Aiden didn’t know what to say. He was flabbergasted. How could Karen even think he had messed with her head? But then again, he did intend to do just that.
She wasn’t ready.
She wasn’t ready for him, or his world. And although he wanted to take the time to explain everything to her, he knew they were running out of it.
Aiden looked at his wrist watch and sighed. Where was the eraser?
“What are you sighing about?” Karen asked, sounding curious and annoyed at the same time.
Had he had the luxury of time, he would have taken things slowly. As it was, she needed to be back at her home by night time.
“It’s nothing,” he drawled.
“Then when are you going to answer me?” She carried on. “Have you or have you not messed with my head?”
“I have never,” he said truthfully, his eyes boring into hers despite the distance.
“Then what is the erasor for?” She asked in a strong voice, her eyes narrowing on him ever so slightly.
“You have to understand,” he began. “It’s not that I want it. It’s what needs to be done. You cannot know about the supernatural world if you are not to join it.”
“I’m not a werewolf,” she said in a dumbfounded tone, tilting her head to the side quizzically in a manner he found endearing.
“I wasn’t implying that you were,” he shook his head negatively and smirked.
How innocent could she be?!
“What then?” Her eyes were wide, wide with worry and everything uncertain.
“I don’t wish to speak more than needed. I don’t want to tell you anything more,” was his steely retort.
“I thought we were friends,” she let out in a dejected tone, her eyes glassy.
“Friends?” He scoffed before chuckling dryly. “I do not believe in the intersex friendships.”
“What?”
“You heard me right the first time,” he drawled.
“How can you be so callous about it? I thought you were my friend!” She cried out.
“Well, news flash, baby, we’re not friends, and we will never be anything less than lovers for life,” he deadpanned.
Aiden was hurting. But he didn’t know what hurt the most – his mate doubting him so much, or her denying the attraction she felt towards him.
How could she even imply that they were only friends? What must he do to prove his affection?
His arrogant speech came from his insecurities and the fear that she might carry on thinking he only wanted her friendship. He wouldn’t move to another state for friendship. He wouldn’t leave his training for mere friendship.
But she didn’t know that. And thus, she assumed. And she assumed wrong.
“What are you saying? You’re not making any sense,” she let out softly.
“I’m not, huh?” Came his wry response.
“Us, lovers?” She went on in a rather disbelieving tone.
“What is there to be so astonished about?” He all but bit out, unable to help himself from sounding annoyed.
“Aren’t you taking things too far too quickly?” She demanded with a raised eyebrow.
“You are human,” he sighed. “You cannot possibly understand.”
“Then make me understand,” she pleaded.
** ** ** ** ** **
“Don’t make this any harder than it is,” it was Aiden’s turn to look flustered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
Karen didn’t know what was troubling him, but she wanted him to come out and spill already. What could be so wrong about her knowing that werewolves existed that he wanted an eraser to come mess with her head?
She didn’t know the rules of the other world, but surely he wouldn’t just force her to forget, would he?
“Please explain to me what’s going on,” was her softly spoken request. And then, she bargained, “You are going to make me forget this ever happened to begin with, aren’t you? Then, why won’t you let me in on the secret?”
She watched as his posture went from stiff and alert to sagged and slightly defeated.
He sighed, and then finally began to explain, “You have to understand, Karen, that most of the myths about my kind are not all that far off the mark.”
She raised an eyebrow at him, not quite sure where he was going with this.
“For example, the call of the full moon is strong, and makes us want to shift. Most packs run together under the moonlight.”
“Okay,” she drawled in a confused tone.
“Another example, we do have mates fated ones, I mean,” he said matter-of-factly, “and you are mine.”
Her eyes narrowed at that, and she asked in a timid voice, “Your what?”
“My mate,” he said in a strong voice that was so at odds with hers, she almost flinched. “You’re my mate, Karen.”
“Okay, if you say so,” she shrugged almost dismissively, “What does that even mean though?”
“It means that we belong together,” he told her softly, in a tone that spoke volumes of his need for understanding.
“Says who?” She challenged, a frown marring her face despite her best efforts not to allow her displeasure to show.
“Fate,” he deadpanned.
“I don’t believe in fate,” she chuckled humorlessly, shaking her head negatively as she did so.
“Well, you didn’t believe in werewolves either,” he retorted with a wink.
“Who said I do now?” She taunted, wanting to get a rise out of him, and see how he’d react.
Right as he opened his mouth to answer her, there was a knock at the door.
Shane came in, together with a guy who looked no older than them.
“Alpha,” the former greeted formally.
“You must be the eraser,” Aiden observed, looking at the newcomer with mild interest.
“The eraser?” Karen echoed after him. And then as it dawned on her, she looked at the guy with hatred and distress and yelled at him, “Don’t come near me. Don’t you dare mess with my head!”
“Your Luna, I assume?” The guy finally talked for the first time, and his voice sent chills running down Karen’s spine.
“So what if she was?” Aiden retorted acidly.
“I thought I was your mate or whatever?” She intervened, more confused than ever.
“Get to work, witch,” Shane instructed.
Witch? She thought, only half bewildered that there were witches as well.
Karen shook her head, and let out one last plea, “Aiden, please, don’t do this.”