Chapter 14
The day after the incident, Sion and Safia drove to the client’s house. His father’s words still echoed in his mind from their earlier conversation.
Past conversation between Sion and his dad Karen:
"You might be wondering why I'm sending you to a small ranch owner for a deal when we have a whole lot of employees to work for us. The place has got some of the best grapes which will turn out to be a fortune for us in the future. The owner of the ranch is a difficult woman. That is where you come in. We have tried everything to get that piece of land. Money and pressure don't seem to have any effect. We have 3 weeks to get this parcel in escrow. If not, the deal falls apart before Christmas."
Present:
Safia looked out the car window, watching the empty fields pass. "I wonder who lives here. It's a whole lot of nothing."
Sion restricted the grin threatening to break through his stoic expression. "This is wine country. Did you know that 80% of the nation's wine is made right here in California? And chardonnay grapes are the most popular ones planted."
Half an hour later, they pulled up to a modest ranch house. "I am Sion Canes, CEO of Wellcrow Grape Wines," he said, extending a hand to the old woman who greeted them.
"You're an impressive name drop, aren't you?" the gray-haired woman replied, assessing him. "I read volumes about you in newspapers and on the internet."
"Pleasure is all mine, ma'am, but you have no idea how exhausting it can be sometimes," Sion said humbly before flashing his signature charming smile.
"Please take a seat." She gestured to a chair and sat across from him.
"My company is going to offer you the best price," Sion said, taking a seat and writing a figure on a legal document before forwarding it to her.
"I thought for a second that you were a suit," Ms. Stan said, her eyes running over his expensive, tailor-made clothes. "But you seem modest despite the vast wealth you hold."
"What?" Sion asked, slightly taken aback but maintaining his polite demeanor.
"A suit. We thought some hoity-toity company man would come here and wave money in our faces," a younger woman said, standing beside Ms. Stan. "I'm Ms. Tisra Stan, daughter of Cara Stan," she introduced herself.
'That spoke volumes about her. Hating a rich, high-pride woman who struggles to keep her head above water,' Sion thought to himself. He'd mastered the art of not letting his emotions show.
"I know this is a ranch you planned to turn into a winery one day and are fighting tooth and nail to allow it to survive," Sion stated. "But the amount my company is offering is more than fair. I've offered double what my dad promised you. This will clear all your previous loans and also allow you to buy a new ranch."
"Do you know about our local wine culture? We have a collective, friendly buyer for our land," Ms. Tisra said with determination.
"Whatever the quote, I know it won't be greater than the amount I'm offering," Sion said with finality, tucking his pen back into his shirt pocket.
"You have a one million dollar loan taken by your late father three years ago. The money you make from the ranch is hardly a few hundred every month. How do you think you will clear that loan?" Sion asked diplomatically. He was a creative genius at work.
"You seem to have come here after doing all your homework, young man," Ms. Stan said with a smile, though her eyes held a word of caution.
"Well, I don't simply step into the ground. Deals don’t work with selfishness and pride. You strike the best when you think about the welfare of both parties," Sion added, taking a sip of the coffee he was offered.
"My dad did a lot of work on that," Cara stated. "In the late 1800s, there was a parasite that destroyed all the vineyards. My great-grandfather bought those vine plants in suitcases from France and planted them here. The best quality of wine is what we get out of them. There is no way we are going to sell this land to you."
The bodyguard standing beside Sion took a step forward in anger at her words, but Sion stopped him. He was not there to get carried away by emotions and lose the deal. "Do you sell the wine that comes from your grapes?"
"No. We give it to our friends and relatives during birthdays and festivals," Ms. Tisra informed him.
"Can I have a taste of it?" Sion asked. Safia watched, her mind racing, wondering what he was up to.
Ms. Tisra guided him to the barrel room. "Our vineyard is the only remaining source of local grapes in Los Santos. And this facility is where our precious produce produces their wine."
"And those barrels are made of teak wood, right?" Sion pointed to one from which she was taking out the wine.
"Mmm hmm," she said in a sing-song way, offering him a glass.
Sion carefully observed the color of the drink before swirling and smelling it. He took a sip, his eyes slightly highlighted. "Good fruit, super grippy, some austere tannins. Isn't it?"
"Indeed. Your taste and smell are perfect," Ms. Tisra said, walking closer, her eyes conveying something he wished not to see.
