TESSA’S POV
How did I get myself into this?
I was almost convinced that fate seemed to be playing favorites, and it was targeting me. One night, I found out that two male werewolves were claiming to be my mate, and when the sun rose I was attacked by an unknown creature; a powerful one that tried to kill me by throwing me off the cliff, and now here I was, being visited by the only male werewolf who caught my attention.
Should I consider myself lucky?
Cohen was seated on the chair next to the hospital bed where I was in. His charming stare did not ever leave me even for a moment. It was as if he could read me from cover to cover.
“I know there are a lot of things going on with your life lately, but I hope you know that I am here and I am willing to be your anchor,” he said. His voice was soft and sweet, like it was made to tell a promise.
I offered him a shy smile. The way he comforted me made my body relaxed from the dreadfully near death experience that happened to me. Even though I could still the fear inside of me, Cohen’s words were like a promise that he would never let anything bad happen to me.
“Thank you,” I answered and could feel my cheeks flushing.
“I overheard your guardians before I entered this room. They were saying that someone tried to kill you,” he then opened up, to which made me stunned for a bit.
“Yes…” I nodded my head, and slowly felt that I was being tortured by dread all over again. “We’re not sure who it was.”
Cohen clenched his jaw. Suddenly, his expression changed. He looked like he wanted to seek revenge or something, and I did not know why I felt a bit delighted about it.
“Your aunt could be right. It might be the Luna,” he said as he sucked in a long deep breath. “She doesn’t like you to become Atlas’ future Luna.”
I smiled bitterly, ignoring a little sting of odd feeling inside my chest.
“I don’t want such a title, anyway…”
His eyes narrowed as he stared at me. “You don’t want to be mated with Atlas. Is that what it supposed to mean?”
Swallowing hard, I lowered my head and stared at my hands resting on my lap. Wouldn’t it be too early to confess that I have harboured affection towards him? Or would it be so unfair to Atlas?
I knew I should not think about him at this point. However, it was hard to ignore that he also claimed that I was his mate… and he said to decide only after my wolf awakened and once I felt the mate bond.
“Tess?”
There was an odd nagging at the pit of my stomach, thinking that I would become unfair to the future Alpha when his intention to prove his worth was pure. I would not forget the way he looked at me that night…
“I mean, if being Atlas’ future Luna would only cause a conflict in their family, then I don’t want it.”
“So you haven’t decided yet who you will choose between us?” Cohen’s voice was a little disappointment for some reason, and my heart ached a bit when I looked up at him and saw the pain in his eyes.
“I want to feel the mate bond first. From there I think I could decide,” I explained carefully, trying to make sure that my response would not hurt him in anyway.
He sighed and swallowed deeply. “I understand…”
“Cohen…”
“I guess I just have to step up the game to win you.” He nodded, like he was more of convincing himself than me.
The overwhelming guilt started to hammer my chest. Cohen turned his gaze away from me, and I was quite hurt about it. Only if my conscience was dark enough, I would have chosen him right away and would not wait for the mate bond to get through me. But that was not how it supposed to work.
“While we wait, I’m going to find a way to awaken your wolf.” He cleared his throat and then stood up, looking back at me. “I will make sure to find a way for you to feel the mate bond, and I’m positive that you will feel it towards me. The wait will be worth it, Tess…”
“I… I guess it should be…” I bit my lower lip afterward.
Cohen caressed my hair and offered me a hopeful smile. After that, he bid his goodbye and told me he would visit me again after school tomorrow.
While resting on the bed, I could not help but feel slightly disappointed as to how my conversation went with Cohen. Not to sound entitled, but the way he tried to tell me that he’d do anything to make me feel the mate bond towards him brought an uncomfortable feeling in me. He was focused on me being a normal werewolf instead of proving his worth…
Unlike Atlas, who was fine waiting and promise to prove me that his worthy of becoming my mate.
Or was it only me who overly expect from Cohen?
I was not able to sleep that night as there were thoughts whirling around my head, and the fear that the creature who wanted to kill me would show up any moment and try to hurt me again.
My guardians were just outside breathing some fresh air, and I just walked near the window to gaze at the round moon lighting up the darkness of the night.
