45. Cold Shoulders

Iosif glanced outside the window, his eyes falling on the new faces, and imprinting them into his memory. Werewolves from Oakheart and Eastbourne had come to help the Marshville's pack in keeping things checked with the lycans. Most of the Marshville's wolves were returning home, leaving things in the hands of their fellow packs. The whole arrangement was being drafted by Nicholas, Eden's father.

Iosif could see that the arrival of the foreign wolves had set restlessness among the lycans. But he couldn't do much. He needed to work with these packs to put an end to his brother's devious schemes.

"Iosif!" Jared called, breaking inside the dimly lit room with heavy steps. "What the fuck is going on?!" He shouted, his grey eyes mirrored a mixture of anger and fear.

The knight exhaled heavily hearing the lycan's alarmed voice.

He turned around. "You don't have to worry. They are just here to take the place of the warriors who are now returning home. No one's here to harm you. In fact, they'll provide you protection against my brother."

"We don't need there fucking protection!" Jared growled. "Why don't these wolves leave us alone?!"

"Maybe, you should've thought about this before attacking their pack and abducting their Alpha's mate," Iosif retorted irritatedly.

"It was Odis-"

"I know, you did it all because of Odis." The knight sighed, walking away from the window. "But what's done is done. We need them. Odis was barely holding against Dimitri, and now after his death you all are more vulnerable. These werewolves are now our only chance for survival."

Jared's intimidating stance faltered. He looked at Iosif with a troubled face. "Damien is influencing others. More than half of the lycans want to leave. They don't want any part in this war." His jaw tightened. "If it goes on like this, soon they'll lash out on the wolves in desperation to get out of here."

"That will not be the wise decision from their side. The pack can easily defeat the lycans."

"I know." Jared agreed gruffly. "And it will cause unnecessary deaths. And all lycans will have to face the consequences, even those who are still on our side."

Iosif nodded.

"You have to stop this Iosif." Jared's tone lowered down. "Alpha Eden trusts you because of Marley. You have to make him understand the delicate situation here. It can't go on like this, even more so when Dimitri can send his bloodsuckers back."

Iosif threw a weak glare at Jared for the use of offensive word against his species, but also partly agreed with him. "You're right, however, don't worry about Dimitri for now. Odis was his prime target because all of the clan's strength came from him. As far as I know, my brother will not like to deplete his resources when he needs them for another more pressing matters."

"His next target are wolves." Jared asserted, his brows knitting.

"These weres better prepare themselves now."

********

"You're mad?" Eden asked, peeking at Marley from the corner of his eye. They were driving back home from school. Throughout the way, Marley had mumbled only two or three words in reply to Eden's big monologues.

"I'm not mad." She protested, but her frown told another story. The werewolf raised his eyebrows, making her sigh. "I'm just not happy," she added.

"What's the reason for you not being happy?" Eden inquired timidly.

"What do you think the reason is?" Marley glared at him.

"You're not happy because... this morning you didn't get your favorite honey-flavored cereals at breakfast, and had to settle for the plain ones." He answered, running a hand through his hair before settling it back to the steering wheel. "That can make anyone mad."

"Really Eden?!" Marley yelled frustratedly.

Eden gave out a long sigh, cursing internally. He parked the car at the side of the road. "It's about Jason." He stated grumpily.

"No, it's about you," she said. "You picked up a fight with Jason for just assuming that he liked me."

Eden almost snorted at Marley's words. He hadn't picked up a fight with Jason, but gave him a good thrashing. The guy was nothing compared to his strength. But Eden decided against to correct her, he didn't want to instigate her more.

"And I apologized to him for it. Didn't I?" He defended himself.

"But you conveniently decided to slip out one crucial detail that Jason never liked me."

"That small 'detail' wouldn't have mattered."

"It did when you were bragging about your oh-so-noble deed, and used that into making me think that you did it all to just please me."

"I did it all to please you!"

Marley scowled. "Oh look, How pleased I am!"

Eden let out an irritated groan. "Baby, why are we fighting over such petty thing? It's over. There's no point in dragging it." He was tired.

"No, what you did was wrong?" She crossed her arms, turning her head to look at the front.

"Why are you so keen on fighting? Huh..." Eden inhaled a long breath, trying to maintain his cool. "I don't smell blood, you're not on period. So, what's gotten into you?" He added to lighten the mood, but it had an opposite effect.

Marley looked at the werewolf sharply. "Me being annoyed by your reckless acts has nothing to do with my menstrual cycle."

