449- The Purr That Betrayed Me
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
"You don't need to get drunk to have fun; I know other, better ways."
"Really? And what would those other ways be?"
The feral gleam that lit up his eyes was the anticipation I needed to know I would regret having asked.
"If you come with me, it will be my pleasure to show you every single one of them."
I knew it was better not to have asked.
"For heaven's sake, can't you and Myrion control yourselves?" Aurelka cursed, glaring at her brother.
As much as I hated it, I had to admit that his offer had been a little tempting. But only a little.
"I'm trying to get Thalyndra out of boredom," he retorted, with the greatest cynicism of all.
Aurelka shoved the bottle against her brother's chest; he took it with narrowed eyes.
"You two look like dogs in heat; you can't see a female without already pouring charm all over her." She snorted.
He parted his lips, offended.
"How little you think of my attitudes; I'm just trying to be courteous."
"Then don't be!"
Lana laughed.
"Thalyndra lived with humans; she's used to Anton's type. I think she knows how to defend herself; they say they're quite... persistent," she said, looking at me with an explicit question in her eyes.
They wanted to know more about life outside a pack; they were curious about the subject.
"Yes, I am," I confirmed.
It wasn't quite the truth, since I lived in isolation. But it also wasn't a lie; some humans were, in fact, stubborn when they wanted something.
Anton growled, the sound loud, strong, and hoarse resonating from his throat like a warning, startling the three of us.
"Nobody wants to know about her life with humans," he spat, his eyes fixed on mine. I noticed they glowed again, one of each color. "That subject is not of our interest."
I was starting to get irritated by his behavior. Fine, he was a damned lupine, a dominant and territorial alpha, but I didn't belong to him.
"Stop acting like my life is any of your business," I snarled.
Aurelka looked from one to the other, confused, her blue eyes wide, while Lana remained still where she stood.
"Then stop provoking me," he replied, taking a step, coming even closer to me. He stared down at me, his teeth clenched, the muscle in his jaw marked. A vein pulsed beside his neck.
His scent hit me hard, making me flare my nostrils to absorb it in an involuntary act. And then I purred like a cat.
It wasn't possible.
I simply released the sound that reverberated through my chest like an approval, a devotion to what I felt.
It wasn't the first time, since I met the idiot, but the first that happened in front of other people, increasing even more the level of shame I felt.
It was public humiliation.
Aurelka gasped and took a wavering step back. Lana choked. One corner of Anton's lips rose in a smug half-smile. He didn't need to ask anything; I didn't need to say anything. He, man or beast, had caught it.
"Your... your wolf purred at my brother?" Aurelka gurgled, her voice nothing more than a whisper.
I shook my head, averting my gaze from his.
"I think I'm getting sick; I've started doing these things since I arrived here," I stated, feeling my blood boil with so much shame.
She wrinkled her nose, her well-drawn lips open in a perfect 'o.'
"That's unusual."
I brought a hand to the back of my neck.
"Holy Mother, then I really am sick. I think it's the trauma from everything I've been through."
Lana clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and approached.
"It's not exactly like that. Our animals react by nature, sometimes, as happened now. What Aurelka means is that it's unusual to purr for a male."
That was getting worse and worse.
"And so?"
"So it just means the obvious: that your wolf likes me," the alpha cut in, smiling even more. "Despite your efforts to despise me, your beast doesn't agree with you at all."
I looked at him, bored.
"That's called mental confusion. It's quite common in extreme cases, when someone is exposed to so much stress and trauma."
"I think you're just trying to fool yourself."
I ignored him, focusing on Lana and Aurelka.
"Have you never purred for anyone?" I asked. They shook their heads.
"But I've seen my mother do it many times for my father," said the young Eldoria.
Wow, what great news.
"I think she might really be confused," Lana interjected. "She didn't have much contact with wolves, so I think your wolf doesn't really know what to feel. I mean, you're not like us, who grew up surrounded by our people."
"Yes, that makes sense," Aurelka agreed.
"I still think her wolf likes me a lot; she can recognize a true alpha, a great male," Anton murmured.
I closed my eyes and pressed the bridge of my nose, tilting my head down.
"He's just trying to annoy you; it's one of his qualities," said Aurelka.
"Arrogance is another one," Lana added. "So ignoring him is the best option, most of the time."
I opened my eyes and stared at them, straightening my posture.
Anton gestured.
"Who needs enemies when you have you two in the family?" he pondered, pressing his lips together.
I turned to him and pulled the bottle he held in one hand. I brought the neck to my mouth and took long swigs of the drink before returning it to him.
"Can someone show me the way to the house where I'm staying? I need to rest," I announced.
The alcohol would help me sleep and abstract all the shame of the night. Purring like I was an animal. Gods, if I did that in the middle of college, I'd be taken, arrested, and handcuffed to a laboratory to be studied.
Fine, part of me was indeed a wild animal. Pure and completely. But I could at least disguise it, or at least not purr precisely for Anton Eldoria when I found myself surrounded by hundreds of other men.
If my wolf, beast, creature, or whatever I wanted to call it, was happy to be surrounded by so many alphas, she could choose any other one to purr for. Anyone, anyone but Anton.
"I'll go with you; I'm also calling it a night," said Aurelka.
"But already?" Lana pouted.
"Let's go to your grandmother's bar this week, to have a drink, then we can go to the lake. It's warm and good for a nighttime swim."
"I'm fine with that," she finally agreed. "I'm heading home too." She opened her mouth in a long yawn.
"Goodnight to you," Aurelka said goodbye, placing her hand on her brother's shoulder in a light squeeze. "Behave!" He didn't respond, but leaned in and planted a kiss on her temple.
I waved to Lana, saying goodbye. I didn't look at Anton; I didn't even breathe when I passed by him. Enough had already happened; I didn't need to add any other strange and abnormal behavior to the day's equation.
I didn't fail to hear the smug little laugh that made all my hairs stand on end as I moved further away.
I snorted, walking with heavy steps far away from him.
Idiot, arrogant!