Chapter 110 BONUS CHAP. 1-REGANT MOUNTAIN
Follows Chapter 36, the night of the Luna Ceremony when Blayne was ordered to go into the Mountains with Cleo:
1-1
\-BLAYNE'S POV
Mixed feelings flowed through me as we pleated the napping shrubs with our bodies. My feisty mate walks ahead of me, deciding not to be a good hostess and stay by my side. I wanted to know her better.
I have no intention of forcing the mate bond on her. If that's what she was thinking, she was dead wrong. Luna Sianna had given her clothes to wear; brown leggings and a polo shirt. Thank goddess. Her nudity flogged me with a raw animalistic desire that I had never felt for another woman.
With me are Levi, Malik, Wade, Elias and Thomas. Senior Elite Liam was holding the forte at Dark Wolverson in my stead, and reporting to High Beta Duke since High Alpha Vance was on his honeymoon. As directed by the High Alpha, the mission was to investigate their background and validate the contents as a witness to the report that Cleo is required to submit on our return to Dark Wolverson.
We completed walking across the flat verdure terrain and was now treading across a deep brown brackish swamp area surrounded by bald cypress and willow trees.
My feet are soaked up to my knees. Papyrus and cattail bushes as tall as our heads slapped against our skin as we pleated our path across the waterlogged ground.
Even though I'm a warrior, I could have done without the stinky rotten egg stench that stuck up my nose from the swamp. The rogues around me briskly go through it as though they were used to it.
Approximately three miles of the journey, the swamp waters got deeper. I mumbled curses that caused the rogues beside me to snicker. Only my mate kept me on good behavior. Otherwise, I'd snap a few of their necks.
My face wears only a grim expression where my lips curl inwards with tense jaws. Mosquitoes bit my face and arms. My eyes were too busy looking out for the biting attacks of the flying insects while my hands slapped my forehead and cheeks from the prickly bites.
Still muttering curses. Not even in my biggest battle have I ever felt so riled.
The goddess blessed my soul when dry land caught my peripheral vision. Pluff mud caked my feet as I exited the wetland, onto the vacant sandy brown arid land. My skin itched profoundly and I had to peel a few leeches from my legs. My arms were slightly pink but will heal soon.
Cleo turns her head to look back at me, smirking. I watched her strides, the form of her toned tanned legs, and the way her firm ass cheeks rose and fell to the rhythm of her walk. Why do I want to kiss them? To slip my tongue across the outlines of her skin. The sight and existence of her beckons to my very essence. I can't win against this mate bond.
Her short blond hair is caught up in a short stump of ponytail. The scar over her right eyebrow arched as contempt glazed her sea-green iris.
It might be the parchedness that abode in my throat from the long journey, but something was wrong with me. I did not know anything about this woman, yet I yearned for her. Craved for her. She was beautiful, smart, and strong. Perfect, but stubborn and feisty. I felt it in my bones.
According to my watch, it was almost twelve hours of traveling before we hit a line of brown mountains that led us into a rocky terrain. Gentle golden streaks of the sun gandered behind us, moderately dispelling the cold of the night and taking over for the new day.
We ended up climbing a plateau and at the flat top, I saw a dark cave entrance to the left side. Wooden torches guided us until we reached an opening that gave way to greenery with a freshwater stream flowing through. A beautiful scene of blossoming fruit trees on sloping land.
"Finally some food, yeah!" I cheered, picking a peach. I bit into it and chewed.
Pausing to rush me, Cleo ordered, "Let us not stall. There are matters to discuss, Gamma Blayne."
Along the sloppy grass were trees with huts in them. Most of what they used here was natural resources. The rogues branched off, leaving two at her side. I followed them into a cave with stone carvings as seats and shelves. The primitive sight was clean though with a chalky odor that gets tamed by the passing fresh breeze.
Cleo huddles in a corner with the two men. My wolf becomes peeved. They whispered as though they did not understand that I was the royal Gamma of the entire werewolf realm. I heard every word.
"Sheldon, prepare an overnight space for our guests." Cleo commands, "Rupert, have your mate bring refreshments to the Gamma and his men."
Sheldon nodded and departed the cave.
Realizing that he was about to leave her alone with me, Rupert objected, "Chieftain, I would prefer to stay at your side than to leave you alone with these males."
Cleo's stern revelation shocks him, "The Gamma is my mate. He will not allow his men to hurt me."
My men parallel the same astonished reaction at first which was then swiped away by glee and acceptance. The matter-of-fact tone she used pleased me. Rupert leaves unwillingly.
To capitalize on being alone with her, I decided to send my men to scout the area. "Assess the perimeters and investigate the ongoing of
these people."
