Loving this.

****

Gayle paced back and forth the hallway of the large mansion, her thoughts in a jam. This couldn’t be happening to her, no, it couldn’t. she swore she was finally making headway with Caleb, she was so close to achieving her aim, he had begun to yield to her charms and just a week ago, she had been counting down the days to when she would finally be introduced to the pack as their Alpha-bitch, everything had been falling in place like she planned. Hell, she had already started to wield her power amongst the lower pack members and they were obeying her albeit begrudgingly, but she had been respected.

And then she came along.

The day it happened, she felt the change in the entire house, not just felt it, but the entire house had shown her she had no place after all. The woman had barely been in the house, hell, she was still unconscious when they started giving her attitude. Even the omegas wouldn’t listen to her now.

They said she was his mate. How ridiculous! He was almost two hundred years old, he had longgiven up on finding this elusive mate and was set on doing the reasonable thing, there was no chance in hell that this female was his mate. He hadn’t even recognized her initially, how was she his mate when he didn’t detect her scent? Maybe it was a fluke, of course, it would only be a matter of time before Caleb would realise she wasn’t who he thought she was and then she would be kicked out like the stray puppy she was and he would return to his rightful place- beside her.

The sound of the large door opening down the hallway pulled her attention. Just the wolf she was looking for.

Rinaldi walked down the hallway with the usual swagger in his steps, one hand shoved into the pocket of his gym pants and his slick, dark hair, tousled like he had just gotten out of bed. Rinaldi Salvatore was very attractive, and he knew that. He wasn’t modest about anything, reminding her of a peacock in his ways, he liked to play to his strengths- which was mostly his looks and his tongue, he had a sugar-coated tongue that he used on everyone and everything, and it had never failed him. Be it in a boardroom or a bedroom, Rinaldi was known to capture anyone’s attention and get his way with little persuasion. It was why Caleb had put him in charge of all business dealings related to the pack.

Before she got access to Caleb, Gayle had once been a regular visitor to Rinaldi’s chamber, then Caleb had been much too buried in a pile of anger and resentment to even be approached and Rinaldi had been with them for a couple of years. A younger Gayle had been taken by the handsome, smooth-talking, well dressed gentleman and her ambitious side had been drawn to the tales of how he was supposed to be an Alpha in Colombia, but his pack had been attacked when he was younger and he was working towards getting them back from those who had taken away his land and his people. She had seen an opportunity, a chance to somehow become an Alpha-bitch, and initially, she had been willing to worm her way into his heart and become his mate even though he had only been looking to have fun.

She had succeeded and Rinaldi had fallen for her, but her impatience caused her to look elsewhere and it was just at the time Caleb was leaving the shell he had built around himself. She took her chance when it came and dropped Rinaldi without a second look. He never did forgive her for that, but she hadn’t cared, she was going to be Caleb’s alpha-bitch and Rinaldi was still a beta. But now that her plans were looking bleak, she had to return to her old flame and pull out some information from him.

Rinaldi stopped in his tracks when he sighted her and then allowed a smirk grace his features. How typical, he knew it would only be a matter of time before Gayle would bring her skinny, calculating, manipulative behind crawling like a disease-stricken refugee to his door. Since he had heard of Caleb’s mate, he had just been waiting for her, the leopard never changed it’s spots, he wondered if it even slightly disturbed her how utterly predictable she was.

Damned, arrogant dog! If she didn’t need to hear it from him, Gayle knew she wouldn’t even be here an extra second after that disgusting smirk lit up his face, but desperate times didn’t give one choices. She would just swallow his insults for now, “So, you must know why I’m here” she began saucily.

He arched a brow at her, “Considering you haven’t been here in over a year, should i?” he retorted.

She frowned, he wasn’t going to make this any easier for her, “Is it true?”

“Is what true?”

“The woman, is she who they say she is?” she blurted out, unable to maintain her calm in the face of his taunt

Rinaldi smiled, “Oh, you mean has your one chance to be someone who matters been dashed away by the discovery of the one who truly merits her position? Has the temporary spell you cast on Caleb with your evil magic been rendered impotent by a much more powerful, pure one? You want to know if your time in his chambers has come to a sad, pathetic end? Well, I’ most pleased to inform you that yes, you’re back to your much more familiar and deserving position of a nobody around here. You must be ecstatic.” He replied, his eyes gleaming with mirth.

Gayle glared at him, her large green eyes literally smoldering with barely held in anger, she had greatly underestimated how petty Rinaldi could be, she approached him till she was standing mere inches away, her nose just barely grazing his strong chin, “Just because you couldn’t have me, doesn’t mean you get to groan about who I choose to be with.” She spoke darkly.

He maintained his smug grin, “Just because my friend was lonely enough to settle for my sloppy seconds, doesn’t mean you were ever worth shit.”

His words stung more than she let her expression show, yes, Gayle did do some dirty things to get to where she was, but she was still a proud woman and she only bent to the will of the most powerful men. The fact that Rinaldi never regarded her even while she had Caleb hooked disturbed her greatly and she had always planned to turn Caleb against him when they did mate, by doing so, Rinaldi would eventually be out of the compound and she wouldn’t have to face his taunts, but the presence of this woman had changed the dynamics of things. If truly she was who they said she was, Gayle knew she would have to take drastic measures and in a short amount of time. She wouldn’t stand for this show of disrespect from Rinaldi.

“Gloat while you can Rinaldi, but I can assure you that this impostor will only last for a brief period, and then I’ll take back my place next to your Alpha.”

Rinaldi’s face dropped and he lost his smile, Gayle couldn’t help but smile at his reaction, yes, this was a much better look on him. she turned her back on him, but before she could move, he grasped her by the neck and slammed her back to his front, “Listen here you calculating little bitch, if anything happens to Caleb’s mate, I can assure you that you will not live to see even two hours after her death. I will hunt you down and end you like the despicable dog you are, comprende?” he asked as he tightened his hold on her neck.

Gayle clawed at his fingers, but her efforts were futile as Rinaldi maintained his hold against her neck, choking her till she could only gasp for air, “You’re ki..lling me.” She choked out.

He flung her to the floor, “Know your place.” He warned and walked past her without a final glance.

