Chapter 10

IVAN

After my mate went back to her brother’s room, I sit on my bed and think about her and about everything that’s going on.

Since I arrived at this shithole, I haven’t been myself, my beastly self… Well, other than that time in the woods. She is changing me, and I hate it. I don’t want a mate—not after what happened with my first one.

~“Don’t you trust her? I DO!”~ Leonid yells in my head.

I roll my eyes. “You said that about the last one,” I say out loud.

“~It’s not my fault! It was the mate bond, and you know it.”~

“I know—that’s why I don’t want to get close to this one.”

~“But she’s different! She is a phoenix, not something else!”~

“Have you encountered a phoenix before?”

~“No.”~

“Then shut up.”

I huff and walk around the room, trying to get rid of my thoughts about Clementine and trying to block Leonid from talking to me. He always makes me so angry. Can you imagine being with someone that annoying for 257 years?

Restless, I leave my room and head to Jake’s office. He has to know who the king is here.

When I barge into the alpha’s office, I find him bending a girl, who is not his wife, over his desk. His eyes widen, and he immediately backs away and kicks her out of the room.

“You should’ve knocked!” he snaps, but I turn my glowing alpha eyes on him, and he submits.

“Sit,” I spit.

“What is it?” he asks.

“You are giving a room to Clementine, whether you like it or not.”

“This is my house, Alpha. I decide who gets a room and who doesn’t.”

Growling, I advance toward the alpha and take him by the neck. “You seem to always forget who made you, pup,” I say, tightening my hold.

At that, Jake’s nose flares, and his cheeks turn red, but it’s true. I’m like his grandfather—but older.

I put him down but step closer. “You will give her a room and treat her well, or I swear on my dead parents that I will kill you with my bare hands and you would feel every second of it.”

My eyes still glowing, I turn around and leave.

I am so angry. Angry that he isn’t treating Clementine well and angry at myself that I’m not doing more. If I don’t want to get close to her, I should at least help her with stuff.

~“But I want to get close to her. I love her,”~ Leo whimpers, making my heart clench.

~I’m sorry, Leo, but it’s never going to happen.~

~“Please? She is different, I promise you.”~

~All of them are the same, Leo. All of them.~

With that, I cut the connection and make my way outside. There, I take in some fresh air and glance around. Soon, my eyes land on my sister Katina, who stands with her hands crossed in front of her chest.

“Kat,” I call, getting her attention.

She scowls. “Don’t expect me to apologize,” she spits, somehow making me even angrier.

“But you will.”

“No, I won’t,” Katina says. “She is a traitor—can’t you see? She is just like her!”

“She is not!” I yell.

I know I just said the same thing to Leo, but I don’t want Katina hurting my mate. Despite me not wanting to get close to her, I need Clementine to live safely here.

“She is, Ivan. Open your eyes—she helped a witch!”

I grab her arm harshly and say, “Listen to me carefully. If you touch one hair of hers, I will not hesitate to punish you, sister.”

“I see. All you do is punish and kill!”

I try to calm Leonid down, but he is so mad that he takes over.

“Listen closely,” he says through me, “you will respect your alpha, or I will kill you. I don’t care if you are his sister.”

Goosebumps appear on Katina’s skin, and she starts to shake a little. I chuckle as I regain control.

“This is our last warning,” I say.

As I leave my sister standing there, looking like she saw a ghost, Leonid says, ~“All we did today is threaten people, don’t you think?”~

~Yes.~

~“But I like it.”~

~Me too.~

***

The next morning, I go to the infirmary to see Clementine and tell her the good news. I just hope Jake didn’t tell her first; I want to be the one to surprise her.

When I walk in, though, what I see makes my blood boil: Clementine is towering over Beta Dixon, and both of them are laughing as she examines him.

Leo immediately tries to break free, wanting to shred Dixon to pieces. Struggling to keep him under control, I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths.

“Ivan? Ivan!”

I open my eyes to see Clementine looking at me worriedly. Leo purrs at the scene.

“Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

“I’m okay,” I say, “but maybe you should examine me just in case.”

I don’t really need her to give me an exam, but I want to get her away from Dixon. Plus, Leo is itching for her to touch us.

I sit on one of the beds and wait for her to come to me. After a few minutes, she walks my way and starts the examination. The moment her fingers touch my body, though, it feels like I’m on fire.

Leo purrs for the millionth time.

“You seem okay,” she says, confused.

“Now, I am,” I blurt.

Clementine gives me a weird look, and then a smile stretches across her face. “Thank you, by the way,” she says.

~Fuck you, Jake.~

“For what?”

“Alpha Jake told me that you requested a room for me. I am thankful for that, so thank you.”

She smiles again, and all of a sudden, I am lost in it.

Before I can drown in the thoughts flooding my brain, I say, “No problem, love. It’s the least I could do for a pup.”

