The Pawn

DESPITE the subdued light in the gardens, Riley can still see the woman standing near the bushes.

She has been watching the same woman since she caught sight of her. That was when she entered the hall where the festivity was in full swing.

She embodied the statement 'fashionably late.'

Not only Riley was enticed by the woman's champagne-colored bodycon long-sleeved gown but also her beautiful face. It was clear that she attended the event to be noticed.

Although the woman was not blessed with an ample amount of breasts but her small waist and flaring hips were enough to show off her curvy figure. Her face was almost void of makeup except for the red lipstick painted on her thin lips. It contrasted her pale skin and equally pail dress.

Her dark hair was in a tight bun atop her head. It gave way to the creamy skin of her neck.

In her feet was a pair of four-inched nude stilettos. It made her almost in the same height with Riley's five feet seven inches.

"I'm leaving! I am in no mood to entertain these people, Father."

These words were uttered in annoyance and it can be seen on the pretty face of the woman. Her chinky eyes went smaller than they already were. Her thin lips tightened as she listened to the person on the other line.

"Dammit!"

A smile appeared on Riley's lips when the woman that she has been watching stomped her feet on the solid ground. She placed the slick phone back inside the purse.

She chuckled inwardly when the woman groaned and then muttered a couple of words in Chinese. Although she did not understand it, it was easy to say that they were explicit.

Riley looked down as she shook her head. She scratched the end of her left brow.

"It's rude, you know."

She straightened. Her head lifted.

The woman she was watching a while ago is looking back at her. She was unsmiling. Her red lips were in a straight line.

"You have been tailing me since I came. I never expect you to eavesdrop on a private conversation."

"My bad."

There was no use denying it. She has been busted from the very start, anyway. And she did not do it discreetly.

The woman rolled her eyes and huffed.

Riley stood frozen when the unknown woman marched in her direction. She swallowed in nervousness only to realize that the woman walked past her.

"Kids these days are ill-mannered." She said under her breath. "My goodness, this child could be a future alpha."

The retort that was about to exit her mouth went out the window when the sweet scent of the woman slapped Riley. Her wolf yelped in her head.

Without meaning to, Riley lifted her nose and sniffed. Her eyes were closing when they opened immediately at what the chinky woman said.

"Stop sniffing like a damn dog."

A frown marred Riley's face. She was surprised and insulted at the same time. When she turned to the woman, Riley only had the sight of the voluptuous woman's retreating back.

Gently, she moved between the throng of guests as she tried to follow the woman. If she was not a werewolf, she would have lost her. It was fortunate that her scent was engrained into her brain.

Eyebrows puckered Riley stopped walking. She was standing beside a wall that had a large painting. It showed off an image of a burning village. The fire was so vivid that she could almost imagine the heat in her skin.

She lost her!

Riley released a disappointed sigh as she watched the busy guests of the gala.

"Stop following me, dammit."

Startled, Riley glanced at the person standing two meters away from her. It was the woman she was looking for. She was hidden behind a huge pot of plant.

Although the woman was looking the other way, Riley knew that her attention was on her.

"But---"

"No buts."

Disappointed, Riley watched her leave. With a deep sigh, she glanced at the painting behind her.

It was painted well. The fire seemed real.

"I knew that you don't want to be here but you don't have to look like a lost kid wanting to leave the place while the parents are busy kissing ass with their acquaintances."

She rolled her eyes when she heard the familiar voice of her friend.

Kenzo's grinning face greeted her. They embraced.

"How are you, Alpha Shebala?"

Riley made a face.

Just like her, Kenzo Takahashi was an alpha of their pack. They were both invited to this event.

It was a ball for the supernatural beings. The leaders of the packs and covens were invited to attend.

For most of the supernatural, it was a well-awaited event since it was being held every five years. It was an opportunity to expand the allies as well as to meet their mates and beloved.

This time, the host of the event was a vampire coven of the American continent. Despite the venue of the event, the invitation was extended to the other continents.

Kenzo was the alpha of an Asian pack. However, she and the Japanese alpha knew each other from way back. They went to the same university in college. Although they were studying different undergraduate courses, they met at the campus. Instead of going alpha on each other, they decided to become friends. They have been visiting each other's territories since.

"Where's your Luna?"

"Restroom." The male alpha responded with a shrug. "She frequented that place these days."

The man in front of her knew that she had not met her mate yet. He has been rubbing it on her.

He met his mate when he was seventeen. Back then, his mate was a year younger and his sister's best friend. He had to wait for a year before he was able to tell her that they were meant to be together.

