The Alpha Can’t Sense His Mate

ITHRA’S POV

My eyes fluttered open and the first thing I see is a man hunched over me.

“Calla! My goodness, thank God you are awake.” The man said, while my vision blurred. “How do you feel?”

A headache rammed my forehead. “What in the world-” I said, sitting on my bed.

An arm covered me, “Thank God you are alive. I’m so sorry you had to go through that! I promise you will never experience such again. Scarlett has been put away in the dungeons, never to disturb our lives again.”

“Scarlett?” I asked and suddenly, my thoughts cleared.

I looked at Cole and felt a sudden urge to get away from his embrace. “Are you alright, my love?” He asked when I suddenly left his hold with a disgruntled face.

Zadok. I remembered how harshly I spoke to him and my heart split in halves. I needed to get to him.

Athaliah walked in with a pretentious look of concern. “Luna, how are you doing?” I couldn’t believe it. She was one hell of a betrayer. I saw through her acts, and my eyes boiled in rage. “Is she okay?” She asked, noticing my gaze, and flickering between me and Cole.

Her eyes widened when I said, “Enough of your games, Athaliah Hezron,”

She knew I had caught on to her, a smile appeared after a moment. “I see you have regained your memories.” She said with a smirk. “Took you long enough.” She shrugged, “Just when I was having a great time playing pretend.”

Cole’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?” He asked, looking clueless.

“Exactly what you heard,” I answered in her stead. “I have to go home,” I said, needing to see him. Zadok.

“Calla,” He trailed a finger on my face. “What are you saying? This is your home.” His eyes were searching, hoping, waiting for me to believe.

I slashed his hopes to pieces. “My name is Ithra. And this is not my home. I need to go-”

“Shut up!” Cole bellowed, sounding deranged, “You are confused,” he looked at Athaliah. “Call the doctors. She has a concussion. Something is wrong. I need them to fix her. Now.”

“Alpha.” Athaliah started, but he didn’t let her speak.

“I said get the doctors! My mate needs help!”

“I am not your mate!” I growled, and he turned furious.

“You are my mate!” He held me painfully by the arm. “You are mine and this is your pack!”

“You can never be my mate,” I said in his face. “Let me go.”

Cole shook his head and suddenly started laughing. “You are my mate..” He said between laughs. “Do not force my hand.” His tone was threatening but I didn’t care.

“Let me go, Cole.”

“Never.” He turned to Athaliah, with his hand fast around me. “lock her up and watch over her. By tomorrow, she will be marked and made luna.”

“Leave me alone!” I growled, struggling to be free from his hold to no avail.

“Guards!” Athaliah said with a smirk, and some werewolves rushed into the room. “Escort our Luna to her holding room.”

I gasped as I was taken out of Cole’s hands by a pair of two strong ones, and led out of the room, screaming my head off.

**************

I refused to eat anything. I’d die before I got marked by that good-for-nothing beast.

My defiance must have reached their ears because Athaliah stepped into my room – or should I say, holding cell.

“Luna.” She said in a mocking tone, and I shot daggers at her.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“How could you do this to Zadok? Did he know you are here? How could you betray him in such a manner?” I asked, unable to wrap my head around her motive for such betrayal.

“Betray Zadok?” She scoffed, “More like he betrayed me.” An evil smile graced her lips. “I haven’t even paid half the evil he did to me.”

“He spared your life.” I reminded her icily. “He could have killed you for what you did to me, but he spared your life!”

Her face turned sore. “No darling. He didn’t spare my life. He sent me off to be killed, and he was just lucky I was strong enough to defend myself and come back alive.” Her eyes burned with rage. “I owe him nothing!”

I couldn’t believe she thought that. “And what about me?” I asked and her eyes raised. “I spared your life. I could have ordered your head and you wouldn’t be alive. Is this how you pay back my kindness?”

Athaliah laughed. Not the fake one – a full-blown laugh. “That has got to be the sickest joke I’ve heard in a while.” She stated, and her face lost its laughter. “If I had my way, you’d be dead. Take your life as a gift.”

The venom and hatred in her voice startled me. “What did I ever do to you?” I didn’t know when I said the thoughts that plagued my mind. “Why are you doing this?”

She stepped closer to me with a deathly gaze as she spoke. “What did you do to me?” She smirked, “Your existence in itself is the bane of my existence.”

Athaliah walked around me, like a predator, circling its prey. “The moment you appeared in front of Zadok, you destroyed everything I have laboured for. You took away Zadok, possessed what was not yours and even after you died, held him as your loyal captive. Did you ask what you did to me?”

“You made him banish me. You refused to die and save us all the agony of watching him mourn the loss of something that wasn’t his.” she scoffed, “And the worst of it all, you ended up making it out alive and just when he was getting over your witchcraft, you appeared in front of him and brought him back to square one!”

“You cause pain and havoc anywhere you go. You have been a thorn in my life, dead and alive. You just can’t stay away!”

I opened my mouth to speak, to defend myself, but no words came out.

“That’s right. You ought to be quiet. You ought to be grateful for the life you have and silently accept what’s in front of you, forget Zadok and embrace your new identity, Calla.”

I shook my head, breathing heavily. “No…”

“I’ll leave you to your thoughts. You will be dressed and called for the occasion in a little while. Goodbye, Luna.”