7: Unnatural Blue Eyes

STEPHAN

There was a dull ringing in my ear as I milled through the trees and made my way back to the pack compound.

It felt as if I was hit against the side of my face with a silver mallet, that was the only thing that I could think of as to why it hurt so badly.

That bastard must have been wearing a silver ring of some sort.

There was no other reason as to why he should have been able to deal such a painful blow to me. He was a nobody, I was the son of the great alpha Michael, he was nothing to me.

Just as I left the thicket of trees behind, I staggered slightly and then caught myself.

Don't tell me the dizziness was also from the punch?

Impossible, I must have had way too much alcohol and because I was recovering, my metabolism was having difficulty burning it all and keeping me sober.

I could hear the greetings from various pack members as I made my way back to my chambers but I didn't answer any.

The back of my neck felt hot and I was gnashing the fuck out of my teeth.

I slammed my room door and then sat on the lush study chair, tapping my feet rapidly against the floor board.

Why was I angry?

It was not like me to lose my cool easily, more importantly, why the fuck did I even go to the forest?

If I had just respected myself and stayed at my party, none of this would have happened.

What made me leave?

I got up from the chair feeling very uncomfortable and I began pacing the room.

Her face flashed in my mind, her round welcoming eyes, those soft tender lips and those rosy cheeks.

I blinked, why was I remembering the features of a girl that was not Vannie?

Once again, I had another memory flash, this time around, of those lips being pressed into by someone else's, someone with unnatural blue eyes.

I let out a yell and then punched a hole in the wall, my hand went right through the concrete as if it was made of paper.

That's right, now I remember why I was angry, it was because I saw them kissing... that was what got my fuse lit.

But why?

Why should I care if two random nobodies are kissing in the woods?

It is not like it has anything to do with me.

The problem was, I was drawn to that forest, I came there looking for that random nobody, I felt as if I didn't come there in search of her I would regret it for the rest of my life.

I could not live a life of regret so I went there and what did I see?

The girl that I felt was in danger wrapping her lips with that of another man.

I withdrew my hand from the hole that I just created, snarling as I did so.

But why was that getting me so worked up?

I shouldn't care, she was a nobody, I rejected her. I should not care what the fuck she was doing and with whom.

Then a thought hit me, what if that was her man? What if the entire Mate of a thing was a scam and when it failed, she went crawling back into the arms of her man? What if?

I stopped that train of thought, although I was caught up in the party spirit, I didn't forget anything so I could vividly remember her behavior, the primal nature of it... she was not faking it, she really did believe every word she uttered.

Besides, who would be stupid or brave enough to try and con their way into being my mate?

"Rebekka Kent!" I snarled as her name bubbled back to the front of my mind.

I could not get her out of my head.

"Who the hell was that guy with you?" I asked no one in particular.

I picked up my phone and messaged Claude immediately and then tossed the phone aside and waited.

It didn't take too long before I heard a knock at my door and then the door slid open gently.

"Hope you are decent?" he teased. "I was around the vicinity, you know, something was telling me that I would..." his voice trailed off.

I turned to look at Claude, his eyes were fixed on the giant hole in the wall and his mouth was slightly a gap.

"I leave you for one minute and you go ruining walls? What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I said.

"Oh come off it, why am I here then? Surely it is not because you love the sound of my voice..." his voice trailed off again. "Is that blood? Are you bleeding?" there was an edge to his voice now.

I turned to look sharply at him.

Claude was staring at my nose with an intensity that told me he was not joking.

I dabbed my finger under my nose and looked at it, true to his words, I was bleeding.

"The Fuck!" I snarled.

Did that fellow punch me so hard that I got a nosebleed?

"Yo, Stephan, what the hell happened? Last I saw you, you were running off like a mad man without giving a reason. Now there is a hole in your wall and you are bleeding, talk to me!"

I looked at Claude again, his eyes were filled with concern as he stood there holding a bottle of bourbon in his right hand, he thought I called him here for an after party.

"I need you to do something for me!" I said tightly.

"Anything, Name it!"

"I need you to find someone..."

"Does this someone have a name?"

"I don't know his name but from the way he carried himself, he was definitely a high born."

Claude sighed, "How am I supposed to find someone whose name you don't even know. Describe him then."

I sneered, "He has a pair of unnatural blue eyes!"

8 – STIFF-LEGGED

REBEKKA

It had seemed like forever since I had felt the comfort of my own bed. So much had happened in such a short space of time that it felt like a very long time had passed.

