Word Count: 2033

~Venn

I walk into the room, my sanity fraying.

The tour is off to a mind numbing start. We left later than intended due to Able and Belle arguing, and now we've been forced to stay at a roadside motel since we can't reach the nearest pack on time.

Alvera drags her feet to the bed, fatigue pulling her shoulders downward. Dealing with her sister is as tiring for her as dealing with my brother is for me.

Thankfully we have a moment alone, even if it means sharing a room for the first time since...

I can't even think about it without my skin warming, my minding drifting back to the memory of her touch, of how her skin felt against mine.

"I swear, if I have to hear them fucking all night next door, I'm going to lose my mind," she grumbles, dumping her bag at the foot of the bed.

"Just try to ignore them on this tour," I advise cautiously. "It's already going to be difficult with other Alpha's wondering why you're bonded to him like this."

She sighs roughly, shrugging off her sweater. She's convinced wearing layers of clothing will deceive the Alpha's out of seeing the mark, but they will sense it.

Just like I can...even when she is rooms away.

"What are you going to say to them?" She asks, keeping her eyes averted as she digs into her bag, pulling out her phone charger.

"The truth. That he can't be trusted, and that he has no place in my pack." I'm sure I will face critical remarks and amused taunts, but I can't shake Able until he gets what he wants.

Or ideally, until I find out a way to break the bond on my own.

Avera plugs her phone into the dodgy looking socket next to the bed before sprawling atop it. I stand back, watching her relax into the pillows.

Time slows as my gaze dips. She wears a short skirt, her legs bare before me. She doesn't mind my staring, untying her laces before kicking her shoes off. She's tired, I can tell by her heavy eyelids, and I should let her sleep in peace.

Unfortunately, when it comes to her, it's almost impossible to keep a handle on my mind. "Sleeping next to each other tonight is going to be hard."

"It is?"

Staying in the same room as her was a purposeful decision. I don't trust my brother, and I want to keep an eye on Alvera at all times to make sure he can't get to her.

The double bed in the centre of the room shouldn't be a big deal, but with everything that has transpired between us, it's all I can focus on.
 
"I'm not going to pretend like these feelings only occurred that night," I say softly. "Because I want you all of the time."

She pauses, her eyes flickering.

I know she desires me too. I can see it in the flush of her cheeks and the slight trembling of her fingertips. But her need for me hasn't overcome her reason, and she isn't ready to explore what the mate bond truly means.

"I find it hard to resist you too." She admits, her gaze dropping. "But the mate bond is a fickle thing. The closer we get, the stronger it becomes."

"Let's just see what happens on the tour, then when we get back, we can decide what happens next." I smile softly, not wanting to apply too much pressure.

I want her for myself, right now, but I'm willing to wait until she is ready.

"Why don't you try get some sleep and I'll step outside for a bit so we can both cool down," I offer, knowing I'm not going to be able to concentrate on anything else but her next to me if I get into that bed.

"Good idea. Thanks Venn."

"Of course."

I slip out the door, which leads straight to the outside. The cool, late autumn breeze wraps around me as I lean against the wall, my eyes falling closed.

My whole body feels tight and uncomfortable. I need to prove to Alvera that I'm worthy of her commitment, that I can take care of her, even though her life is different now. I want her heart more than I want her body, which is what makes resisting her so difficult.

I rub the heels of my hands into my eyes until I see sparks of colour behind my lids. Hopefully I get some sleep tonight, although it doesn't seem like luck is going to be on my side.

I sense a person lingering nearby before I even open my eyes.

"Everything okay?"

Belle is standing a few steps away, her hands in her coat pocket, her dark blonde hair blowing around her face.

"Belle." I let out a breath. "What are you doing out here?"
 
"Needed some air. You?" She scuffs her foot against the concrete, looking out across the motel carpark.

"Yeah, same."

I eye her careful, uncertain of her intentions. Since she went missing, she's been avoiding me. Before that, she used to seek me out a lot, trying to converse with me, get close to me. Even back then it made me uncomfortable, especially after what has transpired between me and her sister.

"It's been a while since we've properly spoken," she says, scratching under her ear.

"We were never that close, Belle," I say bluntly. "And I'm not exactly happy after what you and your boyfriend conspired to do to my mate."

Honestly, I just want her to leave me alone. I'm sure she is here to get something out of me on instruction from Able, and after she took away Alvera's free will, I can't find it in myself to be nice to her.

"I hope you don't stay mad at me." She leans against the wall, looking up at me coyly.

"Why?" I ask warily.

