Alpha Valerius

Shades of Heat

The night was young and the music from the yard followed the distant melody of this evening. The sky was clear, moon sweetly placed between hundreds of stars, outshining them happily. It was warm, but the cool breeze left the guests, who shied away from the crowd, shivering and huddling together.

I stood in front of the gigantic door of the mansion, staring up at the sparkling blackness.

I thought about how I envied people with dark eyes. When they look up at the moon, it's as if they become its mirror, reflecting the milky, bluish color and the beautiful glow. It was a sight to behold. A sight I would like to repeatedly see.

The stars were moon's guardians. They shine so brightly, but their light is secretly supporting the round ball of light. Their energy is flowing into it. As long as the stars gleam so strongly, the moon will never lose its power.

The sky...will remain happy.

I looked away, gaze falling onto the backs of the people I was following.

Such a different scenery, so much darkness on each of their shoulders. None of them are expressing it, yet the thick cloud of tenacious, somber feelings is resting all over their figures. If I had to pick out the moon, in this group of people, it would be my sister.

Her light was slowly fading, as the support from the rest of her family slowly dies away.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. As all of them stopped in front of a car, I realized it was already time. Valerius was conversing with my father, who was flailing his arms and tensely smiling up at him. The saddest thing was, his eyes were shining with happiness. Same as my mother's. I looked away from them before the sadness could overtake my mind.

In the midst of everything that had happened, once we started walking, I realized there was no use in me fighting back. There was no use in brooding over it. I was to be, forever, his match made in heaven.

There was nothing I could do about it.

Taking a last glance in my sister's direction, I offered her a final, farewell smile. I saw how unshed tears accumulated into big balls of salty water at the corners of her eyes. She didn't return the smile.

I turned away and entered the backseat of the car.

The door was closed by one of the servants. Soon, the second door opened and next to me sat the man himself. His burly body was covering most of the space. Instinctively, I covered away, pressing myself to the door.

The engine started. I had the last chance to look at my family.

I didn't.

We drove away in silence.

As suffocating as it was, I appreciated that no word was exchanged between us. I stole a glance his way, acknowledging that he wasn't in the best of moods anymore. When your advances are rejected by your mate, twice, you're sure to question what the hell is going on.

He must have been pleasantly surprised.

As much as it hurt me, I didn't regret it.

He deserved it.

I kept my gaze on the dark world outside, trying to ignore his presence as much as I could. But it was practically impossible. Each time the streetlights disappeared, I saw the reflection of his face in the darkened glass. His yellow eyes were so prominent, I simply couldn't ignore them.

One more light passed, but this time I was directly staring into those eyes. In the reflection, they appeared almost demonic. The scar on his eye was blazing, as if it was burning with fire, as if it was fresh. The narrowed gaze sent a shiver through my limbs. A glare like that would make anyone succumb.

Swallowing, I tightened my hand into a fist. Sudden nausea overwhelmed me, my heart beating rapidly in a rhythm of irrational nervousness. I looked away from the window. My eyes followed the outline of the seat, until they fell onto his lap, and slowly focused up to his face. As soon as our eyes met, I froze.

His appearance was ghastly. Alarming.

But as soon as he got my attention, his eyes softened up and the harsh, golden glare was gone.

"Nervous?"

He said in a questioning tone.

Bewildered, and scared, I only gave him a nod, finding my throat to be tight and incapable of helping me produce any words.

"There's no reason to be."

He stated, presenting the obvious fact.

He was right. If a mate is afraid of my, then that's clearly a bad sign. I nodded once more, attempting to relax my body by slumping against the seat. My gaze wandered away, suddenly finding that the fiddling of my hands was interesting.

I wanted quiet.

But the quiet around him wasn't healthy. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to say anything to him. No words that I wanted to tell him were appropriate for a comfortable conversation.

Frankly speaking, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing my voice. The only reason I want to is because the silence put on a lot of pressure on me, and the wolf inside me was begging to get more attention from our precious mate.

"Do you live...far from the pack?"

I was pretty sure that was the second full sentence that he heard from me. From the corner of my eye, I caught the movement of his hands. The way his body suddenly became tense, rigid, the way his fingers twitched, as if he was holding something back. I was pretty sure, that if I looked at his face, I would see nothing but the yellow color.

My voice...seemed to be his trigger.

"Not far from the border of our main territory."

His voice raspy, hushed, full of heat and breath. I could hear the beat of his heart, thumping violently against his rib cage, the pumping of blood through his veins. His shallow breaths, that came out in stutters as he anticipated the words that would leave my mouth. I took note of my hypersensitivity and his sudden awareness of everything concerning me.

We were both dangling on the edge.

My mouth felt dry, the heat abruptly drying every spot in my throat. My hands sweaty, they expressed the nervousness and fluttering feeling inside my belly. I could taste his pheromones at the tip of my tongue.

They were...intensely driving me crazy.

