Chapter 6 Excuse me

I was defeated.

and came out short.

once more and once more.

"You're weak," Theo says to me in a casual manner.

I sigh and straighten up. "Thanks, geez. You know, it doesn't hurt to be kinder."

"The truth hurts, Alexandria."

"Whoa. I sneer, "I truly appreciate the effort."

He assumes a battle stance once more, indicating that he is prepared to engage in combat once more.

I was worn out.

Overly worn out.

The man's kicks and punches hurt like hell. And, if I may say so, he declined to show me any pity because of my extremely unique standing.

I also feel irritated when I keep losing and being frustrated. My competitive side was getting weary of constantly having to come up short.

I raise my hands in a dramatic gesture. "I give up."

Theo furrows his brow.

I give him a fierce look. "Have you not heard me? I'm done, I said. I am. Completed."

"No, you're not," he assertively tells me.

"Too bad," I grumble and turn to leave. "'Cuz I never asked."

"I don't give a damn. There is no going back; that much is certain."

I stop. "I detest one-on-one fighting! I hate it! It's really challenging and dull!"

Theo's eyebrows shoot upward, revealing a charmingly annoying smile. "Oh, I see. So tell me what 'fun' means to you if you have to."

"Cryptic. Assassination. murdering someone at a distance. I enjoy watching a pack of wolves desperately looking for me," I said, glancing at Theo in anticipation of his horrified reaction. Rather than that, he listened to me with interest. I wanted to rip my hair out at his incessantly rising interest. "Imagine being one of those wolves expecting to be home by the next 2 days only to end up 6 feet under with little leg room."

"How delightful," he remarks cynically. "Your presence and choice of words please me, really."

I blurt out, "I'm glad to know I can please you." I thought that sounded much cleaner. "Okay, okay, maybe not in that way."

He asks me, "We'll be seeing about that, won't we?" A wry smile plays at the edges of his mouth.

I try to hide my nonexistent blush as I gaze down. That makes Theo laugh.

I notice Theo approaching, and before I know it, his warm fingertips are gently tracing my face. He gives my chin a finger raise.

My dark brown orbs lock with those of the gray.

Unintentionally, I shudder, sparks flying across my skin.

For a split second, I believed I saw a hurt and yearning glance. His eyes flinched, but not in a way that was visible. I quickly frown on my lips.

He talks before I have a chance to respond. "Let's go and eat now, shall we?" His smile is disturbing when he asks me. "Accompany me. I'll prepare your supper.

___

His food was awful.

Theo's chuckling look didn't do much to stop me from nearly throwing up after just one bite.

"That." I glared as fiercely as I could. "Was disgusting."

"I wasn't the one who asked for a 'home-cooked meal,' was I?"

"You could've told me!" I uttered it in a panic.

He gives an eye roll. "You never asked."

I moan loudly and cross my arms, earning a glare from Theo.

He then says, beaming, "Let's play 20 questions," as though he had just had the most brilliant idea. His scowl had vanished long ago, and his cheeky sparkle had come back.

"Childish."

He mumbles, "Whatever," and moves on, ignoring my lack of interest. "How old?"

Why is it that we can't have wine or anything?

"Why?"

"Just making sure we're legal," he winks.

To be honest, that was a little bit heated.

Too bad; I'm better at it.

I focus my gaze downward, treating the table as though it were a thousand bucks. Most likely, it was.

"21," I said to myself.

"Great, I'm 23."

My joke is, "You're old," as I wrinkle up my nose.

"Why? Does your beloved friend favor younger men?" He leans on the palm of his hand and looks at me with doe-like eyes.

Very adorable.

My breathing becomes labored. I tried not to notice how gorgeous he appeared from this viewpoint. Unintentionally, my gaze lands on his gorgeous lips, and I hurriedly turn away, praying he didn't see.

A smile curls around his lips.

He was aware.

Angry, I coughed out loud.

Actually, the answer is yes. Indeed, I do. They have far softer hearts," I tell lies.

He lets out a deep growl. "At least I can tell the difference between you're and your."

"Whatever," I mutter, rolling my eyes, and move on to something else. Which color is your favorite? Mines are red and blue."

"Black and red," Theo says as he pauses to compose a query. His curiosity lights up his eyes once more. "Weapon of preference?"

I enjoy the way things are going now. Although I was severely lacking in strength, my dexterity and accuracy more than made up for it. From the moment I emerged from my mother's womb, I was born to be a thief.

Unable to contain my joy, I clap my hands. "Daggers and bows. anything that calls for accuracy across large distances. Although the Council forbade them, I wish I had a pistol."

Because they believe that more advanced packs will have an advantage over less advanced and more conventional packs, the Council has outlawed the use of firearms in werewolf country. That, though, wasn't the point.

