Chapter 7: Mate

Antonio's P.O.V.

"Damn it!" The curses fell from my lips in frustration as Brantley and Alyssa exited the night club looking at me. I couldn't believe it. She was running from me like a scared child after I found her again.

I knew she finally realized where she knew me from the moment her eyes widened. I had hoped that she would have let the notion go. That it had been too dark for her to remember who I was, but that had only been wishful thinking.

"Fuck!" I yelled again, fisting my hair as I tried to figure out what I was going to do.

I could not stop thinking about the way she smelled. How edible she tasted, and how I wanted to drag my lips across her body again. The thought made me harden in my pants, and yet I struggled against myself because I did not want this to be happening right now.

Women were a distraction. My wolf growled low to my negative thoughts.

'Go after our mate.' replied my wolf as I slowly rolled my eyes.

' No.' The creature retreated to a corner of my mind when I declared my intentions. My eyes shifted back to their earthy brown, and I stayed fixated on the place the vehicle had disappeared.

"What the hell happened?" Alyssa replied, staring at me with her hands placed on her hips. I had to admit Alyssa was a beautiful woman, but once my eyes landed on Clarissa, she was the only one I wanted.

"Don't start with me, Alyssa," I warned with malicious intent in my voice.

"No, Toni. Don't you start with me. What the fuck did you do now? I brought her here tonight so that you two might hit it off. I thought it was working until now."

I had known Alyssa for years. She was far from human herself, but few people knew who she was. No one knew she was an assassin, and a damn good one, too.

Alyssa and I had a history, but not of the sexual kind. There was a time when a bounty had been put on my head, but when she came for me, we realized that the truth was not as it seemed. Alyssa gladly killed her employer. His death sent a message to everyone across the world not to mess with her like that again.

She was unforgiving and ruthless.

"I had a score to settle last night. That was the first time I laid eyes on Clarissa. She saw me mid-shift." Alyssa's and Brantley's eyes widened in shock.

"How could you be so stupid!" Brantley yelled, running his hand over his face in frustration. "You let a human see you."

I watched as Alyssa's face turned passive, and she hesitated. Her demeanor changed at Brantley's words. Raising a brow, I looked at her. "What is it?"

"Well, she isn't entirely human." Her words hit me deeply, and I found myself in shock.

"What do you mean? Clarissa acted like she knew nothing about us." I was growing tired of the whole situation. My wolf was howling to chase after her and make her submit. I had to fight against the urges to do such a thing.

"I'm hungry. Who wants food?" Alyssa replied calmly as she changed the subject and turned on heel, heading down the road towards my blacked-out S.U.V. How the woman could want food at a time like this was beyond me.

She stopped looking over her shoulder and called to Brantley and me, "Well, come on, slowpokes." Sighing in defeat, I followed after her—Brantley hot on my trail.

It didn't take long until I found myself in front of a lavish, towering apartment building on the north side of the city. Alyssa was all about glamor, even with her mysterious lifestyle.

No one questioned her in our world anymore. Entering her large apartment, I took in the view she had grown to love. Large bay windows looking out over the city's shimmering lights, and lavish furniture that most women fawned over.

"Let me get changed, and we can continue the conversation." She gritted through clenched teeth, watching Brantley make himself at home.

Brantley remained silent about the situation. His initial response to Clarissa having witnessed me was what I had expected. However, now I couldn't help but wonder why he was so silent.

"What's on your mind?" Taking a seat on the large black leather sectional, I watched Brantley recline into an armchair swirling an amber-colored liquid in a crystal glass.

"Is she your mate, Toni?" The words whipped around me, and for once, I didn't know what to believe. The signs were all there, but mates were always just a fable to me.

"I don't know. Maybe." I was reluctant to think that this gorgeous woman who seemed so mundane was my destined mate. She was everything I desired in a woman, but there was still so much hidden about her. Rummaging in the kitchen drew me from my thoughts as I watched Alyssa pulling to-go boxes from her fridge.

"Care to explain what you meant earlier, Alyssa? I mean, seeing as you drug me out here to your apartment with that asshole." I was on edge, I knew that, and when she turned to meet my stare, she rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" Brantley cried out over his poison. "I will try not to take offense at that statement. I happen to find myself very charming."

"I am sure you do," Alyssa meandered to herself. However, with werewolf hearing, we understood her clear as day.

"Look, Toni, I can't tell you much. However, I can tell you she isn't what it seems. Although, she does not know. She doesn't know about the supernatural world, or well, she didn't until you showed her. I am almost confident she now thinks she is crazy." Alyssa preceded her way to the sofa near me and sat down, gawking between the two of us.

"Where is she? I need to see her." The tension in my voice was evident as determination set into my soul.

"Why do you want to see her?" Her quizzical look watched my movements before Brantley spoke up.

"She is his mate." The words that left Brantley's lips brought about shock in Alyssa's face.

"Holy Shit. Seriously?" I nodded at her question, unable to dispute the fact. If Clarissa was not human, though, that meant she sensed the bond.

"She probably went home, Toni." Alyssa shoved the Chow Mein into her mouth, chewing calmly as if she was observing the most exciting movie she had ever watched.

"Is this just entertainment for the both of you? Alyssa, you're her best friend, for crying out loud."

She nodded with a smirk. "I know. Trust me when I say you won't be able to manage yourself around her. This crap is comical as hell." Alyssa grabbed her phone, sending a text to which my phone suddenly pinged.

"Go get her tiger." She smiled with a devilish grin.

It wasn't even a second thought as my body hurried towards the front door. The clouds had opened up against the earth as the rain fell in a quick motion. Her home only a few blocks away; I didn't bother with my vehicle. I had to see her.

Moving on swift feet, I turned and ran toward her apartment. My wolf howling with excitement to see the destined woman we are meant to be with.

Skidding to a halt, I could smell her breathtaking scent. 'Our mate is near.' Replied my wolf, as I cast our eyes up.

The light was ascending from the dimly lit window—a shadowed silhouette was shining against the white curtains. Clarissa was breathtaking, even from this position.

As I looked up at her, the rain dripped down my skin. I was met with her gorgeous sapphire eyes. They enlarged in shock as she gently slid open her sliding balcony door. Her voice was like a murmur against the wind. "Toni?"