Chapter 34
A Price Paid in Blood
A few hours later.
Sion was dejected, his entire world crumbling after Safia rejected his proposal. Was it all just an act to get good grades? He never thought she could stoop so low. He felt a soul-crushing despair, as if there was nothing left to live for. That night, he drank without thought, his body growing numb, his mind hazy.
It was late when he began the lonely walk back to his room. He had sent Albert and the rest of his security away. Safia had already seen him at the club, and he was grateful she was too drunk to remember. He had wanted to explain everything to her himself, before questions could corner her.
The alcohol did nothing to dull the pain in his heart. His eyes were red with unshed tears as he stumbled along the empty street. A vehicle approached at a rocking speed, its bright headlights blinding him. The next moment, everything went black after a deafening sound of an impact.
Albert was in his room, waiting for Sion to return. His phone kept going to voicemail. Worried, he went to find him and found Sion lying unconscious on the dark, deserted road, completely covered in blood.
Albert saw red. Whoever had done it he was going to rip their bones out of the flesh. His fingers trembled as he held the phone. Prayer to heal, fear and anxiousness everything came at once on Albert. Sion was more like a younger brother to him than a boss’s son.
“Good evening, sir, Sion has met with an accident. His pulse is low, and I have called for an ambulance,” Albert immediately called Karen with pulsation as soon as he saw the latter's unconscious body.
“I am on my way with a team of specialists. Do not worry. Keep doing CPR to keep his heart functioning,” Karen replied hastily, his voice a low, commanding growl though his pressure was gone to maximum.
Ten minutes later, Albert saw a helicopter with "The Canes" written on it in bold letters landing a few meters away, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Sirens wailed as the medical team arrived and rushed to attend to Sion. He raced to the hospital at jet speed.
“His condition is serious. There is a lot of internal bleeding, and we have yet to check if there is any organ damage,” the doctor informed Karen before rushing back to the treatment room.
Karen paced the corridor for what felt like an eternity while Sylvia recited Bible verses and prayed. Finally, the doctor came out. “He had a miraculous escape regarding the organ damage being a werewolf with healing potency, but his face was crushed to pulp from the accident. A pointed object forcefully entered his ribcage, creating a hole in his heart. We need to operate on him immediately to fill the hole, and he will require plastic surgery on his face.”
“Please go ahead with the treatment,” Karen said immediately, and the doctor handed him an application. “We need your signature here in case anything happens to him. Had he been a human we wouldn't be talking about this now because he would have been dead by now. But still I will not give you a lot of hope. Your son’s condition is very delicate, and the chance of survival is 50:50. I can’t promise if he will be able to withstand multiple surgeries at the same time.”
Sylvia started to wail hearing the doctor. Karen couldn't find the energy to console his wife. Ignoring her whimpers, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked the physician, “Do we have any other option?”
“We can operate on his heart and let him recover. He is presently in a coma because of a head injury and internal bleeding. If he survives, we can perform the plastic surgery later.”
Karen couldn’t speak. His voice was choked, and he could only manage a nod. “Why is God testing us so much? We lost Citra when she was hardly a year old, and now Sion is fighting between life and death,” Sylvia's cries were unstoppable.
“Have trust in the Moon Goddess, sweetheart. Sion will come back to us,” Karen’s voice was low, though he was trying his best to act confident before his wife.
Half an hour later,
“Good evening, sir, I’m sorry to disturb you at this critical moment, but the information I have with me now is of pivotal importance,” Karen's private investigator spoke on the phone.
“What is it? You have only two minutes because I need to go and talk to the doctor about my son,” Karen growled with annoyance.
“The present situation of your son is not due to an unfortunate accident but a planned murder,” Vance Maze, the private investigator, was absolute in his information.
“What?” Karen's voice rose an octave, but he immediately controlled himself when he saw he was gaining attention.
He walked out of the hospital and asked Maze, becoming infuriated, “What are you talking about? Are you sure about this?”
“I have done my complete investigation, sir. It is not a hapless accident but a well-planned murder.” Maze was even firmer this time.
“Who is the culprit?” Karen was serious and precise.
“Soren Blacksmith . Safia Blacksmith’s father. She is your son’s girlfriend. He did not want Safia to marry Guild Wade because he hails from a poor family. But the girl was adamant in the advancement of her relationship with him. So Soren tried to kill him in the name of the accident.”
At that moment, Karen wanted to break something in his anger. He understood the whole situation concerning the false identity of his son. A nerve popped out of his throat, but he controlled his rising temper and spoke evenly. It was the call of diplomacy, not a fight. “Allow it to look like an accident. Guild Wade is dead, and Sion Canes has no connection with him. Borrow a dead body from a nearby hospital and cover it with blood. Nobody will recognize it. Spread the news and create a buzz among the students that Guild Wade died in the accident. Soren should never know the truth that Guild is alive. This is not the time for taking revenge. My first priority is my son. I want him to recover fully, and then I will show this scoundrel a hell on earth for rubbing me the wrong way.”
