Chapter 31: Hatred & Magic

Sasha felt her magic rise; the ancient power humming in her blood, clawing and slithering under her skin, scraping against her bones.

It was everywhere, demanding and pushing and calling.

Desmond cleared his throat, but his voice was strained, "Sasha cannot See into all of them at once; her magic is strong, yes, but it is not endless. Will you have them all contained when she is recuperating? Will they cooperate-"

"Clyde... Why is he being Seen into?" Finnian asked. Sasha turned to him, but the beta wasn't looking at her. No, he was staring straight at the Alpha, his brown eyes burning with curiosity and anger... but there was something else laying in that fierce gaze.

Sasha cocked her head, flashing a silent question at the Beta. 'Why do you hate Clyde so much?'

The large male didn't even glance at her.

Dillon answered, staring right back at the Western Beta, "The personal information of this pack is not up for public discussion; only those I deem trustable will be added into that discussion."

The Alpha female growled at her mate in warning, clearly unhappy with her mate's response.

Before Sasha could snap at Finnian to shut his trap, the damned male responded with a snarl. "I guess being Beta of the largest pack in the world deems me untrustable. Or maybe I'm untrustable because I located, saved, and protected the most powerful Oracle in centuries. So, please Mr. Great Alpha, please explain to me why I am considered unworthy of your trust."

It wasn't a request.

The office fell into silence the Southern Alpha's eyes flashed. The alpha's large body seemed to grow in size as he rose to his feet, and for a split second, Sasha thought that wolf would overtake man.

But Dillon merely braced his hands back on the desk, his muscled body unmoving.

"I do not like you Finnian," Dillon growled. Everyone in the room seemed to freeze at the venom-laced statement. "To be completely honest, I cannot stand you. I have seen the way that you act around my daughter, and I do not approve. You are a foolish, childish male who thinks that he has outsmarted everyone, but you have not outsmarted me."

Sasha shot her mate a look of confusion, and he had no problem returning it.

A muscle in Finnian's jaw fluttered.

Dillon leaned forward, glaring at the Western Beta. "I know you sense it; I know that your wolf is beginning to act up-- that is why you get worked up so quickly, why you always return her to her room before another male can offer. After all... her eighteenth birthday is approaching quickly."

It clicked just then.

'How didn't I notice before?!' Sasha practically screamed to her mate. 'It makes so much sense now! That's why he has been so grouchy and growly! That's why he follows her around, that's why he is so nasty towards Clyde!'

Sasha thought that Dillon would say more, but the alpha merely closed his mouth and leaned back, his intense eyes burning holes into Finnian's stiff body. "Have I said enough?"

Finnian lifted his head slightly, "Yes."

"Good." The Alpha straightened before easing back into the large, leather office chair. Icy blues eyes held blazing brown ones in a silent warning. "You can leave now; you are of no use to us. Sasha does not need your presence, she is protected."

The Oracle's mouth fell open in shock at the alpha's harshness.

But there was no denying the alpha's command, even if you were a dominant male.

Finnian stood up to leave, his broad, muscled chest vibrating with uncontrollable growls. Turning towards the large oak door, the Beta was about to slip into the hallway when Dillon spoke.

"If I hear that you have tried to pressure her into anything, bond or not, I will kill you. Your alpha and the Moon be damned."

When Finnian disappeared from sight, the Luna whirled around to face her mate.

She snarled, "What the Hell has gotten into you?!"

Dillon didn't even acknowledge her as he faced Sasha. "How many hosts can you See into in a day?"

'Is it possible?' Sasha wondered, her mind still focused on Finnian. 'How could he sense it? She is only seventeen; I thought the bond opened once the female was eighteen?'

Sasha hadn't known about this paranormal world a year ago; she had been a twenty-year-old college student surviving off of Hamburger Helper and Ramen Noddles, trying to figure out what she wanted to do in life. When she had been found by Desmond and brought back to the Western Pack Mansion, she had trained with Lillian, the Western Pack's late Oracle.

Sasha missed her friend, Lillian. They didn't have much time together before the old Oracle left to go see the Moon, taking her mate, Travis's former Beta, with her.

'If the male is close enough to the female as she nears mating age, he will begin to sense the bond. I have heard of cases where the male will begin to sense the mate-bond the second the female has her first menstrual cycle. But the female will not sense the mate-bond until her eighteenth birthday.'

Sasha's nose wrinkled in disgust, 'That's disgusting and creepy. I knew some girls growing up that starting their period before they turned eleven-'

'No!' Desmond exclaimed, his handsome face taking on a look of bewilderment and disgust. 'The males can sense that the female is his mate, but he feels no sexual feelings for her! A male Lupis would rather kill himself before he ever thought such horrid, despicable things of a child, mate or not.'

Before responding to her mate's horror-laced words, she tuned back into reality.