"Fuck! Marley just stop it." He roared, his fingers tightening into a fist. His last string of control had broken too. "I get it that I'm not some fucking great guy who does everything right. I'm sorry if I can't be a saint like Jason!" His eyes flickered golden, and his lips twisted into a contemptuous smile. "Maybe, you'll be better off with someone like him?"

Marley glared back. "Maybe, I will."

Eden's face fell before distorting into the most heinous expression that Marley had ever seen. His clenched jaws and golden eyes showcased his inner battle to keep his wolf at bay. But those days were also long gone when Marley was afraid of his beastly side. She too met his furious eyes with her own determined ones.

After a few long breaths, Eden finally managed to suppress his territorial animal, who was itching to get out and remind his mate who she belonged to. He looked away, breathing heavily, and started the car, every action displaying his rage.

Not another word passed between them.

As the car sped along the road, Marley looked outside her window, the eerie silence between them clenching her insides. She could feel her mate's distress radiating out in waves, making her more depressed with each passing second.

When they reached the pack house, Eden at once stormed out of the car without sparing a single glance at Marley. She too picked up her bag and got out, making a beeline straight to her room, and avoiding the questioning look that she received on her way. People had already sensed that something was wrong with their Alpha and his mate when they saw Eden bolting angrily in the direction of woods.

On reaching her room Marley plopped down on her bed and recalled their fight. Slowly, bit by bit as her anger steamed down, sadness and guilt engulfed her mind. Her face altered into a thoughtful frown.

Did she take it too far? Was she really dragging it?

She spent the whole day overthinking about their fight, and replaying each word in her mind that they spurted out to each other in the heat of the moment. The dejected look on Eden's face after her lash out was keeping her on edge.

Marley tried to divert her mind with books or doing other usual chores, but her attention span never lasted for more than 15 minutes, her mind always reeling back to Eden.

When the time for dinner came, she found herself surrounded by others at the table. Callum and Oliver were also there. They resided in the pack house. The hungry teens were hovering above the food like bees. Anyone from metres away could make out that this four-storeyed building was filled up with energetic youths, there was always some kind of hustling going around the house.

Sometimes it was quite overwhelming, but other times it channeled out her own energy.

But tonight Marley was feeling gloomy, and her feeling intensified on seeing the empty chair next to her. It was where her werewolf was supposed to be.

"You two had a fight?" Callum asked, shoving a spoonful of spaghetti into his mouth. He was sitting on her other side.

She nodded.

"Just have sex and everything will be fine."

Marley choked on her food. After having a glass of water and calming her coughs, she threw a soft glare at Callum. "That's not how it works."

"That's exactly how it works," Callum said confidently. "That man has been really touchy ever since your little quarrel. He's been losing his temper and barking orders at others. Believe me, sex will definitely do him some good."

"Don't listen to him." Oliver cut in. He was next to Callum. "Do what you feel right." He then turned to his friend. "Don't meddle in their private affairs. I'm sure Eden won't like you giving sex advice to his mate."

"I was just trying to help." Callum frowned.

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Then help with lessening some workload from us."

Before anyone else could say another word, the table went strangely quiet. Marley looked behind and saw Eden entering the dinning room. Their eyes met but Eden immediately looked away, dismissing her presence.

The noises that surrounded the table were reduced to a pin drop silence. Others had a fair idea that their Alpha and his mate were not on good terms, so the awkward silence was all that they could muster.

"Did I tell you all to stop?" Eden inquired sarcastically, and slowly -and forcefully- the previous clamour resumed.

He took the only empty seat that was available, right next to his mate. Marley became overly aware of his presence beside her. Eden's senses too went on overdrive when flooded with his mate's scent, fading everyone else.

Callum looked expectantly at them, slurping his spaghetti.

Oliver glared at Callum.

Marley sneaked a glance at Eden, whose rigid face told her that he still wasn't over their argument. Her eyes shifted back to her plate when he started talking with others, ignoring her all together. She sulked at his cold attitude.

It really didn't feel good to be at receiving end of the cold shoulder.

The rest of the dinner continued on like this: Marley sullenly poking at her food, Eden talking to everyone else but her, and others aware of the tension but trying to ignore and muffle it with their chats.

During the bedtime, he didn't peek inside her room with a goofy grin and asked if she wanted to cuddle, like he always did. Marley slept alone on the lonely bed, missing her mate's warmth.

*******