Chapter Three - Have I Lost My Touch?

Diego's POV

This explained why I was being extra cranky today. My mate. In all her full glory. Her black glossy hair made me never want to set my eyes on brown haired women ever again. Her scent... Goddess... Her scent was heavenly. When she defied my rule and looked me in the eyes, I got a chance to stare at a pair of emerald eyes.

"Mine." I had growled.

And then she began saying something about having another mate. I didn't fucking care. She was mine. And I'd have her against her will or with her will. I didn't care how she got here. What mattered was that she was here now. And I'd claim her soon enough... bend her back and take her.

At the moment, she was pacing the vast space of the throne room, that was now empty since I'd sent everyone away. I watched her look at me, then back at the door like she was contemplating making a run for it.

"Don't even dare. Not an option." I said casually.

She grimaced. "How can this not freak you out?" She said in a low voice.

I shrugged. "What? That I have a mate or that I'm too irresistible for you?"

She looked fazed at my words. "Okay... so you have a good sense of humor. B...but... how is this possible? I... I mean I am me... and you are you."

I was clearly amused by the way she was flinching every time I moved. Was she scared of me? Ah... the rumors. Definitely explained why my mate was acting all jumpy.

"Not sure what you mean by that, gorgeous."

"I mean to say how can I be your mate? Alpha..."

I growled. "It's Diego."

She frowned. "I can't call you Diego."

I pushed off the wall. "You will call me Diego. You will call me whatever I want."

"Okay... Di... Diego. How can I be your mate? You are the King. An Alpha. A Lycan. I am Valeria,"

"Sexiest name I have ever heard, gorgeous."

"Can you stop calling me that." She shifted on one foot to the other.

"Okay, gorgeous."

She studied me for a while and sucked in a breath. I wanted to be the breath she sucked in. Heck, I wanted to snuff that tiny breath out of her nostrils. I was jealous of it. But then I calmed myself. Too dark, Diego. You'd freak her out the more.

"So... you are not freaking out? I'm your mate! You are my mate! And... you're you. A monster."

Harsh.

She barely knew me and had drawn a conclusion?

"You kill people... you behead for no reasons... you parboil..."

"I burn." I added.

"Excuse me?" She narrowed her eyes at me.

"I burn people. Let's see... one time I drowned this guard in my tub because I felt like it. I also shoved an innocent raccoon into a pot of boiling oil. I drove a stake through the heart of my maid..."

She was terrified. I could feel her fear. Fear of me. For all the years I'd dreamt of finding my mate, I never expected to have such an unproductive conversation with her. I wasn't even trying. I knew I was deliberately pushing Valeria away.

"You're sick." She muttered. "I'm gonna throw up..." She held her throat and looked away from me.

"Be my guest." I walked to the door of the throne room and turned the knob.

"Where... Where are you going?" She asked.

"Away from you. I am granting your wishes. Do you not want to be away from me?" I looked back at her over my shoulders.

"Yes." She said, jutting out her chin defiantly.

"Good. You will see me no more beginning from now." I walked out after telling her those words. As I walked past the corridors, maids stilled, guards stood straight. I ignored the whispers. I was in no mood to deal with such shit.

I had just found my mate. Didn't that call for celebration? I opened the door to my chambers and I entered. Sitting on my bed was Isobel, the only person who had the guts to do so.

"Hey, brother." She said, smiling widely.

I ignored her and walked straight for my bar, grabbed a bottle of bourbon and a champagne flute. As I poured the drink, Isobel recounted how her day went.

I took a sip.

Valeria.

So feisty... so bold yet terrified of me... so gorgeous... so fucking perfect... so mine.

"Diego, are you even listening to me? This is crucial. We have vampires caught in the palace premises. I spent my day torturing them to fess up but they won't speak. Does that sound like a joke to you?"

I shrugged. "Not in the mood, Isobel."

"Who worked you up? Is it a maid? Tell me so I can take care of it. I can't have you getting mad and going on a killing spree." She stood and walked to me.

"It's no one you can hurt." I said and took another gulp of my drink.

Isobel raised a brow. "Huh? You're seriously underestimating me brother."

"It's my mate." I dropped the bombshell.

Isobel frowned. "Are we having a Luna?" She suddenly grinned like this was the best news she had heard in years.

"No, fuck! She thinks I'm a monster, Isobel. She won't even say my name."

"Hypothetically... you kill whoever says your name, brother. And you've done nothing to clear the rumors about you. Your people think of you as a vile evil creature and you've given them no reason to think otherwise."

I gulped the last of my drink and groaned. "You do know why I let them believe that."

"I know, brother. I know that you'd rather them believe what they want about you for their safety than be the softie king with a kingdom that's vulnerable to attacks."

I started to pour another drink. "So what? How do I get Valeria to like me."

Isobel smirked and I swear if not for the fact that she was my Gamma, I'd punch her right across the face. "Are you helping or not?"

