Chapter 231: 231
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"What you will do when I am no longer alive. After all I don't have eternal life like you do." Raine said it sadly. "I will grow old and you will stay like this."
Torak stretched out his hand and caressed her side face. "The guardian angel has eternal life too." He said calmly.
It was true that most of the supernatural creature would have eternal life of they would have the life span that much longer than normal human.
Raine was elated when she heard about that, but then she lowered her head in disappointment. "But… I am also a human."
"Yes, that's why, we still need to figure things out first before we came into conclusion." Torak concluded.
Serefina had mentioned it before, while her body was human, her soul was the soul of guardian angel.
Torak has to admit it now that Serefina has more knowledge about this than he had, thus, no matter what Serefina had done and how hateful her comments were, the fact that Torak needed her to find more things about Raine, couldn't be denied.
As long as the witch didn't cross the line and kept his mate safe, he would endure it. It seemed there were a lot of things to discuss with the witch once she woke up and in better condition.
"You meant, there is a chance for me to have a long life like you?" Raine beamed to imagine her life with Torak.
"Yes." Torak caressed her head and kissed her forehead. "There is a chance for that…"
There is a chance for that, but… there is a chance that she will die like any other normal human being.
That was the last sentence that both of them didn't speak out loud because they didn't want to ruin this moment and the food, which came not long after that.
With the food on the table, the topic about eternal life seemingly had forgotten, but deep in Raine's heart it still bothered her, so did Torak.
It would turn into disaster when he found out if his mate couldn't live an eternal life with him. After centuries he had waited for her, finally the moon goddess fulfilled what she said and if she was going to take his mate away again after Torak could taste a breeze of heaven from her, he would turn this world into living hell.
The moon goddess didn't need to bother with the devils, as he would put those devils into ashamed for what he would do if he lost his mate.
"May I know something?" Raine asked carefully after she swallowed a chunk of fish meat that Torak had deboned it for her.
"You can ask anything." He replied.
This place is in outskirt, thus no one would expect the famous CEO from Donovan company would have his lunch there with a young girl, thus they could eat quietly.
But the thing that they didn't know and Torak miscalculated was the fact that he had been in the spotlight recently and how human's curiosity could overcome everything.
"May I know where are your parent now? are they still live in the castle?" Raine asked gingerly, she was afraid this matter wasn't something that Torak wanted to talk about.
However, Torak answered her without any changes of expression. "They had been missing after the great war." He said.
"Missing?" Raine stopped her spoon mid- way to her mouth as she put it back down. "Someone kidnapped them?" She was surprised with her own idea.
Torak chuckled and grabbed her hand, which was holding the spoon and brought it to her mouth, so she could continue to eat and stopped gawking. "No. I don't mean to brag, but after the great war, Lycanthropes are the strongest creature in this realm. I don't think other creatures would be able to kidnap them."
"Maybe it was something like conspiracy… you know, when your own people… hmph!" Raine was forced to stop when Torak stuffed a piece of chicken b.r.e.a.s.t onto her mouth.
"No, they left on their own volition." Torak stopped Raine from her wild imagination. "They left a letter for us."
"A letter?" Raine leaned forward as she was getting more curios. "What it said?"
"Not much, it only said; because everything had settled we will leave the rest to the three of you to take care of." Torak repeated what his parents had written to them.
And when Torak didn't say anything again, Raine blinked her eyes in disbelief.
"Only that?" She asked.
"Only that." Torak reiterated her words.
With that, Raine was deep in thought as she stared at Torak blankly. "Maybe they want to take a long vacation after the stressful war?" She mumbled.
Upon hearing that Torak laughed heartily as he nodded his head. "That makes sense."
It was a rare sight to see Torak was so carefree and laughed that way instead of his usual dominant demeanor and cold nature.
The man, who was hiding behind the shadow captured those moments with trembling hands, he almost assumed the man inside the restaurant wasn't Torak Donovan, the CEO of Donovan Enterprises Holding inc, probably he had been following a wrong man or the man that he had followed got switched in the middle of his way here.
But, that was also impossible, because a man like him was hard to find in common with others.
Regardless of that, the most important question was; who was the girl with Torak Donovan? She actually managed to make the stone- heart CEO laughed like a normal human being.
When he was in deep thought, the sound of his cell phone startled him. He cursed under his breath before picking up the call.
As soon as he said 'hallo', the person from the other end, talked rapidly with enthusiasm, that must be something important as the man, who was holding the camera, was dumbfounded and looked at the couple inside the restaurant, talking intimately with each other.
"This will be big!" He exclaimed.
==============
Three days passed uneventfully.
However, on the fourth day after Torak visited the restaurant near Raine's old house, big news suddenly appeared in all media.
"Torak!" Raphael burst into the Alpha's office room with annoyed expression.
He knew this sort of news would come to the surface one day, since Torak and Raine were often being in public, but still, the Beta thought this was too soon and abrupt. There must be someone who had moved all the media this way.
However, that wasn't the thing that Raphael concerned the most, the real problem was because the headline of the news.
It mentioned that Torak Donovan, the CEO of Donovan Enterprise Holding inc, who was known by his ruthlessness when it came to execute business's matter and the most desired bachelor, actually dated a young girl who was far below his age and rumored still underage.
"I know." Torak averted his eyes from the laptop in front of him as he watched his second in command was fuming mad. It was very rare to see Raphael lost his cool, as he was always collected in every situation.
But, apparently this news had made him lost his nerves.
Regardless the fact that the news had not yet released, but they still had another way to know it beforehand.
"What do you know?" Raphael was squinted his eyes. He didn't remember that he had said something. So, how on earth he already knew?
"About the news." Torak leaned his back against the backrest of his seat while intertwining his fingers. His blue eyes darkened a few shades.
"You already knew?" Raphael felt his brows shot up in disbelief. Sometime he wondered that Torak actually didn't need any help and would be fine with his own, as he seemingly knew everything even the thing that Raphael didn't know it yet.
"Yes, I have insider." Torak said in low voice. "It's Haco." He mentioned the name of the perpetrator of the commotion that would happen tomorrow.
"Expected." Raphael nodded and sat down across Torak's seat. He knew his Alpha has many minions that he had put in his enemies territories.
Yet, every time Torak knew something before he did, it still made him depressed. After all, Raphael was his second in command, he felt useless if the Alpha kept doing this.
"So, what do you want to do? Should I call Jared and suppress the news like before?" Raphael suggested.
It had happened before, when the first time Torak met Raine and they were trapped inside the hotel by the newspapermen the moment they were about to return to their own territory.
At that time, they had ordered Jared to clean up the mess that Haco had made, thus Raphael thought Torak would do the same thing.
However, Torak didn't agree with that suggestion immediately, he was in deep thought.
It was already six in the evening and the gloomy night out there complimented the darker mood that Torak felt right now, the dangerous aura that emitted from the Alpha's was prominent.
A thick silence stretched inside the office room and Raphael didn't dare to interrupt Torak's train of thought.
This uncomfortable situation lasted until Torak's phone on the table rung and the light lit up to show the caller id.
Upon seeing the name on the screen, the layer of ruthlessness in Torak's eyes slightly ceased down. Raphael didn't need to guess who was the caller.
"Yes, my love?" Torak's voice was so soft and calm, it was a contradictive of his behavior a second ago.
"Why are you not home yet?" Raine complained and said her next sentences in a whisper. "I miss you…"
Having ability to have a remarkable hearing ability, allowed Raphael to hear everything, as he heard his Luna sweet voice.
