I am asking for your forgiveness.”
Vasile’s words were then followed by an action that shocked Alina. He knelt down on one knee before her. Her mouth dropped open, not for the same reason a human woman would think. She knew he was not proposing marriage. That was not their custom. Her mouth dropped open because an Alpha, a dominant, was kneeling before her. He was submitting himself to her, something that Alpha’s never did to anyone.
She was speechless. All she could do was stare at the man before her on his knee looking at her with such devotion that she thought her heart would burst.
“Can you forgive me, Alina?” he asked again.
“I already have,” she admitted.
His head tilted slightly and she saw the flash of his wolf behind his eyes. “Then why is our bond still closed?”
She started to step back but he placed his hands on either side of her hips and held her in place. The warmth from his palms penetrated her through the material of her clothes, and she wanted to sink into him and allow it to warm all the cold places inside of her.
“Mina,” he murmured drawing her attention away from his touch.
“I wanted to open it back. Last night all I could think about was how you will be leaving soon, and I knew that there was no way I could let you leave before I opened it. But…,” she paused.
“But what?” he breathed out.
“Now I wonder if it would be less painful if we did not have any contact at all while we are apart and you are off being Alpha, and I am stuck here being me. Maybe….”
“NO.” His voice was firm as he interrupted her and stood quickly to his feet. “It would not be less painful, Alina. Has it been pain free for you the past few days? Even with us only feet apart, has it been painless?”
“It has not,” she admitted.
“It has been hell,” he growled as he turned away from her. He began pacing and she imagined had he been in his wolf form the fur on the back of his neck would have been standing on end. “Even now, standing this close to you, with the bond closed I feel as though we are miles apart.”
“I do not understand how having the bond open when we cannot even touch will matter. How is that going to take away the torture of being apart from each other?” she snapped back. “Maybe I do not want to talk to you if I cannot see you. Maybe not being able to touch you will be easier if I cannot hear you either.”
“Open the bond, Alina,” Vasile rumbled at her. His words were slow and sounded calm, but she knew better.
She simply stared at him. As his eyes began to glow, she realized maybe staring down an already upset Alpha was not the wisest thing she had ever done.
His jaw clenched but he did not raise his voice. “Please, open it.”
It was the please and the way he said it that finally had her caving. She mentally watched the walls crash down as she opened the mate bond between them. She heard him gasp and felt her own gasp as their emotions crashed into one another. Volatile would be putting it mildly. She felt everything he had been feeling: anger, hurt, fear, worry, and pain. All of it rolled through her, mixing with her own emotions. But even in the midst of the chaos, it was right.
“What do you feel?” Vasile’s voice brushed through her mind.
Her first inclination was to list off all of the emotions, but then she felt something else entirely. Her eyes widened as she looked at where he stood at least ten feet from her, and yet she could feel his hand on her face. She could feel his breath on her neck and the warmth of his body as though he were standing only inches from her.
“How?” she murmured breathlessly as she felt his fingertips skitter across the back of her neck.
“You asked what good it would be to be able to hear me but not feel me. I am showing you that the bond is more than just being able to speak to one another through a mental pipeline. It is a connection, a very important connection. Our wolves crave touch, crave each other, and when we are a part, it is one way for the wolf to cope with the distance.”
Alina was trying to listen to him but his touch and scent were all around her, and she was consumed by it. Her eyes fluttered closed as she opened all of herself up. For three days she had not allowed herself to be near him, had not allowed herself the comfort of his presence, and now she was drenched in him. Her wolf wanted to wiggle in delight under the attention of their mate. She wanted to roll and play and never be parted from him again. Alina wanted the same thing.
“I am always with you, Mina, as you are always with me.”
“It is not the same.” What she was going to say next was cut off when she felt his arms wrap around her. Her eyes snapped open and she realized that this time it really was him. He pulled her tightly against him, his hand stroking down her hair. His lips were close to her ear, and she could hear him whispering to her words of love and understanding.
“I know it is not the same. I wish that I could give you what you want, what I want, but we will have to be patient.” He pulled back to look at her. His thumbs brushed softly across her cheeks, wiping away tears she had not realized she had shed. “It breaks my heart to see you sad,” he told her gently.
“It breaks my heart to know you are leaving, so we are even.” Alina’s lips twitched when he chuckled at her petulance. His arms tightened slightly and her skin heated as she realized that they were alone and being quite affectionate. It was extremely unfitting and if her father happened upon them, she knew she would die of embarrassment.
“Mina that does not quite apply the same way for us as it does for a single female and single male,” he told her obviously catching her thoughts.
