NALEDI’S POV
I was dragged back from Matteo before I could get a decent taste of his mouth.
“You are going to regret that,” Caellum said, bursting a vein.
“Make me.” I said in a challenging tone. “What could you possibly do? Kill me or your beta? You’re going to have a hard time picking on that one.” I said with a smirk.
“Alpha-” Matteo tried to speak and for the first time, he sounded unsure and borderline scared.
“GET OUT.” Caellum roared, using his alpha tone.
Matteo staggered back from the impact, and he stretched out his hands, looking lost. Only then did I realise he was holding a file. My best guess was he wanted to get it over to Caellum but couldn’t quite get to him before I mauled him with a kiss.
Eventually, Matteo dropped the file on the floor and fled the room, looking like a male version of Ratatouille getting chased with a frying pan.
Caellum advanced towards me. “You think you are smart, huh?” His tone was angry and vengeful. “You think you’re the ish right?”
He picked up the file and raised it up, while I stepped back in fear.
“You are going to regret this. I swear you will regret it.” He vowed and I snickered.
“You know the fun part of kissing Matteo?” I said when I hit the wall. “It was so good, I genuinely can’t wait to taste him again-”
Caellum wrapped his hand around my neck. Stopping the flow of air from my lungs as he strangled me with raging eyes. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he wanted to kill me. His aura reeked of a murderous intent.
I was not going to beg him. I settled it for a fact when I started feeling lightheaded. I would rather die than beg for my life. Besides, it’d be cool to have it engraved on my tombstone – here lies Naledi Rogers, the first she-wolf to be murdered by her mate.
It’d definitely attract some eyes don’t you think?
Caellum eventually let me go, and I slumped to the ground. Letting myself gather some sweet precious air into my lungs. I couldn’t lie, it felt good to be alive. What didn’t feel good was the crazy look on Caellum’s face.
He threw the file Matteo brought to me and I caught it with ease, wondering what he was up to.
“I spared the lives of the woman and child. But it’s clear I have made a mistake.” He said with stormy eyes.
I blinked in confusion, “What are you talking about?”
“Luuchesse. I spared his darned wife and kid because you couldn’t let it go.” He spoke, annunciating every word. “At the last minute, I had a change of heart and saved them.”
I felt my blood pick. “What? Now you want to lie about a woman and child you killed for associating with one of your men who happened to be a thief?”
“Open the file. They are alive.” He said slowly, confidently. Gone was the anger that simmered at the tip of his skin. Or perhaps he hid it better.
I went through the file, and funny enough, they were reports on the saved export of the woman and child from the fire, and how they had taken them to another country where they were to start life afresh.
I couldn’t believe it. He didn’t kill them. He actually spared them. A grin grew on my face. “You saved them?” I failed to hide the shock and happiness in my tone.
“Yes.” He muttered, “But it’s a waste, Isn’t it?”
I quirked my brow, unable to understand what he was getting at.
“I saved those people, not because I wanted to, but because you just couldn’t let go of the idea.”
I could feel something coming. “And?”
“They have no right to live anymore.”
My heart skipped. Was he trying to say what I thought he was saying?
“What do you mean?”
“The moment you kissed Matteo, they lost the right to live.” He announced with a coldness I’ve never seen before. My jaws dropped open. “I warned you, Naledi. If I can’t hurt you, I will find effective ways to get the job done anyway. The death of the woman and child is not going to be because they married the wrong person, it is now going to be because of your senseless act. Next time, you would think carefully before carrying out such an act.”
Caellum brought out his phone, and my heart was beating fast. They were alive. The woman and child. I couldn’t let them die. I couldn’t let another generation be wiped out because of a sin their father committed or even me.
“Wait!” I said with my hands stretched. A bile rose up my throat when I thought of what I was about to do. “Please, please spare them. Don’t kill them.”
“This is not a negotiation, Naledi.” He didn’t spare me a glance and placed the phone on his ear.
I heard the line connect and my soul disconnected because I immediately fell on my knees with my neck bared. The ultimate submission position. I bit my insides as I did the only thing I knew could save these people.
I begged, presenting myself as a willful sacrifice even though it hurt me. “I will do anything. Just please. Don’t kill them on my account.”
That woman could be the next queen of England. Her child could be the best medical doctor. A lot of possibilities that might never materialise if they were killed off so cruelly.
I couldn’t let that happen. Not on my account.
Caellum watched me with keen eyes. I couldn’t tell what he thought. Perhaps he called bullshit on my actions. “Please. Reconsider.” I stated when there was no forthcoming answer.
“You said you’d do anything to save them, correct?” His eyes was expectant, evil, amused.
I swallowed hard. Knowing this might be my greatest undoing. “Yes.”
“Good.” he corked his eyebrows. “Then strip.”