"There is something that I have to take care first, but I will go home now." Torak said as he stood up and gestured for Raphael to follow him.
"Oh, alright…" Raine cheerful voice could be heard as she bid him goodbye. "Take care on your way home."
"I will." Torak said with smile on his lips.
And then the line was cut off.
"I will tell you later about what we should do in this matter." Torak replied to Raphael. "For the meantime don't do anything."
"But, the news will appear tomorrow morning. Once it published the damage will be harder to be fixed." Raphael said, they didn't have much time if they didn't want this news blasted the whole country because the effect of this could backfire at the Alpha.
"Stay put." Torak replied curtly as he walked toward the car. When Raphael was about to go to the driving seat, Torak opened the door first. "I will drive." He said.
With that Raphael sat on the shotgun seat and let the Alpha drove them home.
==============
The Alpha drove the car with breakneck speed, as they arrived twenty minutes faster.
The moment they arrived, Torak gave the car key to the guard as he strolled inside the house with Raphael followed behind him.
And as soon as Torak opened the door, his sight was covered with black as he felt his body was being hugged. Torak chuckled and reciprocated the hugged with the same affection.
"I am sorry, I am late." Torak whispered to her ears, as he felt she shook her head.
Following behind Raine was Torak's third in command, Calleb. He jogged from upstairs with wary etched on his face as he approached the couple.
However he stopped himself a few meters away and scrunched his eyebrows by the sight of his Alpha and Luna.
"Eww! Can you do that later?" He whimpered, seeing Torak and Raine was being affectionate. "Spare my heart please!" He grumbled.
"Get yourself a mate." Raine turned to look at him and then chortled. "So, you can be affectionate with her!" She hugged Torak's waist tighter.
"Oh, please! Can you give me the Alpha for two minutes please? There is emergency that I need to tell him." Calleb rolled his eyes dramatically.
"If you want to tell him about the news tomorrow, don't even bother to do that, he already knew." Raphael walked past Calleb and informed him casually.
"Really!?" Calleb's eyes grew wider, he thought he would be the first person who break the news for them. "You told him? So, what we will do?" He started to talk without stopping.
"Torak has known before I told him!" Raphael shouted from the kitchen.
Seeing Calleb was talking something about some news, Raine became curious and lifted her head to look at Torak. "What news?" She asked sofly.
"So, what we will do?" Asked Calleb, he looked at Torak with eagerness.
Calleb needed some action or something badass, because his days with Raine were so peaceful. Painting drawing, petting the rabit… painting again, drawing again and watching movie, he felt any longer than this he would gradually become a kitten rather than a wolf.
But, like usual, no one was willing to answer his questions.
"Can I talk to you about something my love?" Torak lowered his head and looked at Raine in the eyes. His blue eyes were like a surface of a frozen river in the winter, still but no one knew how the stream beneath it.
Raine nodded her head, of course she would love to hear anything that Torak wanted to say.
With that, the couple left to heading to their room, leaving Calleb with his curiosity.
"So, what we should do now?" Calleb frowned because he didn't have anyone to talk to. "Hei! Ralph!" Therefore, he went to the kitchen to bother the Beta about what their Alpha had planned for this.
Calleb liked to look after Raine, but the serenity almost killed him.
==============
Torak was hugging Raine from behind. They stood facing the glass door to the balcony, watching the droplets of water rained down the earth as the storm brew in the gloomy sky.
"What is it?" Raine whispered- asking, her curiosity gnawed her heart when Torak kept his mouth shut, though he said he wanted to tell something to her thirty minutes ago.
"I am thinking…" Torak said while spacing out.
"And…? What are you thinking?" Raine prodded. She really wanted to know what was it.
"Whether to tell you or not." Torak said with grin, he nuzzled Raine's neck, the spot where Torak supposed to mark her.
"That is ridiculous." Raine swatted Torak's arms that rested on her stomach playfully, but she liked the way Torak kissed her shoulder. "Why don't you just tell me?"
Torak didn't reply to her immediately, but instead of answer, he asked a question. "Can I ask something from you my angel, if you don't mind?"
Raine blinked her eyes when she heard this, it was so rare for Torak to ask something from her. Before, he had asked for Raine to not fear him.
And now, she didn't fear him, she loved him.
So, what it could be now?
"I will never mind if it a request from you." Raine turned her body and faced him. Her handsome beast.
Raine looked deep into his beautiful blue eyes and his perfect feature. It was hard to believe that a man like Torak really loved her, as she felt herself lacked of every aspect.
Raine felt that she wasn't a beauty, a very smart girl, didn't have an outstanding talent and didn't have a strong leadership like how she viewed a Luna should. She compared herself to Diana, Torak's mother, and felt ashamed of herself. She was just so- so…
Once again, her self- conscience bothered Raine.
Hence, what else she could do to feel useful for Torak if she didn't try her best to fulfill his request? Regardless, Torak wouldn't think that way, but Raine couldn't help but seeking for her worthiness for him.
"You can reject it if you feel you don't want to do it." Torak said with seriousness that made Raine became even more curious about what was the thing that Torak wanted her to do.
"What is it?" Raine narrowed her eyes. She felt herself tensed up.
"If I said it, remember to not force yourself if you think, you couldn't do it." Torak reminded her. Raine was about to nod her head to agree with him when Torak held her chin. "Listen to me first before you answer."
Raine blinked her eyes and waited for Torak to talk.
"I don't want to force you to do something that you don't feel comfortable, but I think this is the right time." Torak released her chin and tucked her hair behind her ears while his other hand traced her jaw line…
"What is it?" Raine liked the spark on her skin every time Torak touched her and at this point, she was entranced by him, drawn into his blue eyes and willing to do anything to make him proud of her.
Torak stopped for a moment before his husky voice sounded in Raine's ears when he said it clearly. "I want to introduce you as my woman."
Raine's obsidian eyes flickered with surprised as her brows formed a furrow. "To who…?" She asked carefully.
"To everyone alive, to every creatures that walk on this earth and to every single soul in this realm." Torak said solemnly.
The feeling was almost like Torak was going to propose Raine.
Raine was flabbergasted and didn't know what to say, as if the words in her head was being evaporated.
In Raine's silence, Torak continued his words. "I want to make a grandiose birthday celebration for you, instead of eating with only the four of us. Will you accept that?" Torak kept his unperturbed eyes on Raine's reaction.
Yet, except from shock, he had not yet seen a rejection from her. Her lips slightly parted and then she closed them tightly before she bit them anxiously.
Torak let his words sunk to her understanding, thus he didn't force her to answer him immediately. He let her to take her time.
"You can think about this over dinner, okay?" Torak suggested, Raine's reaction was within his prediction, as long as she didn't reject the idea immediately it meant she was considering it.
"Okay." Raine mused.
Torak knew this was too abrupt, but this would happen sooner or later. Since he was given the opportunity to do it, so why didn't he use it as best as he could?
Raine had changed a lot since the first time he found her and this was only a matter of time to bring her out to the spotlight.
While Serefina had taken a part to make her stronger by finding out her origin and learned about her power, Torak wanted to show Raine that in this world, wasn't only contain with good or bad, as there would be always plot hid in 'good' or 'bad' along with ploy.
There would be various stratagems around her that she must face it.
Torak loved her innocent and naivety. He wanted to keep her that way, but he came to conclusion; keeping her that way wouldn't help her to survive in this world.
In any case, her ignorance would harm her and her kindness would be used by others.
