VIKTOR.
“Mummy!”
I watch as the little girl runs up to Rowan. There is a bright warm smile on Rowan’s face as she lifts the girl up into the air.
“Why are you out, Jhenelle? You are supposed to be in class,” she says to the girl.
“I finished my work first, so Mr. Tom let me out to play.”
“Rally, now? It looks like I have a little genius in my hands.”
“Genus? He called me that. What does it mean?”
“Genius. Say it with me, genius.”
“Geeenius.”
“Good girl.”
“What does it mean?”
“It means… someone that is very good at a skill or subject. Better than others.”
“Really? I am a genus?” the kid asks with wonder in her eyes and voice.
“Yes, baby. You are.”
“That is cool.”
“It is. Have you seen our new guest,” she says as she changes the subject. “His name is Louis.”
“Hello, Mr. Louis. I am Jhenelle. Mummy’s baby girl.”
The others laugh at her introduction and I can’t help but smile.
She is adorable.
“Hello Jhenelle, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Did they kick you out too?” she asks as she stares at me with deep wide green eyes reminiscent of her mother’s eyes.
“Kick me out?” I ask with a little confusion.
“Yeah, from your pack. Everybody was kicked out. Except for uncle Bruno and aunt Genny. They said they left. Uncle pat said his pack was gone and…”
“That is enough, Jhneell. You are going to exhaust the poor man,” Rina says as she snatches the kid from Rowan’s arms. “Why don’t we go make cookies and eat them with ice cream?”
“Yay. Yes, please.”
“Hold up, I am coming with you,”Lisa also says as she joins them leaving me with Rowan.
We stand there in a weird silence before I break it.
“You have a daughter,” I state.
“I do.”
“I had no idea.”
“I don’t see how you would. We just met,” she replies as she begins walking away.
“True,” I say as I fall in step with her. “is the- her father still in the picture?”
“No.”
Okay.
That is good, I mean bad. I mean..
You know what I mean.
I can work with that.
“Is he… planning on being in the picture someday?” I continue.
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” she answers.
So, bad blood.
Interesting.
Is he the reason she left her pack?
“If I asked you to tell me how she came about, would you?”
“No. Why should I?”
“You know why.”
“And like I told you already, I have no interest in having a mate. Much less, one who is lying to my face.”
“I am-”
“Don’t. Just don’t. You are on thin ice here, and for your sake, I suggest you stop trying to insult my intelligence. It is not doing you any favors.”
I keep silent at that.
She is right, I don’t want to mess this up.
But…
“Does that mean you are warming up to me?” I ask with a smile.
“How do you get that from what I said?” she retorts.
*Well, you said I should stop lying for my sake. Does that mean I have a chance with you?”
“No. That means that if you keep trying to play me for a fool, I will kill you.”
“Oh.”
My mate is harsh.
Why does that excite me?
“Yes, oh.”
Another beat of silence before I break it again.
“She is beautiful, your Jhenelle. She looks like you.”
“Thankfully,” she mutters.
“Did you love him?” I ask finally.
“What?”
“Her father. Did you love him?”
“How does that have anything to do with you?” she snarls at me.
“I just want to understand if that is why you are so averse to me. Did you love him? Is that it? He betrayed you and that is why you resent all men?”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. How pathetic do you think I am? Hating all men because of just one, that is just so cliche. And mind you, I am not averse to you. I don’t know you to care that much. What I am averse to is the whole mate business. I don’t like it.”
“Why not? Explain to me here, please. Do you have any idea how I feel? I met my mate and she is not interested, how do you think I feel?”
“Exactly. That is my problem with the mate bond. You have no choice. You get a mate and that is it. It doesn’t matter if they are evil, psychotic creatures or completely uninterested in it. You get it and you are stuck with it. Well, I don’t want it. I like my freedom, and if I choose to mate with someone it will be my choice, because I like him, and not because some stupid mate bond tells me to!”
With those words, she whiles away from me and walks away.
Anger in every step that she takes.
“I am going to kill him,” I say out loud.
“Kill who?”
I turn around to see Lisa coming my way with a plate of cookies.
“What?” I ask.
“You said you were going to kill someone, who is that?”
“The bastard that hurt her. I am also guessing it is the same asshole that is the father of Jhenelle.”
She shrugs at that, unwilling to give me a straight answer.
“Cookies?” Sha asks as she stretches the plate out to me.
“That was fast,” I comment as I take one. “Cookies take longer to make.”
“Oh, no. These were already in the fridge. I am helping them with it so we can store the fresh ones.”
“It’s good.”
“I know. So, do you want to continue your tour?” she asks as she begins walking away.
“Sure, why not.”
I can use the time to figure out a strategy to win my mate.
She is beautiful, strong, smart, intelligent and caring.
And some asshole hurt her.
She said she resents the lack of choice, that she will mate only by her will.
I just have to figure out a way for her to make me her choice.