In the next week that followed, things changed considerably well for some people, while for others, it was just as it always is.
For Eline, she was the happiest at work. Not only because of her promoted status which gained her more respect than usual amongst the other sentinel but also because she get to work at the Tower, which is one of the most prestigious places a sentinel can ever work in. Also, she gets to see her human best friend more often.
Most of her break time, she spent with Ismena-that is if Ismena herself is not busy. She works with the Alpha King in his study and it's a very big step in their relationship. It's still hard to believe that he has finally let her in like that.
For an Alpha, their work to the clan to their businesses both in Naturiah or outside of it, is something they hold very dear. It takes a certain kind of trust for them to let a person in on it, talk more of letting the person work on it with them.
It makes Eline happy that the Alpha King has not only given his trust to his future mate, but he is slowly letting her into his cold, deserted heart. Her happiness holds nothing to Ismena's own.
The woman seems to have a bright, perpetual smile carved into her face this past week. A complete opposite to the way she'd been during their short breakup.
Kassandra is just as happy as Ismena is. After she found out that there was a possibility that she might be the lifemate of Alpha Alphose, the woman looked positively radiant all week.
Although, there are those moments when the doubt creeps in and the sadness comes. But Sandra was determined to stick her foot in and stay positive about the whole situation. Eline admired the female really well for this.
That time during the week when all three of them get to spend some hours together has always been the best.
Meanwhile, for Wolfariaine, life was even better. For the first time in eighteen years, he felt ighter. Freer.
Since he made the decision to give them a chance, it feels like a burden has left him. The morning following that day, she'd found him working in the study and offered to help.
Four months ago, that offer would have been preposterous but now, it wasn't not when it came from her.
So, he'd withdrawn a file containing more paperwork that needed to be done, explained the basics she needed to know, and handed them to her. He had been most surprised to see the clean job she'd done.
It was that very day that he found out that she actually worked for NAALC, the Oklahoma branch for five years before she was diagnosed with heart disease, which made her resign. His lifemate worked as a secretary for his company, of all the companies in the world. If that was not fate, he does not know what fate was.
Wolfaraine smiled as he walked out of the council meeting, with Alphose walking beside him. Now, that he thought of it, her working in that branch finally explained what she was doing there that day the Alpha CEO of that branch had called him about a woman carrying a very faint scent of his. That was how he'd been able to catch her after she stole his ring and ran away.
"Can I ask what you're smiling about, Alpha King?" Alphose asked beside him.
"Just a little trip down the memory lane." He responded, reluctantly.
Alphose grinned knowingly, "I bet that lane has your mate written all over it."
Wolfaraine thought of telling Alphose that she cannot be referred to as his mate because there have been no mating rituals, but he chose to ignore it. No matter how he explains, Alphose still uses that reference anyway.
Besides, he was reluctant to point it out. Not when it spreads some kind of warmth inside him when she is referred to as his mate.
"I bet at the left lane is Ismena, and at the right lane is a small, beautiful, blond woman with the smile of an angel whose name is Ismena-"
"Mind your own business, Alpha Alphose." Sadly, his voice did not come out as stern as he'd wanted it to.
"Sure, I will. Sure, I will." Alphose nodded but he sounded anything but convincing.
"How are things going between you and Kassandra?"
The smile on Alphose's face faltered. Wolfaraine watched as the usual look of misery that always follows that question crossed his friend's face for a few seconds before he schooled his expression.
"We are just friends. We are keeping a...positive mind towards everything."
"Alphose..." He began.
Alphose turned towards him, "I know what you want to say, but can you please not say it? Please?"
Wolfaraine exhaled heavily. He felt bad for Alphose's situation. He cannot imagine what it must be like for a woman one desperately wants to be his, to have the potential of being another male's.
Before he could say anything else, a sound alerted him of someone coming. Almost immediately, Degar came into view.
Degar has been in the human world for the past nine days, working on the assignment he'd given him.
When the leopard Alpha came close, he inclined his head, "Can I speak with you for a moment, Alpha King?"
"Yes, you can." To Alphose, he said, "You can leave without me, Alphose. Degar and I have something to discuss."
Alphose nodded and inclined his own head as a greeting to both Alphas which they also mirrored before he turned and walked out.
