Chapter 7: Red eyes in the darkness

(POV: Lina)

Mmm, that smells so good, my mouth waters and something inside me comes alive. Sensing the smell, I open my eyes, and my stomach twists, causing me pain, followed by a loud growl.

"Looks like someone here hasn't eaten in a long time," he says with an almost invisible smile on his lips.

He is holding a tray with an incredible variety of food. I try with all my strength not to jump out of bed and attack the tray. When I look at him, I see that he is very well dressed in formal attire. He wears a light blue shirt, the sleeves are folded up to his elbows. Over it is a black suit, the tight pants accentuating his muscular thighs. How does this man manage to become even more handsome?

"Enjoying the view?" he asks.

I feel my cheeks warm up, and he chuckles, clearly pleased with himself. So conceited!

"I've seen better!" I try to disguise my embarrassment.

"That hurts," he pouts.

"The truth hurts!" I look into his eyes and wink.

"Ungrateful! I spent almost the entire morning preparing this breakfast for us, and this is how you thank me!?" He feigns being upset.

Embarrassment" is no longer enough to describe what I am feeling. If before I only felt my cheeks heating up, now my whole face burns like embers.

How could I have got it wrong like that? Here I am, thinking that he is all smug because he is handsome, when in fact he was referring to the meal he said he spent almost the whole morning preparing.

"Uh... I... uh... I'm sorry. The food looks delicious," I try to smile, but my embarrassment won't allow it.

He doesn't respond, approaches the bed and sits on it. I adjust myself, and when I look at myself, I see that I'm dressed in a blue silk nightgown with a square neckline. How did I even put this on?

"I dressed you," he says.

Why won't this bed open up and swallow me whole?

"Well, um, thank you?" I hesitate.

"Let's eat," he places the tray between us.

When I take the first bite of the bread, I let out a groan of pleasure. I notice what I have done as I hear the sound of my companion's laughter. I look at him and he is wearing a readable smile on his side. What is it with these men? Why do they all give me that sly smile? They must enjoy seeing me drool. He's so handsome, and with that smile, I dare say he's perfect. I think it's time to find out his name.

"So... um... What's your name?" I ask without the courage to look him in the eye.

"Nicollas, and you're Lina, right?" He gives me another sly smile, and without thinking, I return it.

"Yes," I confirm, raising my right eyebrow. "How do you know?" I inquire.

"You're famous."

"So, the fake omega's fame has reached your ears," I say sadly, lowering my gaze.

"When I met you, you transformed into a perfect alpha female."

"Alpha female?" My eyes widened. "That's impossible. I'm just an ordinary omega."

"Get that out of your head. We are NOT OMEGAS," Lua shouts, frustrated that I still think we're omegas.

"You should listen to your wolf more."

"You heard her?" I ask, unable to believe it.

"Yes," he bites into an apple. "And her voice is beautiful."

"H... how?"

"I'm your mate."

"I already knew that," I cross my arms over my chest. "But that doesn't explain it."

"We have a partial mate bond because I accepted you."

"And why don't I hear your wolf?" I look at him skeptically.

"Hello, I'm Ryan!" I hear a deep, hoarse, chilling, terrifying, and wonderful voice.

"Who's speaking?"

"Your mate, of course."

"Are you Nicollas's wolf?" I look at him in astonishment. "Oh my moon! I can hear your wolf too, Nicollas!" I half-jump on the bed in his direction, looking into his eyes and smiling like a child who just received a new toy. In that instant, I regret it and go back to where I was, as embarrassment reddens my cheeks.

"You look beautiful with your cheeks all red," he caresses my right cheek. "Mine!"

I stare into his eyes and for a moment I imagine myself happy with him. The two of us ran through the forest, hunting our food and taking care of our young. I shake my head to dispel these thoughts and return to reality.

"Well, tell me something about yourself," I grab a strawberry from the tray. "I want to know about you."

"Okay!" He wipes his mouth. "Well, my name is Nicollas Hunter. I'm the Supreme Alpha of the northern and eastern packs, totaling ten packs. I'm the most feared among all, and I'm twenty-five years old with no family, or at least I didn't have one before..."

"Before what?" My curiosity sometimes scares me.

"Before I met my mate," he strokes my hair, and I'm certain that I will blush again. "Now, tell me about yourself."

"Well, my name is Lina Sarvatorre. I'm sixteen years old, and I belong to the Moonlight pack located to the north of your territory. I'm known as the fake omega, but recently, I discovered that I'm a wolf and apparently the Alpha female. I have no family, as I lost it when I was nine years old, and at the age of ten I moved to their territory. And I struggled a lot to find a place to live."

"Wow! Why do I have the feeling that you haven't told me everything?"

"We have time."

"Why did you react like that when I killed one of those creatures?"

"I don't know. I just felt a sense of loss as if someone important was being taken away from me." I look at the bedsheet. "You must think I'm crazy, right?"

"No! But we will investigate that," he kisses my forehead.

"Um... Why did you say we only have half of the mate bond?"

"Because we won't have the full bond until we have a physical relationship. That way we will solidify our partnership."

"Ah, I see."

"Don't worry, I won't force you into anything you don't want," he says, getting up from the bed and leaving the room with the tray in his hands.

I get out of bed and walk towards the bathroom door. I enter the bathroom and head towards the built-in cabinet with a rectangular mirror on the sink wall. I open the cabinet and grab a sealed toothbrush, apply toothpaste, and brush my teeth. Then, I go to the shower area, which has a bathtub and a shower. I remove my nightgown and turn on the shower. The water is warm, and its contact with my skin is relaxing.

After a few minutes, I step out of the bathroom and head to Nicollas' closet. I grab a towel and dry myself off. Then I take one of his smaller boxer briefs and put it on. Afterward, I picked one of his dress shirts and put it on. It reaches the middle of my thighs.

Wow! Nicollas is really tall.

Just to complete the look, I grab one of his black ties and adjust it around my neck. With hesitant steps, I leave the room and walk down a long corridor. At the end, I find a huge living room with gray walls. Inside, there are two big black sofas, a gigantic television, and a bookcase full of books. My fingers itch to grab them, but I restrain myself. A coffee table and a partially open door. I walk towards the door and see that it leads outside. I pass through it and walk onto the porch, where there's a swing attached to the ceiling. Without hesitation, I go to it and sit down.

Wow! I must have slept for a long time because the sun is already setting. With nothing else to do, I watch it. The pink hue that colors the sky is incredible, and as the clouds dissipate, a few stars start to appear. It gives me the sense that everything passes, both the good things and especially the bad things.

Lost in thought, I snap out of it when I hear the sound of dry leaves being stepped on. I quickly look in that direction, unable to see clearly due to the darkness, but I can make out their blood-red eyes.

With all the courage in the world, I get off the swing and try to leave the porch. Yet, as I open the gate, Nicollas appears, holding several bags. I look behind him and see the red-eyed creature leaving. Nicollas smiles at me, and I return the gesture before we both enter the house.