Maverick's
POV
My
wolf Ryker, had been on edge since morning. I tried to control him, but he was
completely out of control. When Ryker gets like this, anything that dares to
anger him is at risk of destruction.
I
instructed my beta, Sebastian, and my gamma, Caleb, to schedule all my meetings
at the restaurant owned by the Crystal Pack. The change of scenery might help
calm Ryker—or so I hoped.
The
moment I arrived at the restaurant, Ryker took over completely. He was always
difficult to control, but today was an entirely different level. Sebastian and
Caleb must have noticed because they treaded carefully, doing everything they
could to avoid mistakes. Ryker has no patience for errors, not even the
smallest ones.
Sebastian
had informed the restaurant about our arrival, so they reserved a table for us
in the VVVIP section. I'd been here countless times, but something about today
felt different.
There
was this scent, intoxicating and all-consuming. It filled the air, making it
impossible to focus on what Sebastian and Caleb were saying. The scent grew
stronger as I sat there, and I was on the verge of growling when I saw her.
She approached us.
Her
eyes.
The
moment our eyes met, the world around me stopped. I couldn't hear or see
anything else. She was all I could focus on.
People
talk about feelings they can't explain, this must be one of them.
Her
lips were moving, but I wasn't Paying attention to what she was saying. I was
utterly lost in her presence. In that instant, I felt a strength coursing
through me that I had never experienced in all my centuries of existence.
"Mine,"
Ryker growled.
"She's
mine!"
"My
mate"
For
the first time ever, Ryker willingly relinquished control to me. Maybe he
didn't want to scare her—or perhaps he feared he might hurt her. Not that I was
any different. I might scare her away too.
Normally,
I didn't care if people feared me. In fact, I enjoyed it. But for the first
time, I wanted someone not to be afraid of me. I wanted her to feel safe.
"She's
human," he pointed out cautiously.
I
took over, my voice steady as I responded to Sebastian.
"I
know."
"Find out
everything about her. Leave no detail out," I commanded
"But,
King Alpha…she's human," Caleb echoed.
"I
know," I repeated, sharper this time.
"Cancel
all my meetings for today and tomorrow," I ordered.
"But,
Your Majesty—"
"Do
as I said! Postpone every meeting."
"Yes,
Your Majesty," they replied in unison, bowing their heads.
Sebastian
left to carry out my orders.
A
few minutes later, she returned with our food and began serving us with others dressed in the same uniform as her.
My eyes
never left her. Who cared about the food? With her in the room, I didn't need
sustenance. I could simply stare at her forever and feel whole.
"She's
beautiful, isn't she?" Ryker murmured in my head.
"She's
more than beautiful," I replied.
I
kept my gaze on her, and I knew she could feel it. When she finished and turned
to leave, I couldn't stop myself from speaking.
"What's
your name, dearest?"
She
froze, startled by my question, but managed to reply with a nervous smile.
"Abigail,"
she said softly before leaving in a hurry.
"Abigail,"
I repeated, savoring the way her name rolled off my tongue.
"Abigail."
It
was the most beautiful name I had ever heard and the most delicate thing my lips has ever uttered.
"Ask
Sebastian if he's finished the background check," I instructed Caleb.
He nodded.
After so times he turned to me.
"Your
Majesty, he's not done yet, but he says he's found some initial information."
"Tell
him to come here. Have Jake continue the rest of the background check" I ordered.
For
Sebastian to take this long to find her full details, she was either not from
this country or there was more to her story. Normally, we had a person's
complete background within 30 minutes. But I trusted Jake, our best tracker, to
handle the task.
Sebastian
returned a few minutes later, he sat on his chair and started eating.
"You
shouldn't wait for me to prompt you for updates," I snapped.
"I'm
sorry, Your Majesty," he replied, bowing.
I
wasn't usually this harsh with them, but today was an exception. Ryker's
presence in my mind had made me more commanding and authoritative than usual.
"Her
name is Abigail," Sebastian began. "She's twenty years old and a student at
Mystic Heights University. She's an international student who arrived a few
weeks ago and lives in the university hostel."
"Good.
Young," I said with a slight nod.
"She
also works part-time here," he added.
Caleb
rolled his eyes. "Obviously. How else would she have served us?"
Normally,
I'd allow their banter, but not now.
"I'm
taking her with me today," I stated boldly.
Both
Sebastian and Caleb froze, staring at me in shock.
"But,
Maverick…she's human. She doesn't even know what a mate is. How will you
convince her to leave with you?" Sebastian asked.
"Your
Majesty, she's also young," Caleb added. "She'll need time to understand what
she is to you."
"She'll
understand when she's with me. I'll explain everything to her myself," I
replied firmly.
I
couldn't let her stay here any longer. After all these years, I had finally
found her. She was mine, and I wasn't about to let her go.
"We're
leaving with her. Period."