Chapter 7
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” My beta, Howard will take my sister Diana as his wife and mate at the next crescent ball”
The words of the Alpha dropped like a bomb inside Diana’s mind. Why would her brother suddenly decide that she needs to marry Howard? Howard was a nice person and he was very sweet to her but she needed to collect her thoughts and focus on gaining her lost memories before thinking of taking that big step. Anger washed over as a new feeling of resentment overtook her emotions.
” How dare he make decisions for me?” She thought as she gathered her palm into a strong fist. She shook with so much anger she could rival an erupting volcano. She gasped as she realized, where did that powerful rage come from? She was confused. She thought she was just a weak, tiny girl who needed protection from her brother and her supposed mate but there she was feeling powerful all of a sudden. She breathed out to calm herself down. Her mind went to the strange woman the Alpha just killed and she pondered on her words.
Did she kill the woman’s mate? If yes why? She could feel another headache growing as she processed everything that happened even since they entered the grand hall. She tried to concentrate on the pillar decorations so she wouldn’t faint as people kept on saying congratulations to her and the Beta.
Soon enough, The Alpha dismissed everyone and asked her and Howard to follow him. There was something about his orders that always seemed to strike a negative chord inside her but she still kept quiet.
The Alpha led them both out of the grand hall to a small house built on the pack land but away from the pack houses. He let out a deep breath as he handed the key to Howard. The house was small but very nice to look at. It appears to be homely with a small garden in front and a big oak tree proudly standing in the backyard. Diana thought she would love to read under the tree.
” Both of you will live in the house starting from today. This is my wedding gift to you and since you are going to get married in the next two weeks, you should start living together” The Alpha said with a smile. Diana only nodded as she didn’t have it in her to go against him at least until she had an answer.
” Thank you Alpha” Howard said gratefully beside her. He looked like he was overjoyed at the Alpha’s gift. His expression made Diana believe he might have loved her in the past but she felt sorry she couldn’t remember him.
” I’m leaving my sister under your protection, Howard”
” I will protect her with my life Alpha”
They both enter the house after the Alpha’s departure. The house has three bedrooms and a big living room with two bathrooms and a nice fully furnished kitchen, they wouldn’t even need the kitchen since the entire pack house eats together at the grand hall. But the house offered much more than privacy to Diana, it was the only place she could get her precious alone time.
” Do you want to eat first or shower first?” Howard asked but her mind was far away. He moved closer and placed a kiss on her forehead, she flushed under his touch as she wasn’t used to them yet.
” I … Umm what did you say?” She asked, scratching the back of her ears nervously. Howard smiled, she always did that whenever she was nervous or lying. She may not have her memories but she was still perfect as she has always been perfect to him.
” I said do you want to eat or shower first? Or should we eat and shower together?” He said with a wink but she only blushed beet red. How could he say such a thing? He was an attractive man and a handsome man has little to say to make a girl die from a heart attack. Now her head would only imagine what he looked like under that suit.
” Oh you are blushing!” he laughed seeing her expression. She blushed redder almost looking like a tomato.
” No I’m not” she denied looking away from him.
” Don’t worry princess, I was only joking. You can go shower alone, I will make something for you to eat” He chuckled purely enjoying her embarrassment. She wanted to rush into the bathroom but stopped as she remembered that woman from earlier.
” Howard” She called out turning back to him. He already took off his jacket and tie, showing off the impressive muscles bulging under a white shirt. He stared at her darkly at the mention of his name. He wants nothing but to do all sorts of unholy things to her and her little mouth. He had always loved her the moment he found her as a newly shifted wolf wandering around. He was the one who took her to the pack land before the Alpha found out that she was his sister. And he still harbored those feelings for her but at least she belonged to him now.
” yes, princess?” He asked, his voice two octaves lower as he stared at her. His wolf kept on fighting for dominance but he ignored the creature.
” Hmm, that woman from earlier. Who was she?” She asked and that returned control to his body. He promised himself he would wait until she was ready for him.
” Ahh You mean Honey? Her mate was killed during the last war with the Vampires and she has lost her mind since then blaming everyone for it. She has always been a headache to the alpha but I guess he has had enough of her shenanigans” He explained to her even though every word that came out of his mouth was like a big Lego set of lies. He hated lying to her but he had to do it, that was the only way to protect her from the truth.
” Ohhh” He mouthed forming an ‘o’ as she digested his words. Everything came back to the Vampires again. They caused the death of that woman’s mate which drove her crazy enough to disobey the Alpha. She waited for the anger at the creatures who supposedly took everything from her and the other wolves but it never came.
” Don’t worry princess. I will protect you against those vile creatures with my life just the way your brother did during the war” Howard assured while holding her hands, he pulled her closer and placed another kiss on her cheeks. She nodded and made her way back to the bathroom.
After a warm bath, she changed into pink bunny pajamas that made her look cute as she stared at herself in the mirror. She managed a smile at how pretty she looked but something caught her attention from her hair. The black streaks of hair have increased. At the right side of her head now lays another black streak of hair like someone took a bunch of her hair and coloured it black.
She ignored it and went out of the bedroom to see Howard dressed in a sweatshirt, stirring something on the stove, with his hair let down. He looked cute but the image of the man in her dream flashed in her mind again. He wondered what that strange man would look like with his hair messy. He would probably look perfect. She slapped herself as she caught her thoughts.
There she was thinking about another man when the love of her life was in front of her. Howard suddenly looks up to see her with a smirk.
” My sight dazed you so much you had to slap yourself?” He said with a chuckle but she gasped.
” No .. no it wasn’t that” She stammered surprised at his cockiness.
” Then what is it that you had to slap yourself?” He dropped the spoon, moving closer to her. She moved backward until he had her cornered against the wall. She opened her mouth to tell him the truth but she held back, he wouldn’t like to hear that she was comparing him to another man that only appeared in her imagination.
” Nothing” She gulped refusing to look at him in the eye. His gaze fell on her rosy lips and the thought of kissing her invaded every part of him, his wolf fought for control as his eyes changed from gold to blue. Diana could notice the tension but was oblivious to the second presence in his mind since she didn’t have one. He bends a little to kiss her but she points at the stove.
” Something is burning,” she said and he cursed under his breath hurrying away from her to look at the steak he was cooking. It was burning indeed but his advanced sense of smell couldn’t catch it because of his wolf and the walking temptation in front of him.
Both of them refused to talk to each other as they were in total silence. After the meal, Diana was tired so she retired early, to one of the bedrooms locking the door behind her. She lay on the king-sized soft bed as she thought about the interaction between her and Howard. It could have been perfect if she still had her memories.
Soon enough she drifted off to Dreamland where a certain presence awaited her.