Hello guys! So just a short author’s note. I changed the title from ‘Marked’ to ‘Unofficially Yours’. Why? Because it added a bit of originality, LOL. I do hope you like this chapter, though. And I’m so happy we reached this chapter! It’s a ten!

- Song beside the story fits =)

- A slideshow of Akira and Adam on the side

Unofficially Yours

Chapter 10

“Alpha Adam!” Ann shrieked. All this time she was unaware of his presence beside her. Her eyes flashed anxiety and she began fidgeting with her fingers. “I didn’t know you were there.” she then jerked her thumb over her shoulder, referring to another direction. “I’m gonna go.”

      “Ann wait!” but she was gone. Akira turned to Jessica. “What’s wrong with Ann?”

       “Ann’s always been somewhat . . . anti-social kinda girl.” she said thoughtfully. “Or something like that. Don’t wanna judge, though.”

      She then diverted her gaze to Adam. “You. Tell me you didn’t hear that.” she looked at him pointedly. Adam merely smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned against the door frame, gazing at Akira with his knowing gaze.

       “I heard every word you said.”

      Akira’s cheeks flushed and she stood up from her seat, tugging fervently on Jessica’s hand and towing her out of the room. Adam watched his mate intently as she and Jessica disappeared from his line of view. Once again, he was amazed by her. Even if she was a bit reckless, she would make the perfect Luna. She felt like perfect. But of course, a perfect treasure comes with a price. Adam raked his hand through his hair. He’d have to fight if he ever wants her. And hell, he would fight until his death. All he has to do first is to convince her to trust him.

      Akira continued tugging Jessica back to the training yard. She wanted to find little Junín so that she can take her for the milkshake she promised her. Jessica seemed nervous of facing everyone again, but when they reached the training yard, Akira blurted the news despite of her protests and everyone burst into cheers. Adam was right. Werewolves are understanding people. And all they do is cheer all the time.

      Akira took Junín and Jessica into the kitchen and they borrowed the blender from Jamie. They mixed different fruits and berries altogether to make their own delightful concoctions. On the midway, Ann appeared in the kitchen and was asked to join them—they actually took no for an answer.

      Junín made a go for strawberries, mixing her drink with milk and strawberry ice cream and a few other ingredients that complimented the taste. She was elated that she made her own shake with the help of Akira, and sat on the counter, sipping her beverage. Akira chose blueberries, Jessica decided on Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Ann on Oreos.

      While Jamie busied herself starting to cook their dinner, Akira and the others decided to make more shakes for the pack-members. While she stayed, Akira thought this place wasn’t so bad after all, but that doesn’t mean she has plans on staying. Ann came up with the suggestion and they all agreed with her. Since Akira doesn’t have anything to do at all and she was still trying to figure out a way where she can escape harmlessly, she decided to join them.

      There are more people on the pack than they can count and they made countless jugs of milkshakes just so somebody won’t complain about not having one. Ann was sweating profusely when dinner started and even before they knew it, they made twenty-four jugs. All they hoped was it’s enough. Jamie hummed on her place, not seeming to mind that she was frying more than a dozen beef. She practically never left the kitchen, staying there for most of the day.

      “I don’t get it.” Ann sank down on one of the chairs while Akira, Junin, and Jessica were dancing around cheerily. “You guys didn’t even break a sweat.”

      “Werewolves have more stamina than ordinary humans.” Jessica answered. Her gaze then diverted to Akira who was helping Jamie in her cooking. She regarded her with a questioning look while raising one perfect brow.

      Akira saw the look she gave and shrugged. “I’m not your ordinary girl.”

      “You’re one mysterious, young woman, Akira.” Jamie piped, tossing some beef in the air which landed right back on the pan. “And your eyes are really pretty.” she said.

      “Thanks,” Akira said, unknown of what to respond.

      Jessica gently grabbed her chin and made her face her, gazing intently into her eyes. “Yeah, they’re really beautiful. And rare. Are you wearing contacts?”

      “Wha—No!”