~“Fuck you!”~ Leo yells.

Disappointment flashes across Clementine’s face, and she looks down, clearly embarrassed.

~Fuck me.~

~I hate myself.~

A moment later, she says, coldly, “We are done,” and begins putting her equipment away.

I clear my throat. “Thank you.”

Clementine just nods and walks away to stand with a nurse—Andrei’s newfound mate. I believe her name is Erika.

I am happy that Erika seems like a good girl. As Clementine’s friend, I’m sure she is nice, and I hope she’ll treat my best friend well… Better than I’m treating my mate.

As I start to walk out of the infirmary, I notice the girl Jake was banging yesterday. She gives me a flirtatious smile and says, “Alpha Ivan.”

I hear Clementine’s heart jump at the sound of her voice. ~She is probably looking our way~, I think~.~

~“She is, and she doesn’t like it,”~ Leo says.

“What?” I snap out loud, making the girl flinch.

She is about to respond when her eyes lock on something behind me. “What are you looking at, you imbecile?” she yells.

The moment I realize she’s talking to Clementine, I grab her by the neck. I hear gasps around me—including my mate’s—but I tighten my hold. Struggling to breathe, the girl fights for me to set her free, but I don’t budge. People gather around us, obviously scared to say anything.

I seem to be choking a lot of people these days.

“Alpha!” a woman cries. “Please let my daughter go!”

I look to my right and see a woman in her forties crying her eyes out over her rude daughter.

~Pathetic.~

“Please, Alpha!” she pleads, but I only tighten my hold more.

Suddenly, a hand touches my shoulder, calming the shit out of my soul. I know immediately that it is Clem’s.

“Please, let go of my sister.”

~Sister?~

I oblige her, and the girl’s body falls onto the cold floor. She’s unconscious.

~Good.~

The girl’s mother runs over and hugs her, trying to wake her up, but for some reason, I feel proud that I sucked the life out of this girl with just my hand. I want my mate to see that this girl is nothing compared to her.

~Clementine is my queen.~

~“And you still don’t want to get close to her, huh?”~

~Shut up, Leonid!~

I turn to glance at Clementine and see that she’s smiling at the scene. When she catches me looking, the smile vanishes, and I smile at that. I motion with my head for her to follow me, and she does.

As I walk, I hear her soft footsteps behind me. Before long, we step out of the pack house and head toward the infamous river.

“Why are we here?” she asks.

“I figured you must like this place, and I know you are forbidden to come here alone, so…”

“But why are you doing this for me? You are the alpha king—the strongest wolf in the world. I am just a pup,” she says the last word with venom.

I chuckle. She’s mad, and I like it.

~“Well, I don’t like it!”~ Leo says. ~“Fix it now, or I swear to God I’ll take control and mark her here and now!”~

My eyes widen in response to his threat, and I reflexively say, “Sorry.”

~Fuck!~

Clementine looks shocked and confused. “Huh?”

“Ah”—I scratch the back of my neck—”sorry for calling you a pup. You are not one.”

“Then what am I?”

My next words fly out of my mouth. “A beautiful woman.”

A smile spreads across Clementine’s face, but then she bites her bottom lip nervously. “Can I ask you a question?” she inquires.

I look at her dreamily. “Ask anything you want.”

“Do you have…a mate?”

“Anything but that,” I say.

Clementine scowls. “Sorry if I overstepped.”

“You didn’t. You have the right to ask, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

“So…you don’t?” she asks, hope coating her voice.

I shake my head, and her heart begins beating quickly.

~She’s happy with my answer.~

Leo smirks. ~“Mate wants us only to herself.”~

“So, why are you here?” she asks randomly. “In Big Bear Lake?”

“Duties. I check on weak packs frequently.”

“Our pack is weak? I thought it was the strongest in America.”

I chuckle. “You thought wrong, baby girl.”

Clementine blushes at the nickname, which makes me happy. Then she puts a strand of hair behind her ear—a sign of nervousness and shyness.

~I love this.~

~“She’s gorgeous,”~ Leo says.

~I know.~ Coming back to myself, I add, ~We are being so cheesy, so shut the fuck up, Leo.~

To distract myself, I ask, “Are you planning to tell your brother about you being a phoenix?”

Clementine thinks a little before answering, “I want to, but I’m scared.”

“Why?”

“What if he doesn’t accept me?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“I don’t know… Helia and Erika warned me not to tell anyone. They said that they would kill me.”

“Yet you told me, the man who could take your life with his index finger,” I say, my voice laced with amusement.

“You are different.”

By now, we are so close to each other that I can feel her breath hitting my face. “How different?”

“Y-You’re… I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Try.”

“You are good to me—as if you care about me.”

“Doesn’t Alex care about you?”

“He does, but you’re different. You are—”

Before she can continue, screams and growls fill the forest.