Sion created distance between them and walked back to the sitting room where Safia and Ms. Stan were waiting. "I may have an option that could be beneficial for both of us."
"What would it be?" Ms. Stan leaned forward on her seat, looking at him with eagerness. Ms. Tisra 's swooning eyes on him didn't create a favorable impression in Safia's mind. But did she have a choice? Maybe she did because the next words from Sion 's mouth were, "What if your daughter becomes a partner in my company?"
Ms. Tisra and Cara's faces lit up, but Safia's heart sank. She knew what this meant. Sion was offering the daughter of the woman he was trying to con a partnership in his multi-million dollar company, and he was going to get it. And she also knew that Ms. Tisra 's predatory look would not stop at a business partnership.
She was about to voice her concern, but a low growl from a nearby room stopped her. Ms. Tisra and Cara froze, their eyes widening in fear. A huge, shaggy wolf with eyes the color of a setting sun stepped out of the shadows.
It was not a stray. It was too big, too powerful. It sniffed the air, its gaze locking onto Sion . But it wasn't a look of aggression. It was a look of profound recognition, as if it had been waiting for him. Sion ’s face paled. He had been so focused on the deal, on the human scent, that he hadn't noticed the faint, intoxicating aroma of a werewolf in the room until it was too late. He was a werewolf, an alpha, and he had just stepped into another alpha's territory.
The two wolves, one in human form, the other in beast, were now face to face. Safia watched, terrified. She had no idea what would happen next, but she knew this was no longer a business deal. This was a territorial dispute. And the outcome would be decided not by a contract but by blood.
Chapter 15
After thoughtful consideration and looking at the parameters of your land, I would like to offer you a fresh deal.” Sion wrote a new figure on a piece of paper and gave it to Ms. Stan.
“Sell the ranch to us but keep the wineries with you since it is your heritage. I can understand your sentiments. In this way you would keep the heritage which you had been carrying for ages. We would buy the wine from you and sell it in the market as a limited edition.” Sion declared with a well practiced sincerity in his voice.
“I would like to have a moment with my daughter,” Ms. Stan politely excused herself with Tisra.
“Have you even looked at him, Mom? That man looks like a clever con artist. I told you I will get another extension from the bank. This land is not for Wellcrow Grape Wines,” Tisra pleaded.
Cara did not say anything, but simply handed her the document Sion gave her earlier. “They're not taking our wineries. He wants to simply buy the wine produced from them. Why not? It looks like a fair deal. Plus they want to buy the ranch, too. You and I both know we hardly earn anything from it. That's too much money for that fruitless property.” She pointed to the figure on the paper.
“Are you sure it's only the ranch?” Tisra grabbed Sion’s quotation from Cara. And her lips slowly extended into a grin as she read it.
“You are really pulling your weight around here,” Cara spoke to Sion as they returned to the visitor's room.
“That would be awesome. We are happy with the deal,” Tisra said enthusiastically.
“I’m elated to hear it. Let us sign the documents tomorrow morning. Will that be okay?” He looked between the two women, a charming glint in his eyes.
“Of course. Why not?” Cara replied cheerfully.
“Everybody knows Los Santos grapes suck, and you're not even buying that winery,” Safia said sadly the moment they were back at the penthouse.
Sion didn’t reply directly. “I observed two things in the old woman’s eyes. She did not want to sell that property because it had been with them for generations. It's their legacy. Sentiments have a lot of value. Everything can't be weighed with money. Secondly, they are not money-hungry people. Did you see that house? They work hard, lead a simple life, and are content with it.”
“If you think they are not after your money, why did they accept your price?” Safia asked, her voice skeptical.
Sion chortled softly. “That is because they think I'm paying them a lot for that ranch. The most essential quality required in a businessman is to be able to read the thoughts of a person before him. Have you seen the spreading cloth on the centre table in the drawing room we were seated in? It was old, probably it had been washed a hundred times by now. The color looked faded, but it was perfectly ironed and clean with beautiful embroidery on it. That means they are poor but hardworking.
And not to forget that young woman…she is something else. Smart mouth with a good amount of self-pride. ‘Hoity-toity company man who waves currency notes’?” Sion shook his head with a grin recalling her earlier words.
“I know better than that. They hate rich people and no amount of money could buy them. When so many of my employees visited their place and came back empty-handed, it is an open and shut case—they're not into money. Thus, I offered them a deal which they can't refuse.” Sion spoke casually, looking through the window at the vast garden of their penthouse.
