Forty-two

Clara decided to break the ice and prevent suspicion. She pasted a bright smile on her face, but the fear remained in her eyes.
“Alexia, hey.”

Alexia cocked her head, becoming more confused and suspicious, “You never smile at me, Clara. If you did, it was either a smirk or venomous as fuck. What changed? And why are you so beaten up?” Alexia pointed out, just as Ace entered with Clara’s luggage.
Ace was saying something, but he paused when he saw the stare-off between Alexia whose eyes were hard, but confused, and Clara who looked like she’d like the ground to open up and swallow her. The tension in the air was so thick, it could be cut with a knife.

He went to Alexia and chuckled brassily, draping his arm around her shoulder and shaking her slightly. She took no notice if it as she continued to stare at Clara.
“I asked you a question, Clara,” she said again.
“I…uh…I thought it would be nice if…if…if we didn’t f…f…fight all the time so I…I…want to start all…over on a…a…a new slate,” Clara stammered.
A wave of power pulsed out of Alexia’s body. It was so intense that Ace had to let go of her. He looked at her in astonishment.

Alexia smiled; a smile so dangerous yet so beautiful that it made shivers run through him. He spared a glance at Clara who the smile was directed at, and he saw that she bowed her head, shaking in fear.
“I find that very difficult to believe, but okay. What of your injuries? How does a werewolf get so beat up?” she asked in a deceptively soft voice.
“I…I was in an accident involving a trailer and the tour bus I was in. Most didn’t make it out alive but…but I made it out because I…I am a werewolf,” replied Clara.
“I offer you my deepest sympathies, Clara,” Alexia said, still smiling, “I’ll be seeing you…later.”
She stalked up the stairs, abandoning her game with Ace.

When she was gone, Ace exchanged a glance with Clara. Under the scrutiny of his gaze, she composed herself and smiled again.
“I wanted to see Hayden, but I think I’ll come back. Please, help me take my luggage to my house, thanks,” she said and started limping her way out of the house. Ace was still confused at their interaction, but he shrugged it off. He grabbed her bags, and followed after her.

***

Alexia sat on the bed, dep in thought. Clara was not who she said she was, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Her injuries were peculiar to battle not an accident as she said. She worked in an hospital during her intern year after bagging her degree in Psychology. Those injuries looked nothing like the injuries of accident victims brought in from the ER.
And her eyes…they looked so much like Delilah’s. She could remember every feature of Delilah’s eyes and they tallied with Clara’s. Could Clara be Delilah? That would explain the weird comment she made during the battle. And the injuries…it was all starting to add up now.

Alexia specifically remembered spraining Delilah’s neck and kicking in her knee. Clara had a neck brace and a cast. But who was Delilah/Clara’s boss? And how did she survive in the pack for so long without anyone knowing her true identity? It didn’t seem like Hayden and Ace knew, and if they didn’t…
Thank goodness she didn’t become Luna. It would have been catastrophic for the Werewolf Clan and the Supernaturals in general. Imagine a Luna working for the enemies.

Many questions swirled around in her head, and she didn’t notice that a lot of time had passed by until Hayden came into the room and plopped down beside her.
She yelped and threw a blind punch. Hayden grabbed her fist and gently put her hand down. She relaxed when she saw that it was Hayden, and she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
“Nah, I told you those pecks don’t work for me. I want a proper kiss, or I’ll steal it,” he said with a stern voice. However, humour and mischief shone in his eyes.
Alexia scooted backwards away from him with a teasing smile, “Really? You’d steal a kiss? Do gentlemen do that?” Hayden laughed and ran his hand through his hair, making it look roguish.
“Whoever told you that I was a gentleman. Fair lady, I am a rake. A bastard, an impish fellow,” he replied, stalking towards her.
“Well, it’s never too late to become a gentleman, dear rake. You may start now, if you please,” she said, still shuffling back.
Hayden suddenly lunged, and she darted back again. However, there was no where else for her to go as her back had hit the headboard. He grabbed her wrists with one hand and held them behind her. He used his second hand to tilt her chin upwards and held it in place with two fingers. Both of them were kneeling on the bed.

His blue eyes flitted over her body. Her bruises were healed, but there were still a few yellow spots here and there. His eyes came back to her face. Her lips were slightly parted and she breathed out softly through them. Her nose flared time to time, and her pupils were dilated. His wolf howled in his head as he picked up the scent of her arousal. All blood immediately went south.

He released her chin and he caressed her face with his hand. His thumb brushed over her lips, and she made a small sound in her throat, and her eyes flitted close. That was his undoing. With a soft moan, he placed his lips on hers, and she moaned into his mouth. He drew in a sharp breath and plundered her mouth, taking everything she was offering.
His tongue probed around her mouth, sucking and exploring. When he drew her bottom tongue into his mouth, she gasped. He left her mouth and started kissing along her jawline until he reached the crook of her neck, right below her earlobe. His tongue darted out and licked that place, and electrifying shivers ran up and down her spine, straight to her core.

He released her wrists, and he grabbed her waist with both hands. Alexia wrapped her hands around his neck, and they went down, she on top of him. Hayden rolled them so that he was on top and continued his ministrations. He continued to kiss down her neck, his hand moving under her t-shirt. His touch set her skin alight and she burned for him. Her hands tugged and pulled at the hair on his nape, then found their way under his shirt.
Her hands roamed over his chest and his pecs, and they finally tugged at his shirt. She took it off, and he moaned when her hands continued to touch him.

Hayden was placing feather kisses along the neckline of her t-shirt. Then he suddenly got impatient and tore it off, exposing her bra and her breasts. He continued to kiss down her neck, over the slight swell of her breasts. His hands toyed with the underwire frame of the bra.
Then he moved back up her body, drawn to the spot below her earlobe. He kissed it again and Alexia moaned. He buried his nose there and drew in her intoxicating scent.
“I really can’t wait to put my mark here,” he whispered, his voice roughened by lust. The statement brought Alexia back to clarity and she gently pushed his head away.
He rose over her, and looked into her eyes, “W...what’s wrong?” His voice was deeper than usual, and it sounded hoarse.
“I…can’t go further. Let’s stop, please,” she pleaded.
“But why?”
“I…I’m not ready to go further, please.”
Hayden sighed and nodded, “Fine. I’ll wait for you,” he said and kissed her forehead. Then he stood up and proceeded into bathroom, but before he could enter, Alexia walked up to his back and hugged him from behind. Her breasts pressed into his back and her hands rested on his abdomen.
“I’m sorry. Are you mad at me?” she asked.
“No, I am not. I just need to take a cold shower because of this unwanted…no, non-functional hard-on. Trust me, I am not mad at you,” he replied, lacing his hands through hers.
“Oh.”
“Yeah. So, I’d like to take that shower now. You’re welcome to join me,” he offered, grinning. His face was slightly turned to the back so he could see her expression redden.

Alexia thumped his back and he laughed, before continuing into the bathroom. Soon, she could hear the shower running.
She went back to sit on the bed and reflected on their hot make-out session. Sooner or later, he would have to mark her, and they will mate all the way. Then, they’d have the pack ceremony and she would finally be Luna of the Werewolves.
That thought settled heavy in her chest once again as she recollected the conversation she had with Evie, Hayden’s mother some days ago.