Ares.
Time seemed to pass by slowly as I waited in my car for the elder to come out of the airport. My heart thumped loudly in my chest in expectation for him.
Victor had called me that he was going to be coming today instead of tomorrow and worst of all, he was studying in my home at the estate.
A thousand thoughts ran through my head as I wondered what was going to go wrong even though he was around.
The elders were constantly watching my pack, waiting for one single mistake to punish me again. They wanted me to fuck up and wanted my downfall to strip me away from being the Alpha of Blood Moon Pack and I couldn't allow that.
It didn't help that they hated me to their very cores. My phone vibrates once more in my pocket and I knew it was Seth calling for the third time since I left the house.
His paranoia was getting to me and it was only a matter of time before I smashed the phone against the floor in anger.
Ignoring my phone, I ran my hand through my torso, the pain from the gunshot was still there, limiting my movements. Isabel had arrived early to change my bandages and I had requested for painkillers.
The last thing I wanted was for the elder to find out I had gotten shot because of a slave.
As much as I tried hard not to think of Alora and hugging her last night. I still did. I didn't know why I did that either but she looked so distraught and worried that I felt drawn to hold her in my arms. I sighed, rubbing my eyes.
I still didn't don't know whether to go with my plan earlier of saying Alora was my lover or if I should just conclude she was my maid.
But I had given Alora her own room and the one beside mine too, and she didn't go home like the others. There was no way he was going to believe she was just a maid.
I groaned tiredly, running my hand through my hair as I looked outside the window to see the elder coming out with an escort with his luggage.
My heart thumbed loudly in my chest as I watched him.
Ezra Saldar could almost be mistaken as a lady.
He had long white hair that fell past his shoulders, resting elegantly in his back in a straight wave. He was slender with very pale skin. He wore a white robe that spoke of his wealth caressed with gold dusts around the edges.
As much as he looked so small and dainty, his eyes spoke of the power and authority he had. Deep green eyes with a speck of orange that watched everyone like a threat, with so much disgust and irritation.
His long white eyelashes fluttered as he eyed down the escort who had accidentally hit his feet with his box.
And when those green eyes found me, I felt the blood rush from my face as I sighed, getting down from the car.
"Welcome." I greeted. "It's been a long time, Elder Ezra."
"Still as cocky and disrespectful as ever, Ares." Ezra said, taking out a fan from one of his bags before fanning his face.
He sounded like a beautiful bird, singing in the early hours of the morning. It was tiny, like a female and if I didn't know how powerful he was, I would have thought he was a woman.
Ezra was one of the strongest wolves of the elders. The direct lineage from the Chief elders, he spoke of royalty and strength. He was a force to be reckoned with.
Even I didn't even want to battle with him.
"Well I wouldn't be Ares if my arrogance was gone. Come on. The others are waiting." I said, directing him to my car as he followed after me with a frown on his face.
"Seeing the humans disgust me. I've been at the Tower of Saldar for far too long to breathe the same sir as these pathetic creatures." He said, getting into my car as I smirked and closed the door.
The escort placed his luggages at the booth of my car and I slammed it shut, a little too hard just to irritate Ezra.
I sighed, my phone vibrating in my pocket as I took it out to see Seth's name flashing on my screen.
"Have you met him yet?" His raspy voice asked and I wiped my forehead.
"Yes."
"Still acting like a stick got stuck up his ass?" Seth asked and I chuckled, peeking into the car as Ezra tapped his phone irritatedly.
"Yep. See you at the house later." I said before shutting my phone and getting into the car.
"Your Beta still hates me?" Ezra asked and I chuckled, looking at him through the rear mirror. His green eyes fixed on me.
"Seth hates everyone." I answered as he nodded before looking outside the window.
The ride back home was silent and it didn't long before we reached the pack. There were decorations around in preparation of the pack ceremony in three days and there was excitement in the air.
"The full moon is in three days. Have you addressed the pack yet?" Ezra's voice cut through the silence and I shook my head.
"Not yet."
"When would you? You have to address the newly shifted wolves as well as the pack in general." He commanded and I nodded.
"I know. I'll do that soon."
"When?"
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I looked ahead, making a turn to my estate that was located at the end of the pack to avoid any distraction and noise from the others.
"Tonight."
Ezra said nothing else as when I parked in my home, I got out to call one of the guards to help with Ezra's things.
