Chapter 96: Chapter 96

Charlotte sighed as she put her clothes on. It was currently nine in the morning of the day of their meeting with the red eyed wolves. Last night, Azraiel, Matt, Theo and Ayleen stayed at Kira’s while she came back to Azraiel’s home. She wanted to stay there with them but she also felt like she was intruding. So, she swallowed her wish and came back.

To be honest, she has been feeling weird ever since Theo told her about Kira’s past. It made her go into an overthinking mode. These people may be different from each other but they are united by one thing.

Pain.

It’s not like others don’t go through pain, everyone does. But their pain was bound by one event and hence, they were all connected by some invisible thread of agony and understanding.

She couldn’t sleep last night. Her mind was going to and fro thinking about Kira and the red eyed creatures and she couldn’t help but wonder how she came here and is still alive.

At 5in the morning, Charlotte received a call from Azraiel. Kira was awake. She hasn’t completely healed yet but she is fine. Charlotte didn’t ask any other questions except when should she send the breakfast and Azraiel said that she doesn’t have to because matt and Theo are going to cook everything that’s Kira’s favorite.

And he also asked her to be ready by 10, so that they could leave for their meeting.

Charlotte did everything she could to distract herself. She cooked, cleaned, even read something that she has already read thrice but her mind kept going back to the red eyed wolves.

She was nervous as hell.

Well, in reality, she was actually afraid.

Afraid of what the red eyes wolves would reveal?

Afraid of what she’d turn out to be?

Or afraid of what she has been all along??

******

Azraiel and Charlotte left the pack at exactly 10:30 a.m. Azraiel came home around nine thirty and got ready. Matt and Theo stayed back to look after the pack and Kira, so they took some warriors with them. However, Theo changed his mind at the last moment and joined them.

The ride was silent and the air in the car thick with tension. The warriors were in a car behind and in front of them while the three of them rode in another car.

It was around twelve thirty when they reached the clearing. It was the no man’ s land. Thought the place was inside coral woods, it wasn’t claimed by any species and left open as a place for negotiation. It has been a practice to hold discussions for negotiations in open place out of fear of foul play. Being in a building traps a person and thus increases the risk of danger. Being here, out in the open, decreases that risk if not eliminates it.

Everyone got out of the car and stood there looking for the red eyed wolves. They came just after a few seconds.

And they were in human form

And lord did it threw them off balance.

Charlotte has never in her life seen anyone with red eyes, not even with fake lenses. So, seeing these men walking towards her with gleaming red eyes surprised her.

Charlotte looked at each one of them as they came to stand in front of her. They were six, all men, and incredibly handsome. They had the same built as Matt and Theo but one amongst them looked slightly bigger and older that the rest.

Also, they were all looking at Charlotte with a weird look on their faces. It wasn’t that of hatred, or of uncertainty, but one that she didn’t quite understand.

She was about to turn towards Azraiel to ask him to speak something, but then suddenly all the red eyed men dropped on their knees. Charlotte gasped and stepped back. Opening and closing her mouth she looked at their bowed heads and then at Azraiel. He just gave her reassurance while blinking his eyes.

After a few seconds they stood up. The older looking guy stepped forward and greeted Charlotte.

“Hey! I am Nicholas.”

“Charlotte.” She said while looking into his deep grey eyes.

The next thing she hears is Azraiel clearing his throat.

“You are Azraiel Michaelson, the Alpha of the Blue Orchid pack.” Nicholas speaks with a straight face.

Azraiel nods and Charlotte can see how much this guy is bothering him.

“We have a lot to talk.” Azraiel says to Nicholas.

“We do.” Nicholas answers, looking at Charlotte.

Charlotte looks at Azraiel and then back at Nicholas.

“I am not answerable to him. He is not my Alpha.” Nicholas shrugs.

“No. He is not your Alpha.” Charlotte says softly, sensing the resistance in his voice as well as the angry vibe coming off Azraiel. “But he is my mate and I’d appreciate it if we can maintain mutual respect here.”

Nicholas looks at Charlotte for a long second but she doesn’t feel uncomfortable under his scrutiny. He then turns to Azraiel and nods once.

“You wanted to talk.” He says to Charlotte.

“Yeah..” Charlotte nods and gulps. “Were you the ones who saved me from Richard in the woods?”

“Mhm…” He nods.

“Well, in that case, Thank you!” Charlotte smiles and even though Nicholas doesn’t smile, his eyes soften.

“I-there are a lot of questions and I really don’t know which one to ask first.” She sighs. “So, I’m just gonna begin with the very basic one. Who are you? Or rather, What are you?” Charlotte asks, her heart beating wildly in her chest and the image from Katya’s vision coming to her mind.

Nicholas looks somewhat surprised by her question.

“Y-You don’t know who we are?” He sounds as if he can’t believe it.

Charlotte scrunches her brows in confusion and looks at Azraiel, who looks equally confused.

“H-how am I supposed to know who you are? I am meeting you for the first time. N-not counting that day in the woods.” Charlotte stutters, afraid of the answer.

“What?” He chuckles in disbelief.

“We- We met that day, Charlotte. Sure we didn’t know your name but the way you acted clearly told us that you knew who we were.”

“What are you talking about?” Charlotte whispered. This was just the beginning and it was already sounding like a nightmare.

“That day, after we dropped you at the pack border, you-you acknowledged it.” Nicholas was saying it as if he felt betrayed by her asking the question.

“Acknowledged what?” Charlotte asks loudly, frustrated at this unexpected beginning.

Nicholas blinks at her and looks at his companions and back at her. “That you are our Alpha, Charlotte. You are our Alpha.”