Raine ate without really enjoyed the food that passed her throat as her mind was elsewhere, roaming around thousands of possibilities and her fears.
This was the quietest dinner that they have had so far and Torak didn't even complain when Raine didn't finish her food on her plate, it was obvious to see that she didn't have the appetite.
Somehow, Torak regretted that he brought the topic too fast and ruined Raine's mood over the food.
When the dinner had done and both of them headed toward their bedroom, no one was talking.
Only when the light was out and Torak thought to mind link Raphael and made a call for Jared to deal with Haco about the news, Raine rolled her body on the bed and crept closer to him.
She nuzzled her face against Torak's chest and murmured. "If they knew I am with you… they will come after me…" Raine stated.
In that case, she wouldn't have the same peacefulness anymore. The thought of being a normal college student would be too much.
"Yes." Torak wrapped the blanket for both of them.
"I will be the center of attention…" Raine hated it to be the center of attention, every time it happened, she found herself fidgeting uncontrollably and started to make nervous gestures, which wasn't good to see.
"Yes." Torak replied. He pulled her closed to him.
"Those women, who likes you, will start to accuse me of stealing you…" Raine frowned with that thought. Calleb had told her two or three things about how women always surrounded Torak like bees eager for nectar.
They wouldn't mind to attack each other if necessary, though Torak wouldn't even spare them a single glance on them, more so appreciated their action, yet it happened often.
"How can you steal me when I give myself to you willingly?" Torak answered solemnly. "You will be protected from them." He caressed her head lovingly.
And as the darkness engulfed them tightly, Torak wouldn't be able to see the blush on Raine's cheeks when she heard that.
Afterward, Raine didn't give Torak another question as she kept silence, deep in thought.
"You don't need to force yourself to accept it." Torak reminded her. "Just like what I have told you before… but, I will like it to announce to all the people that you are mine." He tried another way to persuade her for taking this arrangement.
"Will you be happy if everyone knows about me…?" Raine asked in low voice, unsure if she wanted to hear Torak's reply.
"I will be more than happy, my love, to be able to claim that you are mine in front of the public." Those words were true, Torak would definitely feel that way.
Raine was fl.u.s.tered by Torak's words, but she was sharp enough to relate the conversation between Torak and Calleb this evening. "Torak, are you in trouble that required me to show up?" Raine asked gingerly.
"There is nothing to worry about…" Torak said, but he let his voice was laced with a little bit of reluctant.
Raine caught that and pondered to herself.
Meanwhile, Torak felt bad for manipulating his own mate, but Raine needed this little push.
At this point, Torak really wanted to laugh and mocked himself, because with this method, he felt he wasn't any different from the witch, though he was worse because he didn't even spare his own mate and manipulated her like what he did to the other people.
There were these contradictions;
Torak loved his mate without doubt, but he wanted her to become stronger and could protect herself, but he was also couldn't bear to see her getting hurt, then by getting hurt was part that she must face.
His mind was conflicted.
"I will do it…" Raine said in low voice, barely a whisper.
She knew this decision would change everything that she had planned in her mind for her college life, but life didn't always turn out the way you want it to. Raine had learned that in hard way.
Moreover this time Torak had asked her generously and Raine didn't want to disappoint him. After sometime everything would pass, right?
"Are you sure?" Torak held Raine's chin and lifted her head to face him, regardless the lack of the light, Torak still could see the outline of her face and touched her soft skin.
Now Torak felt restless because Raine had agreed readily.
This was the first time he was so unsure about something or he couldn't decide what exactly he wanted.
Actually, if Raine agreed with his suggestion, various plans had formed inside Torak's mind, but he had to eliminate few of them because it could harm Raine in the processes.
"Not only that, those people will also dig up your past memories and wanted to know more about you." Of course Torak would try his best to not let the information about Raine's past was revealed, but since the exposure on Raine would be so big, there would be some affect too.
Raine bit her lips and nodded her head, she knew, she couldn't avoid it. After all, all of those were her past.
"I am sure." Raine's voice was slightly louder this time as if she wanted to find courage in her own words. "Let's announce it in my birthday."
Kissing her forehead, Torak made up his decision, as he mind- linked Raphael.
[Ralph. I need you to prepare something.]
==============
As expected, the following day's news brought turmoil in all over media.
The comments on line were talking no other than the girl in the picture inside a restaurant, a mask party and in mall.
All of the pictures were taken candidly and showed the intimate affection and interaction between Raine and Torak.
Torak's name was on every people' lips and also on the top of the search engine.
However, while the outside world was in tumult, here, inside the extravagant house in the most elite location for multi millionaire.
A certain girl was holding her beautiful bunny while sitting inside the green house, listening to Calleb, who has been reporting to her about the progress of the situation.
Yet, he still couldn't cope up with the latest news.
"Raine, don't you know if you are going outside alone, you will be devoured by those jealous women out there." Calleb said dramatically. "What actually Torak was thinking when he made this decision for you?"
"He thought what best for me." Raine grinned at the Beta and took another carrot to feed the bunny as it munched it happily. "You said it yourself before that Torak would never harm me."
"Yeah… I know…" Calleb drawled his words. "It just… it never crossed my mind that he would announce your relationship to the public all of sudden and you actually agreed with that. Time passes very quickly"
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"What you will do when I am no longer alive. After all I don't have eternal life like you do." Raine said it sadly. "I will grow old and you will stay like this."
Torak stretched out his hand and caressed her side face. "The guardian angel has eternal life too." He said calmly.
It was true that most of the supernatural creature would have eternal life of they would have the life span that much longer than normal human.
Raine was elated when she heard about that, but then she lowered her head in disappointment. "But… I am also a human."
"Yes, that's why, we still need to figure things out first before we came into conclusion." Torak concluded.
Serefina had mentioned it before, while her body was human, her soul was the soul of guardian angel.
Torak has to admit it now that Serefina has more knowledge about this than he had, thus, no matter what Serefina had done and how hateful her comments were, the fact that Torak needed her to find more things about Raine, couldn't be denied.
As long as the witch didn't cross the line and kept his mate safe, he would endure it. It seemed there were a lot of things to discuss with the witch once she woke up and in better condition.
"You meant, there is a chance for me to have a long life like you?" Raine beamed to imagine her life with Torak.
"Yes." Torak caressed her head and kissed her forehead. "There is a chance for that…"
There is a chance for that, but… there is a chance that she will die like any other normal human being.
That was the last sentence that both of them didn't speak out loud because they didn't want to ruin this moment and the food, which came not long after that.
With the food on the table, the topic about eternal life seemingly had forgotten, but deep in Raine's heart it still bothered her, so did Torak.
It would turn into disaster when he found out if his mate couldn't live an eternal life with him. After centuries he had waited for her, finally the moon goddess fulfilled what she said and if she was going to take his mate away again after Torak could taste a breeze of heaven from her, he would turn this world into living hell.
The moon goddess didn't need to bother with the devils, as he would put those devils into ashamed for what he would do if he lost his mate.
"May I know something?" Raine asked carefully after she swallowed a chunk of fish meat that Torak had deboned it for her.
"You can ask anything." He replied.
This place is in outskirt, thus no one would expect the famous CEO from Donovan company would have his lunch there with a young girl, thus they could eat quietly.
But the thing that they didn't know and Torak miscalculated was the fact that he had been in the spotlight recently and how human's curiosity could overcome everything.
"May I know where are your parent now? are they still live in the castle?" Raine asked gingerly, she was afraid this matter wasn't something that Torak wanted to talk about.