      “Hey, Jamie.” a young man stepped into the kitchen. “Mind if I help you with those?”

      “Ah, Ryan, such a gentleman. Of course, I don’t mind. You can bring these out.” Jamie answered. The boy was a teenager. He had a chocolate brown hair that was gelled up into spikes on his head. He was handsome, but he wasn’t as handsome as Adam is. He balanced some trays in his arms and sauntered out of the door.

      “Well, dinner’s starting in a few minutes. Why don’t you girls help me get this out in the dining room?” she suggested, taking it up a notch. She placed two serving plates that fitted on a single serving tray and began trudging out of the half-broken door.

      Jessica and Akira walked side by side while holding a tray of two serving plates as well. “That door kinda brings bad memories.” Jessica whispered as they entered the living room.

      Akira glanced at it. “Yeah. And this mansion reminds me of a hotel.” she added, which made both of them laugh.

      Even if a long, smooth-surfaced, wooden table sat on the middle of the room along with numerous chairs, round tables still stood on the edges. It seemed that it couldn’t accompany all of them. Once they spotted the amount of people within the room, Akira withheld a gasp. It was like they’re in a ball or something. The room was busy and most of the members were interacting with their seatmates. They were already seated on their chairs, most of them looking ready to pounce.

      “Buona sera, bella gente!” Jamie greeted, causing most of the pack-members’ heads to whip towards her direction. The crowd hollered, clanking their forks and spoons against their plates. Akira slightly winced at the high-pitched sound reverberating inside the room. “May I present tonight’s dish! My new specialty! Quite simple but not simple enough.” she whispered the last sentence as she placed the serving plates on top of the table. Her audience chuckled. Akira and Jessica followed, placing the plates they carried on a farther distance from where Jamie had left the plates she previously had in her hands. “I’d like to give my special thanks to my bello Akira, Jessica, Ann, and little Junín. They helped me with today’s preparation and made everything easier—but to remind you, I am not washing the dishes tonight.” she said.

      “Just to let you know, tonight’s meal will consist of traditional Thailand rice that will go along with fried beef and black pepper sauce! I made it special, by the way. Enjoy your meal!” people then leaned forward to grab some food. Jamie spoke, which made them stop at their tracks. “And just to inform you, we made additional milkshakes. Assorted flavors.” she winked.

      They all cheered in excitement.

      Akira, hearing Jamie’s announcement that got followed by a couple of cheering, looked at Jessica as they walked back into the kitchen to grab the jugs. “Are they always like this?”

      Jessica sighed. “We werewolves are always excited.” she then gazed at Akira knowingly. “Especially in bed.” she wiggled her brows, receiving a playful smack at the shoulder from Akira.

      Akira laughed aloud and transported the jugs into the dining room. She received a chorus of thank you from everyone, and she nodded at them as acknowledgement. They served the rest of the meals and when it was time to find a place to sit, Akira was lost.

      She came to Jessica’s side, grabbing her by the elbows gently and whispering in her ear. “Where am I supposed to sit?”

      “Honey,” Jessica drawled. “Your mate is the alpha, which automatically makes you our Luna. You,” she pointed at her chest. “sit there with Adam.” she then grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her towards the chair on the end of the table, where Adam was subtly wiping the sides of his mouth. His features were sharp, handsome, and devilish. His facial hair complimented his looks, it made him look even sexier. She tried using her feet to plant herself on the floor but Jessica exerted more power until they reached the empty seat. Akira felt the pressure on her shoulders as she was forced to sit down on the chair beside Adam.

      On the long table, the seats on the end can accommodate two people. Right now, Akira was sitting there. She gulped nervously and caught Adam staring at her with a sly smirk. “Anything wrong?” he blinked at her slowly.

      “Do I have to sit here? There are many . . .” she glanced around to find empty seats, but all were occupied.

      “That seat has been reserved for you from the past six years. You can’t say no, not only to me, but to our pack-members.”

      “Our?”

      “Look around you, you’ll see what I mean.”

