Falling

Dario did not think that he could ever get scared or feel panicked by anything but that scream she just let out, had him searching for the source of it in slight panic, only to follow the trail of her eyes and see that Amelia just shifted from human to wolf, intentionally scaring her.

Once Amelia’s eyes met his angry ones, she bolted out the door. 

He had always known that she had been interested in him but never acknowledged it as he’s a man who keeps to himself and has accepted that he’d die alone since his mate was nowhere to be found. 

It was obvious that Amelia was jealous at the attention he was giving the human female and intentionally shifted in front of her. Her aim was to scare the female away but over Dario’s dead body would he let her slip away from him. 

At least not until he confirms whether or not she was his mate.

He turned back to human female who looked like she’ll pass out any second, and moved closer in an attempt to carry her like he’d been doing before she screamed herself out of his hold, when her legs gave out and she  fainted bringing out a chuckle from him. 

To him, everything she did was adorable. 

‘The sooner I stopped acting like a teenager, the better’ 

“Is that you laughing?”. James asks Dario, the teasing and amazement clear in his voice, which caused Dario to just groan, carrying the female in bridal style to a room he had ordered be cleaned for her. 

As James followed him up the stairs, he knew he was not going to let it go, and it’s at moments like this he wishes that he had snapped his neck on the day he found him. 

He found James when he was 32, at the time James was a little 9 year old pup crying by the side of the border. 

It seemed like his family had abandoned him and left him to die in the woods, or maybe they were hoping he’d be found by someone from his pack. 

He took him in and didn’t need to have him swear an oath to be one of his pack memebers because a bond had formed as he was growing up with them. 

He put James in the care of one of the maternity nurses named Maria, and somehow, that little boy turned out to be his best friend and beta. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you actually laugh. Smile yes, once in while. Who would’ve thought the big bad alpha who won the war by himself could giggle”. James said again, playful teasing laced his tone, and although Dario was used to it, he was getting annoyed. 

James was going to wake her up, and he didn’t want to start explaining what she had just seen, also, she looked so peaceful right now. He noticed that whenever she was conscious and awake, there was this deep sadness, anxiety and numbness in her eyes. 

It looked like she had given up on the world. 

‘Thales makes two of us’. He thought to himself. 

A huge part of him knew that she was his because he knew he was no empath, and feeling these emotions just because of her eyes made him know that indeed, he was warming up to her, and too quickly. 

He wanted to protect her from everything already. 

“What if she’s not my mate?”. Dario asks, intending not to show his inner turmoil but James could see right through his stoic expression. It shocked the younger male as he had always seen Dario in control of everything. The guy had never made a mistake in his life and here he is so confused and longing.

“You want her”. James said in a matter of fact way, and Dario could not even deny. 

For the first time in his 120 years of life, he wanted a woman, even without confirming whether or not she was his mate, a little part of him already knew that he couldn’t just let her go. 

He was no coward to run away from the fact that he was attracted to her the second his eyes fell on her, but there were just so many things he had to consider. 

Dario thought of his status, the rules guiding his mate and marriage, his age, her age, and the fact that she was different. 

He could smell it on her that she was human, and no human had ever been an Apex Luna, all of them had always been been of Alpha blood and are groomed to perfection immediately discovered to be the Apex Luna. 

All of which the human female was not. It would’ve been fine if he just wanted a fling but he had never cared for unnecessary bonding. 

‘An Apex Alpha made these rules, another Apex Alpha can change them’. He thought to himself, long forgetting that his best friend was present. 

“Yes, I want her”. Dario replied, very sure of himself. 

He knew it was all too soon to say something like this, he knew he should consider so many things and not just think of himself, but for once in his life, he wanted to be selfish and do something he wanted to do, regardless of customs and it’s consequence.

“I don’t even know if she’s my mate yet, but regardless, I want her”. He said again, as if to confirm to himself that he just said it out loud. 

He has had so many chances with many women, but had never been attached, felt sparks, or ever felt like they fit in his arms. So this was his best chance at feeling love or something close to it. 

“Wow”. James said, totally at a loss for words, his teasing long forgeotten. Dario had never expressed interest in anyone and had been on his own, despite having women at his back and call. 

The man was handsome, strong, tall, rich a warrior and leader, of course every woman wanted him but he never spared them a glance. 

It was so bad that they thought he was gay or just a stick. 

Then this little human managed to have him wrapped around her fingers in just a few hours while being covered in filth. 

“I can’t believe you just said that, but I’m happy for you man”. James says excitedly, tapping on Dario’s shoulder to show his support. 

“Dexter should’ve told you already whether or not she’s your mate in the first few seconds you saw her though”. James said, remembering that every wolf of mating age, can recognize their mates in seconds. 

“I don’t know why I can’t tell. Maybe it’s because the idea of a mate after so long is very unusual and hard to accept”. 

“I personally find it humiliating that I can’t even recognize whether or not someone is my mate right away”.

Dario sighs, running a hand over his face, when the sweet scent of lavender, musk and vanilla filled his nostrils. 

He found the smell so good that he almost passed out from it. 

It knocked all the air from him and he never knew there was such a divine smell. 

Placing his hand on the wall for support had James panicked and rushing to him, confused at what could’ve made his best friend lose his balance. 

Everything he felt was too intense. 

He never thought he would see the day that Dario would bow for any reason, but here he was with his head hanging as he held onto the wall for support. 

The man was as proud as he was handsome. 

Just as he placed a hand on Dario’s back, the little human walked in and a guttural growl and howl left Dario’s mouth. 

“Mate”.