However, Torak answered her without any changes of expression. "They had been missing after the great war." He said.
"Missing?" Raine stopped her spoon mid- way to her mouth as she put it back down. "Someone kidnapped them?" She was surprised with her own idea.
Torak chuckled and grabbed her hand, which was holding the spoon and brought it to her mouth, so she could continue to eat and stopped gawking. "No. I don't mean to brag, but after the great war, Lycanthropes are the strongest creature in this realm. I don't think other creatures would be able to kidnap them."
"Maybe it was something like conspiracy… you know, when your own people… hmph!" Raine was forced to stop when Torak stuffed a piece of chicken b.r.e.a.s.t onto her mouth.
"No, they left on their own volition." Torak stopped Raine from her wild imagination. "They left a letter for us."
"A letter?" Raine leaned forward as she was getting more curios. "What it said?"
"Not much, it only said; because everything had settled we will leave the rest to the three of you to take care of." Torak repeated what his parents had written to them.
And when Torak didn't say anything again, Raine blinked her eyes in disbelief.
"Only that?" She asked.
"Only that." Torak reiterated her words.
With that, Raine was deep in thought as she stared at Torak blankly. "Maybe they want to take a long vacation after the stressful war?" She mumbled.
Upon hearing that Torak laughed heartily as he nodded his head. "That makes sense."
It was a rare sight to see Torak was so carefree and laughed that way instead of his usual dominant demeanor and cold nature.
The man, who was hiding behind the shadow captured those moments with trembling hands, he almost assumed the man inside the restaurant wasn't Torak Donovan, the CEO of Donovan Enterprises Holding inc, probably he had been following a wrong man or the man that he had followed got switched in the middle of his way here.
But, that was also impossible, because a man like him was hard to find in common with others.
Regardless of that, the most important question was; who was the girl with Torak Donovan? She actually managed to make the stone- heart CEO laughed like a normal human being.
When he was in deep thought, the sound of his cell phone startled him. He cursed under his breath before picking up the call.
As soon as he said 'hallo', the person from the other end, talked rapidly with enthusiasm, that must be something important as the man, who was holding the camera, was dumbfounded and looked at the couple inside the restaurant, talking intimately with each other.
"This will be big!" He exclaimed.
==============
Three days passed uneventfully.
However, on the fourth day after Torak visited the restaurant near Raine's old house, big news suddenly appeared in all media.
"Torak!" Raphael burst into the Alpha's office room with annoyed expression.
He knew this sort of news would come to the surface one day, since Torak and Raine were often being in public, but still, the Beta thought this was too soon and abrupt. There must be someone who had moved all the media this way.
However, that wasn't the thing that Raphael concerned the most, the real problem was because the headline of the news.
It mentioned that Torak Donovan, the CEO of Donovan Enterprise Holding inc, who was known by his ruthlessness when it came to execute business's matter and the most desired bachelor, actually dated a young girl who was far below his age and rumored still underage.
"I know." Torak averted his eyes from the laptop in front of him as he watched his second in command was fuming mad. It was very rare to see Raphael lost his cool, as he was always collected in every situation.
But, apparently this news had made him lost his nerves.
Regardless the fact that the news had not yet released, but they still had another way to know it beforehand.
"What do you know?" Raphael was squinted his eyes. He didn't remember that he had said something. So, how on earth he already knew?
"About the news." Torak leaned his back against the backrest of his seat while intertwining his fingers. His blue eyes darkened a few shades.
"You already knew?" Raphael felt his brows shot up in disbelief. Sometime he wondered that Torak actually didn't need any help and would be fine with his own, as he seemingly knew everything even the thing that Raphael didn't know it yet.
"Yes, I have insider." Torak said in low voice. "It's Haco." He mentioned the name of the perpetrator of the commotion that would happen tomorrow.
"Expected." Raphael nodded and sat down across Torak's seat. He knew his Alpha has many minions that he had put in his enemies territories.
Yet, every time Torak knew something before he did, it still made him depressed. After all, Raphael was his second in command, he felt useless if the Alpha kept doing this.
"So, what do you want to do? Should I call Jared and suppress the news like before?" Raphael suggested.
It had happened before, when the first time Torak met Raine and they were trapped inside the hotel by the newspapermen the moment they were about to return to their own territory.
At that time, they had ordered Jared to clean up the mess that Haco had made, thus Raphael thought Torak would do the same thing.
However, Torak didn't agree with that suggestion immediately, he was in deep thought.
It was already six in the evening and the gloomy night out there complimented the darker mood that Torak felt right now, the dangerous aura that emitted from the Alpha's was prominent.
A thick silence stretched inside the office room and Raphael didn't dare to interrupt Torak's train of thought.
This uncomfortable situation lasted until Torak's phone on the table rung and the light lit up to show the caller id.
Upon seeing the name on the screen, the layer of ruthlessness in Torak's eyes slightly ceased down. Raphael didn't need to guess who was the caller.
"Yes, my love?" Torak's voice was so soft and calm, it was a contradictive of his behavior a second ago.
"Why are you not home yet?" Raine complained and said her next sentences in a whisper. "I miss you…"
Having ability to have a remarkable hearing ability, allowed Raphael to hear everything, as he heard his Luna sweet voice.
"There is something that I have to take care first, but I will go home now." Torak said as he stood up and gestured for Raphael to follow him.
"Oh, alright…" Raine cheerful voice could be heard as she bid him goodbye. "Take care on your way home."
"I will." Torak said with smile on his lips.
And then the line was cut off.
"I will tell you later about what we should do in this matter." Torak replied to Raphael. "For the meantime don't do anything."
"But, the news will appear tomorrow morning. Once it published the damage will be harder to be fixed." Raphael said, they didn't have much time if they didn't want this news blasted the whole country because the effect of this could backfire at the Alpha.
"Stay put." Torak replied curtly as he walked toward the car. When Raphael was about to go to the driving seat, Torak opened the door first. "I will drive." He said.
With that Raphael sat on the shotgun seat and let the Alpha drove them home.
==============
The Alpha drove the car with breakneck speed, as they arrived twenty minutes faster.
The moment they arrived, Torak gave the car key to the guard as he strolled inside the house with Raphael followed behind him.
And as soon as Torak opened the door, his sight was covered with black as he felt his body was being hugged. Torak chuckled and reciprocated the hugged with the same affection.
"I am sorry, I am late." Torak whispered to her ears, as he felt she shook her head.
Following behind Raine was Torak's third in command, Calleb. He jogged from upstairs with wary etched on his face as he approached the couple.
However he stopped himself a few meters away and scrunched his eyebrows by the sight of his Alpha and Luna.
"Eww! Can you do that later?" He whimpered, seeing Torak and Raine was being affectionate. "Spare my heart please!" He grumbled.
"Get yourself a mate." Raine turned to look at him and then chortled. "So, you can be affectionate with her!" She hugged Torak's waist tighter.
"Oh, please! Can you give me the Alpha for two minutes please? There is emergency that I need to tell him." Calleb rolled his eyes dramatically.
"If you want to tell him about the news tomorrow, don't even bother to do that, he already knew." Raphael walked past Calleb and informed him casually.
"Really!?" Calleb's eyes grew wider, he thought he would be the first person who break the news for them. "You told him? So, what we will do?" He started to talk without stopping.
"Torak has known before I told him!" Raphael shouted from the kitchen.
Seeing Calleb was talking something about some news, Raine became curious and lifted her head to look at Torak. "What news?" She asked sofly.
"So, what we will do?" Asked Calleb, he looked at Torak with eagerness.
