“I’ll be leaving you then.” Chase shoved the duffel bag further into the room with his feet and gently gestured for me to step to the side before hurriedly pulling the door close, leaving me trapped with whom was my supposed mate.
How did he get in?!
I could suddenly feel light, cool breeze sweeping against my exposed shoulders, so perhaps he climbed through the window? He definitely didn’t take the door route but to climb to this height? Is he crazy?!
I nibbled on my lip, pathetically finding a major difficulty in turning around. Is this where we hold a serious conversation? Kenley said he’d talk to him about letting me leave… is that what he came here for? To give me his verdict? But I’m sure I made it clear that I’d stay until they caught the nightwalker person. Could he be here just to talk? To convince me to stay?
But the necklace…
Even if I don’t want it to, that kinda chances things.
“Aren’t you going to face me? Or are you comfortable with everyone except me?” His words were sharp, chilling even.
Is he angry? He sounds angry!
I was planning on talking to him anyway so this is prolly the best opportunity I’ll ever get. However, with his tone considered, I suppose we could postpone…. if possible.
“He… He was talking about the stuff you told him to give me…. and asking if I was satisfied with them.” Reluctantly, I slowly turned around to look at him whilst the words left my lips.
I don’t know why but I felt that needed immediate clarity before we even start getting serious, but the nonchalant way he was looking at me after I said that made me feel kind of awkward.
“But uh…. why did you give me these?” I decided to disrupt the silence before it got drastic. “Just so you know, I don’t believe for a second that these can harm y’all as much as he said. Can you guys even die? I know Lucas healed faster than normal.”
Another round of akwardness followed my words. A very disturbing awkwardness that seemed to only come from my end.
He made no move to speak. He just stood there… staring. Can this get any more awkward?!
If I said he looked the same as I last saw him, that would be a lie. I mean, he looked like he was ready to drop dead that time when he was explaining things to me, and now he just looks worse… like a corpse. Not saying he isn’t a good sight, but he does look terrible.
His skin was pale, his hair flying all over the place and he also looked like he lost some weight. What the heck has he been doing? Or does it… have something to do with ‘us’?
The more I stared, the more discomforted I became.
I feel guilty.
But on the bright side, he still does look remarkably sexy in his tank top and sweats. And the fact that he continued to hold onto his stoic demeanor made him look even better. It’s the perfect view for me, but it isn’t exactly the perfect time to ogle, is it?
“Why are you naked?” Words suddenly came ripping through the air. I felt relieved that he actually spoke yet disappointed by how neutral his voice still was.
‘Why the heck are you even asking me the obvious? And I’M NOT NAKED!’
… Was what I wanted to say.
“I uh… I showered a while ago. I’m not naked.”
… Was what I ended up saying.
Pathetic huh?
I took a glance down at myself and felt even more pathetic when it dawned on me that he wasn’t at all interested in whatever part of me he could ogle. What I mean is, my skin was immersed in droplets of water and my glistening legs were on full display… yet his gaze never wandered over my exposed skin.
Hah. It’s good that he knows when the situation is dire.
But… that does irk me the wrong way.
“And you opened the door like this?” As he said that, I finally caught his gaze shifting down my body, but before I could even feel the smug rise to my chest, his eyes unexpectedly filled with distaste rather than delight.
Annoyance rushed through my veins.
What the hell?
What’s with this repulsion?!
I frowned. “I did. As I said, I’m not naked. My privates are perfectly covered so the towel is actually serving the purpose of clothes.” I shifted my weight onto one leg, hoping that my appearance made me seem somewhat laid-back…. unlike in reality.
“Kenley told me you wanted to leave.” He muttered, his feet creeping across the room as his expression became both pensive and sullen. My feet itched with the need to slide backwards as soon as I noticed his movements, so I was more than thankful when he stopped a few feet away. “Is that your decision? You’ll leave… because I’m a werewolf?”
For some reason, I felt a pang at his words.
“It’s not because you’re a werewolf. It’s just… I don’t want to stay when yo–”
“Because you’re scared I’d hurt you?”