The next day, Safia heard the news. “Around eighteen hours ago, there was a major accident in the North Lane of the London School of Business. According to the transport department, no heavy vehicles are allowed in the location because the road is very close to university premises. So far, we have found no evidence regarding the accident, as the CCTV footage in the area was found nonfunctional. We see the body of a young adult covered in blood. The corpse is identified by his fellow students as Guild Wade, a second-year graduate student belonging to the university.”
Safia broke into a huge cry as soon as she heard the news about Guild, and Soren breathed a sigh of relief. “Are you sure he is dead?” He called the same person he spoke to earlier, who replied affirmatively.
For many days, Safia couldn't recover from the shock of Guild’s death, but Soren waited patiently for her to return to normalcy. A little bit of grief is bearable in place of a whole life filled with sorrow, he thought.
“Don't cry, my sunshine, everything happens for our good. Guild left this world, and he is a finished chapter of your life. Forget him.” After that day, Safi never talked or cried for Guild Wade before her father, and Soren thought she was over him.
Little did he know, true love never dies. Safia determined herself never to marry. She will stay Guild’s wife until her death whether she is married to him or not.
Days turned into weeks, but Sion wouldn't open his eyes. He had been in a coma for a month. The positivity in the Canes couple was slowly fading. “Will he ever recover?” Sylvia yowled as she asked the doctor.
“Have patience, ma’am. We have seen him improving from the scans and tests we conducted. His pulse has recovered, and his pressure has returned to normal, though the progress is slow. The heart surgery was successful. I am positive he will come out of the coma in a day or two.” The doctor spoke to Sylvia with sympathy.
As if heaven had followed his words, Sylvia saw Sion’s fingers move slightly after ten minutes. She immediately alerted the doctor.
If not for the millions Karen poured out like water for his son’s recovery, Sion wouldn't have lived to see the next day after the accident.
A team of physicians arrived in his room in a matter of seconds. The nurse gave Sion an injection, and Sylvia was ushered out. After a detailed examination, the group of physicians came out of his room. “He is out of danger now. Congratulations, your son will live. But he will not have his previous identity.” The doctor informed Canes.
“What do you mean?” Sylvia asked, shocked.
“We have to do plastic surgery on his face to make him look presentable. As I have told you earlier, his face was crushed in the accident. He is lucky that his brain is not damaged and he retains his memories. No amount of stitches will work. It is only grafting. That means we take a healthy tissue from another part of his body and fix it on his face. I would like to inform you in advance that this is more of a psychological recovery than a physical ailment. You need to be with your son all the time to boost his morale in facing this predicament. It is not going to be easy to accept himself with a new face he is not at all acquainted with.” The doctor was practical in his information to Sylvia.
Chapter 35
The beginning
The surgeons worked their magic, and one surgery became two, two became three, all to meticulously carve a new, comely face for Sion. For six long months, he was a prisoner in his own skin, his face swathed in bandages. His hell was a silent one, endured in the antiseptic air of the hospital. Sylvia , his mother, watched him with a constant, simmering fear, dreading the day the bandages would come off.
When they finally did, her fears were realized. Sion, staring into the mirror, screamed. The man staring back was a stranger, a ghost with his memories. He felt displaced, lost, and a primal rage erupted from deep within his chest, a low growl that shook the room. The glass shattered under the force of a thrown water bottle, a reflection of his splintered identity.
The medical staff rushed in, their voices a calm counterpoint to his fury. "It's a miracle you're here, Mr. Canes. Your mother's prayers, her love—that's what saved you." The doctor’s words cut through his rage, reminding him of the unwavering woman who had stood vigil by his side.
He saw the unshed tears in her eyes and the shame flooded him, a bitter, icy current. "I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered, pulling her into a fierce embrace. "For a moment, I didn't know who I was."
The werewolf within him was learning to accept this new facade, this new life. But the man, the human part of him, fought a daily battle with the unseen demons that whispered of his dissolved destiny. The boy who was Guild Wade was gone, lost to a world that no longer recognized him. His closest friends, even Bin, had no idea who he was.
The more he struggled, the more his resolve hardened. His father’s words echoed in his mind: “That was not an accident. It was a planned murder by Safia’s father.” The thirst for vengeance multiplied, becoming the sole reason he would marry Safia.
He had watched her, monitored her every move, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Her company, Best Wines, was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. This was his chance. He would offer to save her company, but the price would be her hand in marriage.
The plan was simple, ruthless, and born of a broken heart. He had one goal: to make her father, Soren Blacksmith, pay. His new mantra, a cold, calculated whisper in his mind, was his guiding light: "You kill the girl you hate, and it’s a moment of pain. But if you marry her, every day is a living hell."