Calleb needed some action or something badass, because his days with Raine were so peaceful. Painting drawing, petting the rabit… painting again, drawing again and watching movie, he felt any longer than this he would gradually become a kitten rather than a wolf.
But, like usual, no one was willing to answer his questions.
"Can I talk to you about something my love?" Torak lowered his head and looked at Raine in the eyes. His blue eyes were like a surface of a frozen river in the winter, still but no one knew how the stream beneath it.
Raine nodded her head, of course she would love to hear anything that Torak wanted to say.
With that, the couple left to heading to their room, leaving Calleb with his curiosity.
"So, what we should do now?" Calleb frowned because he didn't have anyone to talk to. "Hei! Ralph!" Therefore, he went to the kitchen to bother the Beta about what their Alpha had planned for this.
Calleb liked to look after Raine, but the serenity almost killed him.
==============
Torak was hugging Raine from behind. They stood facing the glass door to the balcony, watching the droplets of water rained down the earth as the storm brew in the gloomy sky.
"What is it?" Raine whispered- asking, her curiosity gnawed her heart when Torak kept his mouth shut, though he said he wanted to tell something to her thirty minutes ago.
"I am thinking…" Torak said while spacing out.
"And…? What are you thinking?" Raine prodded. She really wanted to know what was it.
"Whether to tell you or not." Torak said with grin, he nuzzled Raine's neck, the spot where Torak supposed to mark her.
"That is ridiculous." Raine swatted Torak's arms that rested on her stomach playfully, but she liked the way Torak kissed her shoulder. "Why don't you just tell me?"
Torak didn't reply to her immediately, but instead of answer, he asked a question. "Can I ask something from you my angel, if you don't mind?"
Raine blinked her eyes when she heard this, it was so rare for Torak to ask something from her. Before, he had asked for Raine to not fear him.
And now, she didn't fear him, she loved him.
So, what it could be now?
"I will never mind if it a request from you." Raine turned her body and faced him. Her handsome beast.
Raine looked deep into his beautiful blue eyes and his perfect feature. It was hard to believe that a man like Torak really loved her, as she felt herself lacked of every aspect.
Raine felt that she wasn't a beauty, a very smart girl, didn't have an outstanding talent and didn't have a strong leadership like how she viewed a Luna should. She compared herself to Diana, Torak's mother, and felt ashamed of herself. She was just so- so…
Once again, her self- conscience bothered Raine.
Hence, what else she could do to feel useful for Torak if she didn't try her best to fulfill his request? Regardless, Torak wouldn't think that way, but Raine couldn't help but seeking for her worthiness for him.
"You can reject it if you feel you don't want to do it." Torak said with seriousness that made Raine became even more curious about what was the thing that Torak wanted her to do.
"What is it?" Raine narrowed her eyes. She felt herself tensed up.
"If I said it, remember to not force yourself if you think, you couldn't do it." Torak reminded her. Raine was about to nod her head to agree with him when Torak held her chin. "Listen to me first before you answer."
Raine blinked her eyes and waited for Torak to talk.
"I don't want to force you to do something that you don't feel comfortable, but I think this is the right time." Torak released her chin and tucked her hair behind her ears while his other hand traced her jaw line…
"What is it?" Raine liked the spark on her skin every time Torak touched her and at this point, she was entranced by him, drawn into his blue eyes and willing to do anything to make him proud of her.
Torak stopped for a moment before his husky voice sounded in Raine's ears when he said it clearly. "I want to introduce you as my woman."
Raine's obsidian eyes flickered with surprised as her brows formed a furrow. "To who…?" She asked carefully.
"To everyone alive, to every creatures that walk on this earth and to every single soul in this realm." Torak said solemnly.
The feeling was almost like Torak was going to propose Raine.
Raine was flabbergasted and didn't know what to say, as if the words in her head was being evaporated.
In Raine's silence, Torak continued his words. "I want to make a grandiose birthday celebration for you, instead of eating with only the four of us. Will you accept that?" Torak kept his unperturbed eyes on Raine's reaction.
Yet, except from shock, he had not yet seen a rejection from her. Her lips slightly parted and then she closed them tightly before she bit them anxiously.
Torak let his words sunk to her understanding, thus he didn't force her to answer him immediately. He let her to take her time.
"You can think about this over dinner, okay?" Torak suggested, Raine's reaction was within his prediction, as long as she didn't reject the idea immediately it meant she was considering it.
"Okay." Raine mused.
Torak knew this was too abrupt, but this would happen sooner or later. Since he was given the opportunity to do it, so why didn't he use it as best as he could?
Raine had changed a lot since the first time he found her and this was only a matter of time to bring her out to the spotlight.
While Serefina had taken a part to make her stronger by finding out her origin and learned about her power, Torak wanted to show Raine that in this world, wasn't only contain with good or bad, as there would be always plot hid in 'good' or 'bad' along with ploy.
There would be various stratagems around her that she must face it.
Torak loved her innocent and naivety. He wanted to keep her that way, but he came to conclusion; keeping her that way wouldn't help her to survive in this world.
In any case, her ignorance would harm her and her kindness would be used by others.
Raine ate without really enjoyed the food that passed her throat as her mind was elsewhere, roaming around thousands of possibilities and her fears.
This was the quietest dinner that they have had so far and Torak didn't even complain when Raine didn't finish her food on her plate, it was obvious to see that she didn't have the appetite.
Somehow, Torak regretted that he brought the topic too fast and ruined Raine's mood over the food.
When the dinner had done and both of them headed toward their bedroom, no one was talking.
Only when the light was out and Torak thought to mind link Raphael and made a call for Jared to deal with Haco about the news, Raine rolled her body on the bed and crept closer to him.
She nuzzled her face against Torak's chest and murmured. "If they knew I am with you… they will come after me…" Raine stated.
In that case, she wouldn't have the same peacefulness anymore. The thought of being a normal college student would be too much.
"Yes." Torak wrapped the blanket for both of them.
"I will be the center of attention…" Raine hated it to be the center of attention, every time it happened, she found herself fidgeting uncontrollably and started to make nervous gestures, which wasn't good to see.
"Yes." Torak replied. He pulled her closed to him.
"Those women, who likes you, will start to accuse me of stealing you…" Raine frowned with that thought. Calleb had told her two or three things about how women always surrounded Torak like bees eager for nectar.
They wouldn't mind to attack each other if necessary, though Torak wouldn't even spare them a single glance on them, more so appreciated their action, yet it happened often.
"How can you steal me when I give myself to you willingly?" Torak answered solemnly. "You will be protected from them." He caressed her head lovingly.
And as the darkness engulfed them tightly, Torak wouldn't be able to see the blush on Raine's cheeks when she heard that.
Afterward, Raine didn't give Torak another question as she kept silence, deep in thought.
"You don't need to force yourself to accept it." Torak reminded her. "Just like what I have told you before… but, I will like it to announce to all the people that you are mine." He tried another way to persuade her for taking this arrangement.
"Will you be happy if everyone knows about me…?" Raine asked in low voice, unsure if she wanted to hear Torak's reply.
"I will be more than happy, my love, to be able to claim that you are mine in front of the public." Those words were true, Torak would definitely feel that way.
Raine was fl.u.s.tered by Torak's words, but she was sharp enough to relate the conversation between Torak and Calleb this evening. "Torak, are you in trouble that required me to show up?" Raine asked gingerly.
"There is nothing to worry about…" Torak said, but he let his voice was laced with a little bit of reluctant.