“How? You took the ranch but not the winery, which would earn you nothing. I don’t even understand why you are offering such a huge price for that good-for-nothing property.” Safia shrugged, clueless.
Sion presented a crooked grin. “Everyone would look at the ranch because that is the thing I bought from them. However, that is only a cover. The winery is where my eyes are set. I think differently, and it is that thought process which puts me at the top of American business.”
He walked towards her and stood tall, his hands in his pant pockets. “I am not stupid to make such a huge quotation without thought. To answer your earlier question regarding Los Santos grapes, didn’t you hear what that old woman said? Those grapes are not from here. They are from France, the best variety which we wouldn't get even if we sieve through the whole of America. You taste heaven in that wine. When the ranch is mine, the winery will soon be.” He said with clarity.
“Are you going to rob them of their generations-long heritage?” Safia asked, flabbergasted.
Sion shook his head. “I won't. I am not a thief. I only do smart business. They will offer me everything on their own.”
“How?”
“It's called intelligence.” He tapped the side of his head with his forefinger. “You won't understand because you are still a kindergarten student here.”
“I am not a kid and I can see everything, including how that bitch is trying to flirt with you.” Safia said with scorn.
Sion chuckled. “Let her flirt. I will play with her until the time I seal the contract. This is very important to me because Dad wants to acquire this land by any means.”
“So you will continue to do hunky-funky with her but won’t tell her you are married to me?” Safi tightened her lips and asked Sion.
“No. I won't. Like you told me a hundred times now, our wedding is only on paper. Nobody knows about it. You're just here to warm my bed. After two years you're on your way and I'm on mine.” Sion shrugged as a matter of fact.
“You…” Safia raised her hand to slap him, but it was stopped mid-air by a speed and a strength that were inhuman. His fingers, impossibly strong, wrapped around her wrist, his grip a silent threat. A cruel, knowing smile played on his lips.
“Using men for your needs and abandoning them later like a piece of trash is the art you’ve mastered. I’m just being your student, learning the basics. Why are you so irritated when I’m just giving you back what belongs to you? Guild Wade right? I know… everything.” He nodded, his eyes flashing with a thousand emotions she couldn't decipher.
The name was a punch to her gut. Guild. The beta she’d loved, the one she'd been forced to leave behind, the one she’d promised to return for. How could Sion possibly know about him? Her breath hitched, her mind reeling. Had her father, in his desperation, revealed this secret? Or had Sion, with his terrifying power and resources, dug up her past to use it against her?
Before she could form a question, Sion’s gaze shifted, his eyes flickering with an unsettling, predatory gold. His head tilted, as if he were listening to a sound only he could hear, a sound that made his nostrils flare. His grip on her arm tightened, and a low growl rumbled deep in his chest.
"What is it?" she whispered, fear coiling in her stomach.
He didn't answer. Instead, his body went rigid, and he pushed her behind him, shielding her with his frame. She caught the scent of him, a scent she now recognized as his true self—the scent of an alpha wolf, a dangerous, primal aroma that was now laced with the acrid smell of a threat.
"He's here," Sion hissed, the words not a whisper but a snarl.
Sophia's heart hammered against her ribs. Who was he talking about? Another alpha? A rogue? The scent of another wolf was thick in the air, a scent she now recognized as pure aggression and challenge.
A shadow detached itself from the trees, stepping into the dim moonlight. The figure was tall, powerfully built, with eyes that glowed a fiery red. He was an alpha, no doubt, but not just any alpha. He was the ruler of the territory they had stepped into.
He stood there, his eyes locking onto Sion, and then on Safia, his gaze a mix of fury and heartbroken. He wasn’t just here to talk. He was here to fight. And Sion, her contracted mate, the man who had just used her past against her, was now ready to fight him.
The air crackled with the raw, untamed energy of two alpha males about to collide. Two alphas. The stage was set for a battle of blood and dominance, and Safia was caught in the middle.
The only question now was which wolf would win, and what would happen to her when the other did.
Chapter 16
What is going on? Why does Sion behave weirdly? At one moment he is ready to fight for her tooth and nail and in the next moment he is as cold as ice, always bringing the contract in between about their shady marriage.
“Tisra is mine.” The wolf growled. Sion looked beside Safia. Something was going on in his head. In a whirlwind his wolf was out. There was a long conversation between the duo and then later Sion came back.
