"A werewolf? He can..."
"Of course. Did you not know?"
Natalia shook her head unconsciously, her knees going weak. All appetite for the food she held in her hands held her as she shakingly let go of the plate, and its contents clattered to the floor along with it.
"What is wrong with you?" He asked her, but before he could say anything else, Beta Scott was behind her.
"Do you not feel good, miss?" He asked, holding her up.
She turned to him, then pulled herself out of his grip. "I want to ask you one question. Who was that wolf?"
"Wolf?" He asked, immediately entering a mind link with Alpha Axton.
"Yes, wolf. Who was that black wolf? Was it Axton? Is he not just a king, but an alpha? Are you of the werefolk too?"
Alpha Axton stopped, as he heard everything she said.
"Miss, I do not know what you are talking about." Beta Scott replied calmly. "I understand the party may be nauseating, so I can take you home if you want."
"Do not make me look like a fool! I saw him turn or shift or whatever you call it. He is of the werefolk."
"Natalia?" Alpha Axton's voice rose a little above the music. They both turned to where he was standing in his shiny black coat, and gold ring, his hair the same beautiful style he had come with.
She watched him walk to her slowly, probably letting her take him in with her eyes.
"Is something wrong?"
"You made it back just in time, Alpha Axton."
He raised a brow. "What?"
"You are of the werefolk. You fooled me into believing you were human..."
"I did nothing of such, Natalia. I did not lie about being human. I told you humans do not look like me."
She stopped as all the subtle signs, all the small pieces that had been too scattered for her to pick up, all the things he said to her that she had blissfully ignored...
"So you are of the werefolk. You are that black wolf." She turned to Beta Scott. "You are the one who somehow called him here, are you not? What do you both take me for?"
"A stressed woman." Alpha Axton replied and moved closer. The wolves around moved away from them, creating some privacy amidst the public space.
"I am not stressed..."
"Do not do this here, Natalia. I will take you back home." He said firmly.
She looked around her at all the wolves who had been close enough to hear her. It must sound like a joke to them, that she was accusing a pack for being werewolves.
"Axton..."
"Let us go home, Natalia. Okay?"
She looked from him to Beta Scott, then trudged her way in front of him, pushing through the clueless dancers.
Once they got home, Alpha Axton escorted her to her room, the silence deafening. He was not sure what to tell her, or whether he was going to deny who he was to please her.
"You are one of them, Axton." She suddenly said, facing the bed and away from him.
"One of the werefolks?" He asked sarcastically.
"One of the most dreaded creatures in the world."
He gave a small chuckle. "What would that change for you? Would you start to dread me as much as everyone else because of who I had no choice but to be?"
She nodded. "So you are one of them. You are one of them, Axton. Why did you keep it away from me?"
"I do not need to see it. That expression on your face right now. You were scared of me even before you met me, and I had no say in that." His eyes were wide with suppressed anger.
"Axton. I am justified to be scared. I am and you know that."
He nodded his agreement. "I bet you are. The big bad wolf will take his leave now."
"You will not even bother explaining?"
"Explaining what? How my parents gave birth to me? Or how I grew up being the person you would ultimately grow up to hate so much?"
She sighed. "You are right about that, Axton. I hate you."
He felt his body start to go weak. "Is that not to be expected, though?"
He turned towards the door but she held him back, her eyes burning with anger. The anger was more towards the fact that he did not see the need to explain, rather than the fact of who he was.
"Axton. You refuse to answer me when I ask who you are, you refuse to answer me when I ask what we are, and you refuse to explain when....when I find out who you are."
He was now finding it hard to stable himself on his feet. "Stop it, Natalia."
"No. You are despicable. You are horrible. You showed me all the traits of a werewolf, but I chose to be blind to it. Because I felt this pull. Because I was so attracted to you like a dumb fool. Because I wanted to keep you by my side."
He could feel the curse overtake half of his body again, his hand shaking under his jacket. "Na..Natalia. Please..please stop."
"Why? I should not say a word? I should not dare cross you or what are you going to do to me?"
He moved away, his knees buckling. He landed on the bed and sat, trying hard to keep himself stable.
"Axton, you could have tried for both of us, for me. I am willing to listen, to.."
His eyes rolled as his vision blurred, his breaths now short and largely spaced. "Natalia, please stop." He extended his hand to her and caught a handful of her frilly dress, his body weak.
"Axton. What is wrong with you?" Natalia stopped, as she noticed his body. "What is this?"
"Just stop talking." He retorted, then let her dress go. He pulled himself off the bed, his body leaned on the wall.
"Axton."
He looked at her. "I do hope you see what your hate does to me."
"But, I..."
He suddenly fell to the floor, his eyes closing slowly, and she immediately accompanied him, her hand cradling his upper body.
"Axton. Axton, wake up!"
It was too late however, and he fainted.