The Beginning
Sion: “Her father owes me, and marriage to this infuriating woman is a price I will collect. It's a deal I'll make, a bargain where she becomes mine by hook or by crook. This isn't about love; it's about revenge. The more she fights, the more I want to break her, to make her bend to my will."
Anything about Sion Canes is a sensation, a name whispered in awe across the United States. He's sinfully hot, with tattooed arms and a body forged in fire, the Alpha of the fearsome Silver pack mafia empire. But beneath the surface, he's a heartless man, a beast shaped by a girl who broke his heart and changed him forever.
Safia: “I didn't want to marry a despicable mafia Don. But my father made a deal with the devil, and I am the currency. If I leave, he will destroy my father’s fortune. If I stay, he will obliterate my heart. In this union, the lines between love and hate are blurred, and I am trapped in a world I despise, with a man too wicked to fall for, yet in the heat of the night, he steals everything from me that I can’t repent."
A small-time entrepreneur of Best Vineyards, Safia Blacksmith dreams of saving her company from ruin. But with limited resources, she finds herself making a deal with the devil himself.
Will trusting her biggest enemy on earth save her company, or will it cost her everything she holds dear?
Present
The deal with the Stans was an important one, a crucial step for his pack's business. But Sion was in California for another reason entirely: the intoxicating scent of Safia. Tisra Stan, the shameless she-wolf who clung to him, was a tiresome distraction. His head throbbed, a dull ache that only one thing could cure.
He found Safia in her room, the moon's light casting a soft glow on her face, her red hair splayed across the pillows. His ego be damned; he needed her. Blaming his presence on alcohol was a flimsy excuse, but one he'd use if needed.
He moved silently, his Alpha instincts a low hum beneath his skin. Gently, he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, inhaling her scent—a sweet, fruity floral that was a potent arousing blend to his inner beast. He lay down beside her, pulling her close, his bare chest against her back. The sudden feeling of tranquility, of being complete, washed over him, and a genuine smile graced his lips.
It had been a month since their wedding, a month of unspoken tension. But in the quiet darkness of the night, their hearts began to beat in a familiar rhythm, a rhythm they’d known long ago. She stirred, murmuring something in her sleep, and instinctively burrowed closer to him.
His manhood hardened instantly, a primal response to her innocent touch. He had been with many women, but only Safia had this effect on him.
"Baby, stay still," he pleaded, his voice a low growl. "Or I'm going to take you right here."
"Guild... please, don't go," she whimpered, her heart rate spiking.
Her words, the undeniable proof of her pain, of her undying love for a man who no longer existed, shattered his defenses. Tears welled in his eyes, a flood of emotion he couldn’t control. He kissed her wet cheek, holding her closer. “Stay calm, My Boo Boo baby. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere without you this time.”
She was crying in her sleep, a heart-wrenching sob. "You left me... you left me alone to cry and die for you."
"I promise, I'm not going to leave you this time," he vowed, his voice thick with emotion. "Which is why I came back to you."
He bent his head, his nose tracing the line of her cheek, a familiar caress. His hands stroked her back, soothing her fear, calming her erratic heartbeat. The emptiness he had felt since his transformation began to fill with a warmth he hadn’t known he was missing.
If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up. Her laughter, a soft, melodic sound, filled his heart. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her closer, a perfect fit. With his touch, she blossomed, her chaos calmed, her heartbeat returning to a steady, peaceful rhythm.
He was glad he still had this effect on her. Now that he had her back, he would never let her go. He would find out the real reason for their separation, and he would make the world, and her father, pay.
Chapter 36
A Fanged Vow
Safia awoke with a jolt, the first true rest she’d had in what felt like an eternity. A strange warmth lingered, a phantom presence that felt as real as the crumpled bedsheets beside her. In her dreams, it was Guild. His presence had been so palpable, so close she could almost feel his breath on her skin. It was only a dream, she knew, but a part of her longed to remain lost in that beautiful illusion.
A flicker of alarm shot through her as she noticed the rumpled comforter. Has someone been there? She checked the door—still locked. The windows—draped and sealed. A shiver ran down her spine, a mix of unease and a strange, unbidden yearning. The feeling of him had been so real.
She hurried to the washroom, the memory of her talk with Tyla the night before boiling in her veins. Her so-called husband, Sion, had promised to save her company, but he was a parasite, feeding on her desperation. He refused to grant her a divorce yet left her business to rot. The anger was a fiery knot in her stomach. She pictured him, wanting nothing more than to slap the smug look off his face.
Charging down the stairs, she found the house empty. The maid said he was out for a run. Half an hour later, the doorknob twisted and as he walked, a bottle of water in his hand, a predatory smirk on his face.
"Why did you marry me when you had no intention of saving my company?" she spat, the words laced with venom. "You're a cheat, and I was a fool to believe you."
Sion took a long sip of water, his eyes gleaming with a strange satisfaction.
