Chapter 10: Chapter 9

It had been four days since I had blocked the number of the parasite called Rudolph. Four days since I could not stop thinking about his voice. Four days since my wolf acted like a madwoman in menopause.

It had also been four days since the pain in my chest began. I even went to check myself and did some testing, often on my own. The most plausible causes were heart or lung-related, but the results showed I was as healthy as a baby elephant.

A doctor had questioned me if I had met my mate, who would be a potential cause of the sudden onset and disappearance of pain. In our world, it was impossible not to know when you were betrayed by your mate. Chest pain was like a weapon created by Moon Goddess to catch unfaithful mates.

My pain was like a little arrow that tried to reach my heart but couldn’t, just scratch it a little on the surface without penetrating. A tightness and shortness of breath.

As far as I knew, when a mate was unfaithful, the pain would almost kill your wolf, to the extent of literally making you bleed from the inside. Mine was bearable, even though it had woken me a couple of times over the past few nights. It had also appeared one morning and once during the day.

Had I met my mate by accident and neither of us had noticed? It would be beyond impossible as we would both be detecting out scents.

“So, did he just drop the phone?” Tiziano taunted me from the right side, shaking his head. “Just like that?”

“What an idiot,” Lachalan murmured from the other side. “That’s what I thought too!” I exclaimed!

The tree of us were having a break between classes. The students around us were going to every direction, chatting, and laughing in small groups.

“You want me to track down the idiot and teach him a les-” A laugh exploded in my chest and almost immediately I jumped onto his shoulders from behind.

“No need, I can do it” I giggled, squeezing his neck in my arms. Having an amazing and protective brother was and always will be the best gift parents could ever give me. A gift for life, a best friend, someone always ready when you need something, like a laugh, a chat or a car ride.

Tiziano smiled at our antics, walking backwards along the corridor. “I still remember when Lach hit that creep from that little pack”

The boy in question growled. “I should have broken something too”

“You should not have! In the end he didn’t do anything.” I reflected about one of the stalkers I had had the misfortune to call stalkers in the past. I had had about seven, one even dared to crawl under my balcony and sang me a song about some parts of my body, a Romeo and Juliet tale for modern times.

My dad and uncle chased him around the pack for a while until my brother caught him and well, let’s just say I had never seen the boy again.

“I have an idea how to counterattack phone guy.”

The phone guy was the nickname with which Tiziano had renamed Rudolph. Obviously, I didn’t specify that I called him Rudolph.

Tiziano was the evil mastermind of the group. As a mother bear, whenever one of us was targeted, all of the Tizzy’s feathers curled up and sought revenge, normally leaving behind dust and bones.

“Do you still have his number?” He asked cryptically, pressing his fingers together, like an evil genius about to blow up the planet.

“I have it” I confirmed evasively.

“Perfect.” The muscles near his jaw twitched as he smirked in satisfaction.

“Consider it done”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I was in the hospital, later that day, humming through the paperwork, the phone called for attention from my pocket of my white apron. I peeked at the screen and didn’t recognize the number.

Instantly I understood who he was.

“I’m not interested in talking to someone who doesn’t even say where-”

“I’m from Dark Diamond.” He interrupted me in a harsh voice. The annoying shiver and my treacherous little hairs of my skin rose.

My pack’s main wereball rival, with a captain who was most hated and loved by werewolves. With his current Alpha in constant competition with the Comet Alpha, also known by some as my father.

“Oh okay. Good to know”

I maintained a certain neutrality, mulling over paperwork while keeping the phone between my ear and shoulder.

“Good to know?” He mocked, not impressed. “Aren’t you going to shout malice about my pack and my wereball team?”

I scoffed by rolling my eyes.

“Unlike most of you uncivilized primates, I don’t judge an individual from the outside, from the profession, from the pack-” He interrupted, “Oh, that’s a pity”

“Oh? What do you mean? You can have a big, small or medium pack. I don’t mind. For me it’s the personality that matters.”

Malicious comments about other packs or people, especially sport-related ones, passed through without affecting a cell within me.

“You are so cute Ivy. But never repeat that to anyone else, okay?” He chuckled and his hoarse voice dropped by 10 octaves. I was confused, didn’t fully understand his last comment, and didn’t feel like going there.

“Do you play wereball?” I decided to change the subject, feeling uncomfortable with so much huskiness. It was definitely messing with my weak hormones.

“Yes, like everyone else in my pack. Oh, and last time we broke your ass.” He added in a satisfied tone.

The protective instinct in regard of my pack kicked in.

“Yeah, because the Highlander was in Scotland and couldn’t play and apparently that Termination guy cheated the whole game.”

He laughed at the top of his lungs. My wolf howled and started jumping around my head. How strange she was. Crazy hairy head.

