Chapter 3 - Giving In

LAYLA

“GET OUT OF my car, you irritate me,” Francis said coldly.

I sat at the front seat without moving an inch. My head was bowed and I kept staring at the black jean I was putting on, that covered my thigh.

I didn’t know what to think or say, but I knew I didn’t want to be dumped here like a garbage.

“I said, get out of my car dummy,” he said again, peering at me for few seconds, before he got down and, proceeded to open my side of the car.

He pulled me by my hair, dragging me down from the vehicle. My scalp was on fire, so I had to reluctantly obey him.

The moment he let go of my hair, I landed him a punch as hard as I could on his cheek. The force I applied made his head turn sideways as I delivered the punch. He spat and speedily grabbed me by my neck.

“You have a hard punch,” he whispered coldly. “Too bad it won’t be of any benefit to our pack.”

“Hey! let her go man. Is that how your father taught you to treat women? Let alone your own sister?” Jacob’s voice rang out from a distance.

He let go of my neck, at the same time pushing me. I had lost my balance, and almost fell when I felt hands holding my waist, preventing me from reaching the ground.

“Yeah, that’s right. Get out of here coward,” Jacob hurled at him as he got into his car and drove off.

He helped me to my feet and brushed my hair from my face to the side before he

asked.

“What’s wrong? are you hurt?”

“Physically, no. Emotionally, yes,” I replied, and he wrapped his hands around me, drawing me in to sink my head into his chest, and it helped. I sniffed as I tried not to cry.

He pulled back and with a soft smile he spoke.

“Don’t worry, I have something that’ll make you forget all of this shit temporarily,” he said before pulling me along by my hand to enter the house.

Jacob Calvin was the same age with Francis. Both were twenty-five years of age but Jacob was tall and well built, while Francis was short and stocky.

Our fathers were friends which sort of made us family friends.

I was made to understand since age sixteen, that Jacob was my destined mate. I think he was told the same too. We didn’t have strong feelings for each other, but none of that mattered. We were to work it out since we were mates. He rather saw me as some sort of sexual object he could toy with. My wolf was not comfortable around him.

All the years we had been together, he never professed his love for me. Obviously, I was being used by him to satisfy the moon goddess and his parents.

He stood out among every other with his features. Still, I couldn't say I love him, the same way he couldn't say he loved me to.

The only thing I adored him for, was his refusal to remain under the shadows of his parents, unlike my brothers.

Although he was part of the family pack, the Crystal Crescent, he had left his family mansion, and lived on his own since he turned twenty-two.

He was the eldest of three sons, and just like my family, his also had a large sphere of influence in the county.

They were dealers of automobiles, with a huge company in the city, that produced vehicles of various kind. It was this occupation that had provided them with the luxury of life.

After ushering me in to sit on the couch in the living room, he headed straight to the corner where he had set up a decor, in between the dining room and the living room.

He drew out a bottle of alcohol, but I couldn’t tell which one it was, until he took two shot glasses. It was definitely tequila.

He approached me with a wide grin, holding the bottle by the neck and set the bottle and shot glasses on the table before me.

“Three shots?” he asked, without taking his eyes off the drink he was pouring into the shot glasses.

“Hell NO!” I yelled partially, amidst chuckling. “That would drown me.”

“Exactly, that’s the point. We want to drown all your sorrows for the time being,” he replied, as he dropped the bottom of the bottle on the table and offered me the shot.

“Okay,” I gave in, accepting the shot glass, and with my eyes fixed on him.

“NO, wait,” he cried out, as I lifted the glass to pour into my mouth.

I paused at the sound of his ringing voice.

“We’ll go together after the count of three.”

I nodded in agreement, understanding the reason for his sudden cry.

“One, two, three,” he called, and we both downed the alcoholic substance in one pour.

“Hmm, that stung,” I mumbled, with my hand over mouth after slamming the shot glass on the table. I could feel the burning effect on my tongue and in my throat.

“Yeah, definitely. It was supposed to,” Jacob replied, with a scrunched-up face, nodding, amidst pouring another shot into our cups. We both burst into laughter after he spoke.

After taking three shots of tequila, the effect was terrible. The world was spinning around me, and my stomach was burning. I wasn’t comfortable where I sat.

Jacob was probably suffering from the same effect, as he was silently sitting beside me, his head propped up on the couch. He was staring at the ceiling.

Just as I turned my face from Jacob, I felt something crawling up my right thigh. My head bowed to see what was trying to make me uncomfortable.

I felt more irritated seeing that it was Jacob's hand crawling up in between my thighs. He was my supposed mate, I shouldn't feel that way. There was an ugly smirk on his face when our eyes met.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" I yelled, at the same time brushing-off his hand from my thigh. Instantly, my dizziness faded away, after I shouted at him.

His smirk turned to a scowl. "Are you sure you are okay?"

I knew I didn't love him, but it was odd that I was getting irritated by him. He was supposed to be my mate.

"No, I'm not," I confessed, rubbing my forehead with my right hand.

He tried to reach out to me with his hands, but I escaped them by standing hastily.

"The alcohol and issues with my family is giving me a hard time," I lied.

"You want a massage?" He questioned sweetly, but my wolf could smell pretence and deceit. I was shocked at the scent my wolf picked.

I waved my head in disapproval to his request before I spoke.

"I'd just go to bed."

He could probably smell all my lies too. I sensed that he kept staring at me till I out of sight.

Various thoughts filled my mind as I slumped onto the bed in Jacob's room. The thought of my family's hatred towards me and my mate. Maybe I could just run away from all of these troubles. