Chapter 22 CHAPTER TERNTY-TWO
MAEVA
What did he come to do if he wasn't here to see me? That's the question that bothers me long after he's gone. I heard him come down and I waited for him to slide the slot open but he didn't. Instead, I heard him walk past with his Beta behind him and then I heard another door open. I didn't hear any other thing until they closed the door and he was standing in front of my door.
It annoys me to admit that I was waiting for the banter we have but then he announced that he was leaving the pack. His little visit made it clear that this isn't the only room in this place.
A sharp pain hits my pelvis and I bend over in pain. My head spins and my vision blurs. I fall off the bed and then the shivers start. Every time the fan spins and air hits my body, I feel cold. I try to cover myself with the sheets but the cold is from within and the sheets don't do anything to help me.
"Shit, not now." I whisper.
After the cold passes, I try to stand up but the heat sets in. It starts low, a dull ache that tightens my abdomen and I brace myself against the wall, fingers splayed, my breathing panicked. My skin feels too tight, every nerve ending awake, humming, demanding attention I don’t want to give.
Where is the fucking bathroom in this place? The air shifts and the sweetness of my scent floods the air. My wolf lifts her head inside me, restless and demanding satisfaction.
Heat pools between my thighs, slow and relentless, consuming every part of my being and my muscles soften against my will.
I try to touch myself to ease some of it but my body rejects it. It doesn't want my fingers, it wants my mate.
"Find him," my wolf urges. "Let him smell you. He'll mark us immediately."
“No,” I rasp aloud, the sound shocking me.
It's a good thing that he suddenly had to leave. If he were here, he would have broken down the door and I wouldn't have protested when he claims me.
Another wave crashes through me, stronger than the last. My hips jerk involuntarily, breath catching as the heat peaks, pleasure and frustration so close together I can barely tell where one starts and where the other one ends. I squeeze my eyes shut, riding it out, waiting for it to end.
Minutes stretch and the pain finally stops. I sit on the floor, shaking, knees drawn up, arms wrapped tight around myself like a barrier. I need to wash myself but there's no bathroom so I sit there waiting for my captors to come.
I don't know how long I sit there, looking at the wall and not moving, telling myself for the millionth time that what I'm doing is right. It may feel terrible right now but years down the line, I will thank myself for holding on and being strong.
Footsteps approach and I hear a loud growl. I stand up, alert. That's not Caius.
"Alpha Maeva!" A voice calls out. "Lock the doors."
I realise that it is Caius's Beta and that my scent is probably still potent in the air. I run to the door and lock it. The scent of a female in heat doesn't only work on the mate, it drives every male around crazy and it is worse for unmated wolves.
There's more growling outside and claws scratching the walls. I move back to the bed and I wait for him to calm his wolf down. He finally leaves and I relax. I was not in the mood to find out how strong Caius's Beta is.
Two hours later, he still hasn't come back and my stomach is growling. I look around the room for the phone and I call Taron.
"He let you have another phone call?" He says when he answers.
"I have the phone with me. I want you to call Caius's Beta and tell him that I'm hungry."
"They left you there without food?" He shouts in my ear.
I hold the phone far from my ear and wince. I bite my lips, thinking about what to tell him. He doesn't know about the heat. I didn't tell him the first time it happened and I don't plan to tell him now.
"It's a long story, please call him."
I end the call and continue waiting. This much waiting is bound to drive me crazy before Caius finally releases me but I would rather go crazy than beg Caius to let me go.
A few minutes later, a knock at the door wakes me up. I didn't realise that I fell asleep. A little doggy door opens on the iron door and my food is pushed in. The Beta clears his throat.
"I'm sorry, Alpha Maeva. I didn't mean to keep you waiting."
I don't reply him and he sighs. "I just wanted to make sure that the air was clear before I came back."
"You held yourself until I locked the door. You would have been fine."
He laughs and I smile despite not wanting to.
"Is there a possibility that you won't mention the heat to your Alpha?" I ask.
"No, there's none."
I sigh and shake my head. More things to 'talk about' when Caius returns. I finally stand up to go get my food.
“Is there a bathroom I can use?” I ask.
“Yes, sorry he didn’t tell you earlier. There’s an eagle head on the wall to the left of the sink, push it and the door will open.”
Great, that’s good news at least.
"Caius said that nobody in the pack knows that I am here, why is that?" I ask, returning to the bed.
"This place is isolated from the rest of the pack." I nod and store that information away.
"What's in the other room that he went to before leaving?"
"A witch." He answers with no hesitation.
A witch? What is Caius doing? I open up the food and take a deep breath before digging in.
"Why are you answering all of my questions?" I ask.
"You're my Alpha's mate." He says simply.
He trusts me with pack secrets because I'm his Alpha's mate.
"You know I don't want to be your Alpha's mate right?"
"I do, but until you both complete the rejection, you are his and he is yours so I'll treat your accordingly." I don't like his reaction to this. It sounds like a trap.
"Why would he leave me alone with a witch who is in his territory without permission?"
"How do you know she's here without permission?" He asks.
"The council would never allow a witch to come this far into werewolf territory even with permission."
There's a smile in his voice when he says, "You're just like him."
My stomach turns in irritation and I dump the food on the table. He notices the shift and I hear him sigh.
"I'll leave you alone." He says.