“It’s wereball, bunny. Cheating is allowed as much as masturbating.”

I gasped at his vulgarity even though his words reminded me of my own I had used with Tiziano back in the class, minus the masturbation part.

“But you seem to have very strong opinions about it. Are you an expert on the game, baby? “He asked amused and I smiled in return.” I’m not, but all the males in my families are obsessed. My mom used to play too.” I rolled my eyes thinking about it.

“Then how come you don’t seem so enthusiastic?”

I bit my lip pondering whether to admit the truth to a complete stranger, renamed Rudolph. Although the way he understood me was almost scary.

So, I opted for the half-truth. Strange how you can sometimes speak freely and uninhibitedly to a stranger.

“Well, I hate seeing my brother being beaten all the time.”

“Beaten up? Then he is a pussy.” Rudolph declared with an arrogant tone.

I was about to say he was none other than the Highlander himself, but I stopped. This would give too much information about my identity and my family. Highlander meant the son of the Alpha and if I was his sister it didn’t take a genius to understand that I was also the daughter of the Comet Alpha. Part of me wanted Rudolph to talk to me and know me for my true personality. Not my appearance or my status.

“Of course not!! In fact he plays in the main team with a very important role.” I replied with pride.

“Oh really? I’m so impressed! “He laughed in a way he was not impressed at all. “So, who is this awesome hero?” He taunted me defiantly.

“I don’t want to tell you,” I replied stubbornly.

At this, he chuckled.

“Maybe because he really is a giant pussy who doesn’t even make it to the main team?”

This person’s ego could build entire cities!

“All the players are beaten up during a wereball game, and do you know why? Because it’s wereball! I bet the person who invented the game was looking for a sustainable way to let the testosterone-filled werewolves satisfy their need for violence and blood, legally, thus avoiding wars among the packs.”

It was a theory that I fully believed in, how would you explain the reduction in the rate of violence and attacks between packs? Werewolves from different packs had the chance to beat themselves up in the wereball fields. Of course, it wasn’t a real wereball match if after the game there was no fighting and extreme violence between the fans.

Let’s say it was a modern way to make war and satisfy the inner beasts.

The sound of clapping hands made my lips twitch. “What a wonderful speech! Wow! Can you repeat it again, so I make sure I record it?”

Indignation and anger overwhelmed me due to his rude ways. But before I could fight back, he anticipated me, “And no, I never get hit at wereball. I’m the one who hit everyone else.” He said smugly, with such confidence that I almost believed it.

“Who do you think you are to speak so badly of everyone else from your high pedestal? His Royal Highness? The Termianator?”

A pause came from the other side as I waited impatiently and braced myself for an inappropriate remark.

“Did you just compare the Terminator to His Royal Highness?” He asked again with that amusement that laced his sexy voice.

“Everyone seems to be doing it in his pack. And I don’t really understand why. ”

“Well, I’d say he’s more like a god than a king.” He corrected me with that mocking tone of his that would turn my hair white prematurely.

“Haven’t you ever seen him in a game?” He then asked me. There was something in his voice, that I couldn’t put a finger on.

“No, I particularly avoid that match if I can and I haven’t been here the last two games since I was-”

In Scotland “Away.” I swallowed the lump in my throat before smirking.

“And I didn’t know you had a crush on the Terminator, Rudy. Have you already declared your feelings? Does he return them?” I giggled for a while. I was unsure why I found my joke so funny. He certainly didn’t, since he remained quiet. Did I offend him?

“Rudolph?” I called after I calmed down. I felt him exhale deeply as if he had been holding his breath for a while.

“Yes, I’m here. And no, I don’t have a crush on any guy. I’m perfectly straight, if all the clues weren’t enough to figure it out, Ivy.”

How is it that my body can recognize any change in the tone of his voice? From derision to seriousness to genuine interest. Before he could add a perverted joke, I fired up another question.

“So, what’s this number? Is it new?” I was also becoming a master at changing the subject, it seemed. Useful skill. I bet it could boost a CV a lot.

“Do you know that you are the only woman who has ever blocked me? And several times?” The disbelief in his tone made me feel proud of myself.

“Well, hopefully more “females” will start doing that. Maybe your ego will drop a little from the sky.”

I screw my nose at the thought of how he defined us ‘females’.

“As fun as it is to talk to you, Ivy from Comet, I have to go now. Booty call. You know how it is...”

I certainly didn’t know how it was, but I would never admit it.

“Blah. my deepest condolences to the poor female ... or male” I snickered.

And that evening, in the middle of the night, I woke up with a sharp pain in my chest.

And it seemed stronger this time.

But it didn’t last long...

AN/ Hello loves, next chapter on Wednesday ;)

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