"Don't beat around the bush, Safia. Get to the point." He had slept like a wolf in his lair, a deep, contented sleep he hadn't known in years, snuggled beside her. She had been the cure to his restlessness, a feeling he’d only ever known when he was a young wolf in love.
He watched her, amused by her rage. She was a fusillade of fury. "The bank manager just told Tyla that he’s issuing the insolvency petition next week," she said, her voice trembling with barely controlled fury.
Sion’s eyes flickered, checking for the maid. Seeing she was gone, he leaned in, his voice a low growl. "The next time you use that tone with me, think twice. I can crush you to pieces in a second. You have no right to shout at me without a reason. Who told you I didn't pay the dues?"
Her anger flared into an inferno, but she replaced it with a mock titter. "Your maid told me this is your favorite flower vase. It's made of ivory, right? From Canada?"
She lifted the vase, her fingers tracing the delicate carvings. "It's beautiful."
Sion’s gaze hardened. "No, Safia. Don't do it. Put the vase down, or you will regret it."
Too late. The vase slipped from her grasp and shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.
"Oops," she said with a saccharine smile. Then her expression turned to stone. "If you take one step to show your authority, I'll take two to show you your place."
Sion scoffed, a weary look on his face. "Your dues are paid. Open your laptop and check the bank statement before you start talking nonsense."
Safia’s face went white. She ran to her room, her heart pounding. The bank statement confirmed it. Not just for the month, but all of it. Her company was debt-free. Elation surged through her, a wave of joy that was quickly extinguished as he followed her into the room.
"Finished with your tantrum?" he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "There's a saying—think before you speak. But you've always been a chatterbox, so you get to pay the price."
Safia's eyes narrowed, refusing to admit her mistake. "I like your attitude. It irritates you. So here we go. You already know that vase was my favorite."
Sion moved closer, his presence a dark shadow over her. "The cost of it is one million dollars."
She gasped, her mind reeling. "One million dollars for a flower vase?"
A slow, internal grin spread across his face. The vase, his "favorite," was nothing more than a $20 impulse buy from Walmart, but the look of terror in her eyes was priceless. He shrugged, the gesture belying the cruelty of his words. "You're going to pay me back for this, since you broke it in one of your little temper tantrums." He watched her for a moment, letting the silence hang in the air. "Your anger blinds you, you stupid girl. Now you suffer the consequences."
Safia shivered as he drew near, backing away until the wall stopped her.
He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, a crooked, predatory grin on his face. "I have a suggestion for how you can pay me back. You can spend a beautiful night with me and forget everything that happened."
A storm of fury raged in her eyes. "I am not some slut who comes to your bed whenever you want. There are plenty of puppets out there, but I'm not one of them. I have dignity and pride—two words you don't seem to understand."
A quiet wave of satisfaction washed over Sion. She was still the fiery spitfire he'd left behind—wild and untouched by any other man. He was careful to show none of his satisfaction, letting her outburst wash over him as he simply nodded. "Then you have only one choice left," he stated, his voice even. "Since you're penniless, you'll work for me.”
"I already work for you," she countered, her voice laced with defiance.
"That's for your company's dues. What about the flower vase?" His eyes were cold, calculating. "For that, you'll work in this house, too. You'll be my butler, my cook, my maid—until you pay me back every penny. Understand?"
Safia's face was drained of all colors.
"Places interchange, you're right," he said, a sneer twisting his lips. "You once called your boyfriend, Guild Wade, a pauper. You insulted him for his low status. Now you're in his place before me."
Safia froze, her mind blank. "Who are you? How do you know about me and Guild? He died long ago. Were you one of his friends?"
The pieces began to click into place in her mind. It was a horrifying puzzle. "You married me to take revenge for him, didn't you?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Are you his family?”
"No," he countered, the word sharp and final. "I am not one of his friends or family." He kept his true identity a secret. Despite the possibility of her innocence, he wouldn't reveal a single thing until he was absolutely certain of her story.
Her eyes were filled with tears. "You can use me as much as you want. Kill me, if you want. But before I die, I want you to know one thing: Sometimes, everything you see isn't the truth. I truly loved Guold, and what I told him that day was not from my heart."
There it was. The truth he had been expecting. A quiet surge of vindication swept through him, a thrilling rush of being right all along. But the feeling was complicated, a potent mixture of anticipation and a deep-seated fear of what unknown disaster lay buried between them. Sion's grip on her arms tightened. "What are you saying, Safia? If what you told him wasn't the truth, then why did you break his heart?"
"None of your business," she said, her voice hardened. "You married me for revenge, so get on with it. What are you waiting for?"
He scoffed. “It is my damn business. Because I am your husband.” Her back hit the wall with a soft thud as his hands closed around her wrists, pinning them above her head. The intensity in his eyes sent shivers through her, but it wasn’t fear — it was the wild pull she’d been denying for too long.
“You drive me insane,” he growled against her ear, his breath hot on her skin. His body pressed firmly into hers, leaving no space between them.
