Chapter 9 9
Maisie's Pov
I woke up to a ceiling I didn't recognize.
For a second, I thought I was dreaming. I was tangled in silk sheets that didn't belong to me and the bed beneath was warm. Too warm.
I felt a solid body beside me, too woozy to know whom it belonged to. I leaned back and his scent hit my nostrils. This wasn't Xavier's. He usually wore a chocolate musk scent. This one had an Arabian Oud. A very masculine and … my eyes went wild.
I jerked up from the bed, startled. Only then, I realized it wasn't a bed but a couch.
My heart started racing as I stared at the man beside me, casually holding me in his arms like I belonged there. And what a man he was.
If any man could be described as beautiful, it would be him. The late-afternoon sun brought out the rich caramel colouring of his skin, giving true meaning to the description of tall, dark and handsome. My experience was limited when it came to men, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know this man was sexy as sin.
This man would cause a girl to drool even with a dry mouth. He was tall, probably six foot three, and was wearing a pair of European-tailored trousers and an expensive-looking white shirt. It was completely in sync with the expensive surroundings we were in. Was he the owner of this house?
His hair, straight black and thick, barely touched the collar of his shirt, and dark piercing eyes that appeared alert and intelligent were trained on me just as mine was on him.
I blinked once and twice to make sure he was real. When I was certain he was, I forced my sanity to return and asked in a level yet strained voice. “Who are you?”
A moment of silence passed before he responded. “I should be asking you that question.”
I jerked away from him, clutching my chest. Who the hell is this psycho? Have I been abducted? Is he a kidnapper?
“Who are you?” I repeated the question with gritted teeth. I stared at the large living room. The place was massive and filled with luxurious items. Even if I wanted to run, I didn't know where to go. The last thing I remembered before I passed out was… the image flashed through my head and my eyes filled.
Aria.
A moment of silence passed between them before the stranger responded.
“I’m someone who helped you.” he said, slowly getting off the couch.
Feeling breathless but trying like hell not to show it, I kept my eyes steady as he approached. After all, he was a stranger, and there was a good chance that the two of us were all alone in the middle of nowhere.
“You helped me? H - how?” I stuttered terribly.
The sexy-as-sin, make-you-drool man came to a stop in front of me and when I tipped my head back to look up at him, a warm feeling coiled deep in my stomach. Up close he was even more beautiful.
“You passed out after the doctor told you about your daughter. I couldn't leave you there.” he explained.
A hollowed feeling appeared in my chest and I wrapped my arms around myself. It's true. The doctor had told me he cremated Aria's body so no one else would be infected. Aria, my baby… she's gone.
“Are you alright?” He asked, reaching for me.
“Don't touch me!” I quickly pulled away from him, shaking my head.
“I'm sorry.” He took a step back and stared at me. After a pause, he said. “You're the Luna of this pack, aren't you?”
I lifted my gaze to his. “What?”
A deep sigh escaped him and he reached my arm, gently tugging me towards the couch.
When I sat down, he walked to the kitchen and got me a glass of water.
“Drink.” He said with a soft command.
I brought the glass to my lips and took a sip, feeling the chill liquid run down my parched throat. Grateful, I passed the glass back to him.
He set it aside and sat at the centre table. “Your husband wasn't with you. No one was with you in that hospital. What's going on?”
I looked away immediately. I couldn't tell him my mate abandoned me for his ex-girlfriend and her child so I sniffled softly and said. “Thank you for your hospitality but I need to go home.”
I tried to rise but his hand cupped my chin, forcing me to face him. “What happened back there, Maisie?”
My eyes narrowed. “How did you know my name?”
“I told you,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, sexy timbre. “I recognized you as the Luna of the BlackRock Pack, Maisie Dominion.”
I wanted to tell him I didn't go by that last name anymore. That my mate and I were over but I kept it to myself. A stranger had no business knowing about that part of my life.
I pushed his hand away. “You know me but I know nothing about you.”
He shook his head and smiled. “I’m someone you should know, Maisie.”
“And what's that supposed to mean?” I said in a shaky voice I hated. His smile made my breath catch in my throat. And his eyes were trained on me again, watching me closely. I didn’t like being under the scope of his penetrating stare.
“Do you have to stare at me like that?” I snapped.
His right eyebrow went up. “I wasn’t aware I was staring.”
“Well, you are.” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Now, tell me who the hell are you?”
His lips lifted into a grin like he was impressed or something. “My name is Roman Delacroix and I'm the Alpha of the Northern Rogues.”
My throat instantly dried.
The Alpha of the Northern Rogues?
“Is something the matter?” He grinned again.
I swallowed hard. Of course, everything was wrong.
The Northern Rogues were the worst of the worst, a wolf pack notorious for their greed and sheer cruelty. Unlike other packs, they were not affiliated with any pack in the realm. They were dangerous and feared by nearly every wolf ever alive. They dominated both the corporate and the wolf world and their leader was staring back at me.