Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Unedited

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I wake to the feeling of someone carrying me from the car.

It's dark outside, the scenery around me lit only by dim streetlamps and the brightness of the moon. There's nobody around, the only sounds accompanying me are the chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl.

I crack open my eyes to be greeted by a large house made of white stone, large columns stretching high above the front door. There's a single light on in the house, one of the windows illuminated with a small glow that's behind a curtain.

A gust of wind nips at the skin on my face, and I find myself burying my head into the chest of my mate, his scent alone warming my cold cheeks. I feel his arms tighten around my body, and I loop my own around his neck to make it easier for him to hold me.

I hear him mutter something, but my head is too thick with sleep to comprehend a word he saying, even if he's not speaking to me.

The cold suddenly disappears and I'm encompassed in a bubble of warmth that for once doesn't belong to my mate.

"Council meeting. Now. Call for the seer and for Ramon as well." I hear Kaden whisper harshly, and sets of footsteps that I know don't belong to him start moving away from us as he ascends a giant staircase that splits in two directions.

"Is the council room this way?" I mumble against his chest, my eyes fluttering open and shut of their own accord.

"No, Lola. Your bedroom is this way." He replies, his voice muffled in my hair.

"I've got to be at that council meeting." I start trying to pull out of his arms pathetically, my hands pushing meekly against his chest. "You did find that vampire in my pack you know."

"I know we did, but you're not coming to this one." I can hear a small smile on his lips. "You need rest more, but you can be at tomorrow's council meeting."

"You promise?" I say like a small child as he kicks open a door that leads into a large, elegant room. I open my eyes and look at his face, a soft smile tugging at his plump lips. Even in the nonexistent light, his bright blue eyes shine brightly into mine, and as he lays me down in bed, I can feel his breath tickling my face due to his close proximity.

"I promise, little mate." He says quietly, pressing a butterfly kiss to my forehead before walking to the door. He turns just before he leaves, and he shows me another gentle smile.

He doesn't smile very often if it's not sarcastic or malicious, but I've seen him smile more times in these few minutes than I ever have since I've met him, and it leaves a warm, unfamiliar feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"I promise." Were the last words I heard before I couldn't keep myself awake anymore, and sleep finally overtook my exhausted body.

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Jasper, Kaden's beta, is coming soon to collect me from my room and escort me to breakfast.

I was awake by half seven, and I read a note left by Kaden saying that breakfast would be at half past eight if I wanted to join him and the rest of the pack. So I took a shower, dried my hair and applied a small amount of makeup so that I appeared presentable, just in case people decided to stare. At least they can believe that the strange newcomer is half pretty.

I even wore the nicest clothes I could find in my suitcase, which were skinny jeans and a black long sleeved turtleneck. My mom had packed a variety of dresses and skirts, but I wasn't going that far to look nice.

I contemplated pulling on Lyle's hoodie, but decided against it seen as though Kaden got angry last night, and I don't want to annoy him again.

I then took a few minutes to admire my room, seen as though I was too tired to do it last night. It's a large room, the furniture all made of dark wood. The bed is an ornate, four poster, with detailed carvings in the beams, and bright green sheets.

There's a wide, beautiful window seat decorated with plush cushions and long, thick blankets that tumble on to the floor like spun silk. The floor to ceiling window reveals a beautiful view into the woods below, the top of a mountain range peaking out from atop the dense foliage.

I skimmed the bookshelf that's in the corner of my room and chose a book, deciding it was the best way to throw away half an hour.

So I settled on "A Game of Thrones" simply because I watch the TV show and want to see if it lives up to the great name the books have given it. I nestle into the seemingly endless supply of pillows, wrap the thick golden blanket around my body, and get lost in Westeros until I hear three sharp raps on my door.

I raise my eyes from the page and look out of the window, catching sight of a strange figure standing at the edge of the woods, their body covered in shadows. I then look towards the door, the sight of the body not registering with my brain, before I double take.

But I feel my eyes playing tricks on me, because the second my gaze return to the spot they were once at, the figure is gone and the banging on the door only intensifies.

"I'm coming!" I grumble, leaving the book open but face down on the window seat, and I throw the blanket off my shoulders. "Give me a second."

The knocking only gets louder, and my temper starts to flare, and when I open the door I'm about three seconds away from ripping Jasper's head off, only to come face to face with someone who definitely isn't Jasper.

Unless Jasper turned into a three year old girl overnight.

"Will you sto... uh hi?" My words fall short when I come nose to nose with a little girl, her little doe eyes looking at me wide, a big toothy grin on her chubby face. I pull my head back and look at Jasper, who looks like he's trying really hard keeping his hysteria in.

"Did I do good, daddy?" The little girl squeals when she turns around and sees Jasper's face, and my eyes widen, realising that Jasper is a dad. "She looks weally funny!"

