Chapter 9: The Alpha''s Voice


    “What did I do?” Arda was confused. Her heart was pounding incessantly with fear and disappointment.


    “This only happens with you.” he stated matter-of-factly.


    “What are you talking about?” she whined.


    “Are you just ying dumb or you’re really dumb?” he demanded. “I’m talking about the kiss. This


    headache which by the way I think is strange, only happens with you.”


    “So what exactly are you trying to say?”


    “Why not save me the trouble and tell me exactly what you are?”


    “Luke…”


    “I figured it out…witch.”


    “I’m not a witch, Luke.” She said, her eyes wetting up with tears of pain.


    “Then maybe you’re just a monster with a pretty face. And that’s what I really came here to find out.”


    Arda started crying softly as she stood before him. “I’m not a monster, please.”


    “I’m just so sorry that I wasted so much time waiting on you. You should have told me you were a


    witch.”


    “Luke, please.” She begged, moving closer to him but he took another quick step back.


    “Stay away from me. Gosh, are you cursed or something?”


    “I really like you Luke, please don’t do this.” She blubbered. “You can still see the doctor.”


    “I don’t bloody need a doctor.” He snapped and she just stood there crying softly.


    Luke turned towards his car. “E please get over here.” He said and through tear filled eyes, Arda saw


    a girl emerge from the car.


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    E was a student at her school. She strutted over to where they were and stood beside him. Then he


    cupped her face in his hands and started kissing her.


    Arda felt like her heart was being torn into pieces. Not only was she feeling heartbroken. She was


    feeling guilty and frightened at the fact that he was currently kissing someone else without having a


    headache attack.


    Behind her, she could hear the house door opening as her friends stepped out onto the porch. Luke


    tore his lips away from E’s and held her hands in his.


    “Stay away from me.” He said to Arda. “You and I are through. Better now thanter.”


    Arda could not stop herself from crying. “Luke please, you know I’vee to like you a lot. I mean, I’ve


    Luke spared her a few seconds of perusal, his stare,ced with distrust.


    Ignoring her, he turned to E. “Let’s go.” He said to her.


    “Wait a minute.” Jacob said forcefully, causing him to pause. “You are not going anywhere until I know


    what is happening.”


    He and Karina walked forward to where they stood. Then Karina hugged Arda sideways, trying to give


    her somefort as she continued crying softly. Luke faced Arda.


    “Why don’t you tell them?” he said. “Or shall we try again? It’s not like I would enjoy it but I can


    definitely kiss you right now.”


    Arda shook her head, unwilling to be humiliated with another trial.


    “I thought as much.” Said Luke and then he focused his attention on Karina and Jacob. “Your friend has


    issues. I am sorry it had to end this way. Better now thanter.” He took E’s hand and walked out on


    the three of them. Letting out a sob, Arda turned and ran back inside the house. Jacob and Karina


    watched Luke drive away.


    “This is so painful to watch.” Karina said.


    “Very. But we really cannot do anything.”


    “It was easier when she didn’t have time for guys.”


    “Yeah, we had better check on her.”


    They hurried back inside the house and headed towards Arda’s room. Standing before the door, they


    could hear her crying. Jacob raised his hand and gave the door a knock.


    “Stay away.” She cried out. “I want to be alone.”


    Karina tried the handle of the door and it gave way, so she entered along with Jacob.


    Arda was seated on her bed, her head, down and her legs resting on the floor. She looked up at them


    with weeping eyes as they stepped inside.


    “I told you guys to stay away.”


    They sat down on either side of her and stayed silent.


    “I don’t ask much from this life.” She said tearfully. “I’ve never dreamt of marrying some wealthy man or


    something. Just someone I’mfortable with, you know?”


    Her friends nodded understandingly. They knew that listening to her right now was important and


    helpful.


    “Just when I thought I had found love, this had to happen.” She continued. “Luke is nice and safe. He


    could have been the perfect one.”


    “What happened?” Karina asked gently.