Meanwhile, at the age of twenty-six, Riley has not met her mate. Well, that was moments ago before she became an eavesdropper. The mere reason why she had been very attracted to her the moment her attention landed on the gray-eyed woman.

"What's your poison, alphas?"

They both looked at the bartender. He was a vampire. His red eyes gave him away.

They both asked for champagne.

"How's the parents, Riley?"

"They were good. Yours?"

"They wish me good luck."

They shared a laugh.

Five years ago, Kenzo was sent by his parents to attend the gala since he was near instead of his parents flying from Japan. It was also a blessing that Riley accompanied her father in the same event.

The former alpha of the Hakken pack, Kenzo's father, was not a very sociable person. He attended social gatherings but if he could avoid it, he would send his son who was a social butterfly.

"Can I have soda, please?" Kenzo asked the bartender.

Riley turned to her left when she felt a familiar presence on her side. She was greeted by Aiko's bright smile.

"There was a long line."

"And a lot of gossiping, I presumed?"

"Yeah. They were badmouthing a certain girl. I was not able to get the name before I went out of the cubicle."

"My own gossip girl." Kenzo proudly told his mate before pulling the petite woman closer.

"Hello, Alpha Riley."

Aiko's cheeks were rosy. The Asian woman was embarrassed by the show of affection from her mate.

"Hello, Luna. The travel was alright with you?"

"It was long, alright. Thanks for the upgrade."

"You're welcome."

When Riley learned that Aiko would be accompanying Kenzo to the gala, she upgraded their plane ticket to business class. Knowing her friend, he might be a cool guy but he was an economy person. Not because he had no money to spend but because he wanted to live thriftily.

"You'll be a spoiler godmother, Riley."

"I tried to be. I'll be the favored one." She grinned at the male alpha.

That's right. Aiko is pregnant with their first child.

Knowing the long flight, Riley chose to make it comfortable for the couple. Kenzo had no say in it when she sent the copy of their plane ticket. The upgraded copy hours before their flight.

She made it happen since she hacked the account of her friend. Kenzo knew that she can since she has been pranking him when they were still in college.

"When are you visiting my kingdom? My mom has been asking for their adopted daughter."

Riley chuckled.

On the day that she stepped foot in Hakken Pack territory, the former Luna was all over her. They knew that Kenzo and her were just friends but they were thankful that their son found a good person who would influence their 'bad' son. Their other daughter was thankful that the attention went to Riley. Apparently, the former leaders of the Asian pack had been more protective of their other child than the next alpha.

"Maybe in a couple of months. I miss her homemade ramen, too."

"And you are the only one who can ask her to cook it aside from Aiko."

"Because we asked nicely."

Riley laughed at Akiko's statement.

Since the beginning, there has never a bad blood between Aiko and Riley. The young Luna has been assured that the two alphas were just friends. It also saddens the Luna that the female alpha has not found her mate yet.

"I hope you find your mate, man."

She grabbed the flute and raised it between them. Riley looked at her friend in the eyes.

"I did."

THROUGH the glass window, Riley viewed the people who were coming and going outside the fine-dining restaurant where she and a client met.

It was a great business deal. For the next twelve months, her company will be supplying its construction business with steel materials.

This was not their first deal. They have been together for several projects in the past couple of years. He was a good client. He brought the 25% of the pack's earning for two years in a row----

"Deal's over, jackass!"

From the glass window, Riley's attention went to the source of that voice. A very familiar voice.

Three tables away, a slender woman grabbed her bag from a chair. The sound of the heels of her stiletto echoed in the silence of the restaurant.

The man, on the other hand, remained behind the table. He glanced at the retreating woman before he focused his attention to the coffee he was drinking. What transpired did not seem to affect him at all.

"Thank you, goddess," Riley muttered under her breath before she stood up. She placed a few bills on the table for the food.

She made another glance at the man from three tables down. He was on the phone. It did not take a genius to know that he thought he had the upper hand to whomever he was talking to judging from the smirk plastered on his lips.

Using the heightened excitement from her wolf, Riley walked ahead. She relied on her wolf than her other senses this time.

The female alpha stopped in front of the door of the restroom.

The restaurant was on the other side of the ground floor of the hotel where Riley stayed since last night. She had a series of meetings with several clients early morning yesterday until late last night. In fact, his last meeting was a few minutes ago.

She set the meeting in the restaurant for her own convenience.

Riley entered the restroom but she placed the out-of-order sign before she closed the door.

Swearing has been heard from the far cubicle. It was muttered in almost a whisper but because of sensitive hearing, Riley had the front seat to hear the whole thing,

"Akiku, you have been through this. You can pull this off. He was just one of many assh*le you had met."