"First... where is this mystery girl that's one day going to be our Luna? How does she look like?" Isobel raised a brow.

"She's the definition of perfection." I started to say but Isobel cut me off.

"I meant... her physical looks. Not how your mate bond makes you see her."

"Black hair..." I began.

"Mmm... no more brunnetes for you, brother."

I glared at her. "Isobel, I swear..."

She held up her hands in defeat. "Fine. Black hair, what else?"

"She's got emerald eyes."

Isobel snorted. "And I'm guessing she thinks you have sapphire eyes?"

I facepalmed myself. "I will forget you are my sister and go all Alpha mode on you, Isobel." I warned.

She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Oh... I'm scared, I'm scared... Fine. So, what is she wearing?"

"Clothes," I deadpanned.

"Come on, Diego. Be specific."

"A red sari." I mumbled.

"Perfect. I'd go look for her now. You should probably check out those vamps." She left the room in a hurry. As soon as she was gone, I poured the last drop of drink in my mouth and left my room.

Two guards... Liam and Jordan followed me closely. Those two... I smiled as I watched them. They were the two people close to the friends that I had. I walked past pillars until the familiar scent of blood and dirt started to claw in my nostrils.

Liam opened the door to the cell and I stepped in. The first vampire was held by metal chains that were hung to the ceiling. So he was practically dangling in between, with the chains holding his both arms up.

Since vampires could heal themselves so easily, I wondered what I'd do to make them speak up and say what the hell they were looking for in my lair.

"Get them out," I ordered.

Liam and Jordan along with few other guards dragged the men out of the dark room, and into the blazing sun. A chair was brought and I sat, cross legged and watched as the vampires screamed in agony at the heat from the sun.

"Are you going to talk now?" I asked.

"Go to hell." One of the men muttered.

"Shouldn't have said that." Jordan said to the man and he drove a short stake through the back of the vamp. "I'm grazing his heart, Alpha. Should I go a little more?"

"I would rather watch them burn to death, Jordan. Let him be."

"Please... I will talk!" One of the men screamed.

"I... We were sent by our leader." He started.

I rose up, walking over to the man. With a swift motion, I drove my hand into his chest, ignoring his screams of pain and enclosing my palms around his pulsing heart.

I made eye contact with him. "I can feel it. One more move and it's gone. You are gone. So... how about we continue from the part where your leader sent you."

"He... he heard that a woman was being brought here. Her name is Valeria and she is from the Nightingale Pack. He... he wanted to get to her because... because one of the witches said she was special... and... and your redemption. He wanted us to find her before you got to her and marked her."

I didn't think twice before pulling my hand out of the moron's chest, ripping out his heart in the process. I watched him slump and fall to the ground.

Fucking Vampires.

"Alpha?" Liam and Jordan called.

"Take this one back in. Lock him up... Torture him... But... I need him to be alive." I said.

They bowed and left with the other vamp.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to leave but halted at the figure standing not too far from me. Valeria's eyes took in my bloody hands, and then the heart and the heart's owner and she shook her head.

"Valeria..." I called after her.

"No. No... Get away from me. You're a monster." She started to run.

Cute of her to think she can outrun me. I was standing in her path in seconds. I hated the tears that pricked the corner of her eyes.

"Hey... hey... look at me." I ordered.

"No... Leave me alone, please..." She shivered when my hands touched her arms.

I didn't care that my touch stained her dress red... I pulled her to myself, kissing her neckline and running my bloody hands through her hair. She was mine. My obsession. Mine for the taking... My cute thing...

But as I kissed her, her soft whimpers and cries got to my ears. I held her closer, shutting my eyes and inhaling the vanilla scent on her.

"Sssshhhh, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you." I whispered into her ears. I ran my tongue over her neckline where I'd given her three hickeys. Still, the crying continued. I was starting to get irritated.

Fucking stop crying! I wanted to yell.

"Listen to me... you are not going anywhere. You are mine. Mine, Valeria." I growled.

"Alpha!"

I looked upwards to see Isobel approaching. "Let her go, please."

"No." I said.

"Diego... she hates you. She's scared of you and you and I know that you can't change that overnight. You have to let her go. I'll take her and talk to her... just like we talked about." Isobel reached and grabbed Valeria's arm out of my grip.

Valeria hugged Isobel, crying on her shoulders as Isobel rubbed her back and soothed her.

"It's okay... It's gonna be okay."

Isobel took her away while I stood and watched. I could feel Jordan's presence beside me. I folded my arms as a question loomed in my head.

"Am I loosing my touch, Jordan? Usually, when I touch ladies... they melt. Is something wrong with me? Why isn't she bending?"

Jordan just stared at me, dumbfoundedly.

"There's only one way to find that out. Get me a black haired whore. If she cringes when I touch her then... I guess I'll have myself checked."