Safia gasped, tugging at his hold — not to escape, but to feel the strength of it. “Then stop fighting it,” she whispered back, not having the least idea how the words came out primarily out of her. Safia’s lips were trembling just inches from his.
That was all it took. His mouth crashed down on hers, fierce and hungry, as if he could devour every breath she tried to take. The kiss was rough, possessive, claiming her over and over, yet threaded with a tenderness only she could draw out of him. Her fingers twisted in his hair when he finally let her hands free, pulling him even closer.
Every movement was demanding, urgent and laced with the certainty that she was his. And then suddenly like a lightning the realisation dawned on her on what she was doing with him.
She felt ashamed and guilty. Safia thought, in a way she had cheated on Guild even though Sion was her husband who had his rights on her. Her eyes welled tears and soon in free flowing streams. “You're a beast with no ethical values. How dare you force yourself on me and control me with physical instincts?“ She shouted at him.
Sion felt like every nerve in his body was being squeezed. The pain in his heart was exorbitant. He could stand anything from Safia, fear, anger and grief but not abhorrence. He wasn't a man of many words but he thought his actions would prove to her how much he loves.
With defeat Sion walked away from her, the unyielding tension in the room thick enough to cut. Safia had no idea how close she was to the truth, or that the man standing before her was not just a husband seeking revenge, but something far more primal and powerful. She had called him a pauper. She had hurt him to save him. She just didn’t know she was looking at him now, in another form, bound to him by something far more ancient and powerful than mere matrimony.
Chapter 37
The Alpha's Mate
The next day…
"We're heading to New York tomorrow," Sion said, his voice soft as against a low growl that always vibrated through the air between them. "I told the Stans I'm married to you and put a stop to Tisra's incessant advances. They were disappointed, but who cares." He shrugged, a casual gesture that belied the simmering storm within him. "I tried to resist her politely, but she wouldn't back down."
Why was he trying to explain to her the situation between him and Tisra? He never did that before. Safia was over the top of the world after learning about the news. Finally there was something that paid off about their marriage. Sion wasn't the tasteful, edifying treat she had once seen him as, nor the immortalizing nectar she craved in her dreams. On the contrary, an angry Sion was a beast—unpalatable and scary. He was a force of nature, a raging storm that left destruction in its wake.
"Pack your bags. The chopper is arranged for six in the morning." With that final order, Sion turned and disappeared into his home office, leaving Safia in a daze.
Why was this man so angry? He seemed to get ticked off at the drop of a hat. But a secret smile played on Safia's lips. She didn't understand why his simple statement—that he had claimed her as his wife—filled her with such an irrational sense of happiness.
"Hi Tyla" Safia said into her phone, her voice bright with a happiness she couldn't contain. "I asked Sion about the company's dues. I don't know why the manager lied, but all the debt is cleared. If he puts a seal on my company, I'm going to rip his throat out." She chuckled, the threat a joke she knew she could never make good on.
Tyla was clueless. "I wonder how that could happen. I checked the bank statement myself before I called you."
"Don't think too much about it. All's well that ends well. I'll be back in New York the day after tomorrow." Safia sighed contentedly, unaware that Sion had meddled with the dates, manipulating the situation to make it seem as if he had cleared her company's dues long ago. In reality, he had forgotten all about it until Albert, his Beta, called and reminded him.
"How is the hero who doesn't know how to smile?" Tyla's teasing was a light jab.
"I can tell you're taking a lot of interest in him," Safia replied, twisting her lip in annoyance. "Not that I'm jealous, but he's not quite a mix of ambrosia when you look at him up close. Just a caution, in case you need it."
"Sweet heavens, I'm not a she-wolf to eye my friend's mate. I'm your well-wisher, and I want you to be happy with him."
Tyla fanned her face, the sound a soft flutter over the phone.
Safia giggled like a pup. "His hands are so strong, worn, and reliable. But as a cherry on top, I admire his ability to ruin things whenever I feel the attraction. He does all of it with a wicked panache."
"Maybe sarcasm is not only his trait but yours too," Tyla chortled.
Safia chewed on her lips, a look of indignation on her face as she continued her narration. "He's the kind of man I'd like to call a Controllo. It's either his way or the highway. He can charm the pants off you at first, make you feel like you're the center of the universe. But once he's got you hooked...Bam! The other shoe drops. He has a heart incapable of love. My boss is a dick and nothing more to me."
Innocent Safia had no idea that Sion was listening to every bit of their conversation. Eavesdropping was not a good thing to do, but he wanted to know his representation in her mind. He was a ruthless Alpha, but, her opinion of him mattered because he was still in love with her.
A smile played on his face, one that wouldn't die even though she was cursing him like a crazy villager. Someone might call him a lovesick pup. So be it. He was fortunate that his love was back and had not betrayed him like he thought. Safia's words from the previous night replayed in his head—"Everything you see may not be the truth. I truly loved Guild, and what I told him that day were not the words from my heart."
