I Don’t Share
Still Beta Eric’s POV
As I walk out of Zane’s office, I wonder how I’m going to handle all this.
I had planned to stay far away from Ariel, never to be in the same room with her again. But of course, Kensley had to throw a spanner in the works again by confronting me with my sins. How on earth could I resist her? Her scent rises to my head and it takes an enormous amount of strength not to touch her. Both my wolf and me.Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.
And now the two of them expect me to forge a close bond with her, to win her trust to enable Zane to win her love. Well, I am not the right person for this job.
My wolf will never allow me to betray Ariel, to pass on anything she tells me in confidence. And helping Zane win her over will be the hardest part. I foresee a fierce battle with Hunter in this regard. But Zane is my Alpha, my loyalty is to him, I would sacrifice my life for his happiness.
And now that he loves Ariel, there is nothing I can do for Hunter, he must resign himself to his fate.
‘But she is not his mate,’ he whines again. Goddess! Why am I a werewolf? Without a wolf, my life would be perfectly fine. Now I’m stuck with one who doesn’t make my life any easier. What I need now is a shot of the strongest whiskey this packhouse has to offer.
So, I stride into the recreation room and check the liquor cabinet for the bottle I need. “Hard times ahead for you, Beta? Something you think you can’t handle on your own?” I hear someone ask behind me. Nice, just what I need, someone to rub salt in my wounds, I think sarcastically. Slowly I turn around. Much to my surprise, I see none other than Xanna, Ariel’s hybrid friend, standing there.
Ariel has introduced her to the pack as her assistant, along with three others. My gut tells me that this encounter is no coincidence.
This witch has something on her. “Would you like to join me?” I ask her, playing innocent.
I hold the bottle out to her, all she has to do is take a glass and I can pour her some. “Nah, Beta. I stick to apple juice, just like the Luna”. And that sentence says it all. Mockery, sarcasm, all of it. “Your loss,” I replied carelessly, pouring a generous amount for myself. I take my glass and sit down on a sofa. But with the witch around me, I cannot relax.
I am in the middle of a sip when she sits down across from me. “Beta, I know what you are going through. You are the victim of this whole soap opera. But I want to encourage you to hold on. Your reward will be incredible, I promise you,” she whispers to me. I remain silent, hoping she will continue with her confession. She probably knows what is brewing between Zane and Ariel, and my place in all of it.
And I am not disappointed.
“All the answers you need are with me. Alpha Zane has given you a mission, just do it. That is my advice to you”. After this strange statement, she gets up and walks out the door. And then I think that this is another oddity. What is a witch doing with a werewolf? Haven’t we been sworn enemies for centuries? I take another sip from my glass. It’s still early, but I know Zane wants results soon.
He is impatient, the mating is not going to plan.
I sink deeper into the sofa, close my eyes and throw my head back. My life sucks, the challenges I face could literally be the death of me. My life should be easier now that Midnight Moon’s Luna has finally arrived, but nothing could be further from the truth.
“Eric,” I suddenly hear the sweetest voice behind me. Two soft hands caress my shoulders down to my neck. Then they begin to massage my tense muscles. The touch sends a delicious shiver down my spine and my heartbeat slowly increases. And then lust kicks in, my body burns with desire.
I know who is behind me. The mere mention of my name makes me dizzy.
Then I feel her lips on my forehead. Startled, I jump up, this is absolutely a no. I have to keep her away from my body or I won’t be able to control myself for long. I clear my dry throat.
“Luna,” I address her formally. “What are you doing?” My voice has a reprimanding undertone to it, enough not to scare her off.
“I saw you sitting here all alone. Before I could restrain myself, I massaged you to help you relax,” she replies, her silver orbs aimed straight at my blues.
“I don’t know what it is, but I want to be close to you, Eric. But you keep avoiding me.”
“Close to me? Remember, Zane is your mate, doesn’t your wolf want to be with him? It is inappropriate to be attracted to me,” I point out. Confused, she looks at me before she seems to remember something.
“Yes, surely my wolf wants to be with Zane,” she admits. “But my human side is drawn to you. I intend to find out what’s going on between us, why I feel this way.”
Goddess, she thinks nothing of avoiding drama.
“Well, I advise you not to waste your time on that. Concentrate on Zane, he is going crazy over your ignoring of him. He wants to be the perfect mate for you,” I tell her. She walks around the sofa until she stands close to me.
“I think you are my mate. This feeling couldn’t be more different. But when my birthday comes in a few weeks, we will know for sure,” she says. “And then you won’t be able to evade me. I will take what is mine,” she continues confidently.
I take a step back to create some space between us.
“Sorry, but in that case, I will have to reject you. I don’t share my women. Besides, Zane is my best friend. His mate is off limits to me,” I say harshly.
I turn and head for my private rooms…