Gayle massaged her neck as she watched her ex-lover walk away, she had almost forgotten how violent Rinaldi could get. If she didn’t do something fast, he was going to get even more daring with his blatant disrespect and humiliation. She wouldn’t be able to survive in this compound much longer if she didn’t find a way to curb his audaciousness. It didn’t matter what he said, she was going to get that woman out of this house and out of Caleb’s life, even if she had to call in some old friends to do the dirty work for her

Hmmm na wa o, evil people everywhere. Thanks for the update....its always a joy reading your stories. #goingbacktomyhideout

Interesting.......Safarigirl what do you think of your bookcover?

JeffreyJamez:
Interesting.......Safarigirl what do you think of your bookcover?

it's awesome!

Thanks a million, you should be my official book cover guy

safarigirl:
it's awesome!

Thanks a million, you should be my official book cover guy

Glad you like it....


Sure thing..just holla when you need one,i'm just a mention away

JeffreyJamez:


Glad you like it....


Sure thing..just holla when you need one,i'm just a mention away

will do

i love anything supernatural.... wolves happens to turn me on (pun intended)


dearest check your use of "it's". From your prologue, somewhere in the first paragraph...(it's grey eyes) it should be its grey eyes denoting possession "it's" is the same thing as "it is"... there other ones o but i cant point them all out my chinco phone no go let me just check it out dear.

as nairalanders would say more ink to your pen....

kudos to you safarigirl!

Sorry for the long wait guys- lengthy update.

Hope you enjoy

****

This was ridiculous.

The entire bedroom was littered with everything from books to memorabilia, maps and journals all on the supernatural. Suffice it to say, Kennedy didn’t believe in any of these things, as far as she was concerned, all of these were products of some people’s overactive imaginations and there was nothing solid to prove the existence of any of these things. Sure, a few people claimed to have witnessed these things, but no one had pictures, they had never brought forward anything substantial to back up their claims, so yes, Kennedy thought she had the right to not believe any of these jargons.

But Kylie believed them.

Her sister had been upbeat since she agreed to follow her lead, her mood had been the brightest she had seen of her since Cassandra went missing and Kennedy simply didn’t have it in her to kill such excitement. She would go along with it for now, she would let Kylie take the lead and hopefully, her little sister would come to the realization that none of these things; werewolves, vampires, elves, witches, none of them existed. Sure, it would take some time to convince her, but Kennedy would make sure she didn’t force her opinion on her sister. Kylie would learn.

Speaking of Kylie….

She had gone to the library a couple of hours ago to get more of this junk, why she needed more information on things that were just about as real as aliens baffled Kennedy. Didn’t they have enough of this crap to kill the average person’s brain? She picked up her phone and dialed Kylie’s number, it rang a couple of times before Kylie answered

“What’s up?” she asked in a chirpy voice.

“Are you still at the library?”

“Nope, I’m actually on our street already, just a couple of houses away, what do you…..”

Kylie’s voice trailed off causing Kennedy to raise her brows, “Kylie?” there was no response from the other line, “Kylie, are you there?” she could still hear her breathing, so she was there, but Kennedy couldn’t figure out why her sister wasn’t responding

“Kenny, why are three black cars parking in front of our house?” Kylie asked.

“What?” Kennedy asked as she got off the couch. Three cars? There was no way in hell any car was even parking at their house. Maybe someone had the wrong address or something, “Kylie, just stay where you are, okay? You can come home when I get rid of them.” Kennedy said. She didn’t want to take any chances, just in case the people in these cars were dangerous, no harm would come to Kylie. Since the disappearance of Cassandra, Kennedy had admittedly become a little paranoid in her ways. If someone out there had somehow gotten to their cousin, there was no telling if this person or people were aware of their existence and coming for them as well. if she couldn’t save herself, she would make damn sure Kylie was safe.

“Are you sure Kenny? I should be with you….”

“Don’t argue with me Kylie, stay put!” she ordered as she neared the window and opened up the curtain to look outside. Sure enough there were three cars parked outside, three really expensive looking cars. Kennedy wasn’t really a car person- Cassandra was their car connoisseur, but she could tell just by the look when something was expensive, and those sleek rides parked in front of their house were most certainly worth more than her annual salary.

She watched two huge men dressed in dark suits and shades emerge from the first car, they looked like bodyguards with their mean faces. They had to be in the wrong house, either that, or these were some pretty bad men and she needed to get to her shotgun before they got to her door.

The men moved to the second car and opened the back door. She supposed whoever was in that car was their boss, well, she might as well see who this person was before going for her gun, at least she would know who to aim for if she had to shoot. No one emerged from the car immediately, causing her to wonder if anyone was even in there, and if yes, why was he taking so much time to get out? Was he paralysed? It seemed he finally made his decision, because he placed a booted foot onto the ground after almost five minutes, when Kennedy finally caught her first glimpse of the man, she lost all train of thought, he was gorgeous.

Something was off about this place and Rinaldi didn’t like it. The moment they drove into this town, he had been very unsettled and the closer they got to their destination, the more his unease grew. He couldn’t remember a time he was this nervous, but for some reason, his wolf was in frenzy and giving him reason to worry. He had managed to keep his cool though, knowing he was amongst his subordinates and he need not disturb them with his issues. Nervousness wasn’t a trait a leader should have and these men didn’t need to see him all shaken up.

They got to the house without any incident, it was a quaint, little building situated in a quiet neighbourhood. The buildings were sparse here, a reflection of it’s status as a small town. The house sat in the middle of an equally small, but well proportioned land , surrounded by flowers and a small garden.

This was the address Caleb had given them, his mate’s cousins were supposed to live here. All he had gotten were their names and Caleb had said they did look like his mate, he hadn’t asked for any pictures because he didn’t think them necessary. Maybe he should have, what if they weren’t home?

The door to his side of the car was opened and Rinaldi was hit with a scent that shook him to his core. In the name of Luna, no! This couldn’t be happening to him, not now. His wolf started a raucous in his head, wanting to come out.

