CHAPTER 4
ELISE'S POV
My eyes flutter open, and I am immediately hit with a banging headache. I squeezed my eyes shut as the head felt like bells were ringing and someone was pounding in it.
"Shit!" I cursed silently, blaming myself for drinking too much.
I finally managed to open my eyes. My eyes scanned the bland room with ugly paintings. I closed my eyes again, feeling the headache increase.
"How did I manage to get a room in my drunk state?" I questioned myself. "And how did I manage to get here myself?
I massaged my temples, trying to calm the wheels in my head. But they were moving so fast, trying to figure out what happened last night.
The wind blew in from the window, and the thin curtain did nothing to keep it out. With the wind came a sweet scent … Gardenia and freesia.
I immediately froze, and the memories came flooding in. My eyes widened, and a scream almost left my throat. I clasped my hand over my mouth.
I turned to the side, and there he lay, peacefully asleep. The thin covers covered him, waist down, leaving his chest on display. Little tiny hairs lined his chest down to his lower abdomen. His chest and abs looked solid like rock. Like it was carved from stone…like a sculpture. A very handsome one.
Just then, he stirred, and the cover stretched with his long legs dragging it further down. I immediately clasped my hand over my eyes in panic.
My chest heaved up and down, my heart racing like I was running a marathon. But then I froze as something suddenly clicked in my head.
"We had sex!" I almost yelled in panic.
"Oh my gosh!" I yelled as the events of the night came flooding back. The sweet, gentle touches, the fire in his eyes as he watched me, the whispers of naughty words… the s*x and everything that came with it.
My stomach fluttered, and my heart warmed. Contrary to his rough look, he had been very gentle last night. My cheeks turned pink, and the room suddenly became hot.
I looked down at myself to notice I was putting on his shirt. "How and when did I put this on?" I whispered.
I glanced back at him again, still sleeping peacefully. And then I suddenly remembered the reason I was reluctant when I met him last night. My heart immediately sank, and the happiness was gone with the soft wind.
"Will this ever work?" I thought to myself. "I have imagined meeting my mate so many times, but I never expected it would be this way."
I covered my face and brought my knees to my chest as I started listing every reason that made it impossible to be with him.
My parents wouldn't accept him because of his background…
He might not want to be with me because of my background….
The pack might not accept him…
But importantly, he was younger…
The last rarely happened. It is hardly ever seen where the she-wolf is older than her mate.
"Would he still want to be with me if he knew everything about me?" I sighed heavily.
Lise scowled. "Mate will accept us. Can't you remember the way he looked at us?" my wolf said.
"Yeah… I still remember. He was hesitant at first, too. He must have felt my aura. Even when he brought us back here, he was going to leave. I practically forced myself on him…on a younger man." I said, feeling a tinge of embarrassment at my actions.
"Younger or not. He is still our mate. All these things you are listing don't matter when you are with your fated mate." Lise argued.
She was feeling sad, and I understood her. What we had been looking for was now within our grasp, but it suddenly felt too heavy to carry.
"We should leave," I said to her,
"What? No, no, we need to wake him up so we can talk." She said in panic.
"No. That will yield nothing. This might just be a drunk mistake to him. And we have to remember that we are the soon-to-be alpha! We have responsibilities and obligations to the pack. We can't just make decisions on a whim. We have to think things through and follow with caution." I cautioned her and immediately started to pick up my clothes.
I quickly dressed up and went closer to him. I inspected his face. He was definitely rough around the edges, but handsome. And now that he is asleep, I can see his younger features.
With every detail I looked at, I engraved him in my mind. Hopefully, I get to see him again.
I sighed, spun around, and with one final look at my sleeping mate, I left.
Heartbroken… Yes, but I had responsibilities and obligations, and I understood the right way to do things. I have to go slow with this, or it could backfire.
I rushed back to the repair shop, and thankfully, my car was ready. I paid, got in, and zoomed off.
The farther I went, the more the memories of the night started to feel like a dream.
My father, the alpha of the SilverClaw pack, immediately sprang to his feet as I walked in. "Where have you been!" he yelled.
I sighed deeply. This is why I wanted a place for myself, but they wouldn't allow it until I got married and became alpha. I truly wasn't in the mood for this interaction right now.
I just want to go upstairs and clear my thoughts.
"I am sorry. My car broke down on my way back because of the heavy rain and thunderstorm. I would have called, but the network in the area was bad, and I couldn't get any connection." I explained.
"You could have done better! It is irresponsible of you to have left without any bodyguards or warriors. And you are well aware of the things that have been happening recently. This is highly irresponsible of…"
"Stop!" I raised my hand, cutting him off.
He was taken aback by my actions. His nostrils flared, and I could feel the anger radiating off him.
"Dad. I am no longer a child. Please don't forget that I am soon to become the Alpha of this pack. Speak to me with some dignity that is deserving of that title." I breathed out heavily.
"How will you entrust the pack to me when you don't even believe that I can protect myself?"
My mum walked closer and gently placed his hand on my father's chest. "Darling, calm down, please. She is back and okay."
He turned to her, his fist still slightly clenched. She rubbed his chest gently. "She is back and okay. That's all that matters. Don't forget we have something important today." She said calmly.
Dad visibly relaxed. Mum always had that effect on him.
My eyebrows raised. "Something important?" I asked skeptically.
"Yes," Mum replied.
"And I am not aware of this…why? I thought we agreed that I am to be aware of everything happening. I am leading this pack even though you both are still occupying the Iron Throne. How come I am not aware of this 'important thing' happening today?" I asked. My voice was laced with a tinge of annoyance.
"Well, that is because it is personal to this family. We are having a personal visitor, and you have to be in attendance as part of this family." Mum replied.
My eyebrows raised. I could sense that they were scheming something. "Who is this important visitor?" I asked.
"Now Elise…" Mum started
Anything she calls me that way, I know she is about to win the argument.
"You have asked enough questions and annoyed your father enough. If we say the guest is an important guest, then you know whoever it is is truly important. So go upstairs and freshen up. You smell like mould and cheap liquor." She scrunched her face.
"I don't want to know where you have been, but I need you properly dressed as the alpha-to-be of this pack and a worthy daughter of this family." She said with a smile, but I could hear the underlying edge and warning in her voice.
"Yes, Mum. And I am sorry, Dad, for how I reacted." I apologised.
He nodded, accepting my apology. I inclined my head respectfully and made my way upstairs.
"Who is this important guest, though? I really am not in the mood to meet people." I thought to myself.