“Alpha, we’ve arrived,” the driver announced after he noticed that Alpha Knight wasn’t aware that the car had stopped.
“Hmm,” Wayne grunted him an answer and opened his eyes. The door was already open and the second bodyguard was standing by it with his hands clasped in front of him. Alpha Knight stepped out and walked straight through the glass doors with his men trotting by him.
The Valor House, a nightclub slash guest house, was his, but commercialized for public use. He had his special room upstairs and that was where he was headed. The workers, as was tradition, bowed to the Alpha as he walked to the stairs. He got to the door upstairs and swiped his card against it and it opened to reveal a big room. Dark red carpet was smoothened from wall to wall and the white and gold cushion sofas took most of the space. The chandelier gave the room a golden-yellow glow and the appliances and other furniture sparkled under it.
Alpha Wayne stepped inside and banged the door behind him. His men stationed themselves at his door because that was his private room, no one entered except called upon.
He walked straight to the small bar and poured himself a drink, then he walked to the glass table between the sofas and picked up the remote control. He turned on the TV and plumped himself on the sofa opposite it.
His fingers raked through his hair as he sipped his drink. Olive’s image wouldn’t leave his head. Was that what having a mate felt like? If it was, then he didn’t like it. He wanted his old self back. The one that was always focused and under control. He had no worries. But right now, he kept worrying about Olive. That he would hurt her. That she would never accept him.
“No, she has to,” he said out loud. He heard footsteps coming from the hallway towards his door. There was no other sound except a card being swiped. He knew who it was.
“Jake,” he called without looking backwards.
“Hey, Wayne. It’s afternoon. What are you doing here?” Jake asked as he walked to the bar and began to pour himself the same drink Wayne was having.
“Was bored,” he replied curtly and took a gulp from his glass.
“Well, you were the one who had me clear your schedules. Wonder why you did that,” Jake sat adjacent Wayne on another sofa and took a sip from his own glass.
“I can’t think straight. I might throw tantrums if I meet people.”
“Not the exact mood I expected from someone who just found his mate.”
“Not what I expected from myself too. I’m disappointed in me.”
Jake chuckled and leaned softly against the sofa. He had been Wayne’s assigned beta before he even claimed the position of Alpha, so he knew Wayne. He knew him so well that he could write a book on his lifestyle. But just in 24 hours or so, he was getting confused in Wayne’s behaviors. He had seen people finding their mates before, but didn’t see them acting too weird like Wayne was.
“How is she? You left her at the castle?” Jake asked.
“Yes. Unconscious,” Alpha Knight answered and Jake’s brows furrowed.
“Why is she-?”
“Because I choked her and flung her across the room, causing her to hit her head and getting a deep cut on her face.”
Jake gasped in surprise and sat up.
“What?”
“I fucked up. And I have no idea why I even did that. I’ve been restless ever since. Feels like my heart was stabbed by a hot sword,” Wayne explained sincerely and drained all the content of his glass. Jake looked at him in awe. So Alpha Wayne Knight could feel this way? When was the last time again?
“You can’t hurt your mate like that. She’s already scared of you to death. Don’t kill her before she dies of that fear.”
“Jake. What do I do? I don’t know what to do. Tell me.”
“Whatever your heart feels.”
“Heart? I don’t remember that I even have that.”
“She’s your mate, Wayne. Yours to protect. Yours to keep secure. Yours, Wayne. Show her that.”
Wayne ran his fingers through his hair again. He sighed. Maybe he was going to go home and do what Jake said. He stayed for the next one hour and talked about other things with Jake, but his mind had long gone home to his mate. When he finally reached the pack castle, his heart thudded loudly. He walked very fast and almost broke into a run as he hurried with his men behind him. He was about to take a turn towards his elevator when he bumped into his sister, Dolly.
“Watch where you’re going,” his cold voice bellowed. He was about to keep moving when she grabbed his hand and pulled him backwards. The bodyguards took several steps back to give the siblings space.
“How dare you!” he barked and she scoffed.
“Save the ‘big bad wolf’ tone for later. Wayne, what is it I’m hearing around today?” she asked in a carefree, yet serious tone. Wayne was her elder brother of one year.
“What is it you’re hearing?” he asked in return with his face in a deep frown. He was very impatient.
“You know, if you keep frowning at me like that, I’ll have to give you a few shots in your sleep. And you could continue sleeping for all I care,” Dolly sniggered at him. She was a medical doctor.
Wayne rubbed the space between his eyebrows that had formed lines as a result of frowning too much.
“Dolly, no no. Not today,” he mumbled and walked away. He entered his private elevator alone and watched the buttons as they moved upwards until the last floor. He hurried out, crossed his receiving hall and entered the small hallway before his room. He heaved a silent sigh. Was she awake? What if she had escaped again? Would she reject him as her mate?
He pulled his doorknob and walked inside. He swiftly looked at the bed to see if it was empty. To his utter satisfaction, she was still lying down there sleeping peacefully. He exhaled and walked to her. Sitting beside her, he stared at her face. She had a V-shaped model-like face, with a stunning straight noise and full yet small pink lips. Her eyebrows were lined beautifully, not too thick and not thin either. They were black, just like her hair. And her eyelashes, so long and curled upwards. Olive was beautiful. He had to admit that.
His eyes trailed down and he saw the marks of his fingers in her neck. They were red and a bit swollen. Why hadn’t those healed? Though, he knew why. The cut in her brow was already gone like it never came there. He however, wished the red marks could heal before she woke up.
Suddenly, she steered and groaned. A second later and their eyes met each other. None looked away as usual. Wayne brought his hand up and arranged her hair which had scattered because of the half worn hood. She sighed and continued to watch his face. He wanted to apologize already, but he didn’t know how to frame his words. However, what she did that instant surprised him.