Spy Wolf | ✔

Chapter Nine

"Hold up your arms!" Smith yelled. He was currently teaching me how to shoot bows. I left one eye open, staring intently at the red dot far ahead. My arms ached so bad, after trying to resist the pull of gravity on it for so long. The two arrows I sent a few minutes ago were only millimeters away from the target. I had one more shot to redeem myself.

"It seems you're a natural," Gabriel commented near my side. He hadn't left the entire morning. I chuckled and then refocused on the target. If the Alpha's son thought I had something to gain, then this whole training program may not be in vain. 

"Focus Samantha," Smith cautioned. There was the sound of the elastic stretching some more as I pulled the arrow back a bit. "Fire now!" I let go of the string, sighing in disappointment when it missed the bull's eyes and landed on the outer bands. "Don't worry, you'll have more time to practice. But you're doing good," he commended.

I nodded in return, taking a whiff of the air before collapsing into a heap on the soft grass below. I brought a bottle of water to my lips. Smith had made run around five laps before we started the weaponry. I was beyond exhausted.

"You're tired," Gabriel noted as he sat near me. "You get tired faster than the rest of us. Is it because of your human stamina?" I smiled at his question. It was obvious they had no bump-ins to humans at all.

"Yes," I calmly answered, trying my best not to laugh. "A substance called lactic acid builds up in our muscles when we over-exercise, and it causes us to get tired." 

"Oh," he mouthed, forming his opulent lips into an 'o'. I stared at the flawless features on his face as he stared ahead.

"You know, you really look like your mother," I commented, and his head snapped back towards mine with a frown.

"My mother? You knew her?" he asked. So I nodded with a frown as well.

"The woman in the kitchen... Your mother?" I inquired with a raised brow. A discerning look flashed across his face before he scoffed and turned back to face the field ahead of us.

"She's not my mother." I blinked several times, flustered by the way he pulled his knees up to his chest. "My mother left when I turned twelve. She never gave a reason. We just came home one day and she was gone, nowhere to be found." My eyes widened. Could I have mentioned that we were somewhat in the same boat? I mean, what could I say at  time like this? Letting curiosity get the best of me, I continued to question him some more.

"So it's just a c-"

"Coincidence? No. My father wanted another mate that would remind him of her. But-"

"She just makes you sad every time you see her?" I said blatantly. I didn't even realise what I'd said until I noticed him staring at me.   

"You talk like you've been through something similar." I suddenly felt sullen. The waves of reality came crashing. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," he quickly added, sensing my mood. Gabriel had something to remind him of his mother, but I had nothing. Only a small necklace. I gripped unconsciously. 

"It's time to get inside," Smith called from the door. Alpha Wyatt was already seated at the small oval table near the kitchen with a plate of food before him. We both sent a greeting his way before we went our separate ways to clean up for dinner.

I took a slow shower and shampooed my hair. Afterward, I grabbed a towel and began to dry off, ruffling it through my hair which in the end created quite a frizz.

I soon found some clothes, a purple sweater and dark blue jeans. This time, I knew my way around the halls and in no time, I was back in the kitchen. Alpha Wyatt was nowhere to be seen, but there was Gabriel's 'mom' was laying plates on the table. She finally looked up and sent a quick smile my way. 

"I never did catch your name," I spoke as I took a seat and began to take small bites out of my plate. She seemed startled by my sudden question but smiled timidly. Did she want me to call her Luna?

"It's Evalina. I hope you're enjoying your time here," she replied softly. I was surprised at how shy and how closed up she seemed. 

"I am," I gave a reassuring smile, making sure all my teeth were shown. She nodded before returning to the kitchen, cleaning up the mess that was present. "Isn't that the job of the pack's maid?" I decided to point out. She visibly tensed before turning to face me with a tight smile.

"Yes, but I prefer to do it my way. I like things in a certain order." I took that as my cue to stop asking questions, so I remained quiet. My eyes stuck to the plate, afraid to make eye contact with her. Perhaps she wasn't as fond of me as I thought she was. Or maybe there was more to this marriage than it seemed.

***

I know the early readers may be wondering how this book is coming about so fast. I'd already written and published it. It was known as Don't Touch My Mate, but I changed the concept. Anyways, hope you loved this piece. Comment and vote!

Taja D'amore.