"I see, you didn't move out of your parents home." Ezra commented as he got out of the car, looking around with a smirk on his face that made him appear evil.
"Your father, the Elder Chief, didn't let me." I said, feeling anger in my veins as I turned away from him.
I had been forced to stay here, in this estate, despite everything that had happened. I was like a beast trapped in the forbidden, cursed castle.
"Because you need to be reminded of your past." Ezra smiled, walking past me to the entrance and I looked away, my jaw ticking as I tried to reign in my anger.
Lana came out immediately, she had changed out of her usual work clothes into a black skirt with a white apron over it and a pink blouse. She had also pulled her hair into a ponytail as she forced a smile on her face to welcome Ezra who she hated.
"Welcome Elder to the Blood Moon Pack." Lana greeted, bowing deeply as Ezra scoffed.
"And you still work here?" He asked making Lana to look up at him.
"It's always a pleasure to work for the Alpha." She answered. Ezra said nothing, knowing he had lost as Lana pushed the door open for him.
"I was surprised you wanted to stay at the estate instead of the hotel." She said,
"Do you have anything to hide?" Ezra asked, stopping in his tracks as he turned to me with a smile on his face.
"And what could I possibly hide? You and the others have taken everything away from me." I told him making him nod his head before he walked in.
His green judgemental eyes looked around the house. I couldn't read the emotions in those eyes as he finally turned to girls as they entered the sitting room to greet him.
They had worn their maid uniform like they did whenever someone of high status came visiting. Camilla and Carmen stood at the center of Raya and Isabel. And a tiny prick of guilt hit me as I had denied then school for the week. I made a mental note to uplift those punishments later.
"Welcome Elder." They greeted in unison, bowing deeply as Ezra nodded and turned to me.
"Take me to my room." He ordered and I nodded heading up the stairs as I tried to sniff out where Alora was.
Her scent was far off and I wondered where she was. I hadn't seen her since last night and I wondered what she was up to. Lana hadn't received any instructions from me on what to do with Alora or how to present her to the elder and I knew it was up to me to do that.
"There's someone else here." Ezra said as I led him up the stairs. "It's a scent that's not familiar to your pack." He said, looking around the house.
"I'll introduce her to you later." I said, as I passed mine and Alora's room to the end of the hallway to take the stairs that led to the last floor where I hosted any visitors.
"Her?" I heard Ezra say as he stopped behind me, directly in front of Alora's room as he sniffed and turned to me dangerously.
"Yes." I said, the sir shifting around us for a second as I turned around to see Alora walk into the hallway.
The first thing I noticed was her hair had turned back to its usual black as it bounced on her shoulders as she skipped happily into the hallway. There was a bunch of flowers in her hand as she looked down at it happily, humming a song. She was wearing an orange dress that covered every part of her.
Ezra turned to her, his eyes widening as he stared at Alora who was still oblivious to the both of us. My heart skipped a bit as Ezra stared at Alora in confusion and awe.
I stepped forward quickly as Alora finally looked up, stopping in her tracks as she finally took notice of us. Her eyes widened as she stepped back in fear lightly.
"Oh.." Her voice was barely above a whisper and Ezra folded his arms, expecting a greeting from her but Alora stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
"And who's this? Not only does her scent feel different from your pack, but it's obvious she has no wolf. She must have been born on a moonless night with no regard from the moon goddess making her less werewolf and more human. But she's disrespectful as well with no regards for me nor you." Ezra said at once and I frowned, coming between him and Alora as his gaze didn't shift from her.
I hadn't expected Alora to be here so early, I had wanted more time to think of what I was going to tell Ezra but she had come out of nowhere, forcing me to think fast.
Telling Ezra that Alora was one of the maids was already off my list because he had perceived her scent in the room beside mine. And she hadn't been wearing a maid costume like the others. Leaving me with no other choice than to do with the original plan. It was better to say Alora was a lover than she was a maid with special treatment.
"That's Alora, I found her at the borders. She used to be a slave to one of the humans and I took her in." I started making Ezra frown as he didn't turn away from Alora.
I could hear Alora's heart beating loudly in her chest as I headed towards her. Her eyes widened when I placed my hand over her waist, pulling her close as her scent of vanilla and rose filled my nose.
"I've also taken her as my lover."