    “Whenever he tries to kiss me, he gets this sudden weird headache. Deep down I knew something was


    wrong and I think he did too. He came here today with that…” Arda searched for an insulting word to


    use on E but decided the girl was not her problem. “that girl just to prove it.” She said instead. “He


    kissed me and that weird headache attacked him but when he kissed her…” Arda’s voice trailed off into


    a sob and Karina ced aforting hand on her back while Jacob held her hand in support.


    “I feel like my life is a curse.”


    “Don’t say that, Arda.” Said Jacob.


    “First, it’s a weird mark on my hand that I have to keep private. Then it’s a strange gift and note from an


    anonymous man banning me from dating. Then I start dating Luke and this happens. Guys, something


    is wrong. I don’t know who I am anymore. I dream of getting married to a nice man and raising children


    immediately after graduation. Luke was perfect. I cannot do this. I need to find out what is wrong with


    me.”


    “There is nothing wrong with you.” Karina said and hugged her. Arda wept on her shoulder while Jacob


    kept trying to calm her down.


    “We’ll figure out all these, Arda. Just try and rx. We are here for you.”


    Arda sniffled and tried to stop crying.


    “He called me a witch and a monster.”


    “I did hear him say something like a pretty monster.” Jacob said and she chuckled through her tears.


    Theic relief didn’tst though as she slowly disengaged from Karina’s arms, her countenance


    solemn. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and sniffled.


    “I want to go home and spend the weekend with my family.” She said. “I want a change of


    environment.”


    “That’s understandable.” Said Karina.


    “Call us if you need us.” Jacob said.


    “Thank you, guys. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”


    They smiled empathetically at her.


    “Try and sleep well.” Karina said and she nodded.


    “Goodnight, Arda.” Jacob said.


    “Night guys.”


    They rose up and exited the room, shutting it behind her.


    As soon as they left, Arda approached the dressing table and reread the note the anonymous man had


    sent. It made no sense to her.


    She touched the ne and shes of the handsome guy she had seen at the restaurant danced


    before her vision. In shock, she let go of the chain.


    Slowly, she touched it again and memories of him returned, lingering on the moment when their gazes


    had joined. Why she was remembering a random stranger, she had no idea.


    It felt like her subconscious was trying to rece the anonymous sender by filling the gap, using an


    image that seemed powerful and connected to her. It was dumb trying to imagine that the guy had sent


    her the gift and note.


    Arda ced the ne back on the table and sat down. Then she booted herptop. When it came


    on, she visited the inte, typed the word Alpha into a search engine and hit the enter button.


    Images of mostly handsome hunks and men with wolves filled the image section of the page. Then she


    looked at the wolf jewelry for a few seconds before returning her eyes to the screen. The features of


    the men she was seeing reminded her of the stranger she had seen at the restaurant.


    Arda began to study the headings of the articles that had surfaced on the screen. Remembering that


    she was dealing with a human, she refined her search by typing human wolf in the search box. Then


    she hit the enter button. She focused her attention on the first question under the headline people also


    ask. It read, what is a human wolf?


    With one click, she expanded the question and read the top content, her attention grabbing the


    words…is a human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf. When she visited the article, its headline


    read werewolf.


    Arda’s hand left the keyboard and her eyes returned to the gift. “Damn joke.” She swore under her


    breath and was startled as her phone rang. When she checked the screen, the number calling her was


    private. She reached for the phone on the table, picked it up and received the call.


    “Hello.”


    “Hello, Arda.”


    The voice was male and sounded deep, attractively distinct andpelling. The man’s voice enthralled


    her.


    “Hi, who am I speaking with?”


    “I’m sorry about your broken heart.” He said and Arda was momentarily surprised at his words. The


    man was a stranger. How could he know about her breakup?


    Then she remembered that even though she had fallen in love with Luke, dating him was supposed to


    let her know if she had anything to worry about concerning the note sent by the anonymous man. And


    now it seemed like she did have something to worry about.


    “Who’s this?”


    “I’m sure you got my message.” He said. “Did you like the gift?”


    “Who the hell are you? And how did you know about what just happened?”


    “It won’t be long before Ie to you.” he said, ignoring her question. “So wait patiently for me and do


    not ept another man again. I will not tolerate it.”


    The line went dead and Arda became speechless and trembly. Now she knew that the man was


    serious, the Alpha or whoever he was.