All five bowed respectfully. Cleo sits on a rectangular stone.
"This is where we live." She motioned with her hands. "Away from society in favor of integrating into a pack where individualism is empowering." She spoke with her eyes on the curious children that ran past just to peek at the strange man that I was. "Along the south side was damaged and I lost several of my people. We created a burial there." She zoned out with reflection and then added, "Hank robbed us of all our valuables. He wanted us to grovel so that he could control us. Thankfully, his men left our mountains after the High Alpha captured him."
"My duty is simply to confirm your story and assess your true circumstances." I was playing cool. She was giving off that hard-to- get vibes that played on my carnal lust. I wanted to do unspeakable things to her on the spot. My cock stiffens with the need to have her.
"Duties?" She scoffs with squirted eyes at me. Her voice was extremely velvety and seductive. "Is that why you're really here?"
Indirectly, she referred to our mate bond. I scratched my right eyebrow. "You haven't been very approachable. Quite frankly, you seem to not want anything to do with me. Why?"
"In the werewolf community, the fame of the royals is widely stretched. Everyone knows how promiscuous powerful men like you are." She was critical in tone.
"Don't prejudge me." I declared, guiltily. "The disadvantage of having limited access to information must come with living high in
the mountains."
"We have been trading meat and ground produce to the nearby towns for revenue to aid with pack essentials. Therefore, we interact with the civilized kind at least once per month." She displayed her offense. "That was before Hank depleted our supplies."
"I didn't mean it like that," I defended, "And hearsay should not be used to form opinions about others. You have lived your way and I have lived mine. You are a rogue and I'm the law enforcer."
"We have broken no laws. We are a bunch of lone wolves who live
together by a system here," she argued.
"An overpopulated throng," I corrected. "Your system deprives them
of literacy and knowledge of the real world."
Dismissively, she blatantly inquired. "Are you going to be useful to me? Or are you going to be judgmental and biased?"
"I'm carrying out orders," I stated the obvious. "And it is my job to
eradicate threats." Sadly, it was the truth. The moral integrity of her character was yet to be determined.
"Oh, so that's all I am to you? A threat? A bad cut from the species?" She always spins it around to make me look bad.
"I never said that." I dragged a hand down my face. "Though we are
mates, I have to know that you aren't scheming or plotting some nefarious plan against my people."
"Wow, you think very highly of me," she sarcastically stated. She
removed the elastic from her ponytail. Her bob springs loose and she rakes her fingers through. The trivial action makes me ache to touch
her.
We stared at each other. The attractiveness of her small oval face has me hypnotized. I was drawn into her fierce sea-green eyes that bore into my soul and slowly filled the gaps in my heart. So this is what
the mate bond was like and why Vance and Duke were complete saps for their mates. This was how the moon goddess snared and merged two hearts into one.
"You're pretty." Damn, it slipped out. I could not stop the words
from ejecting.
"So I'm a pretty, uncivilized criminal." After a hideous chuckle, she
retorted. "I care for my people and no one else, Gamma. Do your duty and leave me the hell alone."
A brunette with light hazel eyes appeared at the mouth of the cave
with a wooden tray of sandwiches and natural juice in an enamel jug. Rupert followed right behind her. Cleo stood and stormed out. Women! Why did she have to go? My wolf whimpered. An emptiness binds me. We missed her presence.
Heavily, I sighed. "Keep the refreshments until later. My men and I will work first and then eat later." The brunette nodded, "Rupert, I need to be escorted around to examine the facilities here. I have
questions for you."
Neither of us enjoyed the company of the other. However, Rupert was surprisingly helpful despite his hostile demeanor. Several hours passed and I was pleased with the information that I had acquired.
Resplendent like the noonday sun, a fire lit in my groins. Cleo monopolized my mind. She's become my obsession. "Where's your Chieftain?" I had to see her. My mind felt crazed from
missing her.
Hesitantly, Rupert muttered, "She's with the elders." After pointing to the redwood tree to his right, he dropped his hand. "Many of our
people do not wish to leave the mountains. They believe that we can recover on our own over time."
"Your people will end up starving," My voice deepened and he
shivered as I gashed him with the truth. "There are still injured people from your last battle with Hank. Even though you are werewolves, you heal slowly because the pack is malnourished and lacks medicinal supplies. Your people cannot withstand another attack." Rupert's countenance falls glum. It was something to ponder on.
Agitation was brewing within me to find my mate. As I walked in the direction of the thatched hut, four trifling females suddenly circled me, trying to rub their hands over me. Undoubtedly, they must be the pack's sluts.