Did she have any pressure to say those heartless words to him? How was he going to make her tell him the truth?
By the time he finished studying, it was late. He twisted the handle of Safia's bedroom door. As expected, she was sleeping soundly, her red hair sprawled on the bed like a crimson river.
"Damn girl, how do you rest that way? You weren't sleeping like this earlier. What changed in these few years?" He muttered, moving her hair aside and removing his shirt before he made a place for himself to sleep.
Half an hour later, sleep was still far away. The only solution was to have Safia in his arms. He got closer to her and pulled her into his embrace, his body molding against hers.
Safia snuggled more into him in her sleep. "Hmm," Sion groaned, inhaling the scent of her hair, his nose trailing from her face down her long, slender throat, reaching the swelling of her breasts. He kissed her there and removed the top button of her night shirt to kiss the heart tattoo of his name on her left breast.
His fingers ran appreciatively over the mark. "You're mine, my love, forever," he whispered.
Safia moaned in her sleep. "Guild, please stay with me. PLEASE, don't run away. We need to talk. Talk to me, Guild. I'm going crazy here. ANSWER THE FUCKING PHONE. You need to hear me out."
"How is it you see me each time you close your eyes, yet when you open them, you don't?" He looked so torn, so heartbroken. "I'm here with you, sweetheart. Where can I go without you?" He pecked her lips softly.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, Safia felt mild stings of sweat from various parts of her body, which reminded her of passionate exertions. Her hand reached her neck, which had several love bites. Between her legs was the evidence of her lost virginity. Her lips were swollen from endless kissing and lip biting. Where had Guild gone off to? She lazily swung out of bed, searching the room.
Her eyes suddenly snapped open. Damn it, it was only a dream. Safia felt the necessity to pee and woke up from sleep. To her surprise, Sion was right there, sleeping soundly beside her.
As if she was bitten by a cobra, she immediately looked around and found she was in her own room. But he was in hers. Anger flashed in her eyes like a whirlwind. "How dare you, Sion Canes, to intrude in my personal space?" She could not stop herself from asking, even though she knew he was sleeping.
Only then did she understand why the bed beside her had been a crumpled mess the previous night. He had slept beside her all night, making her believe there was an intruder. Fuck! She hated him for all the turmoil she had endured in the last 24 hours. Wasn't he the one who asked her to get out of his room on their wedding night?
Safi was hot under the collar. She reached the door to escape his presence and twisted the knob. But to her surprise, she found it locked.
"That won't open," he said, his eyes still closed. "You have no way but to sleep beside me on the same cot."
"How the hell could you enter my room and sleep in my bed without my permission?" Safia shouted at him.
"Calm down, my Boo Boo baby. Remember this is my house? So I have the keys to every room. I can sleep wherever I want. You can't stop me. We have an early morning flight to catch. Rest for sometime, and we can be back tomorrow morning to being Tom and Jerry." Sion replied in his usual cocky nature, bringing in his all-pervasive personality.
"Is there a word called privacy in your dictionary? If you could recall, you were the person who asked me to vacate your bedroom on our wedding night." Safia's patience was walking on thin ice.
"People change. Earlier, I didn't want you because I hated you, but now I know there can be misunderstanding, and you are not the person you projected to me earlier." Sion spoke sternly but with repentance for his previous action.
"Uh huh?" Safia blinked her eyes in mockery. "Good evening, arm candy, but you can't woo me with your words. I'm the same person from a month ago. Nothing changed in me. But I understand you are a chameleon for changing your colors."
He moved beside her to create more space and then looked at her with sleepy eyes. "I don't understand how there appears to be a word called privacy between a husband and wife. You are fortunate that I accepted you back in my life. Thank your lucky stars for it." He replied, his Alpha ego on full display.
If Safia had the authority, she would have strangled him to death. "Thanks for your extreme generosity," she spoke with pompous indignation. "But I don't require it, and I am glad the way we are—husband and wife only on paper. I don't love you."
Somehow, her last sentence did not seem palatable to his ears. "You don't like me, or are you afraid of falling in love with me? Look, I know I am irresistible, but you don't get to choose every time you get a chance to cover your attraction for me. I am the one with authority here, and I decide." Sion pulled her back to bed and started kissing her, his lips a demanding force against hers.
Though Safia was desperate to get over him, his smooches were addictive, pulling her more and more into the oasis of love. Sion's hands went around her curvaceous body, keeping her firmly under him. His knee went between her legs, bringing in sensations she had not experienced in a while. "Stop there. Put on a shirt," she squealed and put a pillow between them. "This pillow will serve as a border between us. You don't cross yours, and I will not mine. In this way, we can amicably sleep in one bed." She smiled at him with innocence.
"Okay, as you say." Sion scratched his eyebrow and looked at her playfully. "What if this border is thrown away?" Within a blink of her eye, Sion was back, snuggling with her on the bed. "Are you drunk because you can't sort out things with me in your sobriety?"
