Chapter 51 Chapter 51
At first, Suki felt at a loss for words. It was surreal how similar Hadeon looked and sounded to his brother. She felt almost as intimidated by him as she did around Brendan. She pushed herself off the wall and gave him a shallow bow of her head. “Lovely to see you again, sir.”
Hadeon laughed, “Oh, Suki, please. I’m not much older than you – what, like 4 or 5 years? You can skip the formalities with me. Call me Hadeon.”
Suki nodded. “Of course.”
He stepped closer to her, watching her carefully as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Opening the pack, he offered it to her, “Smoke?”
“No, thank you,” she cleared her throat, “my father would murder me if I smoked. Plus, I’m not a fan of the smell.” She tapped the tip of her nose before leaning against the edge of the brick wall.
A soft scoff escaped his lips as he put the pack away. “Ah, of course, enhanced senses can be such a bitch.”
“You’re not going to smoke?” she asked, looking at him puzzled.
He moved closer to her and looked deep in her eyes, “I don’t want to offend our guest by blowing smoke around her. I assume you’ve come outside for some fresh air?”
Suki swallowed thickly, feeling like he could see right through her, but he didn’t know that she knew who he was, and she had to ensure to keep it that way. She exhaled, “Yes, it was getting a little crazy in there for my liking.”
“Shall I leave you alone?”
Deep down, she wanted to say yes. Distance from him would be best; she couldn’t give away that she knew Hadeon’s brother, let alone that she was bonded to him. She forced out a soft titter, “Don’t be silly, you’re allowed to be out here just as much as I am.”
Hadeon smiled and inched closer, almost standing over her.
Suki could feel her chest caving inwards the closer he got, but her curious mind was preventing her from looking away from his dark eyes.
Haden smirked, “Everything okay?”
Turning her head away, she inhaled sharply through her nose before exhaling, “Yes, sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.”
He hooked a finger under her chin and made her look at him. The movement made her eyes flicker wider, but she refrained from repelling him. “Go ahead, take a whiff,” he spoke bluntly.
“Pardon me?” Her brows rose.
“You’re looking at me like you’ve seen a ghost, or smelt one at least. It’s alright, I know you can tell I’m different based on my scent. A lot of werewolves haven’t encountered someone wolfless before.”
Her gaze flickered between his before she cautiously moved forward, closer to him. With a heavy feeling in her chest and a lump forming in her throat, she slowed as she got close enough to inhale his scent.
Rolling his eyes, Hadeon grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer faster. “I don’t bite,” he whispered in her ear, “not like others, at least.”
Heat burned Suki’s cheeks, but she ignored his touch and ingested his scent as he welcomed her to do so.
Just like a werewolf… without the wolf part.
Suki’s breathing stuttered. She pushed herself back, feeling awkward being so close to him still, tumbling against the outside brick wall of the pub. “I’m sorry,” she breathed, “that was incredibly rude of me. Forgive me.”
“It’s okay, I offered.” His words were faintly monotonous, yet calm and kind. “I promise that I’m just like you, just… not exactly complete.”
“Your scent is like… like you’re a–”
“Human,” he finished her assumption.
She bit down on her lower lip awkwardly.
Hadeon gave her a reassuring smile, “It’s alright, the Alpha and a few other higher-ups who have encountered humans before told me I have a scent like them. Essentially, for me, I am human – I have no wolf, and the older I get, the chances of a wolf festering are much lower, but if I marry and have children, my offspring might still have a chance of becoming werewolves. However, it would help if I had a fairly powerful mate,” he hummed.
Suki rubbed her arm as the cool air brushed against her skin. “Do you get to experience the mate bond?” Her cheeks burned as she asked, unsure if her curiosity was insulting.
He shook his head. “No, I don’t experience anything the way you all do. I don’t have a connection with an inner wolf spirit, and because of that, I can’t shift, experience the mate bond, or have any power of any kind.” His gaze softened as he scanned her face and noticed her rosy cheeks. “Hey, it’s okay, don’t be embarrassed to ask me these questions. If the roles were reversed, I’m sure I would want to know too.”
“I just don’t want to come across as rude.”
“You’re not, I promise. Would it help if I asked you some questions too?”
Furrowing her brows, thinking, she looked at him and held a smile. “Sure, I don’t see why not.”
Hadeon thought for a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wall opposite her. “What was the meeting with the Alpha about? It must’ve been important for your father to request it so urgently.”
“Oh,” she felt a lump form in her throat, “I think it’s best if I keep that between myself and the Alpha. I wouldn’t want anyone to overhear or any false rumours to spread within your pack.”
“Hmm, well, I must say I’m a great secret keeper. Plus, I work on the council, so rest assured that I can keep my lips sealed.”
Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she tried to keep a demure charm, “I still think it’s best to withhold it for now. Respectfully.”
“I hope this isn’t about your pack’s desire to gain alliances. I should warn you that the Alpha–”
“I know, it’s not that, sir– I mean Hadeon.” She scratched the back of her neck. “I understand and appreciate that the Alpha doesn’t wish to have any alliances with other packs.”
Hadeon examined her calm facial expressions before moving off the wall and standing over her slightly once more. “Well, if you won’t answer that question, then perhaps I can ask you a more personal one…?”
Suki’s eyes flickered between his. “It depends, what is the question?”
“Is it true that your father had somewhat recently tried to pair you up with a high-ranking wolf from Silver Moon?”
She blinked as her mouth fell slightly ajar. “Yes, that’s true. I’m surprised your pack heard about that.”
“We may not share ourselves with the rest of the world of werewolves, but we ensure to keep ourselves well versed with what happens outside our walls.”
Rubbing her cheek, she looked away sheepishly. “It’s kind of embarrassing thinking about that.”
Hadeon held her shoulder and encouraged her to look at him. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’m part of a Beta family too, and I know the pressures both our families are under are likely very similar, if not identical.”
She smiled.
He mirrored her smile, but it faded as he cleared his throat. “Forgive me for being so forward, but I’d like to know… are you still seeking a mate?”