Chapter 6 AN OFFER

Élancé could see the light of a new day trying to move past the curtains in the room. There was the smell of relief in the air. Perhaps something that the new day brought, or perhaps the knowledge that the oddies probably could not move around in daylight. They looked to Élancé, like creatures of the night.

The whole night before, Élancé had been up thinking about her encounter with Austin. The way he stared deep into her eyes, as if he was searching for something inside her soul. The way his scent seemed to stick to her body like glue; his rough thumb wiping the tears from her cheek. She felt a hint of guilt for reacting the way she did, but she still believed she did the right thing by leaning backward. Despite the irritation she felt, she wanted to be around him, and when he walked away from the kitchen, she felt her wolf get saddened inside her.

All of the books she had read on mating had always had beautiful depictions of mates coming together and marking each other. But none of them described the excruciating pain and longing that came with getting turned down by your mate.

She couldn't put into words how much she desired that touch-Austin's rough hands on her cheek-again. She tried to take her mind away from the blood that rushed between her legs and stayed there for the better half of the night. But the more she tried not to think about it, the worse it got.

Élancé squeezed her father's palm again, as she prayed for him to wake up. Perhaps if she left Austin's home, she would feel less pain and rejection-

Élancé turned around. The door knob twisted to the right and within seconds the door was swung open. Austin walked in and closed the door behind him. Élancé felt the urge to say something about the way he walked into the room, but she remembered she wasn't in her mansion anymore. This mansion belonged to Alpha Austin and he used every opportunity to reiterate the fact. Élancé caught his scent again, but tried to avoid his hypnotic gaze. There was something about the way Austin stared at her-like he wanted to rip her clothes off and do something outlandish with her.

Austin walked to the bed where Élancé's father was laying, asleep. Élancé could feel Austin staring at her through the sides. He reached for a second chair and placed it beside hers. He could hear her heart rate increasing. Élancé was panicking. Her lips were trembling from the longing inside her, threatening to rip her apart. Austin was drunk on Élancé's scent. He took a seat beside her, surprised that Élancé hadn't said anything. Perhaps she had calmed after last night. Or perhaps she wanted to speak, but she couldn't. They could feel each other's heat rising with their closeness. Austin's body was pulling him closer to Élancé. Élancé turned around to meet his eyes.

"What are-" She parted her lips to speak but Austin pressed her words down her throat with his lips.

The part of Élancé that wanted to be careful had gone to sleep and the part of her that desired Austin came fully alive. She couldn't pull away. Not with the way Austin was pressing his lips on hers and running his tongue on hers with a satisfying roughness. She felt Austin's hands slide around her hips, gripping her tightly, as if to say he wasn't going to let her get away even if she wanted to. They were both drunk on raw primal lust.

Élancé could feel Austin's body thrumming with desire as he pulled her closer and closer, running his hands though her hair then back up to her neck. She could feel Austin letting himself go, for her. She could feel a link getting formed between the both of them and just as she ran her hands inside Austin's shirt, the link severed.

Austin pulled away. The legs of his chair scraped the floor lightly. Somehow, he had managed to get a hold of his body back. They were both gasping for air, hungry for more. He looked into Élancé's eyes and he could see surprise on her face. He could also feel his desire struggling to be tamed inside of him. Once again, there was silence between the both of them.

Austin moved his chair away from Élancé slightly and took a seat, trying to find himself in space. Élancé watched as Austin stared into thin air, no doubt wondering what the hell just happened. His mind and his body was processing as fast as he could everything that just happened, but underneath the logic of it all, one thing was sure: Austin enjoyed the moment he just shared with Élancé. It was a truth that he was going to keep inside himself.

Élancé watched, hoping, praying, that the cold Austin wouldn't return. Not after what they just shared. She could tell that he driven by lust and the mate bond. But she didn't care. Or maybe she did, but there was nothing she could do to stop the pleasure that was hotwiring sleeping parts of her entire being.

Austin's gaze fell on Élancé again, this time, not so much in a lustful manner, but with a somewhat confused daze. Like he was wondering why the hell he did what he just did. He cleared his throat twice to wear his former demeanor as quickly as he could. And then, Élancé knew. Mate indeed. Remembering Austin's statement made her feel used, ashamed even. But somewhere inside her, she felt she would do it all over again.

"I just concluded the meeting with my men," Austin spoke with an authoritative voice as he tried not to stare at Élancé's lips.

"And?" Élancé tried to match his tough attitude even though the way they were speaking to each other made no sense to her. Not after what just happened. She was after all, still trying to get her body to stay calm.

"I'm going to make you a deal," Austin spoke. He rested his back fully on the chair before he continued. "I'd take it if I were you."

"You are certainly not me," Élancé retorted, feeling that Austin that always seemed to splinter her heart.

"I'm going to help you fight off the creatures that attacked your pack. After a short deliberation with my men, we're sure we can take can take care of your problems."

Élancé smiled, gleefully, but there was something in Austin's eyes that made her know he was not done. There was something else coming.

"On what condition?" Élancé asked, wondering what Austin could possibly want from her. Territory?

Austin took a deep breath and looked into Élancé's eyes, then he darted his glance away, to Hogwash who was still asleep.

"You will give up being the next Alpha in line," Austin spoke and he heard Élancé's heart skip a beat.

When the words came out of Austin's mouth, Élancé was overwhelmed by surprise. Her mind flew to a thousand different places wondering if what she had just heard was right. Or if her mind was playing tricks on her. She felt her heart cringe and her stomach tie up into knots. Élancé was used to hurtful words, which sometimes came from her father-and she had gotten used to them. But there was a jaggedness and a ruthlessness that came along with Austin's hurt. Like it had the power to pull down all her walls and reach right for the core of her being.

"What...why...?" Élancé stammered as her entire body reclined from Austin. With her father unconscious beside her and her pack all dead, she felt powerless. "Are you crazy?" she asked with a quiet viciousness. She wasn't going to yield like that.

"What the hell do you mean by your problems?! The oddies have no allies, they have no laws. They're out for all of us. All werewolves are in danger. So don't give me that crap about wanting to solve our problems, like this doesn't concern you too. They wiped out my pack. Who do you think they are going to target next?"

Hogwash groaned at the sound of tension in the room. Élancé and Austin stayed quiet for a while before speaking again.

Austin chuckled, then his chuckle broke into a laughter. Élancé's heart wrenched even further. The only thing keeping her eyes from wetting was the rage she was feeling which was curdling at the back of her throat.

"You really don't know, do you?" Austin asked. "Haven't you wondered why we haven't been attacked yet? Like you said, my pack is not very far from yours. Those creatures had all night to attack. I even sent men to investigate, but it turns out it's your pack they were after. Not mine. Not anyone else's. If you think I'm going to risk the lives of my men for you and for free, you must really be a child."

Élancé thought about it and it was true. Perhaps her mind had always travelled in that train of thought but she never let herself believe it. Why would they target her pack? And why use oddies? Élancé felt even more helpless. But she wasn't giving up. Not this easily. She opened her mouth to speak, but Austin cut her short.

"And let me remind you," he leaned forward and rested his palms on the arm of the chair getting ready to stand. "A pack cannot be a pack without an alpha; and an alpha certainly cannot be an alpha without a pack. You're done. Take the deal. It's a good one. From the looks of it, if you don't take this deal, you'll lose all."

Élancé didn't say a word, but Austin knew with her gaze, that she still wasn't backing down.

He stood and walked to the door. He twisted the door knob and when the door was ajar, he said:

"You have three days to think about it. No more no less. Give me an answer by then, or I'll do whatever it is that makes me comfortable."

Then he left.