Chapter Fourteen
Louise's POV
The first thing I saw when I woke up were those annoying red eyes.
Eyes that belonged to only one person.
Kyle.
My heart skipped a beat then irritation rushed in like fire.
Why the hell is he on top of me?
Anger flared instantly. Whatever sympathy I had felt for him when he was unconscious yesterday completely disappeared.
That narcissistic prick.
I didn't even bother asking how he got here.
My hand moved before my brain did.
SMACK!
The sound echoed across the room as my palm collided with his cheek.
Kyle's head snapped to the side in pure shock, and the force sent him tumbling off me toward the other side of the bed.
I immediately grabbed the bedsheets and pulled them up to my chest, instinctively covering my cleavage,my glare could have burned holes through him.
Kyle's POV
I stared at her, she looked so breathtaking.
"What the fuck, Kyle?" she snapped.
Her voice should have irritated me.
Instead, something inside my chest fluttered.
"Mine", Kael growled inside my mind, my wolf stirring with dangerous interest. Let me claim her.
I forced the wolf down immediately.
No.
I refused to let the mate bond control me. Our relationship was already hostile enough without my wolf making things worse.
So instead, I did what annoyed her the most.
I smirked.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
My eyes drifted down her body.
And before I could say a word.
SMACK!
A hard slap landed straight across my face. I was thrown backward onto the other side of the bed, momentarily stunned.
The hit didn't really hurt. She was only ranked as a Gamma in the Golden Moon Pack.
But the audacity…
My eyes darkened.
Anger surged through my veins.
Who the hell does she think she is?
I came here to thank her.
To apologize.
And instead of asking questions she slapped me?
Rage took over before logic could stop it.
In one swift motion I grabbed her by the throat and shoved her back against the bed.
Her body froze beneath me.
My hand tightened around her neck just enough to remind her who she was dealing with.
My eyes burned into hers.
"I didn't come here to touch you," I said coldly. "And I definitely didn't come here to take advantage of you."
Her breath hitched.
"If I wanted pleasure," I continued with a sneer, "there are plenty of women begging for it. Don't think too highly of yourself."
My grip tightened instinctively.
For a split second I almost choked her.
"Stop"
Kael's voice thundered in my mind.
"She saved us yesterday".
The reminder hit like cold water.
My jaw clenched.
Reluctantly… painfully… I loosened my grip.
"Thank you," I forced out through gritted teeth.
The words tasted bitter.
Then I released her completely and stepped away from the bed.
"I didn't come here to fight with you."
Without another word, I walked out of her room.
There were more important matters to deal with.
Like the person who tried to kill me.
I headed toward the dungeon to meet Dave and Lypon.
Before I reached it, the two of them appeared around the corner.
Their expressions told me they had something important.
"We have a lead, Alpha," Dave said.
"Good," I replied.
We moved to my office and took our seats.
Dave began explaining.
"First of all, the traitor isn't from within the Golden Moon Pack."
I raised an eyebrow.
"So no betrayal among our people?"
Lypon shook his head.
"No. The poisoner was a delegate who attended your mating ceremony with the Luna Queen."
I leaned back in my chair.
"Go on."
"The man was sent by a pack in the eastern territories," Dave continued.
"The Moonrise Pack."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"That pack has recently been forming alliances," Lypon added.
"With a witch coven… and a rogue vampire colony."
Now that was interesting.
Dave continued.
"Their Alpha wants your throne. He plans to overthrow you and become the next Alpha King."
"And in return," Lypon said, "he promised the witches control over the Witch Kingdom… and the rogue vampires dominance over the Vampire Kingdom."
Silence filled the room.
Then suddenly
I burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
The sound echoed through the office.
Dave and Lypon exchanged confused glances.
"Those fools," I said, shaking my head.
"They actually think they can overthrow me?"
My smile turned dark.
"They're welcome to try."
Louise's POV
My throat still burned where Kyle's hand had been.
My hands trembled as I reached for the glass of water on the small stool beside my bed.
My breathing was uneven.
Finally, I managed to grab it.
I gulped down the water desperately.
"What was that?" I whispered.
"What kind of beast is he?"
The way he looked at me…
The way he grabbed my throat…
A wave of anger surged through me again.
"I was stupid to help that bastard," I muttered.
"Maybe he wasn't entirely wrong.
The voice came from inside my mind".
Larah.
My wolf.
I froze.
"What do you mean?" I asked her.
"Well… why did you slap him so hard?" Larah replied calmly. "You already know his personality."
My eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're defending him?!"
"I'm just saying"
"Traitor!" I snapped mentally.
I immediately shoved her to the back of my mind.
"I'm shutting you out."
Silence filled my head again.
Good.
I climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom.
The hot bathwater was already prepared.
The moment I sank into the tub, warmth wrapped around my body.
I exhaled slowly.
"Ahh…"
The tension slowly melted away.
My muscles relaxed.
My head leaned back against the tub.
My eyes rolled upward as the warmth consumed me.
Then suddenly
Everything went dark.
My vision faded.
And my body went completely limp.