As I rolled about on my small mattress, I could not help but think of all that had happened. My own share of the loot that I had been given was still hidden somewhere in my room with me.

Thinking about it just made me think about Lord Stephan, his fiery red eyes as he screamed "What the Fuck!"

I still could not place why he was so angry, it did not make sense to me, why would the son of the alpha give a hoot about a nobody like me or what I was doing?

I tried looking at it from his own perspective, but I just could not see it. I rolled again on my mattress as my fear and apprehension returned, "You are going to regret this!"

I remembered the viciousness in his voice when he said that... Why did Damon have to go as far as punching him in the face?

I was even more surprised by the fact that Lord Stephan controlled himself and let it slide for the meantime. He was well within his right to just rip our heads off for such disrespect... if his father ever found out?

I shuddered in bed as the thought crossed my mind, I didn't even want to think about what would happen if alpha Michael came about that information. It would not just be me but Doctor Purcell too that will suffer the backlash too.

Speaking of Damon... I hoped he took my suggestion and fled the pack. He seemed like a smart man, and a good kisser too.

I rolled in bed and smiled when I remembered how he put his lips against mine, taking them in with gentle ease... I caught myself smiling and then frowned suddenly, "Focus Rebekka!" I muttered to myself.

Damon looked like a smart man, surely, he would recognize the implication of what he has done and realize that there is nothing left of him in the Half-Moon pack and he would leave.

The thought of me not seeing him again made me sad, why did it make me so sad?

That was what I was wondering about when I finally fell asleep.

                                  ****

"Look who finally decided to join us, do you realize what the time is?" Kaitlin went off the minute I walked into the waiting area.

It was a slow day today in the pack clinic, there was nobody in the waiting area this morning, therefore there was no reason for Kaitlin to be on my neck.

I was stiff as I walked over to the supply closet to grab a mop and a bucket.

Any moment from now, pack guards should storm into the clinic and grab me and take me to receive whatever punishment that Lord Stephan had cooked up for me.

My life was over.

"Oh suddenly, after donating blood to our future heir, you feel too big to respond to me?"

"What?" I looked up to see Kaitlin standing over me, her face twisted in a mean frown.

"I am sorry, Miss, I didn't see you there," I replied and bowed curtly.

Kaitlin's left eye brow shot up in surprise, "You didn't see me there? Rebekka, am I so small now that you can no longer see me?"

I opened my mouth to reply but she just went on, silencing me.

"Where have you been since yesterday, daddy sent me to bring you back from the alpha pack house saying how tired you must be after donating blood to come back by yourself... Can you imagine? Me! Being sent to bring you back?"

I knew that if I just kept mute and added the occasional apology here and there, she would talk herself out.

"What has this world turned to? I swear sometimes, I think my father treats you way too well and you don't even work your own fair share to repay his good effort and grace."

"I apologize, Miss Kaitlin," I bowed curtly once more.

She stopped talking and then looked at my face, her eyes squinted in curiosity, "What is it? You don't look well?"

Before I could reply, she cut me off.

"I knew it, there was no way you were supposed to be up and moving after giving so much blood. If you know you are about to faint, do it on your own time and not while you are on the clock, is that clear?"

"Yes Miss."

The door swung open and my heart jumped to my stomach and I held my breath, this was it, they were here for me just like I thought they would be.

A balding man in his late sixties walked in and I heaved a sigh of relief.

I didn't realize how on edge I was, it was stressing me the hell out, I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Welcome Mr. Donovan," I greeted curtly.

The old man waved me aside and focused on Kaitlin, "Is your father in?"

"Not right now Mr. Donovan, he was called to the alpha's pack house earlier this morning." Kaitlin said.

My body stiffened when I heard that Dr Purcell was called to the alpha's pack house, that must mean only one thing... Lord Stephan summoned him to tell him what he must do concerning me, I was right to be worried all along.

"Ah, that's sad, I wanted him to take a look at something for me," Mr. Donovan said regrettably.

"That's very much okay, Mr. Donovan, he should not take too long, you can wait right here," Kaitlin ushered him to one of the waiting chairs and then cast me a curious look.

"What the hell are you still doing standing there like a pole? Do your damn job!"

But I was deep in thoughts and worry, very soon, doing my damn job would be the least of my worries!

9 - REVELATIONS

STEPHAN

"I told you, I am fine!" I snapped at the pack physician.

He jumped back in fright, "Lord Stephan please let me have a look, your father..."

"My father is worrying too much, I am perfectly okay!" I cut him off.

I didn't have time to sit still and be poked and prodded like I was a guinea pig, I had things to do... people to find.