She’s here! She’s here!

it kept ringing the same words in his head, but the human side of him didn’t want to admit it. it had to be a mistake, she couldn’t be here, she wasn’t even supposed to be born. He remained seated in his car, trying his best to reason with his wolf, even if she really was here, he didn’t need to morph here. He spoke to his wolf, quelling it’s excitement. The animal snickered when it detected his thoughts of not wanting to meet their mate, he supposed he couldn’t avoid it now.

“Sir?” Damian, the theta who had opened his door, called tentatively.

He could only imagine the picture he presented, sitting here all stiff and unmoving. He growled low in his throat and ran his hand through his hair roughly, with one last pep talk and a quick breathing exercise, he steeled himself for what was coming his way, “Let’s go.” He spoke firmly.

He stepped into the open and looked around, outwardly, he was the definition of cool and calm, but inside, his wolf was stirring up once again as wisps of their mate’s scent wafted in the air, calling out to him in a way he was greatly unfamiliar with.

Damian and Joel- another theta, walked ahead of him, while they left the others behind to keep watch for any danger. Caleb had hammered on alertness, fearing that enemies could be lurking around. That was all the more reason for Rinaldi to insist on that as well, he was usually very alert and Caleb was well aware of that, so the fact that he repeated such an instruction to him made him determined to miss nothing.

As they neared the house, the scent grew stronger, further rattling Rinaldi so much that he feared for his self control. A small part of him wished they were at the wrong house. It would be so much easier to walk away if his mate wasn’t in any way related to Cassandra, he would be fine just knowing she existed somewhere while he worked hard to get back his land and his people before returning for her. Claiming her would put her in harm’s way definitely and he didn’t want to have to keep worrying while he was away on important business. A mate was a complication he didn’t need right now, if only Luna would grant his request.

When they got to the porch Rinaldi had to hold on to the banister to force his wolf down as the smell of lavender seized his entire being. He noticed the dark fur begin to grow out of his skin and his claws scrape the rail. His wolf wanted out. A warning growl left his throat, as much as he didn’t want to find their mate now, he surely didn’t need her running for the hills because this damned animal couldn’t stay in its place.

I want her! Our mate is in there
The wolf chanted in his head, refusing to be ignored
If you don’t stay down, you’ll never meet her! You think she’d open the door to a damned wolf!

Rinaldi’s irritation at his wolf’s unusual stubbornness seeped into his words as he spoke to the beast. The animal seemed to take heed as he felt it hide in the recesses his mind without any further argument, his last warning was that Rinaldi not ruin their chances with their mate, he didn’t know if he could keep to such an agreement, but better him ruining it than an uncontrollable wolf scaring the crap out of their mate.

He just barely heard the sharp knock Damian gave the door as he watched the claws and fur recede. There was no initial reply at the first knock, so Damian knocked again, this time harder. Rinaldi knew she was inside that house, there was no way her scent would be this strong if hse wasn’t around here somewhere.

“Step away from the door and state your business.” A sultry female voice coming from inside the house spoke in a commanding tone, brooking no arguments.

He wished greatly that wasn’t his mate, why did she have such a sexy voice? It was doing things to his psyche he simply didn’t need right now if he was to just walk away after meeting her. Damian and Joel turned to him for further instructions and he nodded at them, so they did as she asked. He was impressed that she was at least security conscious.

“Miss Howard? We’re not here to cause any trouble, we’re just here for Kennedy and Kylie Howard” Rinaldi replied in an authoritative voice, he had long realised that women generally responded to authority, especially powerful women and if his mate was truly his, she would be even more responsive to him.

She didn’t reply for a brief period. The next time she spoke, he could hear the caution in her voice, “What do you need them for?”

“Well, I’m going to need some incentive on your part to divulge such sensitive information.” He replied, she hadn’t even opened the door and she expected him to sing like a canary? She must not know a lot of how negotiations went.

“How does a bullet in your head sound for an incentive?” she shot back at him.

This time, he couldn’t stop the grin that arose from her retort, oh, she was a feisty one. Even better, there was nothing he found sexier than a woman threatening him with violence, now he was doubly eager to set his eyes upon this little tigress who thought she could take on three giants.

He took a couple of steps forward, walking past Damian and Joel, he could feel her right behind that door, her aura was strong, hitting him like a tsunami, how he hadn’t ripped the door off its hinges to get to her, he didn’t understand.

“Stay the hell away from my door!” she ordered

He paid no mind to her. She wouldn’t shoot, she didn’t have it in her. If she was serious, the nozzle of a gun would have been stuck to his head already, “If you shoot me, you’ll never find out where Cassandra is.” He said softly.

Rinaldi swore he had never witnessed a door open so fast as he watched it finally being flung open, “You know where Cassie is?”

As soon as the door was opened, Rinaldi lost all sense of his surroundings as his gaze finally fell upon his mate. Heaven help him, she was a sight! Large brown eyes framed by thick lashes and set upon an oval face stared up at him, captivating his attention at first, before the rest of her make-up free face registered upon his sub-conscious; a small, upturned nose gave her an air of arrogance, leading down to full, succulent lips that seized a good portion of his appraisal. Imageries of sucking on those lips flooded his thoughts so that he had to shove his hands into his pockets to stop himself from grabbing her. Her body was sin personified; soft and curvy, the outfit she had on barely hid her delectable silhouette, it was a tiny tank top that strained against her full bust and a pair of gym shorts that clung to full hips and exposed even more of those hips and legs that told of long jogs. All of this barely restrained sexiness covered in beautiful, dark skin that reminded him of just how he loved his coffee; strong and dark.

Suddenly, thoughts of leaving her for any reason whatsoever escaped his mind. All he could think of was claiming her and doing all sorts of dirty things to this beautiful body.

Kennedy had gotten more than her share of lustful stares from men, but the carnal way this stranger looked at her did things to her body no one else had been able to do. She tried to ignore his stare, but she couldn’t even look away long enough to do that. It was so much easier to look at him through the protective lens of the small hole in her door, now, standing in his presence, she felt so unprotected, so….naked.
He towered over her, if she were to make a wild guess, she would put him no lower than 6ft.4”, sleek dark hair that just scraped the nape of his neck enticed her to run her hand through them, his face was a work of art, raised straight off the cover of a romance novel; a strong, sharp jaw covered in light stubble formed the base for a firm mouth with a thin upper lip, but a full bottom lip, a roman nose that flared repeatedly came below dark, deep set eyes that seemed to swallow her ravenously. He was dressed in a pristine white shirt and a navy suit that clung to his form like a second skin, showing off broad shoulders and impressive biceps. He made such a stark contrast, so suave and classy in the midst of this quiet, rural town.

