Chapter 9

NATHANIEL




"Interesting thing you've got going on with your mate," Ishmael said. I could hear him snag the glass of whisky from my table.




I didn't bother opening my eyes when I answered. "Ayra is not my mate. Demons don't do mates."




At least it was rare. I knew that much. Only a few demons I knew in my life had such a connection, and they weren't even referred to as 'mates'. There wasn't a term to describe it, but everyone around just knew their lives were intertwined. 




If one died, then the other would follow. That made demons dread that type of commitment. Who would want to die for their partner?




What was common amongst demons was marking. It was a way to exert dominance or stake a claim over another. It went both ways. The males and the females could do it.




The mark lasted for as long as the demon was interested in the other. As long as I was interested in Ayra, the mark wouldn't fade, and as long as the mark didn't fade, the demons would always attack her.




"Werewolves do mates," he said, jarring me out of my thoughts. 




"She is not my mate," I repeated. 




"Why did you mark her? I saw the mark on her collarbone."




I slid one of my eyes open. "You don't know how a demon works, Ishmael. Don't try to act like you do."




"But I know you."




I snorted. "Hardly."




"Heard you were a controlling asshole. We had a little talk when she was at a baby shower with her friends."




I snorted. Of course, she'd say that. "I'm doing all of this for her safety. She'd be dead, otherwise."




"You put her in that trouble in the first case, but what's done is done. Did you ever stop to tell her that you moving her into your house isn't in a bid to control her?"




"No. I just thought she'd understand. The demons can't come in here. That's why this place is safe for her."




"Why did you ask her to return home before the sunset?"




"When the sun sets, the demons won't hesitate to attack. That is their preferred time to attack, so they have an advantage in the darkness."




"So, all of the things you do is to ensure her safety. Did you maybe stop to think that she isn't a mind-reader? She doesn't know all of these things. One of the main reasons communication is key. Don't assume, or as you said 'think' that she knows the reason for every move you make. Also, tone down Acheron for a bit, yeah?"




"He's been a pain in the neck, honestly," I confessed, the last few days weighing on me. "He fucked this up for me, and now I am dancing to the music."




*'Don't you mean 'we'? You're also interested in her. You wouldn't let me come out, so how is it my fault?'* I heard the haughty voice ask inside my head.




*'So you can scare the shit out of her?'*




*'Deal with it then.'*




I huffed, blocking him out totally. When I opened my eyes again, Ishmael was gone, leaving me to wonder if I'd just imagined him being here.




The bottle of whisky was gone, so I knew it wasn't my imagination. He had been here.




His words held truth to them. I'd been a leader all my life, and part of being a leader entailed making the hard calls without having to explain myself to anyone. They just had to know my decisions were in their best interests. 




Maybe I'd approached the entire situation wrongly. She wasn't pack business. I wasn't supposed to treat her like she was one.




Before I could stop myself, I was moving through the house until I was in front of her door. She'd picked the room farthest away from mine, and I understood why.




I knew when she returned from the baby shower. She hadn't even bothered to announce her return. It was safe to say she was still pissed.




I brought my hand up to knock, but I decided against it. There would be time to discuss this with her tomorrow.




***




AYRA




"You seem to like the water a lot," Nathaniel said as a shadow fell over me, blocking the sunlight.




I popped my eyes open. "Only thing I can do. How do people not go crazy around here?"




"Crazy?"




"Yes. I can't sit on my ass doing nothing for so long. My mind is driving me wild."




I couldn't stop the blush that crept up my cheeks, thinking about how close I had been to shattering in front of me. It would have been explosive. I'd felt it. Right until the time he pulled away at the last possible moment.




Even after I left his office, desire pooled between my legs, I kept thinking about it. My mind was idle, leaving me with nothing more to do other than fantasize over him.




The baby shower had helped. I'd been distracted enough that the thought didn't cross my mind.




Left with nothing to do, my mind was wild. Wild with lust. For him. But of course, I would never admit that to him.




I had gotten lost in my thoughts long enough that I hadn't noticed Nathaniel was no longer standing by the poolside.




He was taking laps around the pool two times larger than the one I'd swam in back at the guesthouse.




I remained in the shallow end of the pool when I caught sight of the mark on the left side of his chest, right above his heart.




"Nathaniel!" I called out.




He paused, raising a brow at me before paddling over to me. I drew nearer to him, trailing my hand over the tribal mark.




The memory of the naked couple flashed through my mind again. I sucked in a breath, but Nathaniel had his arm around my waist before I could pull away.




"What was that about?"




"What is that?" I asked when the intricate lines of his mark began to move in a frenzy.




"It is a family crest."




"Is it a werewolf thing?"




"No. It's a de- "




He paused, catching himself before he could spill whatever he was hiding.




"It's a what?" I asked, more than intrigued. He was hiding something, and I wanted to know what it was.




"Nothing you should worry about. What's your deal with my mark?"




"I had a flashback when we went to that abandoned building. There was a book on the ground with the same mark in front of it. When Logan tried to take it, the Nighthowler took it from us."




"What was the flashback about?" He asked, with a frown.




"A man and a woman. They were having sex."




His arm around my waist tightened as his eyes flashed red. 




I pretend not to notice, trying to break away from him, but he wouldn't let me, instead, pushing my back against the pool.




"Go on," he growled.




"I, uh, the man pinned her hands above her head, and I saw the mark on the inside of her- " I trailed off when he buried his face into my neck, flicking his tongue over the mark on my collarbone.