      Akira lifted her gaze and bit her lip as she spotted almost everyone in the room looking at her expectantly. A few had pleading gazes and Akira didn’t know what to say. She swore the room turned quiet you could hear a pin drop just until Junín screamed and ran towards her. The sound of her footfalls echoed all throughout the room and she immediately settled above Akira’s lap.

      A middle-aged woman ran after her. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Luna. Junín, come to mama.”

      “No. I don’t want to!”

      “What’s the problem, ma’am?” Akira asked.

      “She doesn’t want to eat. I tried feeding her—but, she doesn’t listen.”

      “What’s wrong, Jun?” Akira whispered her nickname as the girl began to cry. She shifted on her lap and laid her head on her shoulder, sobbing.  “Hey, hey, don’t cry.” she lifted her chin to make her look at her, but she flinched. “Uh-hmm.” Akira nodded knowingly.

      “Jun, look at me.” Akira told her. “Open your mouth for me, please.” Junín reluctantly obeyed. Grabbing a spoon on the table, Akira attracted more attention than before. Even Adam was watching her curiously, anticipating what she was about to do next. Akira poked Junín’s front teeth on her lower jaw and she wailed in response, closing her mouth automatically.

      “I know why she doesn’t want to eat, ma’am. Her tooth’s ready to be given to the tooth fairy.” she winked at the woman knowingly, earning a smile.

      “A tooth-fairy?” Junín gazed up at Akira questioningly.

      “Yes, a tooth-fairy. The reason why your tooth hurts is because it’s going to, well, it’s going to be replaced by a new one. So that tooth is still a baby and she needs to be removed, once it’s removed, a new one will grow. The tooth that you removed, you must place it under your pillow. And then, tonight, the tooth fairy will come and get it to give you a reward.” she explained.

      “Werewolves don’t believe in—” Akira’s hand flew straight towards Adam’s mouth, clamping it above his lips. “Fwaiwies.” his words came muffled next. Goosebumps rose on Akira’s skin as she felt the jolt of familiar sparks she felt the last time they made contact. She pulled her hands away.

      “Don’t listen to him. He just didn’t know what a tooth-fairy is.” Akira redirected her gaze to Junin’s mother. “Just feed her soft foods and avoid candies and sweets, she’ll be fine.”

      “Does that mean I can’t have a milkshake?”

      “Maybe some other time, Jun.” Akira told her. The child slightly slouched, a sign of sadness.

      “Thank you so much, Luna.”

      “Please call me Akira.” She didn’t want to seem too rude, so she said it the nice way. Normally at situations like this she would snap, but Junín reminded her to have respect. Especially since she’s in front of a child. Junín’s mother slightly tugged on her daughter’s arms and walked away back to their seats.

      “I didn’t know you like kids.” Adam said.

      “There are many things you don’t know about me.” she retaliated.

      “Would you mind telling me about you, then?”

      Akira scoffed. “You wish.”

      “Don’t be so mean. I didn’t do anything.”

      “Yes you did—I’m going to start all over again, but I don’t want to do it now.” she said.

      Adam sighed. What is he supposed to do? His mate is full of surprises. He tried starting a casual conversation, but what did she do? Push him away? It’s clear that she doesn’t want anything to do with anyone—just like what he heard her say when she and Jessica were having a moment. He could just search her mind for her favorites, but he wanted to earn it in the right way. He wanted to gain her trust, but it would obviously be hard.

      The moment Akira finished her food, she stood up and took her plate. “It’s nice meeting you all. I’ll . . . take this to the kitchen.” she looked like she hesitated, but then she strode away.

      “She’s surely hot,” Adam heard a murmur. A growl instantly erupted from his chest, causing the guilty party to flinch.

      “Sorry, Alpha.”

      “Next time, I want you to keep your thoughts to yourself.”

      -*-

After helping with clearing up the table, Akira came up to Jessica and tugged on her wrists. Jessica was conversing with another girl, smiling momentarily. Her mouth moved animatedly, an obvious sign that she was talking. She spun around to see Akira straightening the oversized shirt she wore. A panicked expression was plated across her face.