I swatted their intruding hands away. "Ladies." "You're so handsome." The first blonde said and flirtatiously winked
her eye. "We can take care of you while you're here." The second blonde
twirled her stringy strands, licking her lips and vying for my
reception.
Annoyance, disgust and anger filled me. Something about them repulsed me.
"Seems like the rumors are true after all." Cleo's voice came from
behind me.
Sheepishly, I turned around, shaking my hand to dismiss her accusation. "I was not doing anything with these women." Cleo rolled her eyes and fled. I followed in quick strides and gripped
her by the waist, lifting her up.
"What the hell? Put me down now!" She kicked and struggled with protesting screams, beating fists down my back.
My wolf wanted to be alone with her, hence I carried her through the grove until we arrived by the horsetail, shaped waterfall that fans out as it drops on a steep slope while still maintaining contact with the underlying cliff face.
I lowered her flexing feet to the ground. With closed space between
us, I peered down into her stormy eyes. "Cleopatra." The name on lips slipped out nicely. A hunger opened up and my head lowered.
my
At this moment, my world revolved around her. Averting her face to the side to avoid my lips, her palms pushed
against my sinewy strength. "Stop it."
Inhaling a long breath of her scent, the chocolate and vanilla fragrance makes me dizzy. It fills my lungs, inebriating my being. "Cleo, we are mates and I want you." I avowed, scanning her face.
Enough with ignoring each other. We had to talk. "Please don't deny
me."
"You are a hound dog. I will never accept you." Her cruel words sliced deep. It caused the most brutal wound that I've ever experienced and I almost staggered backward from the blow of them.
"I deserve a chance." My gaze on hers turned to incredibility. "We are strangers. I owe you nothing." She contested, with steely
eyes. Then she looks away with rosy cheeks, biting her bottom lip. My strong arms embraced her with one of them tapping the crown of her head. "One chance is all I need. Could you reconsider?" The next time she thrashed in my arms, I released her on the basis of
fear and worry. I did not want to upset her any further. Arguably, she glared at me but said nothing. Her breathing had picked up. The silence thickens, looming over me with despair. I'm left uncertain of what to say. How do I convince her to accept me? Never
did I imagine myself in such a predicament. "Let me be clear with you, Gamma." She spat venomously, "As
Chieftain, these people are my main concern. My obligation is
foremost to them. Having you as a mate does not fit into the life that I've created."
Stung. The intangible strike pierced my heart.
Briskly she walked away with anger coursing through her veins. Watching her go, I've never felt lonelier. Instead of tailing her, I undressed and dove into the cold clear clean water to refresh myself
and get rid of my boner.
1-л
Later, I met up with the boys and told each one which area to audit
and scout, and the times to do the operations. Once the group broke,
my eyes found my mate.
My wolf seethes.
Cleo stood in front of a six-foot muscular guy with a bald head and a
small braided ponytail. He had his left hand on her cheek, while the other hand touched her eyebrow. Why the fuck was he touching my mate? He leaned down his head and my wolf went raging mad, releasing a thunderous growl. "MINE!"
In a flash, I was by their side. My right hand aggressively gripped the
mongrel's wrist, twisting it so that the bones cracked into tiny bits.
He falls to his knees from the assault.
"Fuck!" He screamed like a bitch, spazzing. Twinkling eyes of regret
stared up at me.
"Idle hands serve no purpose and should be amputated." I smiled sadistically with evil intent.
"What are you doing?" Cleo shouted and slapped my arm. "Let him go, now!" She tried to pry my hand from the dickface.
My other arm clasped his neck to snap it. A hive of them gathered
around to observe the scene, buzzing with grievances and looking to their leader to defend their claw mate.
"Blayne, please don't," Cleo's melodic voice called my name for the first time. It sent blissful shivers down my spine and my grip loosens
a bit. With sable black eyes, I smiled at her. "A wood splinter went
into my eyes and he was helping me." My wolf had already surfaced and was hellbent on snatching the breath of life from this dickface. Cleo caressed the arm that was
strangling the man. The tingles haze my thought process, mellowing
me.
"He's not touching me anymore. Please release him." This time her voice was as soft as a musical tune. The notes of which compelled me into yielding to her wishes. She excited me in more ways than one. Thud. The rogue dropped on the ground, groaning. He held up his broken wrist which flaps like a bird's wing. Then her sparkling touch ends. I frowned. My wolf whined.
Cleo pinched my earlobe and rang it. I flinched. Then her knee
connected with my groin.
Bending over from the pain. "Oof!" I rasped as my hand went over my precious manhood. A sharp pain traveled up to my gut and made me want to vomit. Each time it throbbed, it was like a white-hot dagger stabbing me. The vicious woman smugly raised one eyebrow
and left me dying.
^~^