Raine caught that and pondered to herself.
Meanwhile, Torak felt bad for manipulating his own mate, but Raine needed this little push.
At this point, Torak really wanted to laugh and mocked himself, because with this method, he felt he wasn't any different from the witch, though he was worse because he didn't even spare his own mate and manipulated her like what he did to the other people.
There were these contradictions;
Torak loved his mate without doubt, but he wanted her to become stronger and could protect herself, but he was also couldn't bear to see her getting hurt, then by getting hurt was part that she must face.
His mind was conflicted.
"I will do it…" Raine said in low voice, barely a whisper.
She knew this decision would change everything that she had planned in her mind for her college life, but life didn't always turn out the way you want it to. Raine had learned that in hard way.
Moreover this time Torak had asked her generously and Raine didn't want to disappoint him. After sometime everything would pass, right?
"Are you sure?" Torak held Raine's chin and lifted her head to face him, regardless the lack of the light, Torak still could see the outline of her face and touched her soft skin.
Now Torak felt restless because Raine had agreed readily.
This was the first time he was so unsure about something or he couldn't decide what exactly he wanted.
Actually, if Raine agreed with his suggestion, various plans had formed inside Torak's mind, but he had to eliminate few of them because it could harm Raine in the processes.
"Not only that, those people will also dig up your past memories and wanted to know more about you." Of course Torak would try his best to not let the information about Raine's past was revealed, but since the exposure on Raine would be so big, there would be some affect too.
Raine bit her lips and nodded her head, she knew, she couldn't avoid it. After all, all of those were her past.
"I am sure." Raine's voice was slightly louder this time as if she wanted to find courage in her own words. "Let's announce it in my birthday."
Kissing her forehead, Torak made up his decision, as he mind- linked Raphael.
[Ralph. I need you to prepare something.]
==============
As expected, the following day's news brought turmoil in all over media.
The comments on line were talking no other than the girl in the picture inside a restaurant, a mask party and in mall.
All of the pictures were taken candidly and showed the intimate affection and interaction between Raine and Torak.
Torak's name was on every people' lips and also on the top of the search engine.
However, while the outside world was in tumult, here, inside the extravagant house in the most elite location for multi millionaire.
A certain girl was holding her beautiful bunny while sitting inside the green house, listening to Calleb, who has been reporting to her about the progress of the situation.
Yet, he still couldn't cope up with the latest news.
"Raine, don't you know if you are going outside alone, you will be devoured by those jealous women out there." Calleb said dramatically. "What actually Torak was thinking when he made this decision for you?"
"He thought what best for me." Raine grinned at the Beta and took another carrot to feed the bunny as it munched it happily. "You said it yourself before that Torak would never harm me."
"Yeah… I know…" Calleb drawled his words. "It just… it never crossed my mind that he would announce your relationship to the public all of sudden and you actually agreed with that. Time passes very quickly"
"What you will do when I am no longer alive. After all I don't have eternal life like you do." Raine said it sadly. "I will grow old and you will stay like this." Torak stretched out his hand and caressed her side face. "The guardian angel has eternal life too." He said calmly. It was true that most of the supernatural creature would have eternal life of they would have the life span that much longer than normal human. Raine was elated when she heard about that, but then she lowered her head in disappointment. "But I am also a human." "Yes, that's why, we still need to figure things out first before we came into conclusion." Torak concluded. Serefina had mentioned it before, while her body was human, her soul was the soul of guardian angel. Torak has to admit it now that Serefina has more knowledge about this than he had, thus, no matter what Serefina had done and how hateful her comments were, the fact that Torak needed her to find more things about Raine, couldn't be denied. As long as the witch didn't cross the line and kept his mate safe, he would endure it. It seemed there were a lot of things to discuss with the witch once she woke up and in better condition. "You meant, there is a chance for me to have a long life like you?" Raine beamed to imagine her life with Torak. "Yes." Torak caressed her head and kissed her forehead. "There is a chance for that" There is a chance for that, but there is a chance that she will die like any other normal human being. That was the last sentence that both of them didn't speak out loud because they didn't want to ruin this moment and the food, which came not long after that. With the food on the table, the topic about eternal life seemingly had forgotten, but deep in Raine's heart it still bothered her, so did Torak. It would turn into disaster when he found out if his mate couldn't live an eternal life with him. After centuries he had waited for her, finally the moon goddess fulfilled what she said and if she was going to take his mate away again after Torak could taste a breeze of heaven from her, he would turn this world into living hell. The moon goddess didn't need to bother with the devils, as he would put those devils into ashamed for what he would do if he lost his mate. "May I know something?" Raine asked carefully after she swallowed a chunk of fish meat that Torak had deboned it for her. "You can ask anything." He replied. This place is in outskirt, thus no one would expect the famous CEO from Donovan company would have his lunch there with a young girl, thus they could eat quietly. But the thing that they didn't know and Torak miscalculated was the fact that he had been in the spotlight recently and how human's curiosity could overcome everything. "May I know where are your parent now? are they still live in the castle?" Raine asked gingerly, she was afraid this matter wasn't something that Torak wanted to talk about. However, Torak answered her without any changes of expression. "They had been missing after the great war." He said. "Missing?" Raine stopped her spoon mid- way to her mouth as she put it back down. "Someone kidnapped them?" She was surprised with her own idea. Torak chuckled and grabbed her hand, which was holding the spoon and brought it to her mouth, so she could continue to eat and stopped gawking. "No. I don't mean to brag, but after the great war, Lycanthropes are the strongest creature in this realm. I don't think other creatures would be able to kidnap them." "Maybe it was something like conspiracy you know, when your own people hmph!" Raine was forced to stop when Torak stuffed a piece of chicken b.r.e.a.s.t onto her mouth. "No, they left on their own volition." Torak stopped Raine from her wild imagination. "They left a letter for us." "A letter?" Raine leaned forward as she was getting more curios. "What it said?" "Not much, it only said; because everything had settled we will leave the rest to the three of you to take care of." Torak repeated what his parents had written to them. And when Torak didn't say anything again, Raine blinked her eyes in disbelief. "Only that?" She asked. "Only that." Torak reiterated her words. With that, Raine was deep in thought as she stared at Torak blankly. "Maybe they want to take a long vacation after the stressful war?" She mumbled. Upon hearing that Torak laughed heartily as he nodded his head. "That makes sense." It was a rare sight to see Torak was so carefree and laughed that way instead of his usual dominant demeanor and cold nature. The man, who was hiding behind the shadow captured those moments with trembling hands, he almost assumed the man inside the restaurant wasn't Torak Donovan, the CEO of Donovan Enterprises Holding inc, probably he had been following a wrong man or the man that he had followed got switched in the middle of his way here. But, that was also impossible, because a man like him was hard to find in common with others. Regardless of that, the most important question was; who was the girl with Torak Donovan? She actually managed to make the stone- heart CEO laughed like a normal human being. When he was in deep thought, the sound of his cell phone startled him. He cursed under his breath before picking up the call. As soon as he said 'hallo', the person from the other end, talked rapidly with enthusiasm, that must be something important as the man, who was holding the camera, was dumbfounded and looked at the couple inside the restaurant, talking intimately with each other. "This will be big!" He exclaimed. ============== Three days passed uneventfully. However, on the fourth day after Torak visited the restaurant near Raine's old house, big news suddenly appeared in all