Ares.
I noticed a few things about Alora today. After I had gotten back from addressing the pack and changing the guards who were pretty useless to me and slacking off their duties, I had them locked, flogged and punished.
I could have punished them a bit harder because I was already angry, Ezra was getting on my nerves, the packing ceremony was in three days and I was in intense pain around my torso.
I wasn't healing fast and I knew why.
But Alora had somehow distracted me from focusing on anything else because she acted in a way I hadn't seen before.
And it was…
... intriguing?
The first thing I noticed about Alora was that she was left handed. I didn't know how that had slipped off my notice. Because I was very observant mostly due to the fact that I had anxiety.
But I hadn't realized that until today when she ate with me at the table. The spoon was obviously too heavy for her but she managed to eat quietly and like a mouse, taking tiny bits at a time.
The second thing I noticed was that she was a talker. It was funny because she was always quiet, especially the first few days she had arrived. She didn't speak and I had heard Camilla call her mute a few times.
But right now, she was talking non stop and the weirdest thing was that I had no idea what she was talking about.
Her black hair shone under the dim light and her violet eyes appeared bigger and brighter as she spoke loudly, laughing for a second before she continued.
I stared back at the wine in her cup, it was alcoholic and that was my mistake. I didn't know why I thought a slave like her could hold her alcohol.
She was drunk.
"And then the cat just jumped out the moment I stepped in. I was scared like crazy!" Alora said, raising her hand to her face and giggling excitedly.
The famous fear that had been buried in her eyes earlier was gone. It was no news that Alora was terrified of me, and I sent her to my room not because I wanted to do anything but because I didn't want Ezra to mess with her while I left. But she had misread the whole scenario and concluded that I was a rapist.
The thought angered me that she would think so low of me.
"Are you listening?" Alora asked me, cocking her head to the side as I turned to her curiously, dropping my cup on the table.
There was something about the smile on her face, it was bright, reflecting in those eyes of hers that shone as the early morning sun.
"Yes." I answered, dropping my spoon on the table before checking the time on my phone. It was already past eleven and I was tired.
But Alora didn't seem to want to stop talking. "Even when I got closer, the cat didn't seem scared until I realized it was there." She laughed before looking around the room.
"Is my voice echoing?" She asked, standing up to look around. "Hello? Hello?" She laughed, "Yes it is. Hello?" She said again, happily as she stumbled drunkily.
"Your house is pretty big Alpha Ares." She said, turning to me.
My heart skipped a bit at the sound of my name from her lips. This was the first time I have ever heard her call me so loudly and openly. And the way she said my name sent chills down my spine.
I said nothing as she went to one of the couches and fell against it, sighing. "Carmen used to watch a movie on the TV. But I never seem to understand what they say. They speak another language and I can't read the words on the screen."
That was right, she couldn't read. I wondered if Alora had even been to school. Did her former Master prevent her from going to school? I realized there was so much I didn't know about Alora and now that she was drunk seemed to be the perfect time to ask her anything.
"Why can't you read?" I asked as she yawned, resting her head on the head rest.
"Because my parents didn't send me to school." She responded, opening her eyes to look around the room for something.
"Where is the stuff they use to put on the TV?" She asked, running her hand through the chairs and heading to the center table.
I watched her gently as she staggered around, narrowly missing her steps.
"Ha!" She said excitedly, holding the remote to me as she grinned before pressing a button.
This was the first time she was so free with me, every trace of fear that she felt was gone and I found myself drawn to this playful part of her, just like at the mall.
I stood up and walked to the sofa where she sat and pressed each button unsure of what they did.
"How does it work?" She asked, moving closer to me so I could perceive her vanilla scent as she hit the remote on her palm.
"Not like that." I said coldly, snatching the remote from her before pressing a button and a Korean drama came up making Alora scream happily and point to the TV.
"You're amazing!" She said smiling before she relaxed once more on the chair, moving a bit closer to me.
"I don't understand what they are saying. Can you read it to me?" Alora asked, turning to me with her face so close. I coughed awkwardly, moving away from her as I turned back to the screen.
There was a man standing in front of a house, looking at a woman at the window.
"He's saying he is going to free her from this place." I narrated as Alora turned to the tv excitedly.
"She doesn't believe him. She said, ``her father is too powerful and she would marry someone else." I continued, reading the subtitles.
"Why would she marry someone else? Is that her mate?" Alora asked and I shook my head.
"Humans don't have mates, only wolves do. The moon goddess has fated us with a mate, someone to be with forever. But it's not applicable to humans, they fall in love with anyone."
