"Lookie who we have here." Alistair spoke, calling the attention of the working men. Krane was among them, in a fighting stance. The men all composed themselves as soon as he stood at ease.
"Boys." Cattleya called as she strolled in leisurely, a lazy smile resting on her face.
Carla couldn't stop herself from noticing how much Cattleya compliments Krane in both height and attitude, as she strode past him right before a man swooped her by the waist and lifted her up. Cattleya let out a delighted laugh before pressing her lips into his and sharing a heated kiss, her arms around his neck.
Carla's eyebrows hit her hairline, her cheeks heating up before she looked away, colliding with Krane's penetrating gaze. He seemed to have the same question in his head as she did in hers. What the hell was she doing here?
"Geez! Get a room you two. These ones deal with hormones too." Alistair grumbled.
Krane tears his eyes away from Carla reluctantly, his piercing eyes landing on his best friend.
"What?" Alistair asked him.
Krane gave his friend a lackadaisical look which made Alistair's lip turn down to a frown.
"Nothing. We don't want to hear about your inability to sleep face down."
Spurts of laughter rung across the field, Cattleya's the loudest. The man next to her struggled to maintain a straight face as did Carla.
Alistair scowled and his nose flared at the alpha who's lip had tugged up at the side. It only lasted a second before a gleam appeared in Alistair's eyes, his smile wide enough to tear his face. This alarmed Carla.
"You got me there," he started, "but everyone knows my problem. What is your excuse Alpha?" Alistair turned to Carla at his last words and raked his eyes over her form before giving her a wink.
The whole field was deathly still that even Carla could smell the blood lust. She took a step back, fearing to be caught in the middle of anything.
Krane's face hardens and the air around him drops by several degrees. He begins to walk towards Alistair who'd turned just in time to see him coming.
"Now now. It was a joke." Alistair said with an awkward laugh as he took several steps away from the approaching male. His hands in the air.
"Too far." The gruff voice of the man still holding on to Cattleya called from behind Krane.
Alistair's face falls. His eyes cuts to Cattleya who looked like she was about to have him for dinner and Carla who looked like a deer in headlights. He shakes his head and immediately apologizes to Krane who walks past him without even as much as a glance backwards.
"Krane. I didn't mean to–"
"Shut up." Krane growls, startling the poor guy.
Carla immediately tenses as he approaches, her senses shutting down at the plain sight of him...well, some of her senses because her eyes worked perfectly and she could swear her knees buckled when he directed those fierce eyes to her just before walking by and towards the gate.
She catches a whiff of his scent, sweat and pine mixed with spicy male. It made her unsteady, taking a deep breath to keep the headiness away.
"Really?" Carla heard Cattleya, before she sees her smacking Alistair who keeps trying to dodge her iron fists.
"Don't let that get to you." The man who'd been with Cattleya tells Carla who is astonished at how close he is all of a sudden. For a moment, she thinks he's talking about the effect Krane left on her but then he gestures to Alistair, who's taking a scolding from Cattleya.
She nods at the man. She briefly catches the faint lines of scars on his tanned body. He has on an eyepatch, his hair jet black with light curls in them. The rest lazily on his head, some drooping over his eyepatch.
She turns away soon to not be caught staring. The man chuckles then says,
"I'm Gerome. Head warrior."
She nods again. They are quiet, watching the spectacle between Cattleya and Alistair. Carla breaks the silence.
"Did he do that on purpose?"
Gerome's eye remains on the sight infront of him but he replies.
"Alistair has always been the jokester. It's his strongest weapon and greatest flaw. He can taunt the enemy with that tongue of his, making them loose control but he could also let it slip sometimes with his friends."
Carla looks at the blonde haired man who is now running in circles like a child. The men who are supposed to be training look awestruck at the sight before them.
Gerome finally looks at Carla from the corner of his eye. The chocolate brown takes on a new depth as he really looks at her.
He stalls for a moment before he walks away to break up the two.
Carla heads for the kitchen as soon as she's in the house, her throat itching for a drink. She stops in her tracks as soon as her eyes land on Krane who's also in the kitchen, still shirtless, loudly drinking from a glass.
His head is thrown back, exposing the smooth skin of his throat. His Adams apple bounces with each gulp. Thick black locks of hair lay tussled on his head. She had no idea if she was imagining it but his arms seemed twice their size. She tried and failed to pick her jaw off the floor.
Krane had put the glass down before he registered her presence. He'd been training as early as six in the morning and definitely needed a shower but once again, she had that look in her eyes that made him wonder if she'd reciprocate should he embrace her that moment, sweat and all.
PART ONE
PART TWO
PART THREE
PART FOUR