media. "Torak!" Raphael burst into the Alpha's office room with annoyed expression. He knew this sort of news would come to the surface one day, since Torak and Raine were often being in public, but still, the Beta thought this was too soon and abrupt. There must be someone who had moved all the media this way. However, that wasn't the thing that Raphael concerned the most, the real problem was because the headline of the news. It mentioned that Torak Donovan, the CEO of Donovan Enterprise Holding inc, who was known by his ruthlessness when it came to execute business's matter and the most desired bachelor, actually dated a young girl who was far below his age and rumored still underage. "I know." Torak averted his eyes from the laptop in front of him as he watched his second in command was fuming mad. It was very rare to see Raphael lost his cool, as he was always collected in every situation. But, apparently this news had made him lost his nerves. Regardless the fact that the news had not yet released, but they still had another way to know it beforehand. "What do you know?" Raphael was squinted his eyes. He didn't remember that he had said something. So, how on earth he already knew? "About the news." Torak leaned his back against the backrest of his seat while intertwining his fingers. His blue eyes darkened a few shades. "You already knew?" Raphael felt his brows shot up in disbelief. Sometime he wondered that Torak actually didn't need any help and would be fine with his own, as he seemingly knew everything even the thing that Raphael didn't know it yet. "Yes, I have insider." Torak said in low voice. "It's Haco." He mentioned the name of the perpetrator of the commotion that would happen tomorrow. "Expected." Raphael nodded and sat down across Torak's seat. He knew his Alpha has many minions that he had put in his enemies territories. Yet, every time Torak knew something before he did, it still made him depressed. After all, Raphael was his second in command, he felt useless if the Alpha kept doing this. "So, what do you want to do? Should I call Jared and suppress the news like before?" Raphael suggested. It had happened before, when the first time Torak met Raine and they were trapped inside the hotel by the newspapermen the moment they were about to return to their own territory. At that time, they had ordered Jared to clean up the mess that Haco had made, thus Raphael thought Torak would do the same thing. However, Torak didn't agree with that suggestion immediately, he was in deep thought. It was already six in the evening and the gloomy night out there complimented the darker mood that Torak felt right now, the dangerous aura that emitted from the Alpha's was prominent. A thick silence stretched inside the office room and Raphael didn't dare to interrupt Torak's train of thought. This uncomfortable situation lasted until Torak's phone on the table rung and the light lit up to show the caller id. Upon seeing the name on the screen, the layer of ruthlessness in Torak's eyes slightly ceased down. Raphael didn't need to guess who was the caller. "Yes, my love?" Torak's voice was so soft and calm, it was a contradictive of his behavior a second ago. "Why are you not home yet?" Raine complained and said her next sentences in a whisper. "I miss you" Having ability to have a remarkable hearing ability, allowed Raphael to hear everything, as he heard his Luna sweet voice. "There is something that I have to take care first, but I will go home now." Torak said as he stood up and gestured for Raphael to follow him. "Oh, alright" Raine cheerful voice could be heard as she bid him goodbye. "Take care on your way home." "I will." Torak said with smile on his lips. And then the line was cut off. "I will tell you later about what we should do in this matter." Torak replied to Raphael. "For the meantime don't do anything." "But, the news will appear tomorrow morning. Once it published the damage will be harder to be fixed." Raphael said, they didn't have much time if they didn't want this news blasted the whole country because the effect of this could backfire at the Alpha. "Stay put." Torak replied curtly as he walked toward the car. When Raphael was about to go to the driving seat, Torak opened the door first. "I will drive." He said. With that Raphael sat on the shotgun seat and let the Alpha drove them home. ============== The Alpha drove the car with breakneck speed, as they arrived twenty minutes faster. The moment they arrived, Torak gave the car key to the guard as he strolled inside the house with Raphael followed behind him. And as soon as Torak opened the door, his sight was covered with black as he felt his body was being hugged. Torak chuckled and reciprocated the hugged with the same affection. "I am sorry, I am late." Torak whispered to her ears, as he felt she shook her head. Following behind Raine was Torak's third in command, Calleb. He jogged from upstairs with wary etched on his face as he approached the couple. However he stopped himself a few meters away and scrunched his eyebrows by the sight of his Alpha and Luna. "Eww! Can you do that later?" He whimpered, seeing Torak and Raine was being affectionate. "Spare my heart please!" He grumbled. "Get yourself a mate." Raine turned to look at him and then chortled. "So, you can be affectionate with her!" She hugged Torak's waist tighter. "Oh, please! Can you give me the Alpha for two minutes please? There is emergency that I need to tell him." Calleb rolled his eyes dramatically. "If you want to tell him about the news tomorrow, don't even bother to do that, he already knew." Raphael walked past Calleb and informed him casually. "Really!?" Calleb's eyes grew wider, he thought he would be the first person who break the news for them. "You told him? So, what we will do?" He started to talk without stopping. "Torak has known before I told him!" Raphael shouted from the kitchen. Seeing Calleb was talking something about some news, Raine became curious and lifted her head to look at Torak. "What news?" She asked sofly. "So, what we will do?" Asked Calleb, he looked at Torak with eagerness. Calleb needed some action or something badass, because his days with Raine were so peaceful. Painting drawing, petting the rabit painting again, drawing again and watching movie, he felt any longer than this he would gradually become a kitten rather than a wolf. But, like usual, no one was willing to answer his questions. "Can I talk to you about something my love?" Torak lowered his head and looked at Raine in the eyes. His blue eyes were like a surface of a frozen river in the winter, still but no one knew how the stream beneath it. Raine nodded her head, of course she would love to hear anything that Torak wanted to say. With that, the couple left to heading to their room, leaving Calleb with his curiosity. "So, what we should do now?" Calleb frowned because he didn't have anyone to talk to. "Hei! Ralph!" Therefore, he went to the kitchen to bother the Beta about what their Alpha had planned for this. Calleb liked to look after Raine, but the serenity almost killed him. ============== Torak was hugging Raine from behind. They stood facing the glass door to the balcony, watching the droplets of water rained down the earth as the storm brew in the gloomy sky. "What is it?" Raine whispered- asking, her curiosity gnawed her heart when Torak kept his mouth shut, though he said he wanted to tell something to her thirty minutes ago. "I am thinking" Torak said while spacing out. "And? What are you thinking?" Raine prodded. She really wanted to know what was it. "Whether to tell you or not." Torak said with grin, he nuzzled Raine's neck, the spot where Torak supposed to mark her. "That is ridiculous." Raine swatted Torak's arms that rested on her stomach playfully, but she liked the way Torak kissed her shoulder. "Why don't you just tell me?" Torak didn't reply to her immediately, but instead of answer, he asked a question. "Can I ask something from you my angel, if you don't mind?" Raine blinked her eyes when she heard this, it was so rare for Torak to ask something from her. Before, he had asked for Raine to not fear him. And now, she didn't fear him, she loved him. So, what it could be now? "I will never mind if it a request from you." Raine turned her body and faced him. Her handsome beast. Raine looked deep into his beautiful blue eyes and his perfect feature. It was hard to believe that a man like Torak really loved her, as she felt herself lacked of every aspect. Raine felt that she wasn't a beauty, a very smart girl, didn't have an outstanding talent and didn't have a strong leadership like how she viewed a Luna should. She compared herself to Diana, Torak's mother, and felt ashamed of herself. She was just so- so Once again, her self- conscience bothered Raine. Hence, what else she could do to feel useful for Torak if she didn't try her best to fulfill his request? Regardless, Torak wouldn't think that way, but Raine couldn't help but seeking for her worthiness for him. "You can reject it if you feel you don't want to do it." Torak said with seriousness that made Raine became even more curious about what was the thing that Torak wanted her to do. "What is it?" Raine