His Ghost

Unworthy. 11

Erikas POV

Erika, Leon has arrived; we will be at your house in twenty minutes. Could you let me know if you are up?

Yes, I am up, Alpha, it is 11.00 am.

You have been sleeping in until past 11.00 am I thought I should check :)

He had not come near me since the Cell fire, yet he knew my sleep patterns and texted me like he was my friend. Assign the 11.00 am sleep-in to Boredom. What a dick.

House arrest will do that to you, dickhead!

It had been a fortnight since the incident with the cell. Yet, he had my number for the past three days and had been texting me; it was strange. Last night, I received a Good Night message from him. Awkward

The man sent mixed signals, unsure if he liked or hated me. He had rejected, marked, ignored, and now he was texting me. At least one of us knew how we felt.

Frustrated, I headed to the kitchen. Wearing black skinny jeans and an oversized vintage shirt, my scarf covered up the mark left by the jerk. Now, more of a love bite. My choice of dress code is suitable for the company. I would be smiling through gritted teeth.

A Lycan mark and a Shifter mark contrasted; my Lycan needed to be present and willing for it to take effect. Despite their bond, she seemed eager yet hesitant. She did not challenge his wolf by wanting him to prove himself. The Lycan mating ritual was gradual, and her leniency toward him caught me off guard.

I had no doubt she felt Carter's hesitation through his wolf. She felt insulted and angry. But still, she wanted the magic of a bond with her other half. My Fae side could be far more analytical and reserved. My Lycan wanted her mate; she was an ancient wolf and an old soul.

Superficial factors like creed, politics, money, and expectations determine fated mates for Shifters. In contrast, Lycans, true to the magic and the gift, did not tamper with it. We cherished finding a fated mate due to the gifts it bestowed. And rejection was rare, unlike shifters.

Each mate bond varied with no set guidelines. I felt uncertain and apprehensive about the process. Carter's ambiguous signals left me disoriented. He had thrown both my wolf and my foreseeable future into chaos.

I grabbed the leftover Lasagne from the fridge, courtesy of Max and Niko. This house was a gathering spot for the Bensons enforcers. They occasionally came for dinner. I took on the role of cook, seeing as I had nothing else to do. Thankfully, I didn't see them much during the day.

After finishing my late breakfast and early lunch, I went to the lounge, the largest room in the Villa. Settling in, I mentally prepared to confront the source of my troubles: Leon.

Monica and Greta informed me of deeper issues. Even the powerful Bensons were unaware of them. It was time for some truth-telling from Leon, not me.

Max and Niko arrived first. They always managed to make me laugh when we had dinner together. It would have been a lie if I said I wasn't nervous about seeing Carter again. Fighting or hunting was more my forte, not dealing with men and being mated to someone, destined or not. It made me uneasy and didn't fit my tough girl persona.

"I see you dressed up for the occasion, boss lady," Niko teased. He winked at me and sat in one of the oversized sofa chairs. Max sat in a matching chair next to him. Niko had been calling me 'boss lady' since we met a week ago; it irked me.

"No one important to impress, last time I checked." I teased back with a wink. Deep down, I couldn't help but doubt my outfit choice. Was I trying too hard to prove I did not care? I looked more like a spoiled child.