𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍✔️

FOUR|ARDEN

  IT HURT.

Everything hurt.

I didn't know exactly how long I had been out for but slithers of memories danced like photographs, forever suspended in time, in my mind.

The pills scattered across the floor. The air cold air kissing my skin. His arms. Everything hurt.

My stomach ached, it felt as though it had been flipped inside out. My eyes throbbed with a pulsating migraine and my arms were tender with the familiar feel of early-stage bruising.

I tried to move, to do anything, but I was held in place by a firm arm. My body felt as if it were on fire, hellish flames rising up within me to scorch my skin, charring me black from the inside out. Heat rose up within my cheeks. I had never been so close to a male without something bad happening.

But the strange thing was... I didn't mind his presence, if anything it helped to drown the hysteria that bubbled like seafoam within me.

I could feel his warm breaths fanning against my hair and the way his body moulded perfectly against mine. Somehow I got the feeling that he wasn't quite asleep, but I couldn't bring myself to turn and face him.

In the stillness of the room, my beast began to rumble, stirring from her den of sleep. You can't just lie here forever...

I growled at her. I had my reasons for distrusting him, and besides, she had no reason to trust him. He may have been our mate but he was still a stranger and a man too at that.

I felt an instant pang of guilt gnawing at my heart when she whimpered, to her, a mate was hallowed, and even the thought of mistreatment by our own mate was enough to break her. More often than not my beast was docile. But not always. And when she wasn't... She was to be feared above all else.

Talk to him, she urged.

I let out a worried sigh, anxiety beginning to claw at my chest. What if he...

"Are you cold?" The sheer timbre of his voice caused me to jump, let alone its proximity, so close I could feel the bass of it reverberating through me. I shook my head no, I was not cold.

When I moved to sit upright the burning pain in my stomach became more noticeable and I winced, gingerly placing my hand over my abdomen.

"You had your stomach pumped." He said; a foreign emotion I couldn't quite decipher flashing behind his eyes. He wore a countenance of austerity, though, for a split second, I saw between the cracks.

That was the reason I was still alive, he had a softness about him, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Though I would not be foolish enough to mistake his softness for weakness.

My eyes scanned over my surroundings, we were in another medical room, this one was a lot smaller, notably without pill bottles lining the shelves.

I turned to face the man with a frown, "Who are you?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. If he hadn't been looking straight at me then I doubt he would've heard.

"Your mate," He looked almost saddened, did he not want to be my mate? "Alpha Kaden, of the Grey Winter pack."

My heart stopped. Alpha Kaden. I had heard that name many times before...

He was well known for his merciless acts, much the same as any Alpha. They were ruthless, they had to be. Born in blood and raised in ashes they were crowned pious from the moment of their conception. After all, he was one of the seven Alpha's to control the entire country. All seven packs were equal in size, strength and ruthlessness.

This man was a beast, he was one of them.

My wolf hummed in wry satisfaction, thrilled to have such a worthy and high-ranking mate.

I, on the other hand, couldn't help but stare down at his hands, thick and callused. Working hands. I wouldn't help but wonder just how much blood those palms had seen, felt, caused.

He was a killer, incapable of any true emotion, let alone love.

If my own mate couldn't love me. No one could. Then I would be alone. Again.

"...Will you reject me?" I decided to voice my fear, and his face contorted into one of pain, he clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I... I could never.." He sounded genuinely tortured even at the thought. The scary part was... I believed him.

I took the time to appreciate his perfectly sculpted features, he truly was perfect. His own inherent perfection only made me question more. How could someone like him ever want someone like me?

He reopened his eyes and noticed my staring, and a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

So perfect, I thought. He could never really be mine.

My beast became primal at the sight, filling my mind with images of what could be. Images of him. Images of us, together.

She forced upon me thoughts of all the pleasurable things he could do to us. The thought of us... Being together in that way, sent butterflies to my stomach and I felt an uncontrollable tightening in my core. This was wrong, I shouldn't be feeling this way.

The scent of my arousal began to fill the room, cloyingly sweet. I knew that he smelled it too, because he stiffened, every muscle in his body growing rigid.

This man was a cliff, and I willingly threw myself over the edge. Not for a second hesitating to think about the damage it could do to us both. His eyes went from their beautiful ocean blue, to charcoal black, and I felt heat rush into my cheeks, it felt as though my body were on fire and Kaden were the water I needed to douse the flame.

"Stop." He growled, scarcely controlled, his voice an octave lower than usual as he clenched his jaw, and I could see the knuckles on his balled fists begin to turn white.

"Sorry," I whispered, both embarrassed and ashamed by my lack of self-control.

He rumbled, his eyes slowly fading from black back to their original vibrant blue. "Who are you?"

I hesitated a few seconds before I decided to answer him, in turn giving him a piece of myself, no matter how small, that I could never get back.

"Arden."