She sighs through her nose, searching for an excuse that is definitely not true. "You're my sisters mate—"

"You couldn't care less about that," I bite back, narrowing my eyes. "You wouldn't have done all of this if you did."

Her jaw tightens. Belle has a notorious stubborn streak, and her temper rises quickly. Around her sister, she'll let it show and she won't feel guilty about it. Around me, however, she holds back, choosing her words more carefully.

"You're going to make me say it?" I grits out, flicking her hair back over her shoulder.
 
A cold, uncertain feeling settles atop my shoulders. "Say what?"
 
"I wrote a letter to you once, admitting my feelings. I never sent it though..." she admits under her breath. She looks down at her hands, which fidget with the edge of her coat.

"Belle, you don't feel anything toward me," I insist.

The only time Belle ever suggested to me that she was interested in me was after she found out I was Alpha. I kept my eye on her for Alvera's sake, and because I knew Belle was struggling, but I kept her at arm's length.

"I'm happy with Able, I really am. He's done so much for me, and he's changing my life." She sighs wistfully, her brows pressing together. "But it pains me to see you with my sister. I liked you first."

This is very possibly another competition between Belle and Alvera. She doesn't actually have feelings for me, she just wants to hold something above her sisters head.

"Did Able set you up to this?"

"What? No." A shadow passes over her face as she looks away, clearly offended. "These are my own thoughts, believe it or not."

"We barely spoke. I was only coming to check in on you occasionally because I knew Alvera had left you alone," I bring up, trying not to allow my frustration to arise.

The small amount of conversations we had were strange. After she came to me and demanded I admit I'm an Alpha, she would seek out any information she can, which wasn't much. It's always been clear to me she has been obsessed with werewolves.

"We had a connection," she insists, the heat in her eyes burning into me. She's trying to convince me of something that isn't real, that she has created in her own head.

I exhale roughly, irritation gathering at the edges of my mind. "I really care about Alvera. I want it to work with her."
 
"What about Eldon?" She folds her arms across her chest, pinning me with a look, waiting for me to crack.
 
I shrug. "He's out of the picture."

I doubt Eldon will ever be back. He hurt Alvera, and now he has abandoned him when she needed him the most. I had a hand in causing their demise, and the guilt haunts me every day, even though I always suspecting he wasn't good enough for her.
 
"What does she have that I don't?" Belle demands, her voice increasing in viciousness as she gestures over herself.
 
"She's my mate, Belle," I hiss, glancing warily at the room door, hoping Alvera can't overhear this conversation. "But it's more than that. We've had a connection since we met. I knew she was someone I wanted to get to know, and the more than I am learning about her, the more I like her...the more I want her."

I'm not even sure why I'm saying this, but I need someone to know.
 
"She'll never settle here. She's always going to resent you for being a werewolf," she snaps back.

I shake my head. "I think she is more open minded than that."

She's speaking to my own doubts. Alvera hasn't chosen any of this, and although she has fit in well and been stronger than I could have ever imagined, part of me knows she wants more than this.

"I've been nothing but accepting of you and Able. Alvera has resisted this...you were even afraid to tell her," Belle points out.

"I was afraid I would alter her fate, but it turned out it was beyond my control," I amend, trying to ease off the frustration.

Belle pauses for a moment, sinking back into her thoughts for a moment. I take in her gaunt form, how her resentment has eaten away at her. She knows she has destroyed her relationship with her sister, and is clinging to whatever she has with Able, but she's too far gone now.

"I know about the prophecy," she says suddenly.

Panic flares suddenly and urgently, but I shove it down again. If Belle can see how frightened of the prophecy as I am, she will use it against me.

"You can't tell Alvera. Not until I do," I say slowly, firmly.

She raises her chin. "She deserves to know."

"I know that," I grit out. "But this will scare her, and it's complicated. I need time to explain it carefully."

"Well, you better—"

The rest of her words suddenly get lost in the noise buzzing in my ears. As she drones on, all I can focus on is her irises, similar to Alvera's, except with one very subtle, but devastating difference.

How did I not notice this before?

"Belle." I grab her shoulders, forcing her to still. She looks up at me, her brows furrowed.
 
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" She snaps.

The edges of her irises are cloudy, almost milky. It's a distinctive look, even though from a distance it's entirely unnoticeable. Up close, however, it makes my stomach turn uneasily, as I know exactly what is happening to her.

"Go back to your room and get some sleep. We leave early in the morning."

I push past her, unlocking the bedroom door before slipping inside, leaving her protests behind.

Belle is being turned into a werewolf.

🩶••🩶

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The Night I Met The Alpha

~Midika 💜🐼