Something jerked in her thoughts. This man had mentioned Cassie, he knew where her cousin was. Once that registered in her mind, she resumed her cautious stand and raised her shotgun just a little higher, so these men could know she wasn’t in the mood for pranks, “Talk. What do you know of my cousin?” she glared at all three of them until her eyes fell on the one in front of her- the one she assumed to be their boss.

“Can’t we come in first?” he asked when his roving eyes finally came up to her face.

She regarded him for a brief moment, a small side of her wanted to acquiesce to his request. She couldn’t understand why she felt this need to please this man, she barely even knew him. Thankfully, her more logical side muscled down that annoying need, “No, I don’t even know you. Why would I let you in my house?”

The Adonis in the blue suit gave her a charming smile that caught her off guard. His smile was beautiful, “Well then, I suppose you don’t want to know about your cousin.” He replied.

He turned around as if leaving and Kennedy felt panic rising in her chest, if this man truly knew where Cassandra was, she couldn’t let him leave just like that. Whatever reservations she had about them, they had vital information she couldn’t allow slip away due to her silly pride. “Wait!” she said as she desperately reached out and grabbed the man by his wrist. A sharp current zipped through her at the contact and she let go of him like he burnt her. The man turned to her, but said nothing. For some reason, Kennedy couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye, so she just spoke to the floor, “I’m sorry, please, come in.” she said under her breath.

She shuffled aside and gave them room to enter the house. For a brief moment, no one made another move, were they mad? Kennedy raised unsure eyes at the men, especially the one who had her so shook up. She found his gaze on her, causing her to once again drop hers. He made her feel funny, for someone who was usually in control of her feelings, it unnerved her that someone whose name she didn’t even know was stirring up such feelings in her. Even worse, she couldn’t explain the origin.

Finally, he moved. He took steady steps towards the entrance, when he neared her, she held her breath, just waiting for him to pass. He stopped in front of her, his body was just a few inches away so that if she leaned just a little closer, they would be touching. Kennedy molded herself to the door, to avoid any form of contact, but the man wouldn’t move away. irritated by his lack of movement, she looked up at him, but lost whatever biting words she was set to say.

They gazed at each other for what felt like forever, until he spoke, “By the way, I’m Rinaldi Soldado.”

Kennedy had to gulp to wet her parched throat before speaking, “Kennedy.” She said, as though she were in a trance.

He gave her a megawatt smile, exposing gleaming white teeth that she swore had to have been worked on, nobody had such perfectly white teeth without going through some form of procedure, “Pleasure to meet you Kennedy.”

The carnal undertones she registered in his voice when he said the word ‘pleasure’ caused Kennedy to clench her thighs involuntarily as she questioned the sense in inviting someone whose entire aura screamed danger in all the delicious ways at her senses. Yes, she hadn’t been in a relationship of any sorts in almost four years, but she wasn’t so desperate for male attention that she was nearly panting like a dog in heat at this man’s slight show of interest- if she could even call it that. Hell, she barely registered the fact that her sex life had been in comatose for that long until tall, dark and sexy swaggered onto her porch.

He walked into her house, leaving her to stew in the sexual sauce he had stirred up while Kennedy counted to ten repeatedly to reel in her straying thoughts. Once she had steadied her racing heart, she raised her head up to find the other two men standing by the door like they hadn’t just witnessed whatever had gone on between her and their boss, “Aren’t you coming in?” she asked them.

One of them- a huge black man regarded her and shook his head, “No ma’am, we’re fine here.” He replied in an incredibly deep voice.

The first thought that came to her mind at their refusal was that she was going to be alone with that man in her house, she had thought they would at least have these two men with them to stop her from doing something she would regret, but now…., “Are you sure?” she asked, desperately looking from one to the other. She didn’t even need both of them present, only one would do.

“Yes ma’am.” They replied in unison.

She looked toward the entrance of her house and back at the two men with a defeated resolve, better to get this over with then. She had to keep reminding herself that this wasn’t about her or her raging hormones, this was about Cassandra. Yes, Cassandra. With that in mind, she proceeded to enter the belly of the beast.


***

Post too long, it continues in my next post

***continuation***

When she walked into the living room, Rinaldi wasn’t seated like she had thought, rather he was standing by the fireplace, looking at some pictures of herself, Kylie and Cassandra with interest. His sheer size made the entire room look so much smaller than it actually was, what did these men eat wherever they came from that made them so large?

“Your cousin is safe, you need not worry about her.” He spoke up without turning to face her.

Kennedy felt relief pass through her at that information, but it wasn’t enough. Cassandra had been gone for more than half a year, surely she could get more information from this man as to her whereabouts. She wanted to see that Cassie was safe, not just hear it, “Where is she? And why hasn’t she contacted us if she’s safe like you say?” she asked. She knew Cassie, if she was alive, the first thing she would do was contact them. The fact that this man and his goons had come down here to drop this information meant something wasn’t right somewhere, she could have just called. How did she even know these people?

“She’s in Connecticut, and she hasn’t contacted you because she’s recuperating.” He supplied.

Connecticut? “How the hell did she get to Connecticut? And what do you mean she’s recuperating, from what?” Kennedy asked.

“I can’t answer how she got there, but she’s a bit sick, so, she’s being taken care of.”

“By who?”

“My boss. You should sit down.” He suggested casually.

Kennedy gave him an incredulous stare, sit down? No, she didn’t feel like having a seat, this man was telling her her cousin was hundreds of miles away in a state she had never been to and being taken care of by some boss of his. Something sounded wrong to her, how did Cassandra get to Connecticut?, “No, tell me how you found my cousin.”

He faced her fully with a blanks stare, “I didn’t find her, I’m just here on an errand.”

“Well, didn’t whoever sent you here give you more information?” she quizzed

He cocked his head to the side, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, why is my cousin in Connecticut and why are you here?” she asked pointedly.

