Aether's Claim | Editing

Chapter 7

There would be no need for rumours, as I initially thought, as Alpha Warren was right here to witness it all first hand.

I wanted to run and hide, to bow my head and show submission. This was the worst possible outcome that could have happened, it was a blatant disregard of an Alpha's orders and I'd be lying to myself if I thought there wouldn't be some kind of repercussions for this.

Aether looked down at me sympathetically, his face morphing immediately back into one of more seriousness as he looked back to Alpha Warren and stepped in front of me slightly.

"I said, what's going on here?" Alpha Warren repeated, meeting Aether and I were we were in the hall.

I winced as his anger seeped through the air and agitated my wolf. She was whining, tail tucked between her legs and submissive. Even her slight defiant nature was wavering under the watchful eyes of Alpha Warren.

I didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do. It wasn't as if we had been caught in a compromising situation yet, even for wolves, being with an unmated male as an unmated female was frowned upon. I didn't have an explanation but as Aether began to talk, I willed him not to say anything out of line or anything that would get me in to more trouble.

"Nothing," Aether began, his voice hard set and his jaw tight, "Just a harmless conversation."

Alpha Warren's eyes seemed to get impossibly darker and his fists balled by his sides as he stood up to his tallest height and puffed out his chest. Even with those actions Aether was still over a foot taller than him and towered over him with ease.

"Didn't I tell you not to pursue her, Aether?" Alpha Warren spat, omitting the title.

I cringed and sucked in a breath behind Aether, feeling anger seep out of him. I didn't want him to get in trouble, not as a visiting Alpha, that would surely cause more problems than if it was just me getting into trouble as a pack member.

"It was my fault, I bumped into him." I squeaked out, stepping out from behind him. It came out quieter than I had expected and while I cursed myself for being less assertive, I knew it would calm Alpha Warren's wolf to see I was being submissive.

Aether looked down at me, but I willed myself to ignore his enticing stare and keep my eyes in the direction of Alpha Warren, who's own eyes were upon me with fury and rage. I shrunk impossibly smaller at his gaze and bit my lip anxiously, wanting to be anywhere but here.

"No, it was me, I smelled her scent and purposely went to look for her." Aether admitted suddenly.

My eyes widened in shock, and I couldn't stop my gaze from snapping to Aether's.

Was he telling the truth? Or just lying to take the blame off me?

There was no indication of either of those as he didn't meet my eyes but kept his gaze with Alpha Warren's. I held my breath in disbelief, confusion running through me when my wolf suddenly propped up, tail wagging violently and submission thrown out as she picked up a scent.

Ares.

It was faint, but it was there. He was coming this way. Either he had just entered the building, or he had already been in the building and was coming this way.

My heart surged and I began to feel the tendrils of the mate pull working its way through my body. I wanted to run past Alpha Warren and find Ares and embrace him, the thought of doing so compelled me so much I had to physically hold myself back by rooting myself in place.

Warren must have realised too that Ares was quickly approaching because he looked behind himself before quickly turning back to us, the anger on his features dissipating and turning to slight concern.