The liquid formed waves in the glass as I moved my wrist but never loosening my grip around the cup. Another wave of heat rocked through my body and I whimpered. Another tear slipped down my cheek against my wishes.

Groaning, I shot the burning liquid down my throat making me satisfied that it numbed the pain a little. "Miss perfect Knight is getting drunk?" My head snapped to the right where the door was. Brandon was leaning against the door, a smirk on his lips as he stared at me. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" I asked since it was three in the morning. "With my mate, yes," he responded with emotions in his voice. I scoffed and filled my glass again. Mates is what got me here in the first place.

The twenty-four-hour heat.

Something every female werewolf goes through when they meet their mate. The higher rank your mate has the more painful it is and the only thing that could stop the waves besides time is being with your mate.

"Why are you here, Rieka?" Brandon asked and I heard the tips of his shoes walking my way. "It has been a long day, I saved the most ruthless alpha who probably deserved to die because of all the things he has done and I saved my father and the second most important beta," I nod in his direction before shooting another shot down my throat.

Brandon woke up two hours ago, almost fully healed. And being a guest to our pack he gets to stay in the castle. Yay. "He isn't that bad you know, most of those things you hear are false and the ones that are true, the people deserved it," Brandon softly defended his alpha.

Turns out, after the rogue attack on the Goldencove pack, the alpha, beta, and a couple of warriors decided to travel to my pack for a meeting with all the alphas at the castle next week. It should take a week for all of the alphas to fly down to the palace. But now it has been rescheduled because of the ambush.

"Shit," I gasped and held my head as the fire inside of me spread to my head. "Hey," Brandon rushed to my side with his hands on my shoulders. "You good there Doc?" He asked, searching through my paining eyes. I nodded and brushed his hands away. "Just peachy," I sarcastically said with a matching smile.

"You should go to bed, Rieka," Brandon worriedly whispered as if he cared about me. "No, you should leave me the hell alone," I snapped even though I did not mean to. His eyes softened, eyebrows furrowed and he shifted to distance.

"Sorry, it's been a bad day," I apologized once the guilt developed.

_♤_

"Rieka, Alpha Evander just woke up, I think you should go check on him," King Vison says as he walked into my room. A smile stretched across my face and I dropped my lab book before bolting downstairs. "Going to the hospital?" My head snapped towards Jayden. I hesitantly nodded and he smiled.

"Let's go."

"Holy shit," I said to myself when his strong scent hit my nose as I entered the hospital. He's awake. His scent wasn't so strong yesterday. I should leave, he is going to reject me. Just when I was about to turn around, Jayden threw me a white coat and insisted that I wore it.

Letting out a puff of annoyance, I slipped my arms through the holes before walking further into the hospital. Nurses and doctors nod their heads at Jayden and me as we walked past them out of respect. Thankfully, today it was way less chaotic. His delicious scent kept getting stronger and stronger as we walked to the door. I believed my hands were sweating and I kept wiping them on the coat. The warrior let us through the doors and I wished he didn't.

My lips parted as we locked eyes. They're the perfect shade of hazel brown. It was crazy how beautiful hazel eyes can be. They travel down my body slowly and made it's way back to my eyes after lingering on my neck and lips. "Alpha Evander, good to see you again," Jayden spoke, he cleared his throat and I knocked back into reality as he held his hand out for Evander to shake. I continued to watch him for some reason. His glare justified to his scary perspective. He screamed dangerous. His eyes held zero emotions as he stared at my brother. Now he was handing healthy on his two feet, wide awake. Yet he doesn't let an emotion show, he doesn't say anything at all as he shook my brother's hand.

"Mine!" White howled at the top of her lungs but she doesn't get heard. Only by me.

"Hangover?" My eyes snapped to Brandon who was leaning against the wall with a gorgeous woman attached at his hip. Her curly waves were loose, ending below her shoulders, the outfit she wore shamelessly showed off the carved curves of her body. The olive irises stared at me with curiosity that I ignored.

His mate.

"Something like that..." I mumbled and stopped myself from looking at Evander and instead of the beautiful girl in front of me. "I'm Kira," she introduced herself," thank you so much for helping my mate, I hope he wasn't stubborn as usual," she thanked me with a laugh at the end. I couldn't help but smile despite the circumstances. "Annoying but it was fine," I say with my eyes on Brandon.

"Van, I'm gonna get my girl coffee," Brandon spoke to Evander. I watch as Evander nods his head once and both of them walked out of the room leaving me with Jayden and Evander.

Before things could get awkward, the door opens and I laid eyes on her.

Holy shit, she is gorgeous. There wasn't a flaw in her, her tight dress showed off all curves as she walked perfectly in heels. She had tanned skin with pink round lips paired with deep gray eyes that held relief when she spotted Evander. As she ran to him, her brown hair curled to meet her hips. "I'm so glad you're alright," I hear her say to him as they hugged. His slender and muscular arms wrapped around her perfectly. Jealousy built up inside of me but I don't let it show.

It hurt.

It really flipping hurt.

"Of course I'm okay, love," he replied. His voice was heavenly and perfect. I felt the need to hear him talk again. As if I couldn't get tired of hearing him. ever.

Love.

Someone, please shoot me.

I can't stay here. The tension was wrapping around my throat and I couldn't bear it. I couldn't hide my emotions so well as him. Without another word, I turn around and was about to walk out of the room.

I just couldn't.

"Ri! Vison told me you would be here," my father appeared at the door, stopping me from leaving.

you so much!!!