Chapter 7

Reene

I snickered as she paled. "What? Cat got your tongue?" I taunted.

She glowered at me, and stomped out of the dining hall. Her heels clicked on the staircase as she made her way upstairs.

Kathy and Sierra back at my pack, were probably the only ones who would chose to wear heeled shoes, even at home.

I turned towards Alpha Kaden, and basking in the interested look in his eyes, I took my place by his side.

"Are you strong enough? I told you dinner will be brought to your room." He admonished gently.

"I'm strong enough. My body doesn't feel numb anymore." I nodded at him, and looked around the dining hall.

And what a huge difference it was, compared to my previous pack.

Ornately decorated, it had candlelight styled chandeliers, throwing golden specks of soft light on the hall.

'Beautiful.' I breathed.

Looking at the large spread of dishes on the table, I stifled a shriek. "Are we having a party?" I blinked.

"If you want one." Alpha Kaden replied, making me look at him. I dipped my gaze as our eyes met.

Even though I was the new occupant of this body, it still had the instincts of Amber, hence the natural urge to submit to the pack's Alpha.

"Ohh." I mumbled, and began eating. The flavored unshelled shrimp in my mouth made me close my eyes in satisfaction. Goddess, even their food was good.

"The pack's run is in a week's time." Alpha Kaden's voice interrupted my short moment of enjoyment. I choked and tried grabbing at a glass of water.

He effortlessly passed me a glass, not taking his gaze off me, for once.

The water slid down my throat, not doing a bit to calm down my messed up nerves.

"Yeah, I know." I forced out the words, realizing he was still waiting for me to speak.

I had acted nonchalant while speaking to Kathy earlier on. However, I knew more than anyone how wild my thoughts were running.

In my past life, I never got to awaken my inner wolf before my death. Thus, the pack run was a bother to me. Worse still, Luna Amber's wolf was still dormant.

"Should we go practicing tonight?" He asked calmly. I sighed. Before the accident, Alpha Kaden always trained with Amber.

Trying to help her awaken her inner wolf. It was a pity however that her wolf had been suppressed by her closest relatives too. What a pathetic life she had.

"I would like to visit my mother after dinner." I mumbled.

At my words, a shocked look crossed his face. He regained control of himself, and quickly put on an emotionless look.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, looking at me closely.

I squirmed, tempted at the urge to look at his face. He was still putting on a mask, this time a golden one.

I growled lowly. What was his thing with masks? Did he have a scar? What was the big-

"You can go tomorrow. There's time. We have to go training tonight." He declared, interrupting my thoughts.

I blinked at him. "I would like to go tonight." I protested.

His face hardened. The temperature in the hall suddenly felt stifling, almost as if it had dropped down a few degrees. And then he laughed.

"That's a first." He chuckled.

I cocked my head sideways. "What is?" Frowning, I asked.

"First time you refused my request." His smile broadened.

I nodded, unsure of what to say. I turned towards his Beta who had been quiet throughout the dinner.

"Are you okay, Brandon?" I asked him calmly. He jumped and lowered his head in a show of subservience.

"Luna Amber." His voice was gruff. Dressed in a black jacket and grey baggy trousers, the aura of a beta didn't exude from his being at all. But then, it was all a facade.

Any attempt to poke through that casual and friendly look, was where the antithesis would begin. Wise and clearheaded, Brandon was the one who assisted Alpha Kaden in his pack issues.

"Are you okay?" I repeated, recalling that he had been shot in my past life. The incidence which had brought Alpha Kaden personally to our pack to demand for compensation.

He had been ready to wreck havoc, I was sure. Now, looking at Brandon, I could tell why.

"I am." He smiled at me. If he was surprised that I was speaking to him, his expression didn't show it at all.

I nodded and turned towards my plate of food again.

"We should go tomorrow." I suddenly said, not raising my head from my plate.

"Tonight. It's fixed. You can visit your mother tomorrow. What's the fuss by the way? She's still at the pack." He pointed out.

I mumbled incoherently, and hesitantly nodded. "Sure, we can train after dinner then."

I didn't look up, but I knew he was smiling..

...

The woods behind the castle was cold and dark, as we walked through it. I avoided the shrubs and thorny plants that flanked both sides.

We didn't talk much, however my heart thumped furiously as Alpha Kaden's scent filled my nose.

His boots crushed the dried leaves, as we walked, giving me a sense of comfort that I was being protected.

My hands were tucked in the pocket of my jacket, trying to garner some courage.

"You seem different." Alpha Kaden suddenly said beside me, after minutes of walking. I almost halted at the suddenness of his words.

I had been wishing for him to speak, if anything but to break the awkward silence between us.

But now, I wish he hadn't.

"What do you mean?" I asked in a pathetically shaky voice.

He halted, making me do the same.

"Look at me." He ordered.

I raised my head, and my gaze landed on his masked face. His golden eyes looked into mine. At that moment, I felt naked, almost as if he could see right into my soul.

According to Luna Amber's memories, she hadn't seen his face too. Wondering what his face would look like under that mask, his voice drew me out of my reverie.

"Who are you?" His voice was calm, his question, direct, making me freeze.