“Cole!”


    Arabe heard a feminine voice shout as she stepped into what appeared to be the living room.


    Her nose wrinkled as the aroma of incense wafted into her nostrils.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Standing by the double ss door, she let her eyes wander while staring in awe.


    The living room was airy, with arge L-shaped purple leather sofa in the center and a white center table with a ss top situated in front of it.


    Ten centimeters away from the center table, a 42-inch TV was currently on.


    Arabe shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Despite the firece in the room, it did little to provide warmth.


    It was eerily cold yet strangely weing.


    She felt drawn to the room in an inexplicable way.


    “Cole!”


    Arabe jolted, turning around to see a curvy brte who was a foot shorter than her.


    The brte’s dark-brown eyes narrowed as they assessed her.


    “Thalia?”


    Arabe heard ze’s voice. She furrowed her brows as he appeared in front of her and walked toward the girl who looked almost simr to him, except for her skin tone. ze had a bronze skin tone, while hers was caramel.


    “What is she doing here?” Thalia hissed. “Does she know who you are?!”


    “It’s fine, Thalia,” ze mumbled.


    “Nothing is fine, Cole!” Thalia shouted. “She’s a fucking human!”


    What was wrong with being human? Arabe mused as she listened intently.


    She didn’t understand, despite hearing them clearly. What confused her the most was Thalia referring to ze as Cole.


    She remembered asking him for his given name the first time they met, and he told her to figure it out herself.


    She wondered if this was the right time to ask him about it again.


    As she opened her mouth, she quickly shut it again when Thalia shot her a re.


    “I don’t know whatever hold you have on my brother. Just so you know, you are not wee here!”


    “Thalia!” ze yelled as she stalked off.


    He groaned, shaking his head before turning to Arabe.


    “It’s fine,” Arabe said with a small smile.


    She didn’t expect to be well-liked either, and perhaps, if she were in Thalia’s shoes, she might react the same way.


    “She shouldn’t talk to you in that manner!” ze eximed.


    “I’m technically in her territory. So, she has every right to speak to me however she wants.” Arabe shrugged.


    “Again, I shouldn’t have wandered around; I was only looking for you,” she mumbled, ying with the top button of her blouse. Then she grimaced as it urred to her that the dress must have been intended for Thalia. She had epted the change of clothing ze had given her without asking where he got it from.


    “Do you need me for anything?” ze asked, taking a deep breath. He stepped closer to her as she pointed to her neck.


    “Yes,” Arabe said, parting her hair. “I need a disinfectant for this ugly hickey.” She grimaced. Despite her efforts to remember the reason she was in ze’s house and what had transpired the day before, she couldn’t. She believed the hickey was a reminder of it, and the thought of what he might have done to leave the mark there was horrifying.


    “That’s no hickey!” ze grunted. He gripped her hand and stared at her neck before letting out a growl. “Goodness, that bastard!” ze gritted his teeth. He had marked her and imed her as his! The mark on her neck was the mate bond that wasmon in werewolves, except hers hadn’t formed properly. Moreover, she was clueless and assumed it was a hickey. Perhaps it was best she didn’t know what it was, and he wasn’t ready to exin it to her either.


    Again, he didn’t know Sandro would do something as awful as that. How could he mark someone who felt nothing for him? It was insane, but ze was sure he was trying to im his territory. No one would mate with her after seeing the mark. Heck, they’d be frightened to do anything with her as she had the imprint of an Alpha!


    “What’s wrong?” Arabe asked for the umpteenth time.


    ze turned to her and grunted. Arabe sighed. He avoided the topic and hadn’t given her what she had asked for. A few seconds ago, they had been in the living room before he yanked her into the room, shutting the door as if someone was watching.


    Arabe walked to the vanity and examined her neck once more. A hickey had formed, a crescent-shaped mark just before her corbone. She furrowed her brows as it glowed, turning to ze, who appeared behind her.


    “Is this supposed to glow? I don’t understand,” she inquired.


    “It’s because it’s no ordinary hickey,” ze rasped, his voice carrying a tense undertone.


    He stared at the glowing mate mark on Arabe’s neck, a symbol mostly associated with Alphas. This mark was no ordinary one; it was a double crescent, a mark bestowed only by the leader of all Alphas.


    “See, there are two!” she eximed, furrowing her brows. “Is this some sort of supernatural hickey since you said it’s not normal?”


    Arabe giggled but halted when she noticed ze’sck of amusement.


    “Okay, spill. What are you hiding from me?” she pressed. “And your name is Cole? Goodness, I wouldn’t have guessed that.”


    “My given name is Cole, and I assumed the name ze in the mafia.”


    “And?”


    “Nothing,” ze mumbled, avoiding her gaze.


    “Okay,” Arabe nodded, her gaze intense. “Are you sure there’s nothing else I need to know? Your eyes seem to suggest otherwise.”


    “I’m sure, and there’s nothing in my eyes,” he said, turning away and walking to the window.


    He pulled the curtains down, blocking the view from the windowspletely. “I don’t want anyone being nosy.”


    “You need to rest,” ze added gently, guiding her towards the bed, expertly changing the subject.


    “I don’t think I can,” she admitted.


    “Why not?”


    Arabe shivered, the thought of Sandro barging into the room sending a surge of fear through her. She wrapped her arms around herself, biting her lower lip and shaking her head.


    “Is it because of him?” ze questioned softly.


    Arabe nodded.


    “He can’te here. Sandro doesn’t know I have a sister. He’s unaware of my family connections. So, there’s no way he can reach you unless he catches me while I’m sneaking out.”


    “Wouldn’t he be suspicious now that you’re not there?”


    “He probably will be,” ze shrugged. “But, I’d deny it. It’s not as if he saw us together.”


    “This is dangerous, ze. You could get into trouble for this. Just let me go back and ept my fa-”


    “Stop!” ze’s voice boomed, cutting her off abruptly.


    He withdrew his hand from his pocket and fixed a prating re on her. “What if your fate held something different? Do you believe it’s to meet your end at Sandro’s hand?”


    “I…” Arabe began, unsure how to respond.


    “Tell me, Arabe!” ze’s voice snapped the use of her full name emphasizing his intensity.


    It was the second time she heard him say her name in such a manner. Strangely, despite his anger, she found it oddly captivating, a surge of warmth spreading through her.


    With a sigh, Arabe’s shoulders slumped, acknowledging that she didn’t possess a satisfactory answer to his probing question.


    ze moved purposefully towards her, crouching down in front of her. Locking eyes with her, he firmly grasped her hands. “You could be destined for more than this. Don’t let your dreams be cut short by Sandro’s cruelty.”


    Arabe’s gaze delved into his, her grip on his hands tightening. “I’m mostly concerned about what might happen to you.”


    “I’ll be fine,” ze rasped, assurancecing his words. “I can take care of myself.”


    He reluctantly released her hands, his attention caught by the watch on his wrist. “I need to go, or Sandro will grow suspicious.”


    “Please stay safe,” she murmured, offering a farewell wave as he slipped out of the room.