VANESSA P. O.V


I looked up in surprise at the intruder, Axel stood up looking gravely annoyed.

'Axel, who is that?"

'I will explain that pumpkin, later," he said, looking at the intruder as he was smiling and coming closer to us.


I could feel the weight of their hatred as they were staring down at each other with neither of them ready to back down.

'Enough of the staring competition," I said looking at the both of them confusedly.


'You must be Vanessa, Axel's mate, nice meeting you. I'm Derek, his old time friend," he said giving me suggestive glances.

'Derek stop looking at her like that," Axel said growling angrily and he pulled me to his back.

"Oh please, spare me that, I must say she's more beautiful than I was told, and quite the type of woman I would want beneath me in my bed," he said, smiling at me.


I trembled and hide behind Axel's back to avoid his seducing glances that were disturbing rather than attracting.


"And that's the last place I would be, not even my dead body," I replied, shocked at where I got such boldness from. I patted myself proudly on my back.


Axel looked at me smiling proudly, and Derek smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"I must say Axel, you are quite lucky, you have a feisty and innocent looking mate, I love feisty women, the chase is quite pleasurable. Don't worry honey, I will get you there alive."

'Derek, what are you doing here?" Axel asked, looking away from me.


'Oh, Axel that's not the right way to treat an old friend, some meal and a room would suffice for your rudeness, but being the good guy that I am, I would let it go for old time sake."

'You are not welcomed here, Derek, I have made that crystal clear."


"Ouch, I would welcome myself if that's the case."

I peeped and frowned at his shamefulness, which didn't go unnoticed by Axel.

"Derek, you are making my mate uncomfortable, you have to leave."

"At least, I'm only making her uncomfortable. I didn't kill like some Alpha standing in this room." he said looking away.

I snapped at Axel and he looked away. 'Is it true?"

I pulled my hands away. Derek smiled painfully.

'I'm sorry, Vanessa, I wouldn't want to hurt an innocent and beautiful woman like you, but you are getting involved in this, courtesy of your mate," he said and left abruptly.

"Pumpkin, I can explain, just listen to me." Axel trying to touch my hands.


"No, I don't want to, how could you kill her, what did she do to you?" I moved back from him feeling hurt.

'I can explain and by the time I do you will understand why I did."

'Fine," I huffed and plopped down in the bed, Axel sat down too, looking down at me.

'You see, Derek was one of my best friends from childhood, his father was a good friend of my father.

We and Damian were called the three musketeers because we were always together and involved in many mischievous acts.


He was celebrating his nineteenth birthday, and he threw a party in his father's house. In the course of the party, he found his mate, her name was Isabella and she was the daughter of one of the pack's soldiers.

Isabella was a snake, but Derek loved her to a point he was blind to all her mistakes and deceitful acts.

One day, I overheard her talking to a man of Black-hood, on how to poison my dad. I was annoyed and barged in, the man escaped and Isabella tried to kill me with a dagger, I dodged it, and she fell down with the dagger piercing her heart. Derek walked in, but he refused to believe whatever I said, and he promised to kill my mate whenever I found her.

I'm sorry for making you think I killed her intentionally," he said finally, looking at me with hope in his eyes, praying I would believe him.

"I'm sorry, I was hurt and thought you killed her intentionally, I'm so sorry," I said hugging him.

'It's fine pumpkin, anyone would react the same way you did."

'The most important thing is that you believed me, no one believed me despite all my explanation, the only person who believed me was Damian, and finally my mate did too. Thank you so much," he said and kissed me on my forehead.

I looked at the time, and I saw it was already One o'clock in the afternoon, all the shenanigans had made us skip breakfast, and it was already time for lunch. My stomach growled immediately, reminding me that I hadn't filled it today.

'Pumpkin, you must be very hungry, let's go down for lunch," he said, helping me up as we went down to the dining hall.

On our way there, I saw that the maids were looking at me with intense curiosity. I was confused. One of them even stood looking at me with an amused expression.

'Axel, is there anything with my face?" I asked and he stopped, looking at me, his expression changed for stoic to amused one.

"Tell me, Axel, what's wrong?" I was getting worried.

"Umm, seems like you have a bird nest on your head. Why don't you take it down," he said as he chuckled.

I shrieked as I ran back to the room and stared at my hair, I finally understood why they were looking at me amused. I looked like Rapunzel before she brushed her hair. I laughed as I brushed it, soon it was arranged and I braided it into French braids. I looked at my face and blushed, I'm really very beautiful. I smiled as I left the room.

'Vanessa!" I snapped my head to see who called me and I scolded her when I saw her.

'What Octavia?"

'Come on, don't sound that grumpy, you are too beautiful for that."