Safia knew no matter what he wasn't going to tell her what happened between the two of them. She took two steps forward, her eyes glowing like live embers. "So you did a background check on me."
Sion maintained his silence, returning her fierce gaze with an air of nonchalance that infuriated her.
She nodded, her lips tightening. "If you hadn't, I would have been amazed. After living with you for twenty days, at least this much I know about you: people of your category can't trust anyone. You're a paralyzed billionaire." The words dripped out of her with venom.
Sion was taken aback, but she didn’t let him speak. "Physical disability can be healed, but what about mental illness? That's why rich, self-conceited men like you depend on these machines for data." She gestured to the computer.
"When a ship starts drowning, the first ones to leave are the mice living inside it. You're one of them. You stay friends as long as people are useful to you and desert them once your work is over. A fair-weather friend. Isn't that right about Guild Wade?" Sion was back on the ground. A nerve popped out on his throat as he restricted the urge to throw her out the window.
"I'm warning you, Sion Canes. Don't go there. You know nothing about my past except the information your private investigator brought you. But sometimes what you read or think may not be the truth."
"Oh, is it? Tell me then, what is the truth? I want to know. Didn't he give you a good f—" Before he could finish, a sharp sting on his cheek stopped him cold. She'd slapped him. As his hand reached for her, she turned and ran.
"Safia, you've done enough. Come back! I warn you for the last time, if you step out of my house, you will not be able to return. Your company will be bankrupt overnight because I'll withdraw my share right this moment. You and your dad will be on the streets by tomorrow." He roared, his voice laced with the fury of a brewing volcano.
But she didn't stop. She didn't look back. She shut the door behind her and was gone.
Sion’s words hung in the air. His legs gave up, and he collapsed into a chair, his head in his hands. A soft growl rumbled in his chest, a sound of defeat. He waited, staring out the window, but the girl was as stubborn as an ox. She didn't return, and his anxiety mounted. Is she going to be safe?
He couldn't concentrate on work. No amount of pep talk helped. He finally gave up, his hands turning into mighty fists. He didn't know if it was anger, worry, or affection he felt for her.
Two hours passed. He tried to track her phone, but she'd left it in the house. Where did she go? The city is unknown to her, but her ego is bigger than the Great Wall of China. Stupid girl. Does she have any idea how unsafe it is to be out so late?
He couldn't stand it anymore. Grabbing his keys, he scurried to the car and started the engine. He scoured the dark streets, searching for any trace of her. Nothing. He ended up in front of a bar. Would she be here? The stubborn cat can do anything to make my hackles rise, he thought, and stepped inside.
The place was a chaotic mess of music, cigarette smoke, and the smell of alcohol. He pushed through the crowd, his eyes desperately searching for her. Then he heard it—a soft, slurred voice cutting through the blaring music. He'd recognize that tone even in his sleep. And there she was, blabbering to the bartender, fueled by liquid courage.
For a moment, Sion's legs were rooted to the spot. He just wanted to stand there, etching her image into his memory so he would never lose it.
He walked up to her with a deep sigh. "Having fun with Johnny Walker?"
"Hey, handsome! I was just talking about you to the bartender," she slurred.
He saw at least ten empty shot glasses in front of her. "Come on, Safia, you've had enough. Let's go home now."
"Sir, I was telling her the same thing," the bartender said helplessly. "She wouldn't listen. She was continuously muttering something and crying to herself."
Safia giggled. "You talk about the devil, and he is right here."
"Stop it, Safia. You're not in your senses." Sion went to pull her from the bar stool.
"What are you doing? Don't touch me! You're a bad guy." She poked his nose with her forefinger, pushing him away.
"Good or bad, we will talk about it tomorrow. Why did you take your sandals off?" He knelt to fix them, but she wouldn't cooperate.
"You will get it today. I will teach you a lesson you will not forget for a decade," he whispered, gritting his teeth, and tried to help her walk out.
"I wanted to call you, sir, but ma'am didn't have her phone and she wouldn't give me your number," the bartender said.
Sion felt a rush of relief. At least the bartender didn't know who she was talking about. And he didn't seem to recognize him. "It's okay. There was no media here, I suppose?" Sion asked, going tense. And then, all of a sudden, a flash of light exploded.
Chapter 17
There was a birthday celebration going on. A little girl was blowing the candles. It's where the flash arrived. She was smiling brightly to the camera and Sion’s senses calmed down.
