"Nothing Darling." she said acting innocent. "Apparently," she continued, "this slut here, isn't working hard enough. She could surely do with a few whippings, couldn't she?" The hardness in her voice was back and so was the evil glint in her eye.

Grayson howled, his claws raking the mind he was trapped in. "Knock her out or so help me Goddess, I will transform and kill her myself. She's making our mate feel horrible."

I noticed Kiara wince at the mention of the whippings. She must be remembering the last time she was whipped in front of the entire pack. I was forced to witness it too.

"She's not a slut. Leave her alone. What she does isn't your business."

"Stop snarling. It's just an act!" I hissed back at Grayson whose howls had grown ultrasonic at this point. "You're giving us both a headache."

In front of me, Nicole was frowning. I could see the gears in her head turning as she was plotting something scandalous. Hurtful. In the fraction of a second our eyes meet, I knew what was coming.

Before I could say anything further, she leaned forwards and kissed me. Lips too cold, smell all sorts of wrong. Bile rose up my throat as I pushed her back as hard as I could.

Being away from Kiara was driving me crazy but this is far from what I wanted. Reality hit me when I felt the sparks shoot up my arm as she barrelled past me.

I growled as I wiped the last traces of her off my mouth. "Nicole, stop it! Aren't you doing this to merely prove a point?"

"Come on, don't be like that, baby. Is her pathetic ass being here putting you off?" She practically draped herself over me. Her nauseatingly flowery scent almost sent me wheezing. With one hand, I pulled her off me again. She pouted in mock sadness. "I've so much planned for us tonight. You'll forget her in no time."

Grayson was once again yelling at me, calling me a dumb ass. He was right, partly.

"I'm busy." I shouldered past her as I strode out to search for my mate. I didn't care if people saw it or not. I was following her scent up the stairs and nearing the hall, when I accidentally crashed into a person and stumbled backwards.

A strong overpowering scent wafted through the air. I knew who it was before I levelled my gaze with him.

We were the same height now. Except for the grey in his hair and the broader set of shoulders, we looked distinctly alike.

A shame. Really.

"Dad." I forced myself to be polite.

He beamed. "Aden, my boy." Today, his voice held an kind of reckless excitement. My stomach twisted. "There you are. I was looking for you. The Ceremony starts in half an hour."

"I'll be downstairs in a minute, Dad."

"Later. You can prowl around after the ceremony. Just look at you, you aren't even fully dressed yet." He grabbed my hand in a bruising grip, as he began to drag me to Stella's room. "Whatever it is can wait."

"But Kiara—" I protested.

He froze. "Kiara?"

I went quiet. His tone had grown icy.

"Has Kiara Evergreen been causing trouble again?" He asked when I didn't answer.

"No." I started. "She's done nothing wrong."

"Then don't talk about her. You're going to be an Alpha, Aden. You should know better than to associate with vermin like her."

"She's not vermin." I growled before I could stop myself.

In one fluid move, he slammed me against the walls. "What did you say?" He snarled menacingly. I could feel the shift in the air, the unmistakable taste of an Alpha trying to assert his dominance. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Silence.

"Tell me the truth. Have you been talking to her?" My heart was hammering in my chest so hard I could have sworn he heard it. A muscle twitched in his jaw. "You have. Despite all my warnings, you've still been hanging around with her. How typical of you."

"I haven't been talking to her." I lied, lowering my eyes. Black dots danced in my vision as he pressed down hard on my windpipe, but I'd be damned if I let my vulnerability show. "I promised you, remember?"

A promise I was compelled to make.

"Yes." He loosened his hold. "You know the consequences of breaking that one, I hope."

I don't reply.

"Get dressed. We can talk about how to deal with her after tonight." He ordered. "This pathetic crush ends today. Once you make Nicole Sanders your Luna, this crush you have on her will be long and rightfully forgotten. Then you'll see her as she really is—a worthless and useless Omega."

My hands clenched into fists by side.

"I'm sure I will." I ground out.

His eyes narrowed. But before he could add another word and I blurt out the truth myself, I turned and walk away, leaving a suspicious Alpha in my wake.

Stella pounced on me the minute I step in. With my wolf and I distressed and frustrated about the recent events, it didn't help when she began to fuss over me like a mother hen.

Don't get me wrong, I love my sister more than my life, however I hated it when she took it into her head to renovate me.

Stella was two years younger than me yet decades elder than me when it came to fashion. In a way she loved painting people, but right now I wasn't in the mood to be renovated or painted.

" - the tux would be to formal you know, so how about this? And then we could-" She was blabbering away.

"Stella."

"- think this would be..."

"Stella."

"-you don't like it ? I could totally say-"

"STELLA MARIANNE CARTER!"