Embracing myself, I huffed in defeat. I just had migrated to this land weeks ago, yet a lot of things had already happened that, I myself could not fathom all at once.
There were moments I felt that it would have been nice to be just a human… and lived together with a normal family. Sometimes I wondered how it would feel to be with my biological parents. Living with them might be most satisfying life I would have lived on if the situation only turned different.
I was busy dreaming so many things that I wished had happened when I felt a sudden shift in the air. My heart went into an instant panic, stepping back as my eyes widened, anticipating anything or anyone that would come out somewhere. I had enough of such air shift that my entire body would tense up right away when it happened.
“Is anyone there?” I called out as I looked through the window but all I could hear was the rustles of the trees across the hospital room.
I swallowed hard as I felt the cold night breeze brushed against my skin. Was I just over thinking?
“It’s getting cold. You shouldn’t be standing near the window,” said the familiar deep, cold voice that sent shivers down my spine.
My eyes immediately looked around, and noticed the silhouette of a man standing on a big branch of the oak tree near the hospital building.
I squinted my eyes as I tried to recognize who he was. However, when he jumped from the tree going to the window, my heart and mouth literally dropped upon seeing Atlas Edevane.
There was a flash of relief in his eyes as he looked at me intently. He swallowed deeply before he let out a sigh.
I snorted. “W-What the hell are you doing here?”
He jumped on the floor and then walked around my hospital room, as if he was trying to inspect it. Seconds later, he walked towards the air conditioner and turned it off.
“The room is too cold. You might get sick more,” he stated and then he turned in my direction. “Why aren’t you wearing something thick and warm?”
A gasp escaped my mouth when he suddenly removed his black leather jacket. His expression was in a grim when he walked to me and hung his jacket on my shoulders. There was a loud thud inside my chest. Atlas was only an inch away from me and I could not seem to breathe properly. But when I sniffed, his manly perfume scent lingered in my nostrils, making my body tensed up more.
“Y-You haven’t answered my question y-yet…” I slightly stepped back, and I felt like wanting to hit my head because of the way my voice stuttered when he stared down at me.
His eyebrow arched, still sporting the grim expression on me. “I wonder why you can’t tell the obvious, little wolf.”
Little wolf… I didn’t know why that silly nickname made me feel something warm. For the record, I had no wolf inside of me.
Atlas tilted his head. His eyes went to the patch of gauze around my head. “Does it still hurt?”
I know. His question was just simple… a plain inquiry to know how I feel, but I was stunned.
“R-Right now?”
He bit his bottom lip, and I knew he was trying to hide his smile. “Yes, right now.”
I cleared my throat as well as my freaking thoughts, and then I shook my head. “N-Not anymore… just a bit, maybe.”
His gaze looked at me from head to toe, and just like that I could feel that odd feeling swirling through my stomach.
I was breathless… His presence makes me…
“Since you’re wolf hasn’t awakened, it may take time for your wounds to heal,” he stated.
I gasped softly. “That’s for sure…”
“Do you feel anything else?” He then walked to the bed and sat on it. “You can talk to me,” he added and suddenly sounded like a friend that I could rely and consult on.
I remained standing in my stance, watching and observing him. He didn’t look like he was going to convince me to choose him to become my mate, unlike how I felt towards Cohen. Rather, Atlas came here bringing a sense of friendly comfort that I thought was the thing I needed the most at this time.
“Terrified…” I said and it was followed by a heavy sighed. “Someone out there wants to kills me, and I don’t know why I did wrong to be targeted like that.”
He growled lowly, fisting both of his hands that were resting on the soft bed sheet.
“I’ve heard what happened from Harry. Fret not, little wolf. I will do the best I can to protect you. Whoever it is who harmed you will pay for what he or she did.”
“It looked…” I cleared my throat, walked towards the bed and sat on the other corner of it. “It looked powerful. It can make things float as far as my memory could remember.”
“Don’t be afraid.”
“I can’t… what if it comes back?”
His electric blue eyes stared at me for a brief moment, before he moved closer to me and held my arm that made my inside flinch.
“Then I will kill it. No one can hurt you anymore. Mark my words, little wolf…”