"No sir, you are assured of it. This area is among the quieter places in the city. There is no paparazzi attraction here.” The bartender spoke with a smile.
Sion released his breath in relief. “Thank you for the information. You kept her engaged all this while before she reached the bed with someone in her inebriated mess. Hope this will take care of everything.” He placed a few dollar bills on the table. The bartender's face brightened.
“Come on Safia, let us go home.” Sion reached for her. But she stopped him once again with a finger on his lips. “Shh, didn’t I tell you, I am not coming with you. My friend Levis is coming to pick me up.”
Sion looked at her like she had grown a second head. “As if I will let that happen.” He mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Did you call him? He is the last man I want here. You are not going to meet him ever again.” He told her firmly.
He lifted her into his arms, bridal style, and carried her to his car. Her eyes were already closing. “Look at yourself. You're such a mess….” He shook his head in disbelief, wrapping a seat belt around her.
Safia wasn’t stable, but her pride was still intact even in her half-conscious state. “I don't need you. I'm going away with him. He is on his way.”
Sion chuckled. “That should have happened. Because unless you stay with him you will not know what sort of a rogue he is. But my misfortune is that I still love you and I can’t let you destroy yourself because of that bastard. Thus you have no choice; you have to stand me as long as I desire to keep you with me.”
Safia didn't reply and groaned in her sleep. But she suddenly woke up and puked, making a mess of her clothes and the vehicle. “Damn woman, I am never going to allow you to drink again.” Sion pulled her hair back and managed to tie it in a bun.
The rest of the drive was in silence. As soon as they reached home, Sion picked her up and put her directly under the shower.
The sleeping Safia jolted awake. “What are you doing? The water is so cold.” She grumbled.
“When you drink like a heathen this is what you get,” he scolded her, though she was not in a position to listen. After giving her a bath, he wrapped her in a thick towel. His hands lingered on her skin as he dried her, the feel of her soft flesh igniting a low burn in his core. He could smell the lingering scent of alcohol, but beneath it, the intoxicating aroma of her skin, clean and warm, was a potent drug.
He carried her to the bed and gently laid her down, his eyes never leaving her face. He had intended to simply watch over her, to make sure she was safe, but the sight of her, vulnerable and beautiful, stirred something deep within him. The wolf in him was restless, hungry, and demanding.
He stripped off his wet clothes and slid in beside her, pulling her close against his bare chest.
She was a dead weight in his arms, her body a soft, warm curve pressed against his hard, muscled length. The contact was electric. His control, already stretched thin, began to fray. He buried his face in her damp hair, inhaling her scent like a man dying of thirst. A low growl rumbled in his chest, a sound that was both a plea and a command.
He kissed her then, a desperate, consuming kiss that tasted of longing and unspeakable need. His hands roamed over her body, memorizing every curve, every dip. She groaned in her sleep, a soft, yielding sound that sent a jolt of pure need through him. He knew he should stop, that he was taking advantage of her unconscious state, but the wolf in him had taken over. He was a creature of instinct, and his instinct told him she was his to claim. He deepened the kiss, his tongue tracing the line of her lips, a silent promise of what was to come. He was a predator, and she was his prey, and the hunt had just begun.
The whole night he kept a watch on her, in case she got sick again. She was mumbling about her ex-boyfriend Guild.
“You shouldn't have left me so early.” She cried in her sleep, and her hidden grief caught Sion by surprise.
The next day Safia woke up with a severe headache. She hissed and shut her eyes, unable to stand the sunlight. A few minutes later she slowly opened them. “What am I doing here? Didn't I go to the club last night?”
Sion sighed, lowering the newspaper he was reading. “We will talk about it later.”
Safia held her head and left a soft cry.
“Shower up and drink that glass of lemon water along with the tablet.” He showed her the things on the side table.
Safia dragged her feet to the washroom and came out like a spitfire. “Did you give me a shower and change my clothes last night?”
Sion shrugged. “You didn't leave me with a choice. I had to clean you because you were smelling like shit with all that vomit on your clothes.”
“You could have asked one of the maids to help me get ready for bed.” It was obvious from her features that Safia was not happy with what happened.
Sion’s lips were a thin line of vexation as he squared Safia. “I cleaned you when you were in a situation nobody would even want to come closer to you, and instead of thanking me you ask why the maid wasn’t called? For your kind information, maids don't work at midnight, and you're my wife. So I can watch you naked, touch you, make love to you, and beget children with you.”