She stopped abruptly and blinked.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You're annoying me to death. Stop that."

She placed her hands on her hips and scrutinised me. I turned away from her inquisitive gaze.

"Spill it."

I bit my lip, nervous about her reaction. My solemn promise about keeping my mate problem a secret seemed to disintegrate in seconds.vWhat if she yells and me?

"You would deserve it." Grayson told from within.

"Kiaraismymatebutirejectedherinsheeranger." I blurted out.

"I only know English, Aden." She rolled her eyes in amusement.

I gulped. This is it. This is how I would meet my end."Kiara is my mate, but I rejected her in sheer anger." I repeated guiltily.

Time stood still for a couple of moments, until -

"YOU WHAT??" She screeched. Amusement begone, anger and fury, entered right in.

I flinched at her voice. She may be small, but boy she was tough.

"You are a complete and utter asshole." she said jabbing her finger at me.

Grayson nodded vigorously.

"I..."

"Shut up, you moron. Did you apologize?"

" I...er...no." I began noticing her expression, "But... but I tried to."

"And??"

"She ran away."

"Obviously!!"

"I kissed Nicole in front of her." I blurted out again, well aware this was the second bomb I was dropping. If she was angry then, it was nothing compared to now. "Technically, she kissed me when I tried to push her off and Kiara got the wrong impression."

If anything, her face was resembled thunder and lightning.

This will end with broken bones and dented teeth. I can see it coming.

I wondered if she would shift into her wolf form and tear me up. I knew she was fond of Kiara. She was nice to her when I was busy being the opposite. Stella looked positively murderous while I stood awaiting Doomsday.

A knock at the door brought us both to our senses. "Hurry up Aden. It is nearly time. Your Dad is waiting." Mom spoke oblivious to the increasing tension inside.

"I.."

"He is coming Mom. I'm just coaxing him to do his hair a bit more neatly."

I looked at Stella surprised. She was still staring daggers at me though.We stood stock still until we heard her receding footsteps.

Stella was the first one to speak. Grabbing me by my collar she shook me until I teeth rattled. Then jabbing her finger in my chest, she growled menacingly. "Brother or no...I will rip you apart if you don't apologize to her as soon as the ceremony is over. "

I nodded silently.

Past experience had taught me never to take her threats lightly.

I walked onto the stage once Dad finished his speech.

I felt the entire pack's gaze on me. Stella had made me an extremely stupid overly formal tux in retaliation. But there was just one person's gaze I wanted to feel.

I concentrated on Dad in front of me. "Do you Aden Jason Carter accept the post of Alpha of the Dark Wolf Pack?"

"I do." I answered with conviction.

"Do you solemnly swear to look after the wellbeing of the pack always, even if that means sacrificing your life for the cause?"

"I do." I repeated and I meant each word.

"Then I, Jason John Carter, renounce my position as Alpha of the Dark Wolf Pack and hand it down to you."

I joined my hand with his and felt the power surge into me.

I looked down to see the symbol of an Alpha on my right forearm light up for a minute and then fade again. The entire pack stood up and bowed before me.

"Long Live our Alpha Aden. Long live the Alpha." The pack cheered.

My eyes searched for my mate as the pack members came to congratulate me.

I had finally succeeded in driving Nicole away after a good deal of effort.

"Did you see her?" I mindlinked Stella for the umpteenth time in the last one hour.

"No. I'm still looking though." she responded equally worried. I craned my neck to catch a glimpse of her in every nook and corner of the pack house.

But no luck.

I noticed the Omega she hung around with -Nellie or someone, and for a second was sorely tempted to ask her. However, Alpha pride got the better of me.

It was past 10 and she was still missing.

Leaving all my pride aside I set out in search of her. Perhaps she was still in her room. After all what I had done had been simply inexcusable.

I pressed my ears at her door to hear a sound. But nope, not a sob or a snore.

I opened the door and peeped in. The room was in complete darkness. Even her smell seemed faint.

"Kiara?" I whispered into the darkness half hoping she would spring up from the thin air to answer me. "Kiara, are you here? It's me, Aden."

However, my question was answered with eerie silence.

"I'm sorry." I said. "Nothing I say will make this better, but if you listen to me just this once... I have a reason for doing what I did."

Still silence.

The door creaked as I pushed it further. Her smell was faint.

Where the hell was she?

Of course! She had sneaked out for a run again, hadn't she? She always did that when she was sad. It helped her forget and numb her pain.

My body relaxed and I remembered her petite form sneak out of the backdoor and shift into her pure white wolf form for a run. The smile on her face then was simply breathtaking.

I would wait for her till she returned. Then I would tell her the whole truth. I would earn her forgiveness. Would be patient until she gave me a second chance to prove myself.

Yes, I would make her mine, all in good time.