The alpha pair were glaring at each other, their eyes locked and unmoving.

Clearing her throat to gain the attention of the alphas, Sasha stood up.

"I can start the Seeing now, if you'd like."

Cutting her battle-wary mate a glare, Alexandra stepped away from the desk. "That'd be amazing, Sasha. My mate and I need to inform those males of what is to happen, but I know that they will not give you any problems; if anything, they'll be more than happy to cooperate."

Desmond stood up beside her, wrapping a thick, muscular arm around her waist. Sasha welcomed her mate's warm embrace; cherished it.

Her blood pulsed and hummed as her magic came forward again, purring in excitement.

"Thank you, Alpha Dillon and Luna Alexandra, for your kindness and generosity; my mate and I are beyond humbled that you have opened your home to us. We shall return to our suite, so once you alert the males, you can send someone our way."

Dillon gave the pair a forced smile.

And, with that, Sasha and Desmond slipped out of the office.

Sasha figured that it would take the Luna a while to get around to alerting the males. After all, the she-wolf had been shooting daggers at her poor mate when Sasha had left.

That poor, poor... stupid wolf.

But he was getting what he deserved.

To be honest, Sasha was pissed at the Alpha. He had not only disrespected Finnian, but he had used the sacred mate-bond against the male.

Stupid, stupid wolf indeed.

But Sasha wasn't only angry at the alpha... she was angry at herself.

'How couldn't I see it?' She asked herself for the umpteenth time.

Finnian was a very social, humorous wolf, but lately, he had been withdrawn and very irritable.

And she had ignored him, chalking his behavior off to hormones and anxiety and stress. She had left him alone, thinking that he needed alone time, when he had probably wanted someone to talk to; needed someone to talk to.

Striding through the halls, Sasha steered herself in the direction of the Beta's suite. Desmond was right beside her, his right hand engulfing her smaller one.

'You need to cut yourself some slack, Sasha. You have only been in this world for a year; you are still learning our ways and customs. No one expects you to get everything right the first time; the Lupis species has been around for a millennium. Hell, even I am still learning things about myself, and I am over a century old.' Desmond let out a chuckle.

The weight that had settled over her chest, began to lift.

She snorted, 'That's so weird.'

'What? That the Lupis species has been around for so long? Or that I have told you to calm down?'

'No, you old man! It's weird because you're over a hundred years old! I'm married and mated to an old goat!' Sasha exclaimed in exasperation, but a lovely, bright smile pulled at her lips.

Desmond let out another laugh as he released her hand, setting his large hand against her lower back.

'Can you wait by the door while I am talking to him?'

Desmond nodded once, but the Oracle could feel his instincts rise up-- boiling his blood.

"It's okay," Sasha told him, looking up into his face. Desmond towered over her, but she had never felt intimidated or frightened by his size; if anything, his height and muscle mass made her feel safe and loved. He never used his strength against her, never struck, kicked or harmed her in any way.

Real men don't hurt women: physically, mentally, or emotionally.

Stopping at Finnian's suite doors, Sasha gently rose up, pressing her lips against Desmond's in a gentle, sweet kiss.

And real women don't hurt men: physically, mentally, or emotionally.

????

"Finn?" Sasha called out, her golden eyes scanning the empty room.

The Beta's suite was just like her own; the living room conjoined with the kitchen, providing just enough space for a small dining table. There were three doors in total: all opening up to a closet, a bathroom, and a master bedroom.

The setup of the Southern Mansion reminded her of an expensive hotel.

"Finn? Finnian?" Sasha repeated, walking deeper into the suite.

Desmond let out a growl, the wild sound guttural and deep.

Suddenly, a door opened, revealing a queen sized bed covered in rumpled clothes.

'Men...' Sasha groaned, rolling her eyes.

Finnian paused, watching her with dark eyes; the tips of his ears burning red.

"Leaving?" Sasha asked, her eyes roving over the Beta's bare chest, gym shorts-clad hips, and tennis shoes.

The male flashed her a pained grin.

"The gym was calling me."

Short.

Simple.

Strained.

The Oracle narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on his messy hair and the dark bags hanging under his eyes.

Finnian was naturally tan, but his skin was paler than normal. In fact, she had never seen it this pale.

When he started to walk past her, she stopped him with a hand to his thick, muscular arm. "When are you going to tell Travis?"

Finnian's strong jaw clenched, working the muscle there.

Pointed, ivory white canines flashed in the light as he spoke."I will tell Travis when I know for certain that she will not die."

The male slipped out of the suite, well-defined muscles rippling in his back with each step.

Desmond walked up to the Oracle, wrapping her in his arms, but his eyes were trained on the door.

"He will be okay." The Delta whispered.

Sasha nodded, but doubt reared it's head, scratching and hissing.

The pair was about to leave the suite when a young wolf approached them with wide-eyes."The Alphas want you, urgently."