“But you're not going to do any of that because our wedding is not like a normal couple’s wedding. It is only on paper. You wouldn't tell anybody about it even if girls like Tisra Stan start flirting with you. Then why are you bothered where I go and what I make of myself? You told me once I step out of this house, I can’t come back. Then why am I here?” Safia spoke, growing hyper.
She had touched the one thing that should have never been reached: his ego. "When you're drunk, you talk nonsense. What did you intend to say to that bartender about me? Thankfully I went there on time. I always hope you'll prove me wrong at least for once. But you are the biggest nonsensical chatterbox who doesn’t have any filter.
Luckily he didn't recognize me, because for the bluffing you did there, my entire reputation was at stake. The goodwill my dad struggled to build all these years would have gone to the dogs. It's just a one-time job for a woman like you coming from rags. You don't have any plans for a rainy day.
That is the reason why your company is in doldrums today. What if I desert you and never turn back? But I can’t be foolish like you. I love my dad and I value the efforts with which he built Wellcrow Grape Wines. So I won't let you tarnish mine and my company’s name.”
Safia's eyes welled with tears from everything Sion had just said. She was a she-wolf, and her emotions were more intense, her pain sharper. Sion's human words were cutting her to the quick, and the wolf in her was beginning to stir, a low hum of power building under her skin.
And then, a sudden, blinding agony seared through her. It was as if her bones were shattering and reforming. She fell to the floor, her body convulsing as a primal, animalistic scream tore from her throat. Her fingernails elongated into claws, and a thick pelt of brown fur sprouted from her skin.
The truth was now a living, breathing part of her. She wasn't just Safia. She was a she-wolf.
Her transformation complete, she staggered to her feet, a powerful, four-legged creature with glowing amber eyes. She was a werewolf. A mate for the alpha who had just left her. She howled, a long, mournful sound that was part pain and part triumph.
She looked at Sion, his face a mask of shock and terror. He had no idea what she was. And he had just insulted, belittled, and broken the heart of a powerful she-wolf—a mistake that no one in the werewolf world had ever lived to tell. And now, she was going to be the first one to teach him.
The first one to teach him what it means to mess with a wolf.
Chapter 18
She held the collar of Sion and hissed like a snake. Her eyes were red filled with raw anger. She had no forethought or planning. Safia understood that when a person's life went wrong, even the wolves in the forest would start counseling them on what to do and what not to do.
"You thought you would go to that womanizer and I would keep my hands folded like an impotent husband? Ms. Safia Canes, you might not be aware of the qualities of that pig, but I sure am, and I will not see my wife turn into a whore right before my eyes. He will eat you alive and then sell you to a brothel the next day to fill his pockets.” Sion spoke with warning releasing her hands from his collar.
“About whom are you talking about?” Safia asked, clueless in a fit of anger.
"Your boyfriend, Levis . Wasn't he supposed to come to the club to pick you up? You told me to go away because he was on his way. You are never going to talk to him. He is bad news. Do you understand?”
Safia looked at him blankly. Levis wasn't even in the city. He had left Los Santos the day after they'd met at the wine festival. She had only said that Levis was coming to pick her up to boil Sion's blood. Even in her inebriated state, she hadn't failed to raise his hackles, and Safia was somehow happy about it.
“Are you always this controlling? I was not born a day before our marriage, so I can't forgo the connections I had before I met you. As long as you are present in my life, Levis will not intrude. Afterwards, what happens is not your business.”
Sion ran his hands through his hair, feeling desolate. Is she blind? Why can't she see the love for her in his eyes? He just called her Mrs. Canes and said he wouldn’t watch helplessly as his wife turned into a whore. Isn't that enough to tell about his love for her? ‘As long as you are there in my life…’ Bloody hell, what does she think? She will be his love until the cows come home and the chickens fly north.
Keeping aside his grieving heart, he asked the question that had been a chaos in his mind for hours. "You were mumbling about Guild in your half-conscious state last night. I want to know about him.”
Safia didn't like what he had heard from her. Had he not disregarded her in Ms. Stan’s house, she wouldn't have been heartbroken and wouldn't have gone to a bar to forget her tears. But at the end of everything, she was the one who needed to be blamed. Isn't it? Sometimes she felt her whole life was a tragedy after Guild left her.