Theo raises an eyebrow, ponders, and then says, "Interesting. Tell me more.

"Are you aware of the number of people who report me for gaming hacking? It's not my fault that you're not respectable, and I am!" Exasperated by the memories, I tell him.

He lets out a low, wonderful laugh. I found myself wishing I could listen to that melody every day.

"Explain further," he prods. This was no longer a 20-question game. It was called "73 Questions with Alexandria Catalina."

"People would harass me online. I got so much backlash for being so excellent. Whoa! I mimic a scowl and reply, "And they'd accuse me of having auto-aim on when they can obviously tell how much faster I get kills."

His chuckle reverberates throughout the room.

"You seem to have a talent for riling up people whenever you go," he continues.

"As you can see."

Curious, I say, "You haven't told me your weapon of preference, Theo."

His fingers tapping the table, he muses. He gives me a long moment to wait before he grins at me once more.

"I'm not sure. I roll my eyes as he smugly tells me, "I don't really need them." "Fighting in wolf form, however, thrills me more than anything."

"Tell me about it."

"I enjoy having authority. I am avaricious, Alexandria. And compared to our human forms, our wolf forms are far more powerful and unpredictable," he pauses. "I enjoy the rush of excitement and vitality we get when we shift. Don't you feel the same way about it?

I almost choked on my food before answering, "About tha-."

Suddenly, Theo is no longer interested in me. His smile was gone from his face. His lips were slightly parted, and his brows were furrowed.

His gaze flickers back to mine. "There's company," he mumbles.

Loud, animated voices fill the room, as if on cue.

I must truly detest people, fuck.

I scowl, sad that Theo's time with me is already over.

He rises from the chair and approaches me. I was suddenly aware of his breath on my neck. I feel a chill run up my spine, but I try not to show it.

He whispers in my ear, "It's lunchtime," and then he walks over to the table that is perched on a higher level.

I will die because of this man.

In a short while, a large group of werewolves occupy the large room and settle in. Theo's "friends" were the last to take their positions."

The terrible gaze they gave me as soon as they walked into the room was something I didn't miss. I sneer back at them, crossing my arms to express how much I detest them.

Scarlett approaches the table where Theo was sitting-the table reserved for people in positions of authority-while maintaining eye contact with me and raising her chin in the air as though to tease me. Headship

She was making fun of me and drawing attention to the vacant seat next to Theo, which was supposed to be mine-the Luna's seat. I suppress a growl, ignoring the tiny discomfort in the pit of my stomach.

To be honest, I had no idea where this was headed. All I was doing was swimming with the tide.

It made no difference at all that four sets of eyes were staring at me.

A dish of food is placed in front of me by a servant, and I exhale with relief. It looked fantastic, but I had no idea what it was. I am ready to eat and pick up the fork.

Suddenly, the dining room doors flew open, interrupting my quiet dinner. A man with tan skin, shoulder-length wavy hair, and a menacing scowl walks into the room.

Why is this group of people so incredibly attractive?

A girl with a short bob and lovely almond eyes sat next to him. Her lips were big, and her almond-shaped eyes were a fiery dark brown.

A wolf says, "Welcome, Lady Talia and Beta Felix." The two walk over to 'the table.' I watch them go by as they pass me.

Lady Talia was more subdued than the others in her aura of power. Giovanni is Theo's Gamma since Celestina is a female Gamma. Scarlett and Emilio are now in possession of the Delta position. Warrior was the only position without a name yet. The head warrior was most likely Lady Talia.

I mumble under my breath, "Interesting," and then I bite into the lava cake. 'Dessert is the last meal' is a rule I don't adhere to.

Ignore that. My body, my guidelines.

I tug on my hood instinctively to make sure it's still on. Lacking one always made me feel empty.

I was happy to finish my dinner in silence because, happily, no one else saw me. The room burst into casual talk, but I stayed silent. Feeling relieved that I didn't have to speak, I relish the mouthwatering dish that's before me.

It was Theo's food that had traumatized me.

For a little while, it seemed soothing-a sensation I really couldn't afford to have. I've spent my entire life running and hiding, so unwinding was considered a luxury.

I relish being alone for a little while. Key phrase: a brief period of time.

That is, until an obnoxious, foreign voice disturbs my moment of tranquility.

"You."

I look up, trying to find the voice. Everyone looks in my direction in an instant, finally recognizing a new presence.

Is this chick conversing with me?

My gaze moves from the now-interested werewolves to Theo and his companions, who are all wearing irritated looks.

"Yes, I am speaking with you," a woman's forceful voice says.

I lift my gaze to the speaker, only to meet Talia's gloomy expression.

I squinted to look at her. "Excuse me?"

Everywhere I go, I really do tend to irritate people.