      “Do you know where I’m supposed to sleep?”

      Jessica smiled at her sheepishly. “Like I said before, with Adam.” she then turned back to the girl she was speaking to but Akira grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her slightly.

      “I am not going to sleep with him. Don’t you have any spare bedrooms or anything?!” she whispered.

      “Nope. Unfortunately, we’re full.”

      “Can I sleep with you?”

      “That is not my job, its Adam’s. You sleep with Adam. Besides, I’ve got business tonight. Unless you wanna come.” she wiggled her brows at her and Akira grimaced in disgust. She grunted at the double meaning behind her words.

      “That’s not what I meant! Urgh. TMI.” she said. “Never mind. I’d rather sleep outside.”

      Akira let out a sigh as she ventured towards the training yard and settled on one of the couch swing. She rocked back and forth and sighed, her baggy clothes felt warm. The breeze was relaxing, the sound of chirping crickets echoed on her ear. She gazed at the moonless sky and watched the stars twinkle like glinting diamonds.

      “What are you doing out here?”

      She snapped her head towards the source of the voice and found Adam sauntering towards her. “None of your business.” she snapped at him.

      “I know you are still furious to me about taking you away, but . . . it’s complicated.” he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

      “My whole life’s been complicated.” she said. “Now I want to know why I can’t leave.”

      “You aren’t ready yet.” Adam wondered if he should tell her—but she probably won’t believe him. She’ll think he’s only coming up with these stories so he can get her to stay with him. It would actually be a disaster, so it’s better if he earns her trust first then tell her, maybe she’ll listen then. He couldn’t blurt anything about her being a hunter’s daughter and that her father had killed so many people in his past—werewolves to be more precise. No, that won’t be necessary.

      “I was born ready.” she said.

      “You don’t know what you’re saying.” Adam told her. “There are some things you aren’t ready for. Not everything.”

      “I just want to sleep. Go away.” she flicked her wrists at him. “I’m too tired to even argue.”

      “Where exactly are you sleeping?”

      “Here.”

      “Here?” he sat beside her and Akira instinctively backed to the side, avoiding any skin contact. She was afraid of what might happen if she feels those creepy sparks again, and she thought it was in fairytales.

      Akira looked at him mockingly. “No,” she pointed at the forest in front of her. “In the forest, where creepy bugs crawl and mosquitoes fly at night. I would exactly be comfortable there, thank you.”

      “But you can’t stay out here.”

      “Oh yes I can.” she retaliated. “I’ve slept in camps before, and I was totally okay with it.”

      “I won’t let you.” he said, settling on the seat beside her.

      “I already told you to go away. Why can’t you just listen?”

      “No. Why can’t you listen?”

      “Go away so I can stretch.” she said, referring to the couch swing they were both sitting on. She flicked her wrists at him, scooting away as far as possible.

      “You can sleep on my lap.” he suggested.

      “Whatever.” she scoffed. “I’d rather sleep with the dogs.” and then she realized what she said and slightly chuckled. “Well, you kind of are dogs.”

      “We, darling, aren’t dogs. We’re wolves. Not a single part of us is a dog.” he said.

      “Oh, yeah. How do you explain the fur, the nose, the tongue, the bark, the howl, and the tail?”

      “We are their ancestors. So we aren’t dogs, dogs are us.”

      “Nice choice of words.  But that means you are still dogs.” she muttered, leaning back.

      Adam sighed. “Now come on, you’re sleeping with me.” he stood up, grabbing her delicate wrist. She was pulled up on her feet, but she stayed planted on the ground, realizing what he said.

      “Oh, hell, no! I’d rather stay out here.”

      “Fine,” Adam shrugged. “If you would rather be with those . . . neighboring creatures out there.” he innocently began walking inside.

      “What? What creatures? Don’t tell me you guys aren’t the only . . .”