“I cannot answer your first question, but I’m here to take you and your sister to Connecticut with me.” He replied in a deadpan voice.

Was he joking? Kennedy waited for him to laugh or crack a smile or at least give some indication that he didn’t mean what he had just said, but the man’s expression was as serious as it could get. Did he expect her to just up and leave with him with Kylie in tow? Based on unverifiable information? Yes, he had brought news that Cassie was alive, but what were the possibilities that he wasn’t just another member of the public who knew of her cousin’s disappearance and was just playing tricks on them?

“Really? You have nothing to prove that you really know where Cassie is and you think I’ll just follow you to wherever just because you say you know where she is?” she asked.

No, he didn’t expect that from her, Luna would never bless him with such a gullible and careless mate. Rinaldi wanted to smile at her outburst, but he kept his features schooled. She had done nothing but impress him so far and he was becoming increasingly convinced that she was being brought into his life at this time to help him with his cause. He didn’t imagine such a woman was used to sitting at home and waiting for the man to do all the work, she would most likely be right by his side through most of his talks. The more he thought of the vast possibilities that lay ahead for him with such a strong woman by his side, the more he blessed Luna for her thoughtfulness.

“No, not really.” He replied simply.

Kennedy was a bit surprised by his honest reply, she had expected a rebuttal of some sorts, not an outright admittance of the folly of such an idea. She waited for him to speak further, but it seemed that was all he was willing to say until she sought more information, “So?” she asked

He smiled at her impatience, “I thought of facetiming my boss, so you could see her.”

She stared at him, waiting for him to say more on the outcome of such an idea, but once again, he spoke no further. She was becoming increasingly irritated with his unwillingness to release the needed information, was he messing with her intentionally? It would do him some good to know that she still had her gun with her and even if she wouldn’t like the sight of his brain splattered all over her newly painted walls, she was still a good enough marksman to ruin his nice suit with some of his blood with minimal damage to most of his cherished parts.

“And?” she spat, her irritation seeping into her words.

“He isn’t quite tech-savvy, so he wouldn’t know how to use face-time.”

“What is he? Some ancient 19th Century grump?”

He shrugged, “You could say that.”

Kennedy had heard enough, “Get out” she couldn’t believe this man thought it would be fun to come pull her legs for nothing. To think she had been so eager thinking he had information on Cassandra, it was becoming increasingly clear that he knew nothing of her cousin’s whereabouts. She didn’t know which annoyed her the most; the fact that he had given her such false hope, or the fact that a small side of her didn’t want him to leave.

“Miss Howard, I know what it must look like, but I assure you, your cousin truly is in Connecticut as we speak. She was found over a week ago in a bad shape and has been recuperating. I wish I could furnish you with more information, but she hasn’t given us a lot to work with. She wouldn’t even divulge your names or location. I need to bring you and your sister along with me to Connecticut for the safety of both of you.”

That was the longest speech Kennedy had heard from the man since he appeared at her doorstep, it wasn’t just long, it was filled with a sense of urgency that unnerved her. What was going on? He wasn’t telling her something, she could feel it. Even worse, now, she was conflicted; on one hand, she believed him and on the other, she needed something to convince her. Her logical side simply wouldn’t let it be.

“Our safety? How?”

“I can’t elaborate right now, but if you’d just get your sister….”

“No. I’m not leaving here and I damn sure am not getting my sister involved in this if you don’t tell me what the hell this is.” Kennedy said with finality.

Rinaldi had forgotten one of the most annoying traits of women like Kennedy- their strong-headed nature. One would sooner get a mule to move than get women like her to change their minds. It could be a blessing and a curse depending on the situation, and it was certainly proving to be a curse for him right now.

He approached her slowly, “If there was more time, I would leave you be to think on it, but my instructions leave no space for such….” She stepped away from him the closer he got to her as if fearing that he would hurt her. He was a bit offended by her reaction, but he ignored it knowing she hadn’t quite acknowledged who he was and it was natural to be just a little fearful of someone you barely knew….especially if said person was taller and outweighed you, “…Kennedy, work with me here.” He softly implored.

She stopped moving and just stared at him, he could see the battle going on within her. She wanted to believe him, but her need to overanalyze things and pick out loopholes warred with that want. He waited with bated breath for her reply even though he was starting to think it wouldn’t matter. His wolf sensed some form of danger around and had been alerting him for some minutes now, leaving her behind was not an option, he feared if he did that, he wouldn’t meet her here the next time he came by. Beyond anything else, she was his mate and it was his duty to protect her with or without her permission. If his wolf was right, time was limited.

“Kylie is just down…..” she was interrupted by the sound of a loud scream- Kylie!

In a split second, she and Rinaldi took off toward the entrance, Kennedy was out the door first, but she didn’t move past the porch as a strong hand pulled her back against a hard chest. She just barely caught sight of a now mute Kylie staring at….wolves? Kennedy’s attention was captured by what looked like seven giant-sized wolves battling each other. She couldn’t tell which was on their side, but it looked a gruesome fight. Where the hell had those things come from?

She stopped struggling in Rinaldi’s arms as something occurred to her- the two bodyguards that were supposed to be at her door were nowhere around. What the….she turned sharply to Rinaldi, her face pale from shock. She found him looking down at her with an expression that answered her question.

No, no, no….this had to be some sort of dream. They were…he was….her fragile mind, unable to fathom the occurrence she was witnessing, shut down as she lost consciousness and crumbled in Rinaldi’s arms

preetypam:
i love anything supernatural.... wolves happens to turn me on (pun intended)


dearest check your use of "it's". From your prologue, somewhere in the first paragraph...(it's grey eyes) it should be its grey eyes denoting possession "it's" is the same thing as "it is"... there other ones o but i cant point them all out my chinco phone no go let me just check it out dear.

as nairalanders would say more ink to your pen....

kudos to you safarigirl!

Thanks a lot dear, I appreciate your contribution

I will make corrections duly

Enjoying this...
Megawatt smile

d tin dey swt me. oya kontinu chap chap

Oh my word!!

I didn't want to stop reading!!! ...this is nothing like I've read before!!...

Dominique, you need to see this o.... Safarigirl deserves front page!!.. This is awesome!!

safarigirl:


Thanks a lot dear, I appreciate your contribution

I will make corrections duly

I see this going to fp..... You're doing a great Job!!

This story is interesting... *oh sorry scratch that* this story is awesome... gat me glued lyk kilode

wow! This is mind-blowing.

Hi guys, wanted to apologise for the delay.

I'm sorting out my life in school now so I haven't had time to update, but I'll do so before the weekend. Thanks

Abeg update b4 weekend ooo

bae come n update now biko

comman update o

Dohyn3:
comman update o

my dear, I'm currently in school and have no access to a laptop. Classes take up most of my time and typing with a phone is stressful.

I've typed part of the update, but there's so much more...I'll update it, but lack of time and useful gadgets have always been my problem

Take your time Safarihoney...... We'll be right here waiting.

Your story is worth waiting for.....

safarigirl:
my dear, I'm currently in school and have no access to a laptop. Classes take up most of my time and typing with a phone is stressful.

I've typed part of the update, but there's so much more...I'll update it, but lack of time and useful gadgets have always been my problem

[quote author=safarigirl post=51688879]my dear, I'm currently in school and have no access 2 a laptop. Classes take up most of my time and typing with a phone is stressful.
I've typed part of the update,but there's so much moreIll update.WELL DONE

TheSuperNerd:
Take your time Safarihoney...... We'll be right here waiting.

Your story is worth waiting for.....

thanks dear. Just got back from lectures, I'm exhausted

safarigirl:
my dear, I'm currently in school and have no access to a laptop. Classes take up most of my time and typing with a phone is stressful.

I've typed part of the update, but there's so much more...I'll update it, but lack of time and useful gadgets have always been my problem

Alright.. Dont mind me jare. Take all the time you need.

Safarigirl..I wish you have d complete story, I dnt mind buying it. I love this story..well done girl..and kindly direct me to your personal blog pls!

aminat02:
Safarigirl..I wish you have d complete story, I dnt mind buying it. I love this story..well done girl..and kindly direct me to your personal blog pls!

unfortunately, it's a work in progress.

The blog isn't quite working cuz I can't upload with my phone, the page won't even open.

Thanks for your encouragement, I'll do my best to get the next update posted soon, even if I have to use my phone

TheSuperNerd:
Take your time Safarihoney...... We'll be right here waiting.

Your story is worth waiting for.....

buy a laptop for your honey na

This class work must be so hectic on you.
God's speed in your endeavours!

sorry for the long wait people, finally on break. Story continues....


*****

Something was wrong with her.

Cassandra couldn’t quite place a finger on it, but she could feel within her that here was something awfully wrong and it had nothing to do with the fact that her memory of the last six or so months apparently, was gone .

Of course, there was that incredibly obvious gash in a list of uncertainties she currently faced, but something else disturbed her. It was within her, in her head. She was starting to think it was also a part of her, because it not only controlled her thoughts, but to some extent, her actions as well. if she wasn’t just a bit more strong-headed.

She sighed as she ran her hand over her wet hair and stared into the mirror at her reflection, it was her facing the herself in the mirror, but still it wasn’t her, she felt nothing like herself. She felt different, more alert, she looked different as well. Her muscles were more toned, her skin looked healthier, her eyes looked brighter. Her reflexes were also sharper, from what she had of her memory, she knew her sight had been getting bad and she had made plans to see an optician, but since she woke up, her sight had been perfect,. Much better than she ever remembered it to be.

She was curious about these changes, especially so of whatever ti was in her head that seemed to have an opinion about everything, especially as regards that man- Caleb. A shiver passed through her as his name glided across her memory, and it scared her that it wasn;t a shiver of terror, but one of pleasure. That was another thing she was trying to figure out, why did someone she barely knew make her feel this way? Why did the mere thought of him have her breathing funny and thinking inappropriate thoughts? Was it the food in this place? Was it the environment? If yes to any of those, was she the only one affected? Maybe there were others like her under some for m of mind control.

She wanted to know so much, but she was trapped in this bedroom, admittedly, it was quite the glamorous place for a prison, but it was no less one. She had never been told she couldn’t leave the confines and everyone else she had interacted with had been so nice and sweet, but if they were such good people, someone would have helped her out. She wanted to ask the lady who brought her food for help, but the way she spoke of Caleb, she feared she would make no progress with her.

The lady, Dinah, could pass for some form of marketer with the way she always spoke highly of her boss. She said he was loyal, caring, compassionate, strong, a protector, one time she had even dropped naughtily that he seemed like he could pleasure a woman, Cassandra had blushed at her insiuntation, but at a later time, had chastised herself for such a reaction. What did she care if he was great in bed? She didn’t plan on staying long enough in this place to find that out.

Her thoughts strayed to her cousins. She wondered what they were doing about her disappearance, if they were worried. Of course they were worried, but had they tried to find her? Had they already given up by now? It had been just over six months, she worried about them. She wanted to speak to them, she wished there was some way to reach them and tell them she was okay, especially Kennedy. She could just imagine her older cousin, worried sick. She had warned her repeatedly about her penchant for losing track of time and returning home late. Since they lost their mothers, Kennedy had become extra protective, at a time, she was checking up on them on an hourly basis, she had assured her she could take care of herself, but look at her now, trapped in some place she couldn’t even find on a map with some odd people who saw nothing wrong in keeping a woman they had found in a forest.

She knew she would have to talk to someone before she went mad. Whatever this voice was in her head, she was sure she was tethering on the edges of madness already and someone needed to tell her she was okay, she needed someone to assure her that everyone had tiny voices in their head that sometimes got louder. But who could she confide in when everyone worked for the enemy?

“Madam?” A tiny voice called out from the bedroom. Dinah.

Cassandra’s eyes shot to the slightly open bathroom door, she guessed it was time for brunch. Dinah usually visited her about five times a day. She would bring with her lots of food three of the five times, and snacks the other two times. Of course, she would sit with her until she finished and provide her some decent conversation. The woman didn’t know a lot, but she couldn’t complain, it was better than nothing.

