an Everlasting Pursuit

ten

I've updated twice today, be sure to read "nine" before this.

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Alpha Asra didn't remove his eyes from my direction. The breeze along my shoulders caused me to shiver, eliciting goosebumps to appear on my skin. He was far away, to the point it was hard to make out his facial features, but I could feel his eyes crawl along my skin and suddenly regretted my choice of clothes. I shifted with unease, my arms groaning with effort the longer that I stood.

I didn't want to be here. Flashes of teeth and fur caused fear to creep upon me and a nausea to settle in my stomach. I felt my breath quicken as wolves growled and snarled, launching at each other along the wide expanse of open field. The alpha remained stoic, stood in the midst of all the chaos surrounding him.

Eve fell silent after she followed my gaze and I noticed her stiffen from beside me. I turned my attention to her fully, to find her hand firmly clasped around my bicep. She didn't move for a moment until she dipped her head with a frown, staring down at the floor.

Why was she so upset all of a sudden?

I felt the air shift before I saw him move.

My hair, once lightly brushing along my jaw was thrown into disarray as a gust came from in front of me. I spluttered, leaning on one crutch to force the hair from my face and mouth. Eve's hand tightened on my bicep and when I opened my eyes, I realised why.

My eyes immediately found a bare chest. Taught, sweaty tattooed skin glistened from the rays of the sun that streaked through the trees. My eyes dropped lower to make sure there were still clothes on his crotch, which there were, but I found more solid muscle that seemed to twitch under my gaze. Trailing my gaze back up, were strong sturdy shoulders and flexing biceps.

This man was... delicious.

Licking my lips at the sight of his skin, I finally looked higher. My breath hitched when I came to find he was staring intensely at me. His eyes, dark as the deepest ocean, stared back at me, a firm line of concentration along his brows and lips. I couldn't look away, finding such intense flutters in my stomach that it took my breath away. One of his eyes twitched, softening the harsh lines on his skin.

I felt everything around me shift, the horrendous sounds of teeth and claws falling to the background. My heart raced in my chest, as though nothing else seemed to matter other than the softening darkness of his eyes. Emotions were swirling in my mind, along with a pool of warmth in my stomach. I felt my own eyebrows furrow, confusion settling in at the disruption of my emotions and lust.

He blinked slowly, looking to Eve, and the brief loss of contact allowed the freakish hold to disappear. I exhaled heavily; my eyes now focused on his strong jawline covered in stubble. Darius was a man who could never grow a beard, but by the light splurges of stubble and hair I found on this man, I knew it wouldn't be a problem.

The lighter highlights in his hair seemed to glow in the sunlight, the darker strands looking like dark chocolate as it shimmered in the sun. It was unruly, but wavy and thick upon his head and short down the sides. Being so close, I saw the small speckles of scarring along his left cheek. Tiny white lines beneath his skin and some more along his left shoulder and neck.

This man, this Alpha, was strong and definitely a fighter. A sudden unease overcame me when I realised, he was the decider of my fate. He was strong, fast and dashingly handsome... not that being so attractive was a weapon... he's a wolf... he's the enemy... It was just a point to make.

Eve cleared her throat, drawing my eyes from the semi-naked man to her. "Ailia, this is Alpha Asra Zenith. He runs the Cardinal Pack."

I noticed her unkept unease and furrowed my eyebrows as I looked back to the mass of man before me. The appreciative gaze and strange sensual hunger I felt before vanished as I scrutinised him under new light. He was a large and imposing man, but he made Eve feel uncomfortable. I thought a leader was supposed to be welcoming and warm, not causing their town, or pack, to feel so uneasy.