CHAPTER 33: ARE YOU MATED?

(Amaia)

The more Alnitak touches me the more intense the pain becomes in my thigh. The curse mark burns reminding me I can’t be close to my mate.

But I ignore the agonising pain and focus only on the feeling of his lips and the brush of his fingers. This feeling is not new to me. Tarian and I had been physical many times but the possessiveness with which Alnitak is kissing me was always missing with Tarian.

Tarian took me as a duty, a means to an end. While Alnitak seems to hunger for me, even ready to consume me.

Fervent his kisses become and moan after moan leave me only to be buried in his mouth.

His scent has me surrounded like the first rays of the sun spreading over our world. Comforting and warming.

His hand wraps around my hair and pulls, granting himself more access to my mouth so he can ravage me to his heart’s desire.

The feeling of his hands and the ramming of his tongue in my mouth pushes me over the edge. My womanly juices leak in abundance, soaking my inners when he cups my intimacy.

So consuming, so soul-wrecking this experience is.

I dangle on the precipice of pain and pleasure. My leg seems to be burning as if I am being branded on the thigh with a hot iron rod again. A tremor runs through them as he makes me cum just by his kiss and hands.

Alnitak finally pulls away, letting go of my lips.

Breathing through the pain I try to keep myself together and not cry. But a single tear falls through and instantly Alnitak leans over. His rough tongue slips out and licks the salty water clean off my face, burning my cheek in the process.

My heart almost bursts out of my chest at his touching action.

"Did I hurt you, Amaia?" He asks, his hands now cup my face and I just shake my head.

"No, you were perfect." He is my mate, and to break this damn curse, I need to get closer to him, to have more of such experiences, even if I have to live through this pain. There is no other way.

His thumbs press into my cheeks. "Next time I want to have a taste from another place than." His velvety whisper has me almost choking on my saliva.

Our gazes meet and I can see his wolf gazing through him. The bluish-purple has devoured the gold in his eyes.

I nod at him, making him cheerfully smile at me. "Let’s go be done with that stupid detention or brother dear will have a heart attack." Alnitak lets go of my face and stands up, offering me his hand.

I awkwardly glance at the books and say, "Just let me put these back."

Quickly I gather the books and return them to their original shelves. Alnitak gathers my quill and notebook and carries them for me instead of handing them over.

"Come!" He ushers and we leave the empty library. Thankfully no one caught us making out. His other arm goes behind me, pulling me into him

The darkness has clouded the skies outside. In the distance, creatures howl. The Orion Forces and the thick boundary must keep the residents safe from monsters.

"Are the monsters and creatures able to enter Orion?" I ask Alnitak.

"Very rarely but it happens, especially the ones who fly and the ones who live under the earth. Although we have molten ores poured all around the dug bases of Orion, some deep dwellers can surface. The last time it happened was two years ago and we lost a friend..." There is a forlorn look in his eyes but he doesn’t elaborate on that.

"Another event happened last year but this time it was those giant bat and crow crossbred. Kacir was hurt..." Alnitak again gets quiet as if he doesn’t want to reveal too much on that.

I gasp at his words. Kacir got hurt?

"It’s a painful story and I will leave it for Kacir to tell you the details if he wishes. I want to respect his privacy," he explains as we arrive outside an office with a silver-painted door. The constellation of Orion has been embedded into it. Painting the three prominent stars with blue paint.

"Thank you for sharing." He nods at me with a gentle smile and knocks on the door.

"Enter!" Alnilam’s authoritative voice sounds from inside.

Turning the door handle, Alnitak opens the door and we enter.

It’s Alnilam’s office because his one-of-a-kind fragrance welcomes me. My eyes find him sitting behind a large oak desk. Jamina stands beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder.

While Jamina passes me an awkward smile, Alnilam pins me with a glare, his hands steepled on the desk. Anger seems to have moulded his very features into hard structures.

My heart drops into my stomach but Alnitak’s assuring scent keeps me standing.

"What’s with the face?" Alnitak asks, circling his index finger towards his brother. Alnilam ignores him and turns his face towards his fiancée.

"Jamina, can you give us a moment alone?" He quietly asks her. She nods, squeezes his shoulder and leaves the room. The pain of seeing her with him never dulls, only intensifies.

Once she is gone, Alnilam turns his whole attention towards me.

"So, Amaia. Is there anything you would like to tell me or my brother here before I go into some details about you and your past?"

A chill hurries down my spine. Why is he asking something like that? Has he been digging into my past?

"I think I already told you everything relevant," I answer, crossing my arms over my chest so he won’t see them shaking.

Fury blazes in his beautiful violet eyes. The colour is so rich and vibrant, and at the same time, terrifying. He terrifies me beyond words and I am not someone who is easily terrified.

"Right! Since we need to do a background check for each student and register them in our database. After your information today, I went to visit the pack you grew up in and met Alpha Tarian." He pauses on purpose, gawking at my face for any reaction.

I give him none, keeping it blank although my chest begins to tighten and the curse mark begins to burn on my thigh, warning that I can’t reveal much.

That asshole wouldn’t have said anything good once he knew I was alive. No way was he going to let the world know he was a coward who left me to fend for myself.

Alnitak’s gaze wanders between me and his brother. "And?"

"And he told me how you ran off from the pack after everything he and his family had done for you. You left your mate to seek out someone like Huradis just to claw your way inside the academy. No one can fall that low but you." He drops lies like a bomb and Alnitak’s smile disappears.

He stares at me in confusion and asks, "Are you mated, Amaia? Do you have a mate?"

This is going to be an awkward and painful conversation.