"Lord please, just let your poor servant do his job so I can have a good report for your father."

I looked at Dr Purcell, he had been our family physician as well as the pack physician for as long as I could remember, "Fine, make it snappy."

His face brightened up and he dabbed his forehead to clean the bead of sweat that had started to form there. "Thank you Lord, please take off your shirt."

I grunted in frustration but I obliged him.

"Remarkable, not even the trace of a scar!" His voice was high pitched and excited.

I looked at him with some curiosity, "You are making it sound like such a big deal, we high borns heal fast and completely, it is nothing new."

"No my lord, it isn't but your case is different and special."

I narrowed my eyes, "How so?"

"Lord, you were poisoned with wolfsbane. That thing is deadly to all wolves, high born or not. It was the grace of the goddess that we were able to find someone with the same rare blood type as you to do a total blood transfusion."

"Wait!" my eyes widened, "Did you just say total blood transfusion?"

Dr Purcell nodded emphatically.

"That would be me that..."

"Yes, your blood donor was supposed to die."

I stroked my jaw with my left hand, this was getting interesting.

"Given that that was what it was, it was supposed to leave a scar mi Lord, one hell of a scar... but there is nothing, it is remarkable!"

All the while I was thinking that it was no big deal, the fact I wasn't scared made me underestimate how close I came to dying or being disfigured for the rest of my life.

So it was this much of a big deal, "Rebekka Kent!" I muttered.

"Yes mi Lord, she saved your life, I could not be prouder!" Dr Purcell said with an air of smugness.

I gave him a sharp look as my eyes widened in surprise, "You know of her?"

"Know of her?" he chuckled, "Mi Lord, I raised that mutt since she was a pup!"

Okay now, things were getting more and more interesting. So the girl that saved my life was Dr Purcell's step daughter?

"So she is like a daughter to you?" I asked.

Dr Purcell smiled sheepishly, "When my Lord puts it like that, I cannot disagree."

Apparently, she had survived something that was meant to kill her and knowing that she could die she still chose to save my life. I was speechless, I was now starting to see her in a different light.

"How is she doing?" I asked.

"Mi Lord, we are thankful to the goddess for seeing it fit to keep her life. Two miracles happened yesterday and we are grateful for it."

"Indeed, indeed, doctor." I nodded agreeing with him.

I needed to know more about Rebekka but I was not going to press the good doctor.

The door opened and Claude came in and flopped on the couch, "Hey doc, how's the birthday boy?"

"In perfect health, sir Claude, we are thankful to the goddess!"

"Damn! It really didn't leave a scar, though I was hallucinating yesterday," Claude was peering at me.

I frowned at him and drew down my shirt, "Are we done here?"

"Yes, mi Lord."

"Good, now run along to my dad and tell him not to bother me with more tests, I am fine!"

Dr Purcell bowed and then left the room.

I leaned forward in my seat staring at Claude, "Anything?"

He made a face and leaned back on the couch, "You are not even going to offer me a drink? No, thank you Claude for getting back so quickly, here, have a drink?"

I sighed, "Fine, pour yourself a cup!"

He leaned forward with a smile to get the bottle.

"... After you are done telling me what you found out!"

The smile froze on his face and he paused with the bottle inches away from his grasp, then he plopped back on the couch, "You are no fun sometimes!"

"Just get on with it," I snapped impatiently.

"Do you realize how crazy I sounded asking all of my dad's informants if they knew anybody with blue eyes? Next time if you want information, you should at least do better than... blue eyes!"

I sighed, this dude was frustrating me but then again, he always did, "Yeah, yeah now, on with it!"

"His name is Damon Chase and he is a member of the Elite Guards!"

My eyes widened and I leaned forward in my chair, "The Elite Guards?"

"Mm-hmm," Claude nodded and then reached for the bottle.

I gnashed my teeth, the elite guards were the best of the pack warriors that answered directly to the alpha, my father.

Was that why he was able to hurt me with a sucker punch?

No, that didn't track, although they may be more skilled than me, I was supposed to be stronger.

Claude was watching me like a thief, "What did this Chase guy do to warrant your attention?"

I got up quickly, breathing heavily as I remembered the incident from yesterday. "I have to go see him!"

Claude laughed nervously, "I don't know what is going on but I don't think that is a good idea!"

I snapped at him, "You don't understand, someone like him has no business being anywhere close to someone like her!"

"Who? Who are we talking about here? Who is getting you all worked up?"

"I can't let this happen," I said, ignoring Claude and storming towards the door.