“We are single,” she pointed out.
He shook his head. “No, we are not,” he said pointedly. “We are mated; we just have not bonded yet. As long as I do not steal your virtue, I am within my rights to hold you and to perhaps even steal a kiss. The impropriety happens when a male and female not meant for one another fraternize. That my love would be extremely inappropriate.”
Before she could stop it, her mind jumped to the night Serghei had kissed her. Vasile dropped his arms immediately and stepped away from her. The rejection hurt, but she could not blame him. She would not want to see another female kissing him either.
“I am not rejecting you, Mina.” The low growl deep in his throat and the glowing eyes showed her how close his wolf was to the surface. “I was afraid I would hurt you. Apparently my wolf and I are in agreement that hearing about the kiss and seeing it are two very different things. It is a good thing I did not see it in your thoughts while I was near the pup. I would have injured him. That he would be so disrespectful as to put his mouth on yours.” His snarl was menacing and Alina found herself taking a step back.
She watched him for several minutes as he regained his control and then a thought occurred to her. “Why have you not kissed me?” She felt a wave of desire hit her that had her stumbling, and her eyes widened as she met his still glowing gaze.
“Because you are not of age, my love, and a kiss is not all I would want. Let us leave it there for now.” She could tell he was embarrassed, which was an odd thing to witness as Vasile was always so sure of himself. But if he did not want to talk about it, then she would not push him.
“I want to ask you something, but I do not want to incite your wrath,” he says, effectively changing the subject.
“Then I guess you should choose your words wisely.” Alina’s brow rose as she looked up at him, and she liked seeing the shocked look on his face at her boldness.
He cleared his throat before he finally asked. “About your markings?” He paused obviously waiting to see if she was going to snarl at him as she had the other night. She simply stared at him the way her father had done so many times to her when she had to ask him difficult questions. “I should never have asked to see them in front of your father, or anyone for that matter. They are a very private matter between a female and her mate. I disrespected you, and for that I owe amends. What can I do to show my remorse for disrespecting my mate thus?”
Alina felt her mouth drop open and quickly snapped it shut. She had not been expecting his words. Initially, as soon as he said the word markings, she assumed he was going to ask her if they had appeared. But once again Vasile Lupei surprised her. She stared into his blue eyes as she considered his request and felt her heart speed up as she realized what she wanted him to do.
“A kiss,” she breathed out before she lost her nerve. “I want a kiss from my mate for disrespecting me.” She could tell that he had not been expecting her answer. Apparently they were both good at surprising the other. His eyes never left hers as he took slow measured steps until he was standing inches from her. Alina tilted her head back to look up at him and tried to keep her breathing even. As his arms came around her, one hand gripped the back of her neck while the other wrapped around her small waist pulling her close against him. He tilted her head back even further, and as his head lowered her eyes fluttered closed. Her lips parted slightly as she waited to taste him. The taste never came. His head continued to lower until his lips were next to her ear with his warm breath blowing the tendrils of her hair around and warming her skin.
“Everything in me wants to give you what you want,” he whispered in his deep, gravelly voice, and she knew he was telling the truth. Even with her lack of experience, she could hear the desire in his voice, and more than that she could feel it through their bond. “But this I cannot, not yet.” He pressed his lips to her neck just below her ear. Before he pulled away he nipped her skin enough to sting but not draw blood. “Mine,” he whispered and then kissed the tender spot soothing the place his teeth had just been.
Alina was glad that he held her a few moments longer because she was sure if he had stepped away immediately after the kiss on her neck she would have fallen ungracefully to the ground. Her whole body felt warm and tingly, even in places she had never tingled before. That thought had her giggling, and she was not sure if it was because she was somehow drunk on his scent or because in her mind the words sounded ridiculous.
“I think it is time I get you home, my love,” he told her gently as he pulled away, but he did not let go until he was sure she would not crumble.
“Is the tingling getting to you too?” she asked innocently.
Vasile’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed as she grinned up at him unrepentantly. “You are nothing but trouble, Mina,” he muttered as he took her hand and began leading her back to her home.
After several moments of silence, as they walked she asked the one question that she did not really want the answer to. “When are you leaving?”
“In three days’ time,” he answered. She felt his eyes on her but kept her own straight ahead. She wanted to be strong. If she was going to be the mate of an Alpha, she had to be strong, so she swallowed back the tears and turned her lips up in a smile as she finally met his gaze.
“What shall we do until then?”
He chuckled as he walked over to her and took one of her hands in his. “Until then I will spend every waking second with you with the intent of making you fall hopelessly in love with me.”
