Delta's Deceit [ShadowPack #4]

The alarm was beeping as Damien was groaning around in his bed. It has taken him some time to fall asleep after his gig last night and the possibility of Zack's reaction to Sam. Perhaps they were not tolerable against each other and Damien did not know about it.

"Okay, I'm up, I'm up," he mumbled before he was stopping his alarm clock. It was 8 AM and he had to get to Kato Airport to pick up one Anika Regio since she bought the exclusive package. It was Damien's responsibility to get her from the airport and send her back for her one-week vacation in Paphos. There were some questions that he wanted to ask her of why choosing Paphos as her vacation spot.

One: why? Like, Paphos was surrounded by trees and forest.

Two: why the hell an Italian woman wanted to be on this island, for God's sake?! Can't she just go to Paris or Zurich for her vacation? That would be awesome for Damien has been wanting to go to those places his whole life.

Only, there was a rule that he cannot leave the island and Damien was a rebel but he would not break the ancient rule that has been passed down for generations. They were there for a reason and he did not want to experience it firsthand if someone left the island.

Damien got out of the bed, naked as he was born, before making his way toward the bathroom that connected to his bedroom. He yawned before he took a quick shower and put on his jeans and a button-down shirt. It was warm on the island but he never wore anything except a button shirt when he was working.

And this was an important client for she took the exclusive package. Must be a rich person, he thought before Damien made his way to the kitchen and pulled some cereal and milk from the fridge.

He ate his cereal as he was watching the news on the television before he washed the dishes and took his keys, phone, and wallet before exiting the house. Damien went to the garage where he kept his car and unlocked it before he slipped behind the wheels and started the engine.

Damien put up the GPS for Kato Airport and drove off from the tight community that was hidden from the townspeople. There was a road that was exclusive for their community to use to get out of the small town without the town people seeing them.

He put on the radio as the music was playing. It was the current hit songs that were playing as he was humming to some of the songs that Damien knew. It took some time to arrive at the airport before he parked his car and went to find Anika Regio with a sign in his hand.

*****

"We will be arriving in Kato in 10 minutes. Please make sure that you are secured to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. The flight attendants will be making one last sweep before our touchdown," the captain said in English before he repeated it in Greek and Turkish since the official language of the island were both.

Anika was giddy for she never felt elevated to step onto the foreign land on her own. She has been dreaming to come to this island when she grew up and it has come true.

Today, today is the day that I will be living my childhood dream, she thought before she gave the garbage that she accumulated to the flight attendant that did one last sweep before he took his seat as well for the touchdown.

The bumpy ride was over under minutes before the captain welcomed them to the island and the passengers were standing and running around to get their stuff. Anika waited for them to settle down and went away before she took her backpack and exited the first class, thanking the flight attendants and went to the customs check-in for foreigners.

She was holding her passport as she was looking around. There were so many people that she did not know, talking in different languages as she was smiling by herself. There was a family that went on since they were citizens. There was a couple that was being checked by the airport security as their luggage was opened.

"Next!" the officer that was waiting at the front line was calling for her. Anika stepped out and handed her passport. The officer took a look before he asked her some basic questions in English since she was an Italian.

"Why are you here?"

"I am on vacation for one week,"

"Where will you be staying?" she asked before Anika smiled.

"I will be staying at an inn in Paphos. I don't recall the name but I have a tour guide that will be showing me around," she said as the officer was arching her eyebrow at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

"His name is Damien Laskaris, he will be here to pick me up," she said before the officer nodded at her and stamped her passport before handing it back to her.

"Welcome to Cyprus, ma'am,"

"Thank you," she beamed at the officer before she went away as the officer called for another foreigner. Anika was looking at the first stamp in her life. I cannot believe I have this in my hand right now, she thought as she was walking out of the airport. She was looking for a sign that said her name as it was indicated in her email from the touring company.