Sion didn't reply, his eyes situated on her breast. Safia's eyes followed him. She gulped and immediately fixed the button of her shirt. "Eyes here, mister," she snapped her fingers to get his attention.
Sion raised his eyes to her but was still in a stupor. "Why did you get a heart there? Don't tell me it's none of my business. It is my business because I'm your husband now, either you call me a contract husband or a real husband."
Safia gave a defeated look. "It is a tattoo I got done for Guild. But that doesn't matter now because he is no more."
"When you loved him so much, why did you reject his proposal?" Sion held her hands in support.
Safia wiped her tears. "I do not want to speak about Guild," she said, turning around.
"Sophia, I need to talk to you. We need to talk about Guils. Running away from the truth doesn't help us in any way. I know he is the gray area of your past. But you need to overcome it. Look, I'm not jealous of him. I just want to know about your past." Sion urged, but there was no reply.
On the contrary, he could hear the soft sound of her breathing. She was fast asleep.
A deep sigh flew out of his throat. Another one of his attempts to know the truth had failed. He was the Alpha of his pack, used to getting what he wanted, but with her, every step was a battle.
Chapter 38
The Alpha's Mate
Sion's arm circled Safia's waist, pulling her against his broad back. She let out a soft sigh, feeling the steady thrum of his heart against her. That night, she fell asleep with a new thought: maybe she could give a chance to the man sleeping beside her. Maybe Sion wasn’t as bad as she thought. He had settled all her company's dues and helped her re-establish her firm. Perhaps he had developed genuine feelings for her, which was why he had annulled their wedding contract.
They both had a wonderful sleep, but the next day, their plans were thwarted. "The sky is still very cloudy, and the weather department reports a heavy storm in the next 24 hours," Sion said, his voice a low soft whisper. "Why take risks? Life is precious; I realized that more than anyone can a few years ago." He sounded as though he was reliving a bad memory. "We will be leaving for New York tomorrow."
As if to punctuate his words, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead when she woke to the ring of her alarm. "Take as much rest as you want. I won't wake you up."
Safia welcomed the dream world once again, feeling utterly exhausted. The previous day's events had been overwhelming: a sudden change in Sion’s behavior, his open affection, his announcement to the Stans that she was his wife, and the nullification of their contract. Why had he changed so suddenly?
She woke the next morning to a heart-wrenching conversation coming from the living room. "Hello, handsome, I came to know you've been here in California since last week. Why didn't you call me?" A scantily dressed woman with a deep neckline and bulging breasts walked through the door and kissed Sion 's cheek.
Instantaneous anger, at the velocity of a hundred kilometers per second, seeped through Safia's veins. So, everything he had said the previous day was just an act.
"Sera, please leave. I'm not in the mood for all this," Sion said without even sparing her a glance.
"Wow, you're stunning and glowing. Does the California weather agree with you?" Promiscuous eyes regarded her statement when she saw from upstairs Safia watching them with red hound ears of a she-wolf.
"I told you to leave, Sera," Sion said again, this time with a firmer, more dangerous tone.
"Pancakes with strawberry sauce. I love something so tasty to welcome me early in the morning. You are a wonderful cook, Sion. I've always been telling you, if you were not a businessman, you would have been a world-famous chef." Sera sniffed, relishing the aroma of the steaming pancakes from the saucepan.
"If you want, you can have all of them, but please leave before my wife wakes up. It will cause me a lot of problems," Sion requested.
"Your wife? Is this the latest joke you're playing on me? I'm your oldest friend, Sion, and I know who you are. You often told me you don't like commitments. Marriage and relationships are not your cup of tea. Do you think I will fall for your game? I never have, and I won't in the future. Come on, fancy pants, I know everything about it. We can have a threesome. The weather is so inviting..."
"Stop it!" Sion shouted before Sera could continue. "Can't you understand simple English?"
Sera looked at him, abashed, before her lips once again curled into a smile. "Spanish men are players, but they are charmers with their accents and their big smiles."
"Who told you that I belong to Spain? I'm a born and brought up New Yorker." Sion flipped the last set of pancakes.
"Your food. The best Paella that I have ever tasted was made by you. Don’t tell me stories. One night after our steamy fornication when you were completely drunk, you told me that you are half American and half Spanish because your dad is an American and your mom is from Spain. That's how you make excellent Spanish dishes. She taught you. I get it." Sera pecked his cheek again.
Safia had been listening to their entire conversation from the balcony connecting the rooms on the first floor of the penthouse. He had earlier told her that he was not friends with Guild but she knew Guild ’s mom used to teach the neighborhood kids, and in return, the neighbor would cook Spanish dishes for Guild and his family. Was Sion one of those kids who was taught by Guild’s mom?
