Chapter 8: Fated

Clarissa's P.O.V.

I could not believe it. There, below my balcony, standing in the rain, was Antonio. Stalker much. My poor battered heart was once again beating erratically. I was sure by this point I could drop from a heart attack by all the erratic beating my heart was causing.

How in the world did he find me? The thought raced through my mind repeatedly.

*Ping*

Looking towards my phone, I narrowed my brows, curious as to who was texting so late. My breath caught in my throat as I saw it was from Alyssa. 'sorry. love you xoxo.'

"No way. Traitorous bitch!" The anger radiated from me before slowly diminishing.

I could not stay angry at Alyssa, no matter how hard I tried. I could not believe that she would give some random man my home address. A man that had committed murder and now was standing outside of my apartment building.

Quickly, I picked up the phone to call the police, but a luscious voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Don't do that." His voice lulled me into bliss as I turned around to find his dark eyes staring intensely at me.

"How in the hell did you get in here?" My eyes ran from the front door that was still locked and back to his still figure. I noticed the sliding balcony door slightly open—the rushing wind blowing my curtains to the side slowly.

His silence was uncomfortable, and I watched as he seemed to battle internally with himself. Taking a step back, I heard the low growl rumbling from his chest. "What are you... what are you doing here?"

"Let me explain... please stop running from me." Antonio's voice was stern and yet gentle. As if he was giving me an order and begging me at the same time. The sane part of my mind was screaming at me to run, but there was another darker side that wanted more.

Hesitation and uncertainty flowed off my body in waves. Slowly, I backed up to the small grey sofa and sat down upon its lush cushions. What in the hell am I doing? The question slipped through my mind, and I could not stop but wonder what he was. I knew I was not crazy when I saw what I did.

He is not human, but how is that possible?

Reaching over, I grabbed the white plush blanket from the other cushion and pulled it over me. It sent a sense of security into my soul, making me a tad more comfortable in his presence. This was the first time I had indeed observed Antonio. He was a breathtaking man, that was for sure.

Antonio stood well over six-foot tall. His figure was lean but well defined and muscular. His biceps looked like they ate their fair share of protein every day, and the thought of running my fingers across them sent a smile to my lips. It was his eyes that captivated me, though. So dark they almost seemed obsidian. As if an endless trail of darkness laid within his core, waiting for the light to fill them.

He differed from what I expected.

Nowadays, most men liked to favor a mess haircut or my favorite—the man bun. Antonio had neither. He was clean cut with a small amount of length on top. Almost like he had spent time in the military and had learned to favor their particular haircut. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he seemed to take in the surrounding scents of my home.

"Please control your thoughts, Clarissa." He drifted towards me before pulling his shirt over his head, wiping the water that laid still on his skin.

My eyes widened as I got to take in his form. Sweet baby Jesus. This man will be the death of me. His lips turned into a smirk as he sat down on a footstool near me. "Like what you see?"

His words instantly pulled me from my gaze, and I could not help but roll my eyes. "Conceited much?"

He let out a soft laugh that made me melt once more. "Only for you."

"What are you doing in my home? I know what you did... is that why you are here? To kill me?" He growled again at my question. I wondered if this man had some disorder causing him to have that response.

"Never think I could ever hurt you, Clarissa. I came to explain." I eyed him, raising a brow. Answers would be nice to have right now, considering my level of absolute confusion. I nodded for him to proceed and sunk further into the comfort of my blanket.

"You didn't see what you thought the other night. The situation was far more complicated." He replied, "The man had been selling dangerous drugs to kids, and that is not something I will tolerate. People who hurt children should be met with the death sentence."

I nodded in agreement to his statement. At least, his reason for the murder was understandable, even though it was still wrong.

"You caught my attention that night, but you ran." His eyes cast down as if he remembered the night so clearly.

"Can you blame me?" I scoffed.

