The Alpha Killed My Husband

13| The First Innings

'Say it again...' I roll my eyes as I gape at the disgusting couple. Internally, I am trying to burn the side of the wolf—alas, Nagini is powerless!

Who do you think you are calling a powerless, filthy woman? The drowsy snake stirred awake in a jolt.

I am not powerless, you are brainless. She retorts.

Had I not been accustomed to her stupid acts, I would have been surprised. Alas, it has been twenty-four years since we have been sharing the same body. I know every single tactic and tantrum of hers.

I ignore her and rivet on the general of the infamous war, Ronit Shenoy instead. To date, I have only heard about his wisdom and techniques. It is the first time I am seeing him in person. I have to admit, his vibes aren’t definitely inviting.

Standing just a couple of paces away, Alpha Ronit snakes his mighty arms around his tiny mate, making her collide with his chest. He chuckles and breathes something nasty in her ears that makes her whimper.

She tries to wiggle free, but he only brings her closer.

Involuntarily, I end up comparing him with Alpha Rudransh who is smiling at the ‘cute couple’ goofily, munching on a bar of chocolate without a care in the world.

He looks adorable. Nagini sighs dreamily. I could not deny the apparent truth.

For a second, I check his ripping muscles. Rudransh has sported his usually tattered skinny jeans, t-shirt, and hoodie. It is the most casual I have ever seen him. Generally, the news only publishes his stern, expressionless face when he’d be stepping out of his Limousine or Mercedes. I always had this misconception that his wardrobe only consists of tuxedos and nothing else.

But here he is, challenging my little to nothing knowledge about him, his attire, his personality, and his life. He looks like a completely different person than what I know of him.

Perhaps, feeling my eyes on him, he looks down at me with a raised eyebrow. His eyes search for my face for a second as he offers me the half-eaten bar and pepper kisses on the hair.

Ignoring the loud thumping in the ribcage, I shake my head and focus on the other wolf instead.

The brothers are so peculiar. Like one of them comes from the north while the other comes from the south. It’s a miracle how they still fit together so well in administrative matters.

While Ronit is tall, lean, dark, and intimidating, Rudransh is more muscular, fair, and bossy but bearable.

You do not find him intimidating yet? It isn’t Nagini but my conscience questioning me. He is the same wolf who has caused the m******e that made millions of serpents lose their lives, homes, and dignity.

I shake my head and count on my observations about the wolf in twenty-four hours.

Rudransh is smart, caring, cunning, brave, sweet, and strong-willed who’d think through the whole thing before jumping into action. He is an attentive listener and talkative. He likes to tease and play, but he gets furious real soon. Every action of his is planned after a diligent examination.

Contrary, Ronit is wanting it all and gets it all that very moment. He is flirtatious too, but his personality switches in less than a nanosecond. One moment, he’d be commanding his mate, the next he would want her to participate.

Rudransh possesses exceptional patience while Ronit is the impatient one. However, both the brothers are stubborn, ruthless, force their women, and highly manipulative.

Both of them are the subject of my hatred and I should not be praising their personalities. Besides, none of them are easy to read. They are very secretive.

Maybe you are too slow? Nagini suggests with a lazy yawn. I clench my fists and count from ten to zero under my breath.

‘You want to get away from me, mate?’ The teasing atmosphere changes in a snap when Ronit growls in Scarlet’s ears who shakes her head ferociously, startled in a statue. See!

Her eyes are wide and her mouth is parted. I can tell she is a chicken and hella scared of the monster.

No wonder, Rudransh is such a bipolar character. The genes shared are defective. The Alpha brothers are retarded. Ronit Shenoy, Alpha of the Mars pack is a breathing justification.

'Bro! Please, we will miss the opening. Hurry up! Keep something for the night.' Rudransh whines like a child, stomping his foot. I notice how he smiles encouragingly at Scarlet.

And no, I am not kidding. He really did all of it with a pout while flagging an air balloon with ‘Go Blackeagles!’ painted on it. So much for an Alpha!

Ronit ignores him like an insect. His eyes are solely focused on his mate who is visibly pale and limp in his vice grip. ‘We still have some time left, Rary. It’s always Mrs. Heard’s speech first. The old rag hasn’t changed a syllabus in years. Let me rejoice in my victory first! Mate…’ Ronit warns his mate who is justifying her name every second.

‘Scarlet! Say it again…’ Ronit teases, leaning on poor Scarlet who’d rather the earth swallow her than confess it. His hands travel up from her waist to the back of her head.

For any sensible being present around, it is crystal clear as water that Scarlet isn’t into Ronit and that she is bearing his presence with tremendous efforts.

‘Scarlet, babe! Tell him, no? He won’t enter and won't let us enter till he listens to you praising him. Arrogant Douchebag!’ Rudransh huffs, rolling his eyes as well. But he has that concerned look on his face too—the look that says, ‘I know but I am helpless.’

He hurriedly masks it and looks sideways. It seems like it was hurting him physically to hold himself back. Meanwhile, I stay dangling in his arms like a fool, because I cannot move and have no idea what in the f*****g hell is going on with the brothers and the secret conversation.

I can see various people, all dressed in highly sophisticated suits sitting with their mates or secretaries—there are eyes on us, particularly on the couple who openly confess their undying love to each other with no shame in the world. More like, Ronit choking the poor she-wolf with as much dominance as he could muster.

This is sick and the sickness makes me gage but I hold it within myself. My heart is still feasting on the afternoon victory. I do not want to ruin it.

'I love you, mate. You are my hero. I should not have engaged in the bet with you. I am no match to your intelligence.' The she-wolf speaks in a trembling voice, turning her head away when her mate, Alpha Ronit kisses her cheek lightly. Seemingly, it is not enough for his wolf who let out an animalistic growl at the reluctance—demanding more of her.