I gasped as a jolt ran through my body, settling between my legs. I couldn't help it as the orgasm ripped through me, releasing my pent-up frustration from the day before. I bit my lips to stop my moans from slipping




That didn't stop Nathaniel, though. He grabbed the back of my neck, holding my head in place as he trailed bites down my neck, covering my chest next. The graze of his teeth against my skin sent waves of pleasure through my body, and suddenly, it didn't matter that he had brought me to orgasm a moment ago. My body was ready for more.




"You are not here because I want to control you," he said against my lips. 




That was when I noticed I had closed my eyes. I opened them, staring at him with curiosity, pushing all thoughts of jumping him out of my mind. "Then why am I here?"




"Because the demons can't get into my house. I've had to deal with them before, and let's just say it wasn't pleasant. That's all I can tell you," he added when he saw I was about to ask him about the demons.




"And telling me to return here before sundown?" 




"The demons can attack you after the sun goes down. Their preferred time to attack is at night."




"Why? Is this because the sun affects them?"




"Not necessarily. They have an advantage in the dark because they can see clearly. You have the senses of a human."




"What changed?" I asked, my attention drawn over the mark on his chest once more. "Why are you telling me all these?"




"Why shouldn't I?"




"I don't think there's a nicer way to say it. You were a controlling ass."




He wrapped a hand around my neck possessively, closing the few inches left between us. "Who says that has changed?" He asked with a growl, pressing his hips harder against mine. "Wait, did you say the woman had the same mark on the inside of her wrist?" He asked, pulling away from me.




"Yes. Weren't you listening?" I asked, casting him an irritated glance.




"And you said a Nighthowler snatched the book before Logan could?"




"Is there something to be worried about?"




His jaws clenched hard together. "That's my cousin."




***




AYRA




My gaze slid over to Nathaniel for the umpteenth time, trying to gauge the emotions flickering on his face.




That would have been possible if he had any emotions on his face. He did a really good job in banking them down.




After dropping the news about the Nighthowler being his cousin, he'd pulled away, deserting the pool. I wasn't sure if bringing the topic up was a good idea, so I kept my mouth shut, sneaking occasional glances at him as I filled up my stomach.




"You are doing a very shitty job of hiding the fact that you are staring," he rumbled.




I snapped my gaze away from dinner. "I'm not hiding anything. I'm just curious. After dropping the bomb about your cousin being a Nighthowler, you haven't spoken about it again."




"Because it isn't important. It doesn't affect you in the long run."




"Still, I'd like to know. What does being a Nighthowler entail?"




"It simply means a demon fucked a human, and they had a baby. My mother knew hers. We aren't blood-related… "




"But you see her as family."




"Yes."




"Why does she have the same mark as you? She is the woman from the flashback right?"




"Right. It's nothing for you to worry about. You're safe."




"Stop treating me like I'm a child. I'm a grown adult. Tell me what's going on."




"I would if I could, but you're not ready for it yet."




I scoffed. "You don't even know me. You don't know what my capabilities and weaknesses are."




"Neither do you," he pointed out.




"I'm a lot stronger than you give me credit for."




He mumbled something along the lines of 'don't I know it?'.




"Nathaniel," I said, firmly.




"Ayra. Don't stress out over this. I don't think you're weak. I just think you're not ready."




"You. Don't. Know. Me," I growled.




"Regardless of what you are, these things exceed your area of knowledge. You don't know how to deal with them."




I grabbed my almost empty plate off the table, throwing the leftover food in the trash before heading to the sink.




"Ayra," he said, coming to stand behind me.




"It's fine, Nathaniel. There is no need to act remorseful."




"I am not remorseful. I'm just being honest. This is more you can deal with, and when I say that, I am not talking about your physical strength. Strength goes deeper than that."




"Funny you say that, but you have been unwilling to tell me anything. You either evade the questions by lying or you're flat-out truthful, and refuse to tell me."




"Because… "




"I get it. It's not something you can share. Now, back away."




"What do you want to know?" He asked after a short moment of silence.




I turned to face him, folding my arms across my chest. "The deal with the Nighthowler and the book I mentioned."




"I don't know what book you're talking about."




"Why do you share the same mark with her if you two are not related? You said the mark on your chest is a family crest. I'm assuming only your blood family are supposed to have that mark."




"Normally, you'd be correct, but we're also lost on that. No one knows why she possesses the mark. Her mother denied ever fucking any male from the Black family, so we let it slide, and just took them in like family."




He looked like he was telling the truth, so I let that go.




"Where is her mother? Why isn't she with her mother? Why are they not staying here with you? Why isn't your family here?"




"What are you trying to get at? You are asking a lot of questions."




I shrugged. "I just wanted to know the connection I have with that woman. Why did I get that flashback of her having sex with someone?"




"Don't overdo it. You'll just bring more stress upon yourself."




"Well, it doesn't help that I'm idle from sun up till sundown. I have nothing but time on my hands to let my thoughts travel far and wide."




"I can help fix that. You'll plan the Blood Moon Festival."




"What is that?" 




"The moon goddess blesses her subject with their mate on that night. It happens only twice or thrice a year. Outside that period, werewolves can not find their mates. There is also the Fertility Ceremony. I don't think I have to explain that to you."




"And you trust me to handle that?" I asked eyeing him warily.




"You'll have Kimberly's help. Things shouldn't be too difficult for you to handle." He nudged me aside so he could wash the dishes. "If you are done here, you can go up to your room."




"I was going to clean up since you cooked."




He shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I can clean up after myself. You should get some rest. There will be a lot to do in the next few weeks."




"Thanks."