"No. I can't. Anyone would have run at the sight of a gruesome scene before them. At least any human." Again, his choice of wording caught my interest.

"You say human-like there are those who are not." Antonio smiled. God, his smile was the sexiest thing I had ever seen—how I wanted to taste his lips against mine. The thought had me clenching my thighs together. Before I could process another idea, he crossed the distance between us.

He had me pinned to the sofa. My wrists gripped his firm, calloused hands above my head. His lips were mere inches away from mine. "What did I tell you about controlling your thoughts? I can't keep myself maintained if you cannot respect that one command."

"Then don't." I let slip barely above a whisper.

However, it was all he needed for his lips to come crashing upon my own. A moan rushed from my very core, and he growled again at my response. The taste of him against my lips as his tongue forced its way into my mouth. It all sent my body into a frenzy.

He gripped the blanket, tossing it to the side as he wrapped my legs around his waist and hoisted me up, grabbing my ass firmly. The slight pain from his grip left a shot of excitement running straight to the core, as a tiny yelp left my lips.

"God... what are you?" the statement left my lips before I could reel it in. Antonio tilted his head as if pondering my question before setting me down on a barstool. His demeanor changed as he hesitated to search my face for the truth.

"Do you know nothing of the truth in this world?" His words left me speechless. How did I even answer that question?

"What truth? I know what I saw, but I do not understand it. Your hands... they were like claws. How is that normal?" Antonio laughed at my statement and shook his head, leaning casually against the granite countertop.

"I am not human, Clarissa." There it was—the statement I had questioned for the last few days. Antonio was not human.

How was he not human?

If he was not human, then what the hell was he?

"I should ask what you are—because I know you are not entirely human either."

A laugh erupted from my lips as my sanity finally snapped. He thought I wasn't human. That was impossible; of course, I was human. Shaking my head, I smiled, "I am human— at least the last time I checked, I was."

"You are not, but I don't know what you are. Regardless, you gorgeous one. You are my mate." Those words I had read so many times in the books I had edited.

Werewolves were not real.

Mates were not real.

It was not scientifically possible for werewolves to be existing.

"Mates are..." I cut him off mid-sentence, my hand raised to gesture for him to be silent.

"I know what mates are. I'm a writer, and I read a lot." I replied, rolling my eyes. "I'm familiar with the whole werewolf situation. However, what I do not understand is how much you have read to believe the things you are saying."

Antonio's eyes widened in shock, his mouth partially opening as if speechless by my admission. Slowly, he gathered himself together and stepped closer to me.

"If you know so much, then why are you acting like it could be impossible to be true?"

"Because it is impossible. Do you hear yourself? People don't just turn into random animals. It isn't genetically impossible!" My voice carried frustration at the strange man in front of me.

No matter how insanely attractive he was, I wasn't honestly going to sit here and listen to this crap. I mean—it isn't possible.

"Then let me show you the impossible, sweetheart." Antonio smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Come to a common ground, and I will prove that neither of us is crazy."

Hesitation filled me. I couldn't believe I was considering his offer. I mean, I knew my curiosity was heightened; let us say that it is the fantasy writer in me, but seriously?

Letting my eyes scan over his delicious form once more, I sighed, "fine, but tomorrow. It's late, and this has been way too much for me to process."

Nodding, he smiled before stepping forward and quickly kissing my cheek, "tomorrow then, gorgeous. After that, you can never run again."

With those words, I found my heart racing once more as my eyes widened in shock—his rumors swirling like a tornado in my mind.

The shock settling in so much I didn't even notice him leaving my home until the soft click of the front door drew my attention.

Pulling my phone from the sofa, I opened my text messages to Alyssa. She knew more than she was letting on. 'Your ass better be at my house by 8 a.m. you have a lot of explaining to do. Don't you dare play stupid, either.'

A quick ping on my phone made me smirk, knowing that she replied.

'Shit. You better make a lot of coffee for conversation that early.'