The female alpha looked at herself in the mirror while listening to the woman inside the far cubicle. It was a good thing that there were no other people in the restroom aside from them.

Nothing amiss in her face. Not even a single hair went out of the high ponytail she made this morning

She made a face when she noticed the bags under her eyes. Her dark brown orbs appeared black at the sleep deprivation she had for weeks. Bless the rosy lip tint she put on before she met the client a while ago. She would have looked like a junkie.

"At least, I am done with that jerk." It was followed by the door to the cubicle opening. "Arggg! He's a perv---- Dammit!"

The chinky-eyed woman was startled when she realized that she was not alone.

Riley mouthed an apology when their eyes met in the mirror. It was clear that the woman thought she was alone in her monologue.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Enough to hear your colorful speech."

The woman huffed. She drew near the sink. She opened her purse and reapplied the red lipstick on her lips.

A frown marred on Riley's face. She noticed the same shade on the man's chin.

"He tried to put his hands on you."

It was not a question.

"That's how to put it simply."

"What else did he do?"

"What a regular human man would do."

"What do you mean?"

"He's a healthy man. He only acted what a normal man would do when he sees an attractive woman within reach."

"A decent man would respect boundaries."

The woman's gray eyes focused on Riley from the mirror. She stopped shading her lips with the red tint.

"I met people like that a long time ago. However, they are becoming extinct nowadays. This generation stopped making well-mannered humans."

Riley noticed the other woman's speech. It was the second time that she brought the negative character of today's generation.

She wondered how old this woman was. Although she already had an idea that Akiku was not a werewolf. She could be a witch that relies on the fountain of youth or she could be a vampire with decades on her sleeves. Until this moment, she was not able to decipher the origin of her so-called fated mate.

She finally learned the woman's name when Akiku talked to herself while inside the cubicle.

Akiku closed the purse and made a beeline for the door. She gave Riley a fleeting look.

"For the record, eavesdropping and stalking fell on the category of ill-mannered."

"W-what?"

Riley's word was muffled by the closing of doors.

It took her ten seconds before moving her right foot forward. To her chagrin, she found Akiku nowhere in sight.

The woman has short legs but she could sprint faster than Riley expected.

F*ck, her mate was a vampire!

"Very astute."

Riley smiled sheepishly. Sometimes, her wolf has a very smart mouth in contrast with her human who likes to keep everything to herself rather than speak her mind.

"Use your nose, please."

"Only because you say please."

Riley grinned. Indeed, her wolf was blessed with smart sarcasm.

At times, she wanted to purposely pick on her wolf. Since they met their mate, Akiku, her wolf has been restless. Although Riley was overwhelmed by the knowledge that she finally met her mate, she was more anxious about how to get her mate to accept their mating.

Inter-mating was often challenging. Others misunderstood the possessiveness of the werewolves. While for the witches and vampires, did not rely their fate on their destiny to acquire a mate or beloved.

If the werewolves have a pre-determined mate, the witches, and the vampires have the choice to select their own beloved. Some other shifters selected their own mate when they were already past their prime and had not found their mate yet. Or they wanted a better choice for a mate that would convenience them and the pack. It was common nowadays but others still wait for the person that the Moon Goddess destined for them.

And Riley waited who was meant for her. Despite the pressure of having a Luna on her side when she took the responsibility as an alpha, she was determined to find her fated mate. The pack understood. Her parents understood.

Disappointed, Riley went back to the suite. For the second time, she lost her mate. Maybe they were not meant to be chummy at this stage.

"Let go!"

That was the first thing that she heard when she went out of the elevator.

It was Akiku! Her voice came from the other side of the floor.

Sprinting, she went to the area only to witness her own mate being pulled by the familiar man towards the opened door of another suite.

"Help!"

"Shut up, woman! I knew what the likes of you want!"

He slapped Akiku's backside. Much to Riley's chagrin.

"Let go! I told you that the deal's off!"

Unbothered by the man's size, Riley grabbed his massive arm.

It was packed with hard muscle. But it was not as strong as her displeasure of seeing him put his hands on her mate.

"You have no business here, woman. Go to your own suite."

"Not when she said no."

"Really?" Smirking, he regarded. "Do you know this woman? She was part of the deal."

"But she already said no."

"She has no say in it."

"F*ck you! Get your hands off me!"

"Do not play hard to get, Akiku. We both know that it's not how it works. You are going to fulfill your part of the bargain. It's my prerogative when you are going to leave my bed." The man said in annoyance.