"To my study, please." He said to Degar. Turning, he headed back to his study while the leopard Alpha followed him.
When they got to his study, he reached for his pocket to fish out the keys before he noticed that it was open. Followed by the familiar scent of Ismena.
The frown on his face disappeared, replaced by a feather of a smile as he held the door handle and opened it.
She was staring pointedly at a paper in front of her, but looked up when the door opened. The serious look on her face was gone, replaced by a radiant smile. "Alpha King,"
Her addressing him with his title occasionally shouldn't sound as sexy as it does, every damn time. "Ena. How is it going?"
"Tough, but great." She beamed at him, raising the file she was studying when he walked in, "From what I'm seeing here about the infrastructure of china, I think there is more basic..."
Degar tuned her words out, the shock on his face very clear as he watched the exchange between the two. The last time he was here, the Alpha King was in the blackest mood mortally possible and the female was nowhere in sight. But now, just the look on their faces as they talked with each other was enough to make Degar feel lightheaded in shock.
As they stepped into his room, the visible change in the Alpha King's demure was comical. He would not have believed it if he was not seeing it with his own eyes.
"...I see you have a business to discuss with the leopard Alpha, I will leave you both to it." The words from the female's lips brought Degar back to the conversation.
"You can stay if you want to. I trust you." The Alpha King said matter-of-factly.
Degar almost swallowed his own damn tongue. Okay, maybe he walked into an alternate universe. This can't be right. This can't be real.
His female shook her head, her smile becoming more radiant. "No, I will leave. I know you both need privacy. Besides, Nalaila and I have a date today in the Swarm Forest. I think it's time I pick her up."
"Wait, what?" Degar blurted out, unable to keep it in.
The pair turned and glanced at him. He's never seen the King's eyes so bright with feelings. Yes, definitely an alternate universe.
"The leopard Alpha looks like he is seeing ghosts, Alpha King." She said, sweetly.
"It looks like that, doesn't it? Oh, you have a lot to catch up on, Degar." The Alpha King directed at him, "I can give you a little bit of information but why would I ruin it for you when most of the clans of Naturiah are buzzing with so many rumors about us and they cannot wait to fill you in."
A smile ghosted the Alpha King's face as he walked towards his desk, "Besides, why ruin it for your friend, Head Sentinel Rodarh, when I know the Elephant is having so much fun telling those tales about me? Look out for him, will you? I am sure that he will be the first to pay you a visit when you get back to your home."
Wait. Since when does the Alpha King say more than three words at a time? The male is not a talker. Or a smiler. Hell, or even a jester.
"I think the human world has messed with my head." Plus, he has been sleeping less and less, he knew it was bound to affect it sooner or later, Degar thought in bemusement.
"Hmm," The Alpha King narrowed his head as if he was considering it, "Tell you what, why don't you go back home and get some rest, Degar? This can wait. You do need rest after such a long journey. We can have this conversation tomorrow."
Degar looked at him like he had grown two heads, "Are you sure, Alpha King? I do not mind-"
"I am sure. Go home, Degar."
The male finally nodded. Within a few seconds, Wolfaraine was alone with Ismena in the study.
Ismena giggled, "I think you just traumatized him. Poor leopard Alpha."
"He will be fine. I will take you to Nalaila's room before I join the other Alphas in the hunting field."
Her hand reached out for his, so Wolfaraine automatically linked their fingers together. Ismena looked up and beamed. He kissed her nose before he turned and led her out of the door.
Ismena was at her happiest, and she could barely hide it. This week with Wolfaraine has turned out to be the best time of her life. He was freer with her more trusting. More open.
Oh, he still has a deep frown on his face sometimes, but then again, she no longer sees it as his default setting because those dark lines dissolve whenever she comes into sight. He does not smile much, but he doesn't frown as much either. Big progress.
Also, they were closer than they'd ever been. And she's not talking about the nights when they make love and they converse for most of the night if she's still awake after that, before he has to retreat to his bed chambers. No, it's not only in the bedroom, they are closer everywhere.
As for Nalaila, it's still baby steps with her. She has only been able to spend more time with the Wolf three times after that night because the wolf sleeps a lot. Wolfaraine said it is not normal, but it is not bad either. She sleeps like that because she is always in wolf-form.
