LILA’S P. O. V.
I wake up enveloped in warmth. I snuggle in deeper. But then I start to feel small kisses along my neck. What the hell? Now I am fully awake. I am not just wrapped in a blanket. I am also wrapped in arms. Arms attached to a person. Mateo being that person. I am frozen. On one hand it feels amazing to be right where I am. On the other hand this is Mateo. He thinks he is my mate. I know he does. I can’t let that happen.
I try to move out of his arms but they tighten on me. He buries his nose into my neck. I can’t tell if he is awake or asleep, but one thing is for sure he has his hooks in me. I am not going anywhere without waking him up. I start to nudge his body. He grumbles a little. “I am not ready to get up Lila.”
Ok, so he is aware of what he is doing. “Mateo, I can’t do this with you. Let me up.”
“You were fine right here all night. You can last a few more minutes. Or a little more. I’m not really sure what time it is.” He buries his head more, giving me little kisses again.
“Stop doing that Mateo.”
“I can’t. I have to tell you something. I don’t think you are going to like it.”
“Mateo, Don’t please.” I can feel the tears starting again.
“You are my mate Lila. I know it. I know you feel it too.” His fingers stroke my arm. “I know you especially feel it when I kiss you. You like when I touch you.”
“Mateo, please stop. I can’t do this.”
“Why? Am I really that bad? You barely know me, but have you really thought this bad of me the whole time?”
“I am not saying that Mateo. I just. I don’t know. I don’t know.” Fear has enveloped me. Does he care for me the way that Daddy does my mom? Or is it like my Dad? Am I just feeling this because I want to, maybe he isn’t even my mate. I don’t know what is happening anymore. I am so confused.
“You are my other half Lila. You can have time to figure it out. I am not going to push for a claim right now. I have no doubt that you are my mate Lila. I am just waiting for your birthday to confirm it for you. I am ready.”
“Mateo, what if I’m not? What if it’s hormones or something? I don’t know.”
He shifts so that he is pinning me slightly under him. “Does it feel like hormones?” His lips brush mine. I gasp slightly because even that small contact feels amazing. He pushes into me further. His lips part from me but only enough to speak. “How can you not feel that you are my other half. I know you do. Pet, you and I are meant to be together. Callum saw it. Do you doubt the boy? He saw you coming.”
“I am still not so sure he tells the future. I think he is just reading the room. He sees how much you want me to be your mate.”
His lips reach mine again. “You are my mate, you will see it.” He climbs out of bed. “We still have five days. Five days for you to see it. Today is a festival of sorts. We do it every Friday. It’s our way to let loose after all the work we do all week. I want you to see the fun we have here too. It’s an all day thing. So get dressed, and we start right after breakfast.”
He goes to his closet. I can’t help thoughts that are swirling around my brain. How hot he is, how much I want to kiss him again. “Mateo. Can I call my mom? She is probably so worried about me.”
“I know. I just can’t have her coming to get you yet. She talked to me yesterday. I wish I could have told her. Or that I could let you call her, but then she will be here faster than I can blink. I know she is worried and in turn you are worried about her. Just two more days and then I will call her and tell her I found you. That you need time to recover before I take you back. Then on the morning of your birthday I will bring you back.” I can hear the regret in his voice. He doesn’t want to do this this way, but he feels he has to.
“Mateo, what if I just invited you to my birthday with everyone else? Couldn’t we do it that way?”
“Lila, at this point, I feel you don’t know me enough to not reject me. You still have too many thoughts in your brain about who you think I am. I can’t lose you because I didn’t try hard enough to get you to see.”
“This is too much Mateo.” I start to cry. I miss my mom. I know she is worried about me.
“Please, just wait it out with me please. I am begging you.”
I nod, because what else can I do? It’s not like he is going to change his mind. I wipe away the small tears that escape my eyes. I pull my legs up to my chest and curl into myself. I don’t always feel this weak. I only feel this way because I am confused.
Soon I feel myself enveloped in his arms. “It’s ok to cry pet. I know this isn’t easy. Today we will try to relax, enjoy the festival with Callum.”
I nod. “Mateo. I want my own room. For the next five days. I want time to think. Obviously you put me in your room.”
“Ok, Lila, for now you can have your own room.” He kisses the top of my head. “I can wait. But I do want you to go to the festival with me. So get up, get dressed and meet me downstairs.”
I feel his absence immediately. What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t want him that bad, we just met. Unless it is the mate bond. I need to create distance to see what happens. Maybe it’s just being so close all the time.
I found another summer dress, this one is green. My mom would love it. It’s this solid forest green color. I put that on and put my hair in a ponytail. I brush my teeth and head down stairs to meet Mateo and Callum.
Mateo is making breakfast like yesterday, talking away with Callum. He just sits there drawing. I look over his shoulder as I come into the kitchen. He smiles at me. “What are you drawing today?” He showed me his picture. This one was two wolves fighting. One looked like mine. I pointed to the white wolf. “Is that me?” He nodded. I pointed to the other wolf. “Who is this?” He just smiled and went back to his picture. Well that was a great answer.
I take a seat next to him. I look over at Mateo. “Do you know the wolf in the picture?”
He looks over it. “Nope, can’t say that I do. But it looks like you’re winning.” He smiles at me.
“Still not very comforting.” I watch Callum draw. It’s actually relaxing to watch the boy work.
“I thought you said they were just drawings.” I can hear him smirking, I don’t even need to look.
I roll my eyes. “Shut up.”
He leans forward, “Make me.”
“You would like that wouldn’t you?”
He chuckles going back to breakfast. “Yes, very much so.”
I remained silent after that. I don’t want to flirt with Mateo. Ok, so maybe I do. But I am not going to let myself do that. Ash joins us, he looks rather happy this morning. “Hello my fellow wolves. Lovely morning this morning.”
Mateo looks him over. “What makes you so chipper this morning?”
Ash puts his arms out like we should already know. “It’s festival day. The best day of the week.” Callum smiles at Ash. “See, little man gets it.”
“Well, here is hoping it is the best one yet.” Mateo says as he hands me my plate and then Callum. “Eat up. Then we head to the fun.”
Callum scarfed down his food. He must really enjoy the festival. Well then this seems like something that I should be excited for too. I hurried up with my food too. This should be a good day.