Without warning, Riley's fist made itself known. Her knuckles went to the man's jaw. It was followed by a hard chop on his nape.

She pulled Akiku when he slumped on the carpeted floor unconscious.

They were silent until they reached the suite that she occupied.

Heaving in anger, Riley turned the laptop on. She worked on erasing the footage of what she did a while ago. There should be no evidence that the three of them had an encounter.

This was a human world after all. The man was human. He could be influential. He might retaliate using the authority. He needs evidence.

Akiku cleared her throat slicing the thickening silence between them.

"T-thank you."

"No man has the right to manhandle a woman in any way." The female alpha mattered without glancing. Her eyes were on the screen hacking the CCTV of the hotel. "Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Good. Are you going to be somewhere else? He will be awake in half an hour."

"No one's expecting me until later."

"I see. I'm checking out. My meetings are done."

Packing the laptop, she placed it in the messenger bag. She pulled the luggage and motioned the door at Akiku.

Her things were packed when she went out of the suite this morning.

"My flight is in two hours. Where can I drop you off?"

"Why are you doing this?"

They were heading to the car that Riley rented from the airport.

"Helping distressed people?" Akiku nodded. "Isn't that a normal thing to do?"

"No. Not this generation."

The alpha chuckled. "Just how old are you, woman?"

"Too old."

"Not from where I was looking."

When she did not hear from the woman in the passenger seat, Riley glanced at her when the light turned red.

The chinky-eyed woman was looking at her intently. There was confusion on her face before it turned into fascination. Then, gone.

"You liked me."

"I more than like you but I do not have to desire you to get that man's hand off you. I see someone in need. That's all."

"Wow!"

There was disbelief and sarcasm in her voice.

"Where does that distrust come from?"

"You are young and innocent, alpha. You would be burned one day."

To Riley's relief, her mate finally realized that she was an alpha wolf. At least, there was no cynicism when she mentioned Riley being an alpha.

"Maybe," Riley uttered. She was glad that Akiku seemed to have nothing against shifters.

"You're still a stalker."

"And ill-mannered?"

A smile formed on Akiku's lips but she was looking out the window.

It was enough for Riley to know that she had made a huge leap towards getting to know her mate.

FACE held high, Akiku paced in the direction of her father's office. She was told to see him after she heard him arrive a few minutes ago.

As she passed by the living room, two of her half-brothers were there. Jun, the eldest, sent her a disappointed look while the other, Cheng, was grinning.

She took a deep sigh before she knocked on the heavy wooden door of the head of the coven's office. She gently opened the door when she heard his response.

Fang Chen stood up from the couch positioned between the two tall windows. The curtains were down since it was still midday.

Sunlight was the vampire's kryptonite. No matter how old the vampire is, the sunlight still affects his well-being especially if he was made.

A natural-born vampire can withstand the heat but when exposed directly to the sun or UV rays, he will slowly burn and turn into ashes. However, a turned vampire, he will immediately disintegrate upon exposure.

It was not the case for Akiku. She will only have severe sunburn since she was a half-ling. Her mother was a human who died of childbirth. But she was given the gift of immortality like the rest of the vampire beings.

"Call for me when you are done with her," Fang said before leaving the office. However, she did not forget to give Akiku a displeased glance. Her button nose twitched like she smelled bad food.

It has always been the case. The old woman cannot pretend to like the fruit of her beloved's infidelity.

Fang Chen was her father's beloved. She was the coven's prince's consort. She was also the biological mother of Jun and Cheng who were centuries older than Akiku.

Akiku remained standing even when she heard the door close. Her head was down and waited for her father, Chún Cheng, to acknowledge her presence.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?"

Despite the calm demeanor, Akiku knew that her father was at his wit's end. He must have learned about what happened in the hotel yesterday.

She stayed silent. Responding to his question will only provoke him. At her age, she did not want to be physically assaulted by him or anyone in the coven. Her skin should stay unblemished so that she could do what she was supposed to do.

Despite the quick healing that the supernatural like her possessed, pain is still pain and the abrasion will take hours, if not days, for the injury to fully heal. Its emotional effect on her will remain no matter how long ago it happened.

"I received a call from the Smiths. They told me that you left him. His son was also assaulted."

It will be of no use to answer him. Her father did not want to hear anything that yielded no good news.

"I want you to apologize to the Smiths. We need them."

"If I may, Sir?" Akiku asked before she lifted her head.

The rounded but chinky, red eyes of the Prince of vampires were frowning. His yellow skin appeared more pale than it already was. It was due to the lack of exposure in the sun. Possibly jaundice, if he was human.

