The Alpha And The Angel

4_Beautiful And Trouble

Ariella POV

I am wrecking my brain for a memory as we walk, but there is nothing. Not even that irritating feeling when you are about to remember something, but it keeps evading you.

To top it off, I have this boiling rage within me. Not fear, not devastation, not anxiety or concern. Anger. Of all the possible emotions, I am angry, which makes no sense to me. Why am I not freaking out because I cannot remember? Should I not be hysterical after being attacked? Is it not appropriate to be disillusioned after learning vampires and werewolves are real?

Why am I this angry? I can get past not knowing my name, but what kind of person am I? Am I always this angry? Am I compassionate and kind or am I cruel and heartless? I should be grateful that I was saved, and that a stranger is kind enough to help me. But it feels like I am incapable of feeling anything other than this boiling rage. Is this who I am? An angry and bitter person?

“What’s your name?” I break the silence and do my best to sound pleasant and not enraged.

“I am Alpha Cole Mitchell of Shadow Moon,” he replies friendly and flashes me a smile that makes my heart miss a beat. “But you can call me Cole.”

“Okay,” I mutter and look away. For a moment I forgot about wolves and vampires.

This is crazy! What sane person would willingly walk towards a pack of wolves? What is even more mind-boggling is that I am not scared. Not even a little.

“This is insane,” I share my thoughts. “Wolves and vampires aren’t supposed to be real.”

“And yet, here I am,” Cole shrugs.

“So, since you’re the leader of the pack, will you stop your pack from eating me?” I look at him sideways.

“Yes, I will stop them from eating you,” he chuckles. “But seriously, we don’t eat people. We protect them.”

“How can you protect humans if you live here isolated in the woods?” I wonder out loud.

“We’re partly wolf and need the space to shift and be ourselves,” he explains. “We have twenty-four-seven patrols in the surrounding areas protecting the humans. And there are numerous packs in the area doing the same. We don’t enter each other territories without permission but we will work together to protect humans in the cities.”

I realise my anger is slowly simmering as I listen to him while he explains pack life, and how they generate income for their community by farming. It must be his smooth voice, I decide. It is calming and soothing my anger.

“Here we are,” I can hear the pride in his voice as we approach the gate, and I am slightly disappointed that our journey has come to an end. He did his part, he saved and helped me. From here on out, I will have to find my own way.

“Dear heavens,” I mumble as big, muscular men approach us. “Are all wolves this big and beautiful?”

Cole POV

“Pretty much,” I laugh softly at her question.

“But you can relax,” I reassure her when I notice how tense she gets. “They’re all part of my pack and here to protect you.”

“Welcome back, Alpha,” Preston says jovially as he walks towards us, but his eyes widen, and I cannot help the irritation when I notice the admiration in his eyes when he looks at my mate. “Who do we have here?”

“A rescue,” she answers before I can.

“Enchanté,” Preston says charmingly and bows ridiculously as if he is a gentleman from the Victorian era. With his blond hair and blue eyes, few women can resist his charms. “Beta Preston at your service.”

I am about to mind-link him to back off, but my mate seems more annoyed than charmed and Preston looks like a puppy who has been kicked when his charm washes over her like water.

“Nice to meet you,” her voice is stoic like her face.

“So,” Preston turns to me. “What happened out there? Did you get the vamp?”

“You bet your ass I did,” I grin from ear to ear. “And …”

“Cole,” she interrupts and looks at me. With the back of her hand, she wipes over her forehead. “I don’t feel so good.”

“What …” Before I can finish my question, she turns limp, and I am just in time to grab her before she hits the ground.

“Dammit, Cole,” I reprimand myself as I hold her closer to my chest. She did not say anything on our way here and I completely forgot that she was injured. Okay, not like forget, forget. She did not complain or flinch or show any discomfort. But now I think it is much worse than I thought. I quickly mind-link the doctor that I am on my way.

“What’s wrong?” Preston follows me as I walk with long strides to the clinic.

“Head injury,” I say over my shoulder. “But we won’t know if there’s something more without an examination.”

“And you made her walk here?” Preston gasps indignantly.

“She insisted, okay?” I defend myself, but I cannot help to feel like a jerk. I should have ignored her wishes and carried her. “Besides, she seemed fine. She argued with me the entire time.”

“Dude, she’s gorgeous,” Preston grins sheepishly. “And trouble. I also would’ve said yes and amen to everything she says.”

“Back off,” I growl, and Preston looks at me in surprise.

“She’s my mate,” I admit reluctantly. I wanted to keep that vital piece of information to myself until she was better. She has the right to know who she is to me before I announce it to the world. But Preston is practically drooling over her, and I do not want him to try his luck with her. Especially since she obviously cannot feel the mate-bond. Fortunately, Preston has been my best friend since we were children, and I know I can trust him.

“But she doesn’t know it,” I add quickly. “Keep it to yourself, that’s an order.”

“Alpha Cole has finally found his mate,” Preston looks at me in surprise. “And instead of rejoicing, you’re in a sh!tty mood. Well, that makes sense.”

“It’s complicated and I don’t want to talk about it,” I cut the conversation short.

“Okay, fine,” Preston holds up his hands defensively. “I get the message.”

I ignore him and walk into the clinic. The night nurse on duty quickly jumps up when she sees me.

“This way, Alpha,” she says as she opens an examination room door.

“Thanks,” I mutter and gently lay my mate down.

The nurse takes out a medical gown and I turn my back while she takes off the shirt and puts on the gown.

“The doctor is on his way,” the nurse says when she is done and closes the door behind her.

Tenderly, I pick up a lock of hair and tuck it behind her ear. With her angelic face, she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

Preston is right – she is beautiful and trouble. After our brief encounter, I am positive that she is stubborn as hell. With no guard or filter for those pretty lips. I have a feeling she is going to say exactly what she wants when she wants.

What concerns me, is finding her naked in the woods and her memory loss. She must be from somewhere. She did not fall out of the sky. Is somebody looking for her? Parents maybe? What caused her to end up in our woods naked? Is she in trouble and hiding?

What if she was running from someone or something? Something evil? Will that follow her to our territory? Is she unknowingly putting my pack members in danger? Am I overreacting and looking for a drama that does not exist?

I exhale deeply and close my eyes. As alpha, I am responsible for every member’s safety and the logical thing would be to get her out of here before her troubles endangers my pack. I am infatuated by her beauty, but who says she is worthy to be my Luna?