      “We aren’t. There are so much more things in the world, love. And one of those are us, there are more. So if you don’t want to get sucked dry by a vampire, you’ve no choice but to sleep with me.”

      Akira stared at him with a frown.

      -(*)-

“I am not sharing a bed with you.” she said, standing beside the furniture while Adam slightly fixed his side of the duvet. He looked up at her with a sly smirk. That irritating smug smirk that made her want to slap it off that face. She crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest.

      Akira was back on the room she first woken up into this morning. She can’t believe this is where she slept the entire night when he bit her.

      “You have no choice, there’s only one bed.” Adam climbed on top of the bed and slipped out of shirt. He then began unbuckling his belt.

      Akira forced herself to turn away from the delicious sight. His abdomen was toned and packed, she almost drooled. “If you’re going to get naked do it on the bathroom.” she spat. Is it her, or is the temperature in the room getting higher?

      “Relax, sweetheart. I’m on my boxers.”

      “First of,” she turned and saw him lying sexily on the bed, back against the headboard. He showed his bare chest, and his eight-pack abs didn’t really help. He was strictly masculine with the grace of a man. This man was like a Greek god! “Don’t call me sweetheart.” she bit her lip. “I . . . I’m not going to sleep with you in there.”

      He shrugged. “There’s only one bed.”

      “Fine, if there’s only one bed, there are many spaces on the floor anyway.” she grabbed a pillow by the headboard and threw it on the floor she was standing on.

      “What do you think you’re doing?”

      “Sleeping on the floor.” she answered. If it wasn’t carpeted, she would’ve suffered. The floor was hard and uncomfortable. But what would be more uncomfortable than sleeping beside a man whom you barely know? She sat and patted the pillow, preparing herself to lie back.

      “I won’t allow you to sleep on the floor.” he sighed, finally giving up. “You sleep on the bed, I’ll take your place.”

      She bit her lip to prevent herself from breaking into laughter. Instead, she faced him with a sarcastic smile. “Finally!” she exclaimed. Climbing onto the bed, she grabbed Adam’s shoulder and slightly pushed him to the edge. Once he was out, “Thanks!” she then jumped under the covers, and laid her head against the pillow, closing her eyes.

      Hearing Adam sigh, she lifted one eye open and watched as he sauntered over the pillow on the floor. He walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a comforter, spreading it on the floor in the form of a makeshift bed. He then brought over a blanket and snuggled under the covers.

      Akira smiled to herself and closed her eyes, succumbing to the tiredness that the day had brought to her. She allowed her body to relax, evened her breathing and let sleep to possess her mind. She began dreaming of being back home.

      Adam shifted uncomfortably on the floor and stared at the bed. He heaved himself up and stared at Akira sleeping soundly on the bed. He heard soft snores and silent breathing. She looked liked a warrior princess who had dropped her shields and turned herself into a simple maiden. He watched as she tossed around, curling into a ball.

      Without thinking, her hand reached, patting the empty space beside her. “Teddy.” she murmured.

      Adam laughed quietly, smiling at her adorable image. He couldn’t resist. He grabbed the pillow Akira had thrown on the floor and placed it back on the bed, he went under the covers and leaned on the fluffy ball of cotton. Later then, Akira’s soft hands reached his stomach and she scooted closer, laying her head on his chest with a contended sigh. Adam placed his arms around her, enjoying the feeling of her smooth skin under his fingers. Akira wrapped her hands around his waist and entwined her leg with his. Adam withheld the groan on the back of his throat and leaned in to kiss his mate softly on the forehead.

      He wished this night would last forever. “Adam,” a small murmur was breathed from her lips. She was better on her subconscious.

      “Sleep well, my love.”

HOPE YOU LIKED IT! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE AND COMMENT! THIS CHAPTER WAS LONG LIKE THE OTHERS, SO I HOPE YOU GIVE ME YOUR THANKS THROUGH APPRECIATION BY VOTING AND COMMENTING. 

If only Akira wouldn't be so stubborn and hardheaded, she and Adam would make a perfect couple! =)