Many told her that she has a strong resemblance to her father aside from her gray eyes. She learned that she got them from her dead, human mother except for the red lining on her gray orbs.

The Prince of the Chún Xuètǒng or Pureblood Coven looked at her intently before he waved his hand to allow her to speak. Even without using words, a wave of a hand infused authority in his action.

"Sire, the Smiths are small fish. I have another candidate in mind who could be more useful to us."

Chang Chen or Steven Chen to his colleagues raised his hand for the halfling to continue.

"I found out that they have been affiliated with a businessman named Felix Ferguson who has control over South America when it comes to Steel manufacturing."

"And you have access to him?"

"Yes."

"Deal with it."

"Yes, Sir."

Just like that, Akiku left his office.

The fiasco between her and the Smiths should not become an issue that her father can use against her. One failure should be solved with a better and bigger solution. Felix Ferguson will be her way out of this setback.

"Nothing's shattered and your face is intact."

Akiku did not stop when she heard the youngest male Chen of the Pureblood coven. She made her way to the patio leading to the gardens instead of her own room.

The gardens were the only place in the manor where she could find peace at this hour. She was the only immune person in the house that could withstand the heat, literally, when the sun was still out.

"You think you can avoid me, princess?"

Cheng was behind her. The man would not stop until he could get a reaction from her. Despite his age, he was still immature. If he was not a son of the coven leaders, he was a nobody. An unimportant member of the coven.

"The manor might be big but there is no place for me to not find you." He pulled her arm before she could step into the sun. "You knew who is favored in this coven, halfling."

"Yeah. We also knew who could bring money in this coven." She said when she met his eyes.

Anger flashes in his red orbs. He raised his hand.

"A tainted skin will not get things done, Cheng. What will father say if he learns that you are the reason why I was not able to meet the clients?"

He gritted his teeth. He knew that Akiku had a point. He released a loud sigh after he put his hand down. He also removed his clutch on her arm.

"Right. After all, you need to work to be useful in this coven. That's the only thing why you are still here."

He straightened his suit before he looked ahead. A smile was plastered on his lips. He also put his hands on his sides.

She wanted to wipe the smirk off his face when he said that. However, he would know that he won this round. That he could get into her skin that easy.

"Of course. Without me working, this coven would crumble. This halfling has to work so that your ass will survive. Since that ass is useless."

Akiku stepped back before he could grab her again. She went back inside the manor without looking back.

She kept her face devoid of emotion. She will not let the encounter with Cheng affect her in any way. He did not mention anything that she had not heard before. Altercation will not yield good results.

She was no child. She was no longer a child since she was ten. A period in her life when she learned that she has no one to depend on but herself.

"Stop dreaming, Akiku." She muttered under her breath the moment she closed the door of her bedroom.

She locked the door and drew near the working table near the glass windows.

She pulled the curtains open to let the sunlight in. The heat made her feel better. It was the only consolation that reaffirmed her that she was different from everyone else in the manor. A huge difference that made them look down on her.

She opened the laptop and continued working on the Ferguson. She has to get him. Having him on her side would be an advantage.

Her back straightened when a familiar face popped up when she got the results from the search engine.

She clicked on the image and stared at the picture. She also read the articles. Akiku shook her head when she realized what she was doing.

"Stop it." She mumbled under her breath. "You don't need a distraction, Akiku."

She exited everything and turned the laptop off. The momentum to work was gone.

The sun was still out when she went out of the bathroom after the shower. She has to leave the manor before dark. She knew that Chen would retaliate because he did not have the last word.

Wearing a lacy dress that reached half her thigh, she grabbed the keys to her car and the handbag where she hastily pushed the laptop.

"You must be on the way to get the job done." Cheng hollered when she passed him by.

She made a face when she smelled the strong scent of iron in the air. He must be having his early dinner.

"So that you won't starve." She bellowed back to him.

"That's because I don't have to force myself in this family."

"Shut up, Cheng."

That was Jun who just came in. His hands were inside the pockets of his plaid trousers.

"Hey, brother. A drink perhaps?"

"Have you seen, Mother?" He asked instead.

"She has not come out of Father's office."

Jun nodded before he turned to Akiku who was about to make a beeline to the garage. "Where are you heading, Akiku?"

"Out."

Just like that, she sprinted towards the car despite the four-inch stiletto in her feet.

Between brothers, she can tolerate Jun. He was civil towards her. He did not show her brotherly affection but he was never mean to her despite knowing that Akiku was a fruit of his father's infidelity. However, for the rest of the family, she was just a means to a goal that they so wanted. Steven Chen was no exception.