Being exposed to such a strong scent, for an omega, that's as good as a handful of cocaine for a junkie.

I swallowed again and let my tongue slide across my lips.

"Surrounded by nature. You must like it there."

I tried hard to keep my voice from trembling, but the waver in my vocal chords could be heard even though I kept the tone of my voice low. I heard him release a sigh. Then a low, breathless chuckle. My skin prickled, my legs became jello.

"It's quiet. I like the peacefulness."

I nodded, not knowing what else to say.

All of a sudden, my vision swayed and the sight became blurry. My back slouched against the seat and my head fell back onto the leather. I took deep breaths, but I couldn't breathe away the tightness in my chest.

"Rosalie?"

My body jerked at the sound of his voice, but I immediately pressed myself tighter against the door.

"I'm sorry...could you open the window."

Your scent is suffocating me.

I couldn't gather the strength to spare a glance at him. Neither did I want to. In addition to being an emotional wreck, I have to withstand the desires of my cursed body.

The windows opened abruptly on both of the doors. The fresh air blowing inside the car dispersed the thick cloud of Valerius's scent. In addition, I could feel how much he lowered the possibility of exposing me to them.

I could only slump limp in the car, while my body cooled down.

However, as soon as I felt a little better, I felt something else. His heat on my side and the back of his hand pressed against my forehead. My head jerked towards him slightly and I was met with the sight of his handsome face. His chiseled jaw, his lips that were perfectly shaped, his nose, his thick eyebrows, the scar that stretched across his left eyebrow, eyelid and cheek. Those yellow orbs and the defined shape of his pupil. Our faces were so close, I felt his breath on my cheek and lips.

From the corners of my eyes, I could see the sculpted shape of his neck and Adam's apple. As he would swallow, it would move, the skin tight around it. A perfect spot to leave heated kisses and marks. His dress shirt was unbottened slightly, giving a fine view of his skin and the beginning of his pecks. His muscles contracted as he shifted, the shirt and jacket tight around them.

"You're burning up. We'll get you a doctor as soon as we're home."

Home.

"No!"

I exclaimed, grasping his hand. The action surprised us both, making me quickly retract my hand. I would have never known that I could observe someone to such detail. It was embarrassing.

"I-I mean, this is normal. Omega's are sensitive, so it's no wonder I'm reacting to my mate's pheromones."

I explained quickly, turning my head away and looking out the window.

My cheeks...felt incredibly hot. Even though I didn't intend to, even though I didn't want to, I felt sheepish and embarrassed. His closeness made me self-conscious and I couldn't restrain the furious blush that spread across my cheeks.

I heard him sigh and then his heat disappeared.

He took his former place and I could finally release a breath of relief.

Being so close to him...felt good.

But I could never let myself admit that out loud.

Minutes passed, alas I settled down, and the car took its first turn through a giant gate. Secluded from the pack, from the people and his own kind, Valerius resided at the edge of our main territory. He took his place as the guardian that lives in the shadows, but on the battlefield, he's the main character and the main hero.

Aside from that, I could barely grasp the fact that the majority of the fields were his property. Our Alpha must be so fond of him, that he lets him rule almost half the territory.

As he spoke no words after that, I guessed that Valerius was brooding again. He seemed to be the type to be disappointed in something silently. You couldn't see it on his face, or read it in his impassive eyes, but the mixed signals he was giving me, I would bet my money on my guess.

Our relationship, won't be an easy one.

"Are you afraid?"

The question slashed through the quiet and right through my thoughts. I looked at him, my mouth slightly agape.

"Is that why you are so cautious?"

Voice deep and careful, he demanded using the tiniest bit of his Alpha tone. It was there, I could feel it. Compelled to answer him, my mind zapped through all the memories that occurred. My throat tightened. I couldn't reply.

How do you tell someone that you can't bare to look at them because they're the reason your freedom was stripped away? It was a question I couldn't answer.

My hands clutched the fabric of my dress. I begged the gods to let him forget he even asked, but the odds were entirely in his favor.

"Are you not going to answer, (my little flower)? "

His wolf taunted mine, who in return only whimpered and dwelled deeper inside me, hiding away. She could do nothing against my conscious. As long as I'm in control, I won't let myself fall to my knees.

It was pure stubbornness. One that I rarely showed. One that I rarely portrayed. But I would not lose to this man. No matter how good to me he is.

The car came to a stop. The door to his side opened as he walked out. Out of rage, which instilled absolute horror into my bones, he slammed the door to the car shut. The noise was loud, deafening. I felt my hands tremble.

It wasn't a secret, everybody knew. Valerius's rage was far greater than anyone could know. An Alpha that protects the pack with his life. A leader that rules from the shadows. Some say, that he would be next pack leader. Some say, it was only a matter of time before he takes over.

But in that moment, as the burning red made its way through my veins, as the bond I had with him burned my insides, I found out the truth.

This man, no matter how good of a fighter he is, he could never be a leader.

His anger runs far deeper...than anyone could guess.