The wolf still has not let him close to her whenever she's out of her room or playing with Ismena, and even though, Wolfaraine hides it well, Ismena knows it's hurtful for him. Sadly, there is nothing she can do about it. But, she is hopeful that with time, the wolf will let him in.
In the few hours since Alpha Degar came home; he'd freshened up, left instructions to his sentinels not to disturb him, and even got a very good sleep.
His sleep was cut short by the loud knock coming from his bedroom door. For the caller to be allowed as far as his bedroom door, it must be an Alpha.
He rose begrudgingly, walked to the door, and threw it open. Head Sentinel Rodarh stood behind the door with a huge grin on his face.
"My dear friend, Degar, I was very glad when I heard you returned. I came immediately to check up on you."
"You woke me up from sleep, Rodarh. You have to wait-"
"Nonsense," Rodarh waved him away, "Sleep is unimportant now. Why let you sleep when I can make you faint with the succulent tales I came bearing?"
He threw his arm across Degar's shoulder, grinning like a fool while he walked them out of the house, "Let's go running. Sweet tales are best told in the forest of Azx because you get to kill some Wild Ones while you are at it. So much fun."
Well, the Alpha King did warn him, Degar muttered under his breath. He sighed and gave in to the excited Elephant.
"It's been ten days since you told us that you would give us his girlfriend. I would have thought I dreamt about that day, but that can't be right. You DID promise us the girl." Beloca was seething. So angry that he held a death grip on the cell phone he placed to his ear.
"I did promise the girl. But, something came up." Anaconda's voice came over the phone.
"So, the plan failed?" Beloca gritted his teeth. Hard.
"It is safe to say that. The female made a last-minute decision that ruined our plan."
"And you just went silent on us!? You didn't think it was something we needed to know!?" The human doctor glared at the phone.
"I have been very busy." That was all the man said.
God, he is so infuriating. "So, what are you planning to do about all this?"
"I'm searching for a loophole that might make it possible for me to draw the female out of our land without implicating myself. Just a little more time, Doc."
Beloca hung up the phone, so mad he would have been breathing fire if he was a dragon. Why is it that nothing ever goes their way, dammit!
He placed another call and waited impatiently for it to ring. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long.
"I am in an important meeting with the higher-ups, Doc. We are gonna have to do this later-" General Adeladin began,
Beloca cut in, "I finally got hold of Anaconda."
"Really? That slimy son-of-a-bitch! Just give me a few minutes,"
Distinctively, Beloca heard Adeladin's voice as he offered to say some words and excused himself from wherever he was. The background noises faded. When the man spoke again, Beloca could hear him clearly.
"So, what have you got for us?"
"I've got nothing, that's the infuriating part. The bastard said he'd been busy and that is why he hasn't reached out...or taken any of our calls. He said we should give him some more time for whatever the fuck he wants to do."
"Goddamnit! I knew we shouldn't have trusted that asshole. Got us all excited for absolutely nothing. The higher-ups that put me in charge of finding these monsters and eradicating them have been so mad about the poor progress we've been making lately. It's as if they became even harder to find, the ones that live out here. Now, this too?" The older man sputtered angrily, "Must be an all-round failure something going on for me now! A full circle!"
"Stop shouting into my ears, old man. I am as mad about this as you are. I am an experienced scientist whose mentor was killed trying to help humanity find the weaknesses of these monsters to completely eradicate them with it, but nothing seems to be working my way! The higher-ups will not take me seriously until I've proven myself to them. i need to bring in Number 6 and I need to tear him open like a lab rat to run all kinds of experiments on him for years. I need to know every single thing about their kind and even make a few offsprings off him, to train as our soldiers and use them to eradicate their people for good!"
In the silence that followed, their breathing was loud like they'd run a marathon. They took some time to calm down before speaking again.
"Look," Beloca's voice was calmer this time, "I think we should bring in the other traitor I have working with me before. I let him go after the epic fail in our plan where I lost a very good and trusted scientific, and you lost a good number of your men. I thought this new guy, Anaconda would be easier and faster, but I was wrong."
"You mean the Cronus guy? I think that is a great idea. We can use the two of them. Anaconda can keep doing whatever he is doing from his side, while we get Cronus to work from his own side. It's still a big plus for us whichever side pulls it off. What do you think?"
Beloca smiled for the first time today. He was loving that idea.