“I’m in the bathroom Didi.” She replied, she dabbed at her wet face with a towel and stepped out of the bathroom. Dinah’s face brightened up at her emergence. Dinah was pretty in an ethereal way, er hair was blonde, almost white even, her eyes were an olive green shade and filled with mirth, she was a tiny little thing, going no higher than 5ft2” in height, her body was proportioned to fit her small frame, but even as tiny as she was, Cassandra felt the woman wasn’t as frail as she appeared. Her skin was pale, like she hadn’t been in the sun at any time in her life which made Cassie wonder if truly this woman was also a prisoner as she was. She certainly gave off no vibes of being under any sort of control, she seemed perfectly happy and content. Maybe she had been here too long and just come to terms with her situation.

“You look beautiful as always madam. I brought your food.” She said, her hand indicating the tray on the bedside table. Whatever was in there had permeated the air in entire room, it smelt nice. That was another thing she couldn’t fault this place for, whoever cooked here was easily the most amazing cook ever. if she was here long enough, she certainly would want to see this person at some point.

“Thank you Didi.” She replied softly as she sat on her bed. Didi uncovered the tray which was laden with croissants, a donut, a burger and a large cup of juice. Her mouth watered at the sight, but she kept her expression even. She smiled at Dinah once again, the woman replied her smile with an even wider one, “Thank you.”

“No need madam, I’m here to serve you.” She replied.

There she went again, making such funny comments. Cassandra had long given up on trying to make her stop calling her ‘madam’, but it wasn’t just the unmerited title that bothered her, it was other things like her many comments on ‘serving’ her and making the ‘alpha’ happy. Apparently, Caleb was some type of alpha, a title that brought to mind thoughts of an insatiable person with a harem of women who worshipped him. Fancy, but effective. Cassandra wondered if the man expected her to willfully join this harem of women he had at his beck and call, it didn’t matter if he was drop dead gorgeous and had a voice to melt even the most hardened soul, it gave him no right to hold women against their will and sate his animalistic desires with their bodies. Irrespective of her earlier behaviour, she was determined to not become another one of his kept women, she would fight these feelings she had for him and leave this place without leaving a piece of her with the beautiful man here.

She kept mute and studied the food, now wondering if it was wise to indulge herself in these things. Perhaps this was what was bringing those voices to her head. A thought occurred to her and she looked up at Dinah, maybe she could help her.

“Didi, can I ask you a question?”

She perked up at that question and nodded her head rather enthusiastically, “Yes you can madam, It would be my greatest joy to help you if you’re in a fix.” She replied

She ignored the woman’s excitement even though it was another odd behaviour, “Do you…” she hesitated slightly, fearing she may sound insane by asking this question, but what did she really have to lose?, “Do you hear voices in your head?” she asked, her voice lowered just in case someone was walking through the corridor.

Dinah squinted her eyes as if in thought, “How so madam?”

Cassandra sighed, “Voices, you know…like, like….” How could she explain it? she didn’t even know hat the voices sounded like.

Dinah watched her closely for some time, waiting for her to finish her statement, but all she got was a look of frustration and confusion, she was genuinely worried about the madam recently. She noticed how forlorn she seemed at times, and frustrated at other times, the Alpha wasn’t doing any better. Sometimes, she came in here wanting to convince the madam to give the Alpha audience and pull him out of his brooding state, but the state she would meet her would kill such thoughts. It was obvious she needed some answers, but she couldn’t even figure out the questions

“I’m not sure I know what you mean madam, but if you wouldn’t mind, I could tell Alpha Caleb of your problem and…..”

“No. No, please don’t tell him. I…I’m fine, never mind my question.” Cassandra replied with a tight smile. She was trying to not be cast under his spell, so she needed him as far away from her as possible. For all she knew, he was responsible for the voices and wouldn’t have a reasonable cure for her.

Dinah approached her slowly and then took her hand in hers, “You need not fear the Alpha madam, he’s a good man who has your best interest at heart. He’s very wise too and I’m sure he’ll have an explanation for whatever it is that bothers you”

“I…I don’t want him to know Dinah, I’m fine, I promise.” Was her short reply. She could see disappointment flash in Dinah’s eyes, she felt bad that perhaps she had caused her such disappointment. She knew she held Caleb in high esteem for whatever reason, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to see him. it was hard enough to stay in bed and pretend to be asleep whenever he would come by in the night to watch her like some creepy stalker, but she doubted she would be able to hold herself back if she was to set her sight upon him. no, she didn’t need his words of wisdom in this situation.

Dinah nodded her understanding and didn’t push any further, but she couldn’t keep this to herself out of good conscience. She was only an Omega, answerable to the Alpha, he had entrusted her with the care for his mate and she wouldn’t jeopardize that even if the one she was to care for couldn’t understand the intricacies of their people

****

Caleb studied the treaty Rinaldi had gotten from his trip to Queensland where the last meeting of the North American Alphas had taken place, he hadn’t been able to make it because of an emergency it was imperative he attend in Europe, but Rinaldi had been an able representative. The resolutions of the meeting had been sent to him via his beta, but he would have a chance ot get in a few words at the next meeting.

He particularly liked that there were discussions towards Rinaldi getting back his lost pack, a few of them were reportedly still roaming the forests of Cuba, a small group had begun rebuilding, but a pack without an Alpha was as good as endangered. Rinaldi had told him many times that he could feel the loneliness of his people, but he had no say on returning. Protocols had to be observed before he could once again return to Cuba, besides, Alejandro Corona, the slimy dog who had brought an end to the Salvatore Pack was yet to be put down and Rinaldi was well aware he would have to end him before he could regain control of his pack. Alejandro ran a small pack in Puerto Rico, he wasn’t a member of the North American Alphas Council and had no plans to ever belong to the council, he was an outcast and the members of his pack were given the status of rogueweres. They were the ones who did the dirty work for any slimy bastard willing to drop a few coins. There was a consensus by members of the council to kill them whenever they challenged them. Most of the pack members were weak, but Alejandro and his betas were mostly of equal strength with many other weres, so they had their own share of kills as well.

Caleb didn’t doubt for a second that Rinaldi would regain his pack and soon enough, he was an Alpha through and through, he would miss his contributions to the Duncan pack greatly, but time was coming when he would have to take up some of the duties he had assigned to Rinaldi.