She grinned at him. “Maybe it will be you who falls hopelessly in love with me.”
His smile dropped away as he tugged her closer to him. “That fate was sealed before you ever met me. I have loved you from the first minute I laid eyes on you.”
“When was that?” Her voice was breathless but she was over being embarrassed by her reaction to him.
“In the marketplace more than a year ago. You were defending a woman to one of the merchants. You were so fierce, so sure of yourself. I had to tear my gaze from you lest someone think me depraved for gazing upon one so young. I was confused by my reaction to you. You were young and yet not young at the same time. You were beautiful and there have been many nights I have had to banish your face from my thoughts. You were simply too young.”
“You said I was beautiful,” she prompted.
He nodded. “Yes, you were.”
“What am I now if I was beautiful?”
He ran a finger down her jaw line and her neck. “Now Mina, you are breathtaking. Beautiful is too mundane a term for you. It is a very good thing I have not seen you in the marketplace recently.”
“Why?” Her words were barely a whisper.
“Because I would have snatched you up and taken you to my den and, had that happened, I do not think I would have been able to let you go regardless of the fact that you still have a year until you are of age.”
“Whoa.”
He chuckled. “No, beloved, whoa does not even begin to cover it.”
“Are you sure no one followed you?” Ivan asked Emilian as the small band of conspirators from the two packs stood in a deserted shack. Eleven in all, eight males and three females. from the Eastern and Western packs agreed to meet when Emilian had informed them that he had the proof that Vasile did not need to be the Alpha of the Eastern pack.
“I think I am capable of being discrete when it is warranted,” Emilian answered while looking over the group. He was hoping for more. But perhaps it was a good thing so few had shown. More wolves meant more of an opportunity for his secret to be exposed. He did not want anything revealed until the time was right, and he was sure that Vasile could be taken out. There were seven total from the Eastern pack: Anton and his mate, Mara, Aurel, Calin and his mate, Lizuca, Drin, and Costel. Anton, who was the most dominant in that group, had informed him that there were others who would come forward once there was definitive proof to stand against their Alpha.
“So what is the big news that you were so intent on speaking about with us?” Anton asked.
Emilian smiled. “I overheard my Alpha and his mate speaking last night and came across some very disturbing news that I thought your pack should be aware of, especially since it concerns your new Alpha.
“It will have to be pretty damning for most of the pack to stand against him. He is very well liked,” Costel spoke up.
“Everyone has skeletons.” Emilian’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Vasile is not any different than the rest of us and should have to answer for his skeletons because he is a leader. He should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us.”
“Why are you so concerned for the wellbeing of our pack?” Drin asked with narrowed eyes.
“There is only one way to move up in the ranks of a pack―you know this.”
Aurel frowned. “You think to take Vasile’s place?”
“What of his second?” Mara, Anton’s mate spoke up.
Emilian crossed his arms over his chest and drew himself up to his six foot one inch height. “I will take on Vasile if it comes to that just as any others have the right to challenge him. The strong are the ones who should lead. His second cannot take over if his Alpha is bested in a challenge, only if Vasile were to die of natural causes like an animal attack or disease.”
“What if one of us wants to challenge him?” Anton asked.
Emilian opened his hands out in front of him as if to say have at it.
“So what is the news you have?” Marian, one of his pack mates, asked sounding impatient.
“From what I overheard from my Alphas, Stefan and his mate, Daciana, were not true mates.”
The room was silent, not even the sound of breathing penetrated the stillness. Emilian watched in satisfaction as the wolves in Vasile’s pack swallowed the information with obvious difficulty. They did not want to believe it, but they also knew how close Anghel and Stefan had been.
“Did your Alpha know all along?” Aurel asked.
Emilian shook his head. “No, Vasile was the one to tell him. Anghel and his mate were shocked.”
“If they were not true mates, then why did she die when he did?” Lizuca, Calin’s mate, asked with skepticism written across her pixie like face.
“She poisoned herself,” he answered without any hesitation.
“Then there will be no way to prove it,” Drin pointed out.
Emilian chuckled. “It is obvious that you have never attempted a coup. You have to think, look at all the angles. We do not have to know how she died. There are other ways to know if they were true mates.”
Mara’s eyes widened as his train of thought reached her. “Their markings.”
Emilian clapped his hands together with a wicked grin. “Exactly, she-wolf.”
“How exactly are we going to check their markings?” Costel frowned.
Emilian shrugged as though they were talking about the weather. “We dig up their bodies.”