"But if the person breaks their hearts?" Alora asked, her eyes sad as she faced me.
"It's their business. They are weak. They love easily, giving the person their heart to do whatever they wish to do. It's stupid and dumb." I answered, clenching my fist.
"No it's not." Alora whispered and I turned to her in surprise.
She faced me with a sad smile on her lips. "I don't think it's stupid to love someone. Or to give your heart to the person. It's being strong and brave. It's trust and it's hopeful to do so, expecting them to return the same feelings towards you." She said, looking back at the TV, it's bright lights reflecting on her eyes as the scenes changed.
"Humans are stronger than wolves." She finished before sighing.
I said nothing to that. This was the first time she had spoken against me. And while anyone else in my pack did that and they got punished. I found it intriguing and exciting that she could say what was on her mind irrespective of me getting angry at her.
"Was your master a strong human for keeping you as a slave?" I asked and Alora was silent for a while before she spoke.
"He was powerful." She responded, looking up at the ceiling. "But he wasn't-"
The TV suddenly changed its channel as Alora had accidentally pressed a button on the remote. A song came on and she jumped from the chair with a smile on her face.
"I know this song!" She yelled happily, pointing at the screen to reveal a band of five boys singing on the stage. At the top of the stage was written "One Direction"
"Raya plays it sometimes on her headphones!" Alora yelled, hopping around the sitting room and shaking her body to the rhythm of the song. She was a pathetic dancer and I didn't know when I laughed escaped my lips causing her to turn to me.
"Did you just laugh?" She asked, her eyes filled with gleam and surprise.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"No?"
"Yes."
Fuck!
"Yes! You said yes! Haha!" Alora laughed, falling on the chair beside me tiredly as the song came to an end.
I watched her in silent admiration as she yawned tiredly, rubbing her eyes as if she felt sleepy. Of course, it was almost twelve midnight.
"You must have been pretty lonely for a long time. Your house is very big with only you in it." Alora said, her voice above a whisper as she faced me. Her violet eyes locked with mine, and they didn't waver in fear.
"No." I responded coldly, adjusting properly on the sofa asi felt a tingle of discomfort from Alora's gaze.
It reminded me of my mother's, like they could see through me.
"Your eyes are very cold. Like an icy blue color. But in the hallway when the elder was there,they seemed to be different. Your hands were trembling too." Alora said and my eyes widened at the memory.
I could feel my anxiety peeking out that time in the hallway, and I didn't want Ezra to see it. So I had kept my hand behind Alora.
"I'm going to bed." I said, proceeding to get up when Alora's head fell against my shoulder, freezing me up.
I felt my blood run cold, my eyes widened as I stated ahead, unable to move from my spot.
It wasn't until I heard a soft snore did I realize that she was asleep and I turned to her gently. Her black hair covered half of her face. Long black eyelashes rested on her red found cheeks. And her small lips were parted slightly. I could hear the steady beating of her heart.
She was asleep.
I sighed, dropping my head tiredly before turning back to Alora gently, scooping her into my arms and making my way up the stairs.
Alora yawned, pouting her lips cutely and I smiled as I looked down at her. She was so beautiful. The memory of her dancing across the sitting room flashed in my head, her happy eyes that glittered making them appear almost purple under the TV light. Her cheeks deepened in a smile as she spoke quickly and excitedly.
Alora was indeed beautiful. And I found myself drawn to the part of her that I had seen tonight. The childish, happy crybaby who wasn't scared of me.
And as I climbed up the stairs to my room. I realized I didn't want Alora to be scared of me. I was an Alpha and I wanted every members of my pack scared of me, that way they didn't fuck with me. I fed off power and I wanted to be feared and respected.
But when it came to the frail woman in my arms, I suddenly didn't want any of that. I frowned.
This emotion was confusing, it was strange and I didn't understand it at all.
Pushing my room door open, I walked to my bed, dripping Alora against it carefully as I drew back the covers and threw it against her body making her sigh.
I ran my hands through my hair, walking away from my bed as I went to the window, drawing back the curtains. The moon was almost full, its bright lights shining against my face.
"What do you think you're doing to me?" I asked. The moon goddess could hear me, I knew she could. But I had never gotten a response from her. She sat back and watched everything happen to me and I never got any explanation from her.
I looked away from the moon at Alora, her black hair was sprayed along my pillow and slowly from her head, it started to turn into a shade of red just like yesterday.
My eyes widened as her black hair changed to red and I stepped closer to her. She was still asleep and I crouched in front of her.
"Don't be scared anymore, Alpha Ares. I'll be with you in your big house." Alora whispered to me, a smile on her lips as she slept.