They do look very similar, with the same brown eyes and unruly, curly brown hair, but I wouldn't have put two and two together if she hadn't have called him dad. I honestly never saw him as the dad type, partly because of his tattoos and young appearance, but you should never really judge a book by it's cover as my mother has told me since I could read picture books.

And then the guilt kicks in, literally. I feel like Stomrzy has come along and kicked me with his size twelve feet, right in the gut. I could've made this girl fatherless if I hadn't have stopped Shiva from ripping his throat to pieces.

"See what you could've done!" I snap inside my head at Shiva, only once again to be greeted by expected silence.

"You did great Essie." Jasper smiles, giving his daughter a kiss in her cheek. "We really got her!"

Squeaking in delight, 'Essie' as Jasper called her, asks to be put down, and she waddles off down the corridor, where another wolf is standing in work jeans and a hoodie, her hair in a messy bun and no makeup on her face, her eyes looking on with adoration.

"Shall we go?" Jasper asks to me, and I bet I still look like a vegetable with a dumbfounded expression on my face. I bet my chins are even out, hiding where my jaw ends and my neck begins. "Lola?"

"Yeah, let's go." I shake my head quickly and snap out of whatever daze I was in. But my chest still feels heavy with guilt at what I could've done. "Have I apologised about nearly killing you?"

Jasper keeps his eyes ahead, but he waves his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, I've been filled in on your wolf problems. Plus, Kaden said I'm not allowed to be mad at you."

"Well I'm sorry anyway." I say sheepishly as we turn the corner at the end of the corridor. "And are you only being nice to me because Kaden asked you to be?"

"Partly." He admits, and I feel my face fall. "But I am my own wolf, and I can remember how hard it was to control myself in wolf form, so I'm not going to hold a grudge against you."

I breathe out a sigh of relief as we descend the double staircase from last night. I observe the dark woods and bright coloured walls that I missed this morning, with deep brown wooden planks scattered with mismatched carpets and an assortment of different sized shoes, and dark green walls covered in photographs and certificates and drawings.

"We're a very close knit pack." Jasper says to me when he notices me ogling a selection of children's drawings. "Alpha Kaden treats every pack member as equal, and loves and respects every one of them as individuals."

"Ah." I say dumbly as I follow Jasper down another corridor, the sounds of metal scraping ceramic and the boisterous laughing of other people getting louder as we near a large set of double doors.

The door is carved in a very similar way to the posts of the bed I slept in last night. Intricate depictions of wolves and vampires are in greater detail than anything I've ever seen, with even the eye colour of some wolves being coloured in. I can't seem to take my eyes off of one wolf carving in particular, the wolf that stands taller than all the other carvings, its eyes white in colour.

I can't help but get a feeling like I should know who it is.

Jasper pushes open the door and the smell of fried food and unfamiliar wolves hits my senses so hard I have to take a step back.

I shake my head and walk in, my eyes scanning the room for any sight of Kaden, my nerves kicking in at being in a crowd of people I don't know.

Jasper places a hand on my shoulder and guided me through the throngs of wolves enjoying their breakfasts, food ranging from cereal to full breakfasts with pancakes and bacon. Most of them don't look up, too absorbed in their food like I'd be, but the ones that do stare at me in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable.

"They're just trying to figure out your purpose." He whispers in my ear as I feel myself shrinking away from everyone's piercing stares. "They're being curious, not hostile."

"If you say so." I squeak, as I'm led to the back of the room where a small black door sits ajar. My nose fills with the scent of Kaden and I'm instantly relaxed, as if someone has just come up behind me and stared massaging all of my muscles at once.

"He's waiting for you." Jasper smiles at me before bowing. "Now my mate and daughter are waiting for me so excuse me."

And then he swivels on his heels and leaves me by myself outside the open door of Kaden's room.

I brush down the nonexistent creases in my shirt and raise my hand to knock on the door, only for it to be opened fully and in turn replaced by a rock hard, smartly dressed mate.

I run my eyes over his appearance, instantly liking what I see. He's wearing a white dress shirt with the top few buttons undone, with suit pants and a jacket to match. His hair is slicked back neatly, one stray curl falling down in front of his ice blue eyes. His body smells of expensive aftershave, but it doesn't overpower the natural scent of sandalwood that sends my senses into overdrive.

"Lola." My mate greets, my name rolling from his tongue like honey off a spoon, and just the sound of my name has my brain in a haze. "I've been waiting for you for fifteen minutes."

"Fashionably late?" I grin, my eyes lighting up when I receive a light laugh from his lips. "I was admiring the pack house and I got sidetracked."

Kaden smiles, his hand coming to the small of my back, a place it has recently made itself home, and let's his fingers dance across my covered skin. "Well, getting distracted must have worked up an appetite. I'll accompany you to the buffet."

He starts walking me back towards the dining room, and wolves bow their heads when he passes, their eyes straying to myself in confusion.

