Chapter Sixteen

Alexia turned on her heels and ran into Hayden’s room, directly opposite the office. She bolted the door behind her and allowed her knees to buckle, so she slid down into a crouching position.

Everywhere was suddenly noisy. She could not hear her own thoughts over the cacophony in her head. All that flashed behind her eyelids was the view of Hayden’s lips on Clara’s. She felt like she was being stabbed and the knife was being twisted in her gut until it ripped her to pieces from the inside out.

She told herself that it is not a big deal, that it shouldn’t hurt this bad even as hot tears slid down her cheeks and wet the material of her sweatpants. Behind her, Hayden pounded desperately on the door and she could hear his agitated voice begging her to open the door.

Then, she heard Clara speaking in low seductive tones to Hayden who roared angrily and ordered her away. Then he came back to the door and continued to beg her, “Alex, please open the door. It isn’t what you think. Let me explain. Please, Alexia.”

She paid him to need as she stood up, wiped her tears and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The sweat from her workout has made her body sticky.

***

The vampires and the warlocks had their meeting right after werewolves, and they met Hayden sitting on the floor in front of his room. However, they paid no attention to him. Since the vampires and the warlocks had more members, more of them were going to stay behind and go to the other clans.

The vampire clan was sending 5 members to each clan, and the warlocks were sending 6 members to each clan.

After their meeting, they told Henry about their decisions and postings, because it didn’t seem like Hayden was in the mood to hear it. He was still seated on the floor in front of the room, with his back against the door. He had his knees pulled up and his arms around them, looking forlorn.

Suddenly, a voice buzzed in his head, “Hey, Hayden. Come downstairs right now. We have to address all these people that are going to stay in our pack. Your dad’s waiting for you, bro.” It was Ace who mildlinked him.

“You and Dad should handle it. You’re my second-in-command, you can represent me. I’m busy right now,” he replied.

“What are you doing that makes you so busy? Cuddling with your mate?” he teased.

“That is if she allows me to enter the room. I messed up, Ace. I messed up badly,” lamented Hayden.

Ace chuckled, “What did you do?”

Hayden sighed, “I talked to Clara, to tell her about the new situation of things. She didn’t take it well, and she kissed me forcefully. I didn’t want to be too aggressive in throwing her off me, so Alexia walked into the office, seeing us in that compromising position.”

“Sheesh! You better fix that. I’ll inform your dad and the other clan leaders.” said Hayden.

“Thanks bro. I owe you one,” Hayden offered his thanks.

He knocked the door again, “Alexia, let me in, please. Let me explain, it’s not what you think,” he pleaded again.

He heard her footsteps as she walked towards the door and he scrambled to his feet. When she opened the door, he was standing, looking earnest with apology all over him.

“Get in. I’ll give you five minutes to explain and convince me. Your time starts as soon as you cross the threshold of the room,” Alexia said stoically.

Hayden hurriedly entered the room, and Alexia slammed the door behind him. She took a few steps back and crossed her arms over her breasts.

“Speak,” she commanded. However, Hayden was tongue-tied.

She was dressed in his t-shirt and she wore a pair of her shorts under it, which showed off the spotless tanned skin of her long legs to perfection. Her hair was loose and it flowed in careless waves over her shoulder, framing her heart-shaped face. His gaze travelled back down and fixed on her legs. They were so smooth and flawless, with sinewy muscles peeking under the skin.

“Stop staring at my legs and explain yourself!” she snapped.

“Sorry. Uhm, so what happened was that Clara forced herself on me. I called her to tell her that it was over between us, that I had you now, but then she started crying and I felt bad, and I tried to calm her down. She stopped crying, but she started to say things and moved closer to me. I told her to stop and I stood up and then she just kissed me. I didn’t want to push her away too roughly, but she still held me tight, and that’s when you entered,” he explained hurriedly.

The furious look on her face melted away slightly and she asked, “Are you sure that’s what happened?”

“Yes. I swear it to the Blue Flame. She forced herself on me. I would never kiss her now. I’d rather kiss you. I always want to kiss you. Only you,” he replied eagerly.

“Okay. Good,” she said simply and turned to lie on the bed. It was then that he noticed the laptop, and the movie that she was watching. She laid down and continued to watch her movie.

Hayden’s mouth was agape, “So that’s all you’re going to say?”

She paused the movie and groaned, “What else do you want me to say?” Mischief twinkled in her eyes, as she tilted her chin to look at him.

Hayden smirked and started to climb the bed on all fours very slowly. He stalked towards her, maintaining eye contact. She started to move up the bed, until her back hit the headboard.

“What are you doing? Why are you coming close like that?” she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

“Oh, nothing,” he sang and continued to move with painstaking slowness. She made to roll off the bed, but he suddenly grabbed her legs and pulled her down. He climbed over her, and caged her with his body by trapping her with his arms. She wriggled and writhed under him, but she could not buck him off, so she stopped struggling. Her mouth twisted into a frown, but her eyes glowed with laughter.

Hayden smiled down salaciously at her, “I quite like this position, Alex. Don’t you think so?”

“I don’t think so. Get off me you fatso!” she yelled and tried to push him off again. His big, hard body didn’t budge.

“I begged you for more than an hour before you opened the door. When you finally opened it, you had me ranting and swearing on the Blue Flame before you could believe me. All you could say was ‘Okay, Good’. You ignore me in favour of your movie, and then you call me fatso? Why do you like to hurt my feelings, Alex?” he asked huskily, his voice no more than a rumble in his chest.

“I can’t say. Maybe I like seeing you in pain and at my mercy,” she responded in a tone she struggled to keep light and breezy.

“Even when I do…this?” Hayden said and dipped his head. He buried his nose into her neck and took a deep whiff of her skin. She smelt like lilies and spring water, mingled along with the smell of his soap and his t-shirt. He heard the hike in her heart rate and smiled to himself.
He raised his head and saw that Alexia kept her face stubbornly passive, pretending like she was unaffected.

He smirked slightly, “Not even when I do this?” And he started nibbling and kissing her from behind her ear, down her jawline up to her nose. By the time he was done, she was breathing heavily and her pupils were dilated.

“So, maybe I changed my mind…a little,” she whispered.

“Maybe this will change your mind all the way,” he breathed and smashed his lips to hers.

Alexia moaned and responded fervently to the kiss. His lips teased and took, and coaxed her lips open until he could slide his tongue in. She gasped, and he deepened the kiss, slanting his mouth over hers possessively. Their tongues danced and stroked each other in an erotic manner, sending sparks firing in their brains. Their skins heated up and burned, charging up the air around them as they kissed, hard.

Finally, the kiss slowed down to pecks as they ran out of air. Their lips were red and swollen, and their chests heaved as they tried to keep their breathing under control.

“Did that convince you?” he asked hoarsely.

Alexia nodded, “Yes…yes, it did. I’m very convinced,” she breathed.

Hayden smiled, “Good.” He rolled off her, then he pulled her to him so that her back was to his front. He buried his face in her hair and smiled contentedly.

“Thank you for listening to me,” he murmured into her hair.

Alexia smiled, “Hey. You swore on the Blue Flame. Also, you looked very adorable and convincing. I would be stupid not to.”

“So, you admit I’m adorable,” he remarked.

Alexia rolled her eyes, but she giggled.