A timid knock at the door caught his attention, usually, no one entered his study when he was inside besides his betas, but he knew very well what Roy’s knock sounded like and that tiny knock was the exact opposite of Roy’s loud banging, “Who’s there?” he asked.

“Alpha, it’s me, Dinah.” The woman’s tiny voice filtered through the door.

Caleb’s ears perked up, he had assigned the care of his mate to Dinah last week and thee were no troubles between the two, although he never asked Cassandra, the times when he would find himself invading the privacy of her bedroom, he had never gotten any vibes from her to assume that Dinah wasn’t executing her task to the best of her abilities and save for the first two days when she had encountered a guarded Cassandra, Dinah hadn’t come to him since then, so, why was she here? Had something happened?

“Come in Dinah.” He replied.

Dinah opened the door slowly and poked her head in first, before letting herself into the large room that was Caleb’s study, not many people entered here. It held some really important information on the pack’s history amongst other documents, or so she heard. It was usually under lock and key whenever Caleb and his betas were away, none of the other weres even dared to reach this wing of the house without permission. She was only here because she couldn’t wait to get permission, her forgetful nature would ensure she didn’t tell him what she needed to when she needed to.

“You have news about my mate?” Caleb asked, surely that was the only business she had with him.

Dinah nodded, “Yes sir.” She replied.

“So? What is it?” he asked when she wasn’t forthcoming with further information.

Dinah briefly wondered if she was doing the right thing by telling Caleb about Cassandra’s problem, but the wolf in her wouldn’t let her keep such vital information from their Alpha, Cassandra was his mate and if anyone had her best interest at heart, it was certainly him. she was in no position to decide what happened between them, she would only relay this information and trust his judgment. He wasn’t Alpha for nothing, “Alpha, the madam says she hears voices in her head. I asked her permission to tell you this, but she wouldn’t grant it, but I just had to let you know.” She blurted out.

“Voices?” he asked curiously.

“Yes sir….i…I think you should talk to her sir. I mean…pardon me if I overstep my boundaries, but…I think she needs you like you need her, but she doesn’t realise it yet. Maybe…maybe if you could stop giving her so much space, maybe…maybe she’ll come around if you spend more time talking to her than avoiding her. I’m sorry Alpha.” She stuttered, her head remained down as a show of obedience. She was usually one of few words, she had a reputation for minding her own business most of the time and she certainly never thought she would have this much guts to speak to the alpha like he was much younger than her, but she cared for Cassandra, even if the woman didn’t understand what she was going through.

With someone else, on another day, Caleb would have been mad at such blatant show of disrespect, save for his betas, no other pack member was allowed to give what he referred to as unsolicited advice and certainly not an Omega, but he was at his wits end at this point and was willing to grasp at anything that could somehow get him out of this fix he currently found himself, even advice from this tiny little woman in his presence would be treasured, “Is that all Dinah?” he asked calmly.

For the first time since she entered the room, her head shot up to look at him, she had expected a lot of other reactions, but not this calmness. Caleb wasn’t reputed to be the most patient or rational Alpha at that, he was known for snapping at pack members randomly and having a volatile temperament. This calm, collected man sitting in what was Caleb’s chair was a far contrast from who he really was, or at least who he was known to be, “Sir? Yes..yes, that is all sir.”

He nodded, “Thank you Dinah, your advice has been noted. You may take your leave now.”

She remained in his presence for half a minute, “I…I can leave?” she asked for clarity

“Yes Dinah, you can.” He replied.

She smiled, “Thank you sir, thank you.” She said as she curtsied at him and ran out of the study lest he change his mind.

Caleb let out a sigh of exasperation at her exit, as much as he had been avoinding any sort of confrontation with his mate, it was all coming to a head and he would have to talk to her about all that was going on with her. He had an inkling of what the voices she thought were in er head truly was, even if she was yet to acknowledge its presence, her wolf was somewhere in her conscious and was communicating to her. If she continued to fight it, the animal would force its way out soon and freak her out even further. It was necessary he explain to her the intricacies of where she currently found herself, he should have done that a long time ago, but he had been avoiding it because he didn’t want to upset her, maybe that had been the wrong approach to all of this. Dinah was right, she had gotten enough time to arrange her thoughts, he needed to crowd her space until she realised just who she was and why she felt this way. There would be no more handling her with kid gloves.

He arranged the documents on his desk and put them inside a cupboard, his mind made up to confront his mate in that moment. Just as he approached the door, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He thought of ignoring the phone, but then, he had sent Rinaldi to perform a task, so this might be him calling for a feedback. He got out the gadget from his pocket and answered the call when he recognized Rinaldi’s number.

“Rinaldi, how is it going?”

“You want the good news or the bad news?” Rinaldi asked ,his voice failing to give away anything, it was as playful as Caleb was used to from his beta.

“Whichever one you choose to give in whatever order, I’ll take it.” Caleb replied, steeling himself for something bad.

Rinaldi laughed, “Well, the good news is, I have your….Cassandra’s cousins with me and we’re on our way to Connecticut, the bad news is, we were attacked at their house and I might have taken an unconscious woman with me without her permission.”

“Attacked? Who by?” Caleb asked.

“I think they were rogues, Joel, Damian and the rest of the boys dealt with them appropriately. I just wanted to give you a heads up before we arrive.” Rinaldi said, still not losing his casual tone.

Caleb nodded, “Thank you Rinaldi, we’ll discuss further when you return.” He said, if Rinaldi was this calm, then there was no cause for alarm. Of course, it was something they would have to deal with as soon as possible, if these wolves had found his mate’s relatives, then someone out there knew of her and he had made enough enemies, hence, anyone could be a suspect.

“Oh, and someone wants to talk to you.” Rinaldi rushed.

“Who?” Caleb asked, but his beta wasn’t with the phone anymore.

“Hi, this is Kylie, Cassandra’s cousin, I hope we won’t be late for the mating ceremony?” a chirpy voice filled with excitement came through the receiver.

For the first time in weeks, Caleb smiled, “No Kylie, you’re just in time.” He replied. It was good to hear such enthusiasm from Cassandra’s cousin, perhaps her presence would help Cassandra understand her situation better, but even more, he couldn’t wait to see how the straight-laced, cold Roy would react to a mate who was his opposite in every sense of the word