Despondency

Chapter 10

*****VOTE AND COMMENT*****

The meeting cleared quickly and quietly. The remainder of the meeting she had sat poised on his knee. Like a child, or a trophy. It amazed her that he was so big that her 5'7 frame was tiny in comparison. All she wanted was Vit. The mark burned angrily.
"Follow me." He asked. He genuinely asked. It wasn't the bond that forced her to move behind him but she moved herself.
"Hurry up." He commanded, but Ai was too busy thinking about Vit. She slowed down. Constantin looked back.
"Bitch, get over here." He had paused by a door he was holding open. Her body forced her at a quick pace into the room.
Oh, no. This was where Constantin could force himself on her. The door closed softly behind her. It was enough to make her flinch slightly.
"I'm not a rapist." He glared at her. "You will want to be intimate with me sooner or later."
She would've snorted, but she didn't want to change his mind on that subject.
"Change into this." He tossed her a pair of off white pajamas. She hurried to the bathroom and looked at them. It was basically lacy boys shorts and a lace crop top. She thought it was disgusting. She put in on because the itchy fabric of her dress would keep her up all night. She sighed. When she put them on she was embarrassed by her realistic figure. Why couldn't she have been a supermodel? Maybe she would've been accepted by Vit and already completed the mating process.
No, she needed to stay realistic. She needed to stay virtuous for Vit.
She left the mirror and went into bed. She crawled under the covers facing away from Constantin.
"Why me?"
"Come again?"
"Why, out of all the girls you could have forced to take, did you take me?"
"Must I explain it entirely?"
Ai nodded her head. She needed to know if he was willing to say.
"I was twelve and my father took me to tour the packs. There were many girls that woke up terrified that I was there. You weren't, you were more curious. You might not remember, but I asked if you weren't afraid and you said no. You honestly told me you weren't afraid. So I talked with you, eased your mind. And you have perfect birthing hips for strong pups."
"You lied to calm me." Ai mumbled ignoring his 'hips' comment.
"Maybe. Anyway, you said I won't choose you. Well Ai, that did depend on you. Just like I said it would. You let me mark you, in the confidence you had another mate." He smiled. "I liked that."
"I don't remember that. I only remember waking up with the black mark on my shoulder."
"Hhmm." He said sleepily.
"What happened next?"
"I gave my father a test to use. One I was sure only you would pass. Get to the top or someone else suffers."
"Your father said be at the top first."
"Eh, motivation."
"And...?"
"Well, I watched you. I've always visited you. In the trees, in your town square I even danced with you at some festival."
"Stalker."
"No, just making sure my investment was in good care and not a threat."
"How could I be a threat?"
"If you started intense training to kill me in my sleep."
"Paranoid."
"Skeptical."
"So why did you really watch me?"
"Hhmm, I'll tell you when I come back." His voice deepened and she could feel the low hum. It was attractive. Vit came to her mind. Thinking of him hurt but she always ended up hurting herself.
"I didn't know you were leaving."
"I didn't tell you." He was about to just sleep when he felt Ai struggling to come up with words to ask him.
"I'm going to be gone for 6 months. I'm starting a war." He almost sounded proud. Like 'I'm gonna start a company,' but it was scary.
"Why?"
"Power." He reached his arm out to pull her to him. She resisted.
"What happened to the other girls you marked?" Ai asked as he groaned in annoyance.
"They are dead. All the women who bore my mark are dead. I'm not going to let two bonds pull for my attention. I need my focus on conquering the other packs."
"How is power attractive?" She slipped. She hadn't meant to say that.
"You ask too many damn questions bitch." She frowned. Explicit language always came out rude and course. He could've said 'I'm tired, no more questions sweetie.' No, he had to call her a...a... female dog. She turned away so that she faced the window. The moon wasn't out that night. How long had she been asleep while they carried her? It was already new moon, at least 3 or 4 weeks. She closed her eyes and let her body become heavy. She ignored the burn and focused on the bond. The real one. It seemed to travel to the east coast where it was very faint.
'Oh moon goddess give me strength for my true mate...to push away Constantin and live' she begged silently.
She could hear the waves lapping the shore, the sky was lighter there. Sweat trickled down his forehead and she felt it. He was so strong... she could feel him move and push against an enemy. He was tense while he brutally trained. He was so far from her and she could feel it. He paused as if he could feel her too. Then it was gone.
Did she imagine it? Was this connection so real that it could make her hallucinate? She was so sure of it while she saw what wasn't there. Exhausted she quickly fell asleep as Constantin pulled her closer.

***VOTE AND COMMENT***