The next thing, the dumbass Alpha has captured his wife's mouth in a long passionate smooch, almost eating her face. The sound of the kiss makes me want to puke, at the same time it warms my cheeks.

In the back, some betas hooted, beaming at their ruler's shamelessness. Their mates relax in their arms wearing barely anything. The guards are keeping a close eye on the surroundings. Even they slightly stretched their lips in a smile at the shameless display.

All of it for a stupid bet? It is a grand event for them. I conclude.

It is making me pissed for plenty of reasons. Mainly, the overbearing cologne and the feel of his torso over the clothes when my sweating palms are currently placed.

We were pinned under the same rock abs in the morning. Nagini moans like a shameless hoe. I slap her back in the place and have a look around instead.

Anything to keep me sane! What the hell is wrong with you, Sarvayoni? Revenge! Remember. You are a widow because of him! I remind myself.

And who cares? Nagini huffs with boredom laced in her voice. It is at this second that I want to snatch her clumsy tail out of my head and snap it on the road after slinging it round over her head.

Violent! She has the audacity to roll her eyes at me.

‘Let’s get inside!’ I do not realize when the drama ends as Ronit helps his mate land slowly on the ground and looks at the entrance where an eternity-long queue is waiting for us.

What? Aren’t the Alphas given special treatments? I gape it uncomfortably.

‘See alphas from different regions have already piled up!’ Ronit scratches his temples as he takes the lead.

'I know you hate meeting other Lunas, especially Lucidia. Just bear this one as you do so easily every year. It will be over in a blink.' Rudransh whispers in my ears as he squeezes my palms through our intertwined hands, shaking his head at his brother.

I ignore the butterflies erupting in my stomach. I try to recognize the name and relate it with a person. The last time I checked, I did not read anything about any Luna named Lucidia. Can she be related to Luna in some way?

Wait, did he say, the two-goody shoes Luna hates someone? Whoa! That has to be news. The she-wolf is practically always beaming at every creature under her nose. Hell, she is even friends with the witches. The she-devils! Can anyone believe it?

‘Is he-why is he always like this?’ I ask quickly. My breath hitches in my throat at the question. Did he catch the mistake?

His answer insists otherwise.

‘You know everything, Aary! How she tried to get away from him. He’d almost lost her for her reluctance. What else can we expect from an insecure wolf? Ronit loves her passionately, irreversibly, irreparably.’ Rudransh shrugs.

*****

The Auditorium is stuffed to the brim with a suffocating amount of wolves scattered everywhere like tiny insects. To my left, I see a podium for VVIPs where only the Alpha King and Luna Queen are seated.

Rudransh helps me on the couch before he jumps beside me with a soft pulp.

My mouth parts in exhaustion when I overlook the vast field. It is stretched beyond what my eyes could handle. There is a rectangular swimming pool in the center with bleachers fencing around it. There are glaring lights around it, all focused on something that is yet to unveil. A man in a checked blue shirt and matching aqua blue pants is examining the thing.

There is a cheer squad, referees, guards, and the general audience. To my right, above the bleacher is a huge flat screen that welcomes everyone. There are cameramen, not one or two, but quite a lot of them.

It is obnoxiously loud around and below us. We are seated at a height and angle that serves us with the perfect look.

There are no goal posts as I was expecting when Rudransh told me we were going for a game. However, there was a triangular flag in the middle. Before I could wonder as much what in the hell is happening, a middle-aged she-wolf ascends the podium and adjusts the microphone to her height.

She has one of those sleek devices in her hands that she slapped on the dice and mumbled something to a scared-looking wolf behind her.

‘Wanna bet?’ Rudransh suggests with a tilt of his head. He gestures towards the player in the deep water who chases a disc for a warmup. They are aggressive as if their life depends on it, bouncing from place to place.

I still have no idea what in the world is!

‘No!’ I shake my head immediately. I am not going to risk my dignity by betting on a game I have neither played nor heard of. Who knows what this retarded, bipolar wolf might ask.

Fuck it, I do not even know the rules!

‘Oh, come on loser. You know you cannot win. It’s a wise choice to back off. I understand. I won’t insist.’ He teases, wiggling his eyebrows in a challenge. The air balloon slips through his fingers and flies away over the swimming pool. There is a round of cheers from a bleacher where Blackeagles is tagged over.

It’s enough of the adrenaline I need to make a rash decision. I pin him under an icy glare as I speak through gritted teeth.

‘I am not a loser. I am not scared of losing.’

‘Yes you are!’

‘I am not!’

‘Than bet?’ He challenges, looking straight into my eyes. ‘Bet that you’d do what I tell you for a whole week, Aary. If I lose, I’ll be your slave for a month.’

There is a long pause in the air between us. We stare into each other's eyes. Rudransh gives me enough time to think and consider before slapping the final decision on his face.

A whole month to break every ounce of his arrogance is a tempting offer.

‘I see you wanna support the eagles, I’d take the hawks then. Game on, Alpha! You are gonna regret it!’ I accept the challenge in a confident voice.

No one, I repeat, no one can challenge the queen. I have never lost a game in my whole life. I am certain I’d win it in no time.

‘It’s just the first inning, mate. We have a whole night for it.’ He whispers seductively nibbling on my earlobe. The rush of blood makes me reconsider my decision.

‘I love you.’ He breathes before shifting back in his seat as if nothing passed between us while I am left to contemplate and be confused.

‘Welcome to the Wolf League, mighty werewolves. This is your lovely Host, Rebecca Heard, chief executive of the Mars Pack.’