I ignore their stares and keep my eyes focused on the plates of bacon that are calling my name, along with the pancakes and the maple syrup. Kaden's posture remains stiff until we're both piling our plates high with the food on offer, away from curious eyes.

"Why so proper, Mr. Thorne?" I tease, knocking my shoulder lightly against his. "Where's the fun Kaden I've gotten to know."

I hear a low growl close to my ear, and I look up to see his face is grumpy, frown lines appearing on his forehead. "I'm proper because I'm alpha, Lola. Don't ask silly questions."

My smile falls from my face, and I find myself stiffen. "Well sorry for trying to keep conversation light."

Kaden runs a hand down his face, before turning his head away from mine. "You can eat in my office if you're not comfortable with sitting with the pack, I have some matters that require my attention elsewhere."

"You're not eating with me?" I ask shocked, remembering the note he left me this morning, the way his words made me feel light and almost accepted. "You invite me to breakfast and then leave me to fend for myself?!"

I guess I was naive in believing he was capable of liking me.

"I'm an alpha." His expression remains unchanged. "I can't drop everything just because you're here. I already wasted too much time staying with you at your pack."

"Wasted time." I say bitterly, before looking at him with as much hatred as I can muster. "Sorry if being your mate is a burden for you."

I slam my plate down on the buffet table and storm off, ignoring the shocked expressions of everyone who was listening.

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I storm out of the pack house, not bothering with sliding on shoes, and I take off in the direction of the woods. I need to feel the dirt between my toes and wind whipping through my hair. I haven't been able to go out in so long and now I need to run, even if it's still in human form.

The second my feet hit the edge of the woods I take off in a sprint, dodging between trees without even having to think about it. The feeling of mud and twigs and leaves between my feet calms me down, but not enough to stop the fury at Kaden from fuelling my muscles to push harder, making me run faster.

I stumble into a clearing, my lungs burning and my eyes unable to clear the tears that are beginning to free fall down my cheeks.

My legs give out and I'm forced to my knees, gasping for air between choked sobs and strangled breaths for air.

"Shift." I growl, my fingers extending into claws, and my teeth breaking out through my gums. "Shift!"

All I'm greeted with is the whispering silence of the wood, my head empty of the voice I was hoping to hear.

"Goddamnit Shiva, come back and let me shift!" I scream into the woods, the tears falling uncontrollably from my eyes as I pound at the woodland floor until my fists turn black and blue.

I sit on the floor and scream into nothing, my howls ripping through the air like a knife, and I sit and scream about everything.

And yet Shiva still says silent.

Eventually, after all of my self pity has drained completely from my body, I drag myself from the floor, just as the sun is beginning to peak in the sky and it's rays are beating down hot against my skin enough for me to feel the prickle.

My eyes are puffy and raw from the hours of crying, but I walk the length back through the woods with my head held high, purely for my own ego because I know that nobody is watching; at least until I get back to the pack house where I know for a fact all eyes will be on me.

I push through my final gap in the tree-line, the large, white marble building standing tall and proud at the top of a gently inclining hill littered with white picket houses and small shops.

Wolves are milling around, whether it be mowing their lawns or playfighting in the streets. I see a group of them sitting outside a coffee house, flicking a coin at their knuckles so hard I can smell the steel of their blood from at least a mile away.

Whether or not that's because of my increased scent or because there's enough blood for me to smell, I'm still unsure.

I slip through the adjacent front door and up the stairs, the floor no longer scattered with pairs of children's shoes.

Using the vague memory I have of the walk Jasper took me on this morning, turning corners and walking down corridors without sparing a second floor until I reach my room.

It's the same as how I left it except for one minor detail. The book I left open on the window seat is now closed, a small piece of paper jutting out of the top of the spine.

I walk over and pluck the paper out of the book, the edges ripped like it's been pulled from a larger piece of paper, and I read the neat words scrawled across the page.

You're mine, little wolf. Please don't let my future actions allow you to forget it.

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Gif is of the lovely Jason Momoa, who plays Lyle Clay in this book and let me just say that I loved his brief part in Game of Thrones as Khal Drogo.

Thanks to @pikachu_mgh who came up with the nickname KODA, that's what I'll be referring to Kaden and Lola as! Chapter is dedicated to you like I said it would be!!

HOLY FUGGIN SHEESH KEBAB WE'VE HIT 1K READS FOLKS!!

Most people wouldn't see this as a big deal but I for one am extremely grateful, especially off of just four chapters, so I snuck a couple more KODA moments in this chapter just for you guys as a big fat thank you!!

I hate to say that future chapters may not be updated as frequently because I have a lot of revision to do for an interview I have in the upcoming weeks, but I'm definitely going to be writing in my time in my revision breaks haha!

Comment your opinions on this chapter and don't forget to vote and tell more people about this book!!!

Love you all xox