Sion had so many things in common with Guild . They had the same brown eyes—cognate brown to be exact—and both of them were excellent cooks. She remembered telling Guild that he could easily establish himself as a chef, just as Sera had told Sion . Though she would not like to compare Sion with Guild , his touch felt familiar. Those hands, worn and rough, felt reliable every time he touched her. The scent Sion used, some kind of lemon and hue, always reminded her of Guild . She could smell him whenever he was close. That’s why she had probably imagined Guild when Sion was sleeping beside her. She could recognize his perfume even in her deepest sleep.
Sion’s features weren't even close to Guild's. She knew what she was thinking was a fairytale: a man couldn't come out of his grave to marry her. But there were strong chances that Sion and Guild were neighbors and maybe good friends. That's why Sion knew so much about Guild , and he had married her to take revenge for her refusing his friend's proposal.
"I told you we were over long ago, Sera. Tell me how you are, and if you need anything, I can help you, but only as a good friend." Sion 's words brought her out of her reverie. Unfortunately, it wasn't the conversation that Safia was happy to hear. She had just started accepting Sion , and this new woman arrived to ignite a fire in their just-building relationship.
"I am great, if great means going on your honeymoon alone, sadly sipping margaritas, re-reading your texts over and over again, and dreading the humiliation that awaits back home. For heaven’s sake, you know I spoke about you to my parents. You're cruel; you dumped me after promising a fancy wedding." Her eyes reddened with vengeance.
Sion rubbed his slightly grown stubble with his fingertips in thought. "Didn’t you know I have sex with no strings attached? You shouldn’t have believed everything that I said in my drunkenness. One could rightfully argue being married to me would be far crueler. So be happy; you're saved from marrying a playboy like me."
Sera didn't directly combat him, but she was full of fury. "Ancient Romans used to toast their enemies before going to war. If I don't succeed in my mission to bring you to your knees, lick my cunt, and give you a nice kick in your ass, my name is not Sera Gui." She poured wine into a glass and raised it to him.
"In Bocca al lupo—that's just how Italians say good luck. But the literal translation is, 'into the wolf's mouth.' I hate you until the cows come home and the chickens fly north. Try everything you can, but don't tell me I didn't warn you. You're stepping into a game I have already excelled in." He told her in a sing-song way.
Gui shot him a glare and closed the door with a thud.
Safia would have never liked eavesdropping on that conversation, but she was glad that at least Sion had decided to stick to her, as opposed to the playboy he always was. She tiptoed to the front room, but Sion 's sharp ears heard her. "Damn woman," he muttered, looking at the door through which Gui had left a few seconds ago.
"I know that was a sound big enough to wake someone up from sleep. I'm sorry. How much of that conversation did you hear?"
Was he really that concerned about her feelings? Safia thought with a touch of conceit.
"All of it," she scoffed. "But you don't have to bother. We are together only on paper."
"Next time you say that word again, I am going to cut that tongue of yours to pieces," he growled. "I tore that contract right before you. It is non-existent. Why do you want to bring up the same conversation between us again and again?" He dragged one of the dining chairs to him in an ungentlemanly way and sat on it with his head in his hands.
"What you saw was just a small piece of my old life. Right here with you, now, that is where I belong." He raised his head and looked at her with determination. "Relationships are a compromise. I know it is difficult for you to adapt and accept me with all these unsolicited developments, but I'm trying... trying to be the man you will admire and would like to spend the rest of your life with."
"Nothing is impossible for you, Sion Canes. You can bring back that contract if you wish to at any time. I know the type of man you are," Safia called out firmly.
His jaw tightened in anger as he got up from the chair and took two steps forward, towering over her in ascendancy and dominance. "What type?"
But Safia wasn't going to back down. "The type of guy who doesn't know how to smile, but can fill a woman with all these intense emotions despite being a major prick." She chuckled wryly. "You're the rudest, most reckless, meanest, most selfish, and disrespectful evil werewolf I've ever seen. I know I am only a deal for you, but what confuses me here is why you sent that woman away. You could have had a nice time with her. Were you and Guild neighbors and good friends that you are taking this revenge on me on behalf of him?"
Before Safia could realize what was happening, she felt a sharp sting on her cheek. He hadn't just struck her, he'd branded her. An unfamiliar scent, a mix of old earth and something dangerously wild, filled the air, and a crimson mark bloomed on her skin. Safia's hands flew to her face, not in pain, but in stunned horror. The mark wasn't a bruise. It was a branding symbol, a complex knot of swirling lines and angular edges that pulsed with a faint, golden light.
As she stared at the reflection in the window, her blood ran cold. The mark was identical to the one Alpha gets on his Luna. Did he mark her as his with that slap?
Sion’s rage simmered, his eyes now glowing with an unnatural light she’d never seen before. A low growl rumbled in his chest, a sound that was less human and more akin to the predator she had just insulted.
"You speak of revenge," he said, his voice a chilling whisper that was barely his own. "But you have no idea what true love means. You belong to me, Safia. And now, the moon knows it, too.”
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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