narrowed her eyes. She felt herself tensed up. "If I said it, remember to not force yourself if you think, you couldn't do it." Torak reminded her. Raine was about to nod her head to agree with him when Torak held her chin. "Listen to me first before you answer." Raine blinked her eyes and waited for Torak to talk. "I don't want to force you to do something that you don't feel comfortable, but I think this is the right time." Torak released her chin and tucked her hair behind her ears while his other hand traced her jaw line "What is it?" Raine liked the spark on her skin every time Torak touched her and at this point, she was entranced by him, drawn into his blue eyes and willing to do anything to make him proud of her. Torak stopped for a moment before his husky voice sounded in Raine's ears when he said it clearly. "I want to introduce you as my woman." Raine's obsidian eyes flickered with surprised as her brows formed a furrow. "To who?" She asked carefully. "To everyone alive, to every creatures that walk on this earth and to every single soul in this realm." Torak said solemnly. The feeling was almost like Torak was going to propose Raine. Raine was flabbergasted and didn't know what to say, as if the words in her head was being evaporated. In Raine's silence, Torak continued his words. "I want to make a grandiose birthday celebration for you, instead of eating with only the four of us. Will you accept that?" Torak kept his unperturbed eyes on Raine's reaction. Yet, except from shock, he had not yet seen a rejection from her. Her lips slightly parted and then she closed them tightly before she bit them anxiously. Torak let his words sunk to her understanding, thus he didn't force her to answer him immediately. He let her to take her time. "You can think about this over dinner, okay?" Torak suggested, Raine's reaction was within his prediction, as long as she didn't reject the idea immediately it meant she was considering it. "Okay." Raine mused. Torak knew this was too abrupt, but this would happen sooner or later. Since he was given the opportunity to do it, so why didn't he use it as best as he could? Raine had changed a lot since the first time he found her and this was only a matter of time to bring her out to the spotlight. While Serefina had taken a part to make her stronger by finding out her origin and learned about her power, Torak wanted to show Raine that in this world, wasn't only contain with good or bad, as there would be always plot hid in 'good' or 'bad' along with ploy. There would be various stratagems around her that she must face it. Torak loved her innocent and naivety. He wanted to keep her that way, but he came to conclusion; keeping her that way wouldn't help her to survive in this world. In any case, her ignorance would harm her and her kindness would be used by others. Raine ate without really enjoyed the food that passed her throat as her mind was elsewhere, roaming around thousands of possibilities and her fears. This was the quietest dinner that they have had so far and Torak didn't even complain when Raine didn't finish her food on her plate, it was obvious to see that she didn't have the appetite. Somehow, Torak regretted that he brought the topic too fast and ruined Raine's mood over the food. When the dinner had done and both of them headed toward their bedroom, no one was talking. Only when the light was out and Torak thought to mind link Raphael and made a call for Jared to deal with Haco about the news, Raine rolled her body on the bed and crept closer to him. She nuzzled her face against Torak's chest and murmured. "If they knew I am with you they will come after me" Raine stated. In that case, she wouldn't have the same peacefulness anymore. The thought of being a normal college student would be too much. "Yes." Torak wrapped the blanket for both of them. "I will be the center of attention" Raine hated it to be the center of attention, every time it happened, she found herself fidgeting uncontrollably and started to make nervous gestures, which wasn't good to see. "Yes." Torak replied. He pulled her closed to him. "Those women, who likes you, will start to accuse me of stealing you" Raine frowned with that thought. Calleb had told her two or three things about how women always surrounded Torak like bees eager for nectar. They wouldn't mind to attack each other if necessary, though Torak wouldn't even spare them a single glance on them, more so appreciated their action, yet it happened often. "How can you steal me when I give myself to you willingly?" Torak answered solemnly. "You will be protected from them." He caressed her head lovingly. And as the darkness engulfed them tightly, Torak wouldn't be able to see the blush on Raine's cheeks when she heard that. Afterward, Raine didn't give Torak another question as she kept silence, deep in thought. "You don't need to force yourself to accept it." Torak reminded her. "Just like what I have told you before but, I will like it to announce to all the people that you are mine." He tried another way to persuade her for taking this arrangement. "Will you be happy if everyone knows about me?" Raine asked in low voice, unsure if she wanted to hear Torak's reply. "I will be more than happy, my love, to be able to claim that you are mine in front of the public." Those words were true, Torak would definitely feel that way. Raine was fl.u.s.tered by Torak's words, but she was sharp enough to relate the conversation between Torak and Calleb this evening. "Torak, are you in trouble that required me to show up?" Raine asked gingerly. "There is nothing to worry about" Torak said, but he let his voice was laced with a little bit of reluctant. Raine caught that and pondered to herself. Meanwhile, Torak felt bad for manipulating his own mate, but Raine needed this little push. At this point, Torak really wanted to laugh and mocked himself, because with this method, he felt he wasn't any different from the witch, though he was worse because he didn't even spare his own mate and manipulated her like what he did to the other people. There were these contradictions; Torak loved his mate without doubt, but he wanted her to become stronger and could protect herself, but he was also couldn't bear to see her getting hurt, then by getting hurt was part that she must face. His mind was conflicted. "I will do it" Raine said in low voice, barely a whisper. She knew this decision would change everything that she had planned in her mind for her college life, but life didn't always turn out the way you want it to. Raine had learned that in hard way. Moreover this time Torak had asked her generously and Raine didn't want to disappoint him. After sometime everything would pass, right? "Are you sure?" Torak held Raine's chin and lifted her head to face him, regardless the lack of the light, Torak still could see the outline of her face and touched her soft skin. Now Torak felt restless because Raine had agreed readily. This was the first time he was so unsure about something or he couldn't decide what exactly he wanted. Actually, if Raine agreed with his suggestion, various plans had formed inside Torak's mind, but he had to eliminate few of them because it could harm Raine in the processes. "Not only that, those people will also dig up your past memories and wanted to know more about you." Of course Torak would try his best to not let the information about Raine's past was revealed, but since the exposure on Raine would be so big, there would be some affect too. Raine bit her lips and nodded her head, she knew, she couldn't avoid it. After all, all of those were her past. "I am sure." Raine's voice was slightly louder this time as if she wanted to find courage in her own words. "Let's announce it in my birthday." Kissing her forehead, Torak made up his decision, as he mind- linked Raphael. Ralph. I need you to prepare something. ============== As expected, the following day's news brought turmoil in all over media. The comments on line were talking no other than the girl in the picture inside a restaurant, a mask party and in mall. All of the pictures were taken candidly and showed the intimate affection and interaction between Raine and Torak. Torak's name was on every people' lips and also on the top of the search engine. However, while the outside world was in tumult, here, inside the extravagant house in the most elite location for multi millionaire. A certain girl was holding her beautiful bunny while sitting inside the green house, listening to Calleb, who has been reporting to her about the progress of the situation. Yet, he still couldn't cope up with the latest news. "Raine, don't you know if you are going outside alone, you will be devoured by those jealous women out there." Calleb said dramatically. "What actually Torak was thinking when he made this decision for you?" "He thought what best for me." Raine grinned at the Beta and took another carrot to feed the bunny as it munched it happily. "You said it yourself before that Torak would never harm me." "Yeah I know" Calleb drawled his words. "It just it never crossed my mind that he would announce your relationship to the public all of sudden and you actually agreed with that. Time passes very quickly"