“Are you always this mighty, dominant, and controlling? Regarding Guild, what you know is more than enough. Ours is only a temporary marriage, and you don’t have to worry about my past, present, and future. Guild is dead. He is not going to come out of his grave to cause you any problems.”
“I did not say he is going to cause us problems, I just wanted to know more about him,” Sion clarified firmly, but his statement got under Safia's skin.
"You can fuck any woman you feel like even after you are wedded to me. You can flirt with Tisra Stan without saying a word to her about our marriage just for the sake of a deal, whereas I need to tell you about my past with a man who is not even living in this world?” Safia couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She wailed loudly and left his presence before he could talk to her more.
What she missed to see were his knuckles, which turned white holding the backrest of the cot beside him as if his life depended on it. Her sorrow was his pain. Little did she know that nobody understood her better than him. Sion saw the tears rolling down her eyes. It was getting very difficult for her to control them, and she walked away from him, which was the last thing he wanted.
Two hours later, her phone started ringing with an unknown number. Safia picked up the call in hesitation. “Hello Safia, this is Levis . I know you are terribly angry at me, and you will cut the call. That is why I'm calling you from a public phone. Please give me a moment to explain.” he pleaded.
“Okay, what do you want to say?” Safia spoke, her voice emotionless.
“I made a blunder by forcing myself on you. I was drunk and did not have control of my mind and body. That's why I'm here to apologize. I won't lie that I am not attracted to you, which is why there was a slip earlier. But I'm prepared to wait until you are ready for this wedding. And I would like to add, my offer still exists. I can apply for a loan in my bank on behalf of you and pledge my hotel as security. You can pay off the dues of your company to a good extent. Regarding the remaining, we will work out something for it,” Levis neatly concluded.
Safia sighed. “You drugged my drink. Why did you do that? Do you know how much of a risk you put me into? Any explanation for it will not make you a better person in my opinion.”
A soft sob was heard from the other end. “I know I messed it up big.” Levis cried. “I shouldn't have gotten drunk, especially when I asked you to come over. My dad suddenly called because something really important came up. My actual plan was to stay at least a week for the wine festival so that I had enough time to taste all the wine varieties available and I could select the best ones for my hotel. But because of the shortness in time, I had to try all of them at once, which messed up everything between us. It was a mistake, I agree, but I'm not a bad person at heart, Safia, and I think you know about it.”
Safia's heart ached with confusion. Levis 's tearful apology seemed genuine, but his actions had put her in a precarious position. She didn't know what to believe. Her emotional state was already in turmoil from her fight with Sion. She looked out the window, her vision blurred with tears, trying to process it all.
Just then, the front door burst open. Sion, his face a mask of primal rage, stood in the doorway. He had been listening to her call with his enhanced werewolf hearing. His eyes, now glowing a ferocious golden, locked onto her. His knuckles were white, his body rigid. He knew what a desperate beta male sounded like, and Levis 's voice was a dead giveaway.
"He's a liar," Sion snarled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. He had just heard Levis 's confession, his apology, and his renewed offer. But all Sion heard was a predator trying to get his claws into his mate. The wolf inside him was howling for blood.
"Sion, you don't understand," Safia started, her own wolf trembling at his raw fury.
"I understand everything!" he roared, taking a step toward her. His rage was a palpable force, a physical wall that made the air feel thick.
"Stay away from me," she whispered, taking a step back.
"No," he growled, the word a physical blow. "He's not just some beta who made a mistake. He’s a rogue. And he’s coming for you."
Just then, there was a knock at the door, a loud, insistent knock that made both of them freeze.
The fight had begun. And Safia was the prize.
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Table of Contents
×1
Chapter 1
2_3
Chapter 2–3
4_8
Chapter 4_8
9_13
Chapter 9_13
14_18
Chapter 14_18
19_23
Chapter 19_23
24_28
Chapter 24_28
29_33
Chapter 29_33
34_38
Chapter 34_38
39_43
Chapter 39_43
44_48
Chapter 44_48
49_53
Chapter 49_53
54_58
Chapter 54_58
59_63
Chapter 59_63
64_68
Chapter 64_68
69_73
Chapter 69_73
74_78
Chapter 74_78
79_83
Chapter 79_83
84_88
Chapter 84_88
89_93
Chapter 89_93
94_98
Chapter 94_98
99_102
Chapter 99_102