"Anika Regio, Anika Regio," she mumbled as she was watching around for her name on a sign. But there was none. She sighed before she walked away as she was looking at the waiting line. Suddenly, she hit someone in front of her and it felt like she hit a wall.

"I am so sorry," she said in English as she was looking at the floor before she turned her eyes to look at the person that she bumped into. The person was a male, tall almost 6 feet and his hair was brunette. When he turned to look at Anika, she sucked her breath.

My, my, this man is gorgeous! She mused before the grey orbs were staring at her face. Then, the male was smiling at her as she noticed that he was holding a sign.

"Sorry, I was not looking where I was going," she blurted in English before the stranger was chuckling softly. It did something to her inside before Anika gulped.

"No worries, I was not watching where I was standing," he said as Anika was looking at the sign that he was holding. She blinked before she read what was written on the sign.

Anika Regio. Her name.

"Are you by any chance Mr. Damien Laskaris?" she asked before the stranger was blinking his eyes at her.

"Why yes? And do I know you?" he asked her before Anika was beaming at him. She thrust her hand and introduced herself.

"I'm Anika Regio. I am the one that you are waiting for," she said before Damien was looking at her hand before he shook it. When they shook their hands, something went through her in a blink before it was gone. She blinked her eyes as Damien was smiling charmingly at her.

"I'm Damien Laskaris, your tour guide. I have been waiting a long time for you, Ms. Regio," he purred before her stomach flipped. What the hell? She thought before he released her hand. Instantly, Anika missed his warm, rough hand.

*****

'Mine,' his wolf instantly growled when Damien was shaking her hand. His client, Anika Regio. He has no idea that he would be meeting his mate in the most uncommon way possible. Perhaps that was the reason why he did not find his mate during his 18th birthday when his mate was not even on the same land as his.

But now...

Now, everything has changed.

Damien has been smelling the most delicious scent that his wolf purred when he stepped into the airport after he parked his car. He thought it might be the perfume that was being worn by women but apparently, he was mistaken.

It was his mate's scent and it was intoxicating for her scent smelled of apricot.

'Mine,' his wolf snarled in his ears before Damien was smiling at the young woman. Her red hair was shining like the sunset on the horizon and her eyes...what peculiar color. It was violet and Damien never saw anyone that has coloring before.

"Shall we get going then?" his mate asked as she was looking around. Damien blinked for he just realized that he was staring at her face that blood accumulated on her pale cheeks before he chuckled softly.

"Of course, Ms. Regio. Right this way," he said before his mate was asking that he longed to do.

"You can call me Anika. It's not like we're in a business meeting and this is my first vacation!" she said excitedly before Damien felt his wolf was relaxing inside him with her smile.

"Very well then, Anika," he purred before something rolled inside his stomach. He knew it was the natural reaction to call one's mate's true name and Anika was smiling shyly as if she felt the same way with his pronunciation.

"Right this way," Damien said as he was putting his hand on her elbow before the electrics were hitting his whole body that sent delicious shivers down his spine.

"Are you alright, Mr. Laskaris?" Anika said before Damien smiled at her.

"If I were to call you Anika, you can drop the formality and call me Damien," he said before Anika blushed and cleared her throat which he found cute.

"Of course, Damien," she tested it out before he was smiling at her as they were beside his car. Damien unlocked the car and opened the passenger seat for Anika as he took her backpack.

"After you," he said before Anika was smiling at him.

"You don't have to treat me like this. What will your girlfriend say?" she said before biting her lower lips. Damien was groaning inside as he really wished that it was his teeth that bit them.

"Don't you worry. I don't have any girlfriend and if I have one," he said as he was putting her backpack on the backseat before leaning against the door as he was staring at her.

"That lady will know it," he said before closing the back door and helped Anika to get inside the car. He closed the door before going to the driver's seat and sat behind the wheels, ignited the engine, and sped off from the airport to introduce his mate to his tight little community.

Damien cannot wait to tell the world that his mate has arrived.