Scared, huh? Well if you put it like that…. it does make me feel like a coward. In truth, I’m only trying to look out for myself… that’s all. Staying here only means putting myself in danger, so for my own good… I’ll leave.
However, the fact that we MIGHT’VE met in the past easily shakes that resolve and now I don’t even know what to think.
“Clara.”
The sound of my name instantly made my blue orbs meet his ebony ones again.
“There won’t ever come a day when I’d harm a single hair on your head. My father wants you dead and there’s likely a mole in our vicinity but I can promise you Clara… I won’t let anything happen to you again.” His gaze briefly glided down to my shoulder then back up to my face, something pretty close to guilt flashing across his face for a moment there.
I moved my hand upward, unconsciously shielding the area with my palm. “But it’s not just you, what about the others? I haven’t interacted much with anyone aside from you, Kenley and Nate. What if there’s a revolt or something? What if they suddenly decide to take me out? I don’t want to take any risks. But… the necklace…” I swallowed. “… If it was you that saved me that time then–”
“Then what were you thinking when you let Lucas live?” He abruptly cut my words short, his face pulling into a deep, unmistakeable scowl. Alarmed, I took a few well-needed steps back until I bumped into the door behind me but that action only seemed to make his expression grow worse. “Isn’t that what you’d call a risk? You don’t trust me but you’re willing to trust the mutt who’s harmed you more times than you can count?!”
I flinched. My mouth opened and closed like a fish, but I failed to release anything from between my lips. My lungs also gave out in an instant and I found myself fighting for air as much as I fought for the right words.
He’s right… As he says, Lucas is a risk. Just because he lost his memories doesn’t mean he isn’t the same werewolf he was back then. But it’s not that I trust him. It’s just that I’m stupid enough to do the things that put me in danger.
All this time, I’ve been thinking that I’ve changed and that I’ve toughened up… but I’ve only become more pathetic.
And even then…. I still find myself willing to consider taking another risk… this time with Kasan.
What the frick is wrong with me?
“If you understood a word I said about mates then you’d know that I can’t have my mate leave my side. If you insist on leaving, I’ll MAKE you stay whether you want to or not. Apart from that, there’s nothing I can’t do for you.” All of a sudden, his feet resumed their mission to close the distance between us. Alarms went off in my head and I was tempted to get away from him however I could, but my feet were rooted in place the moment his gaze met mine.
His eyes, those pleading ebony orbs said it all.
… He’s beyond desperate.
He stopped mere inches away from me and slowly, one arm creeped around my waist and pulled, immediately destroying the little space between our bodies. And his defined nose came nuzzling into my neck without warning, sniffing at my skin hastily like his life depended on it. I shivered, my fingers curling into the towel strapped around my body.
I just came out of the shower not too long ago yet his warmth made my body hot. And remember that spot at the crook of my neck that used to erupt with an intense burning sensation? It was now overrun with a delicious tingling that I couldn’t ignore even if I tried.
A sudden feeling of ecstasy washed over me, making my heart thump as if there was no tomorrow. There’s no doubt that he could feel it beating against his skin.
Nonetheless, I was still wary… but I made no move to push him away.
“If the others are a problem, I’ll make sure you won’t have to make any unnecessary contact with them. And your parents… I’ve changed their location but if you want me to, I’ll have them moved here with you by tomorrow. As long as you say the word, I’ll do it… whatever you want.”
As if he thought I’d try to slip away any moment, his other arm slid around my waist and tightened their hold. His gloomy stare was so intense, as if willing me to agree with whatever the hell he was saying.
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him look so desperate.
Right now, in front of me, there’s a grown ass man –a menace you could say– looking like he’s lost the whole fucking world.
And the only thing I felt as my gaze swept over his face was… guilt… distress… confusion… and the urge to pull him impossibly closer to my tingling skin.
With that said, if I somehow found a way to escape his clutches… I doubt I’d ever be content with my decision.
It doesn’t matter if he’s the one who saved me back then or not, deep down I know I WANT to stay with him.
If it is that anything happens hereafter, I’ll think about it then. But for now…. I’m willing to take another risk.
Even if he could kill me with the lift of a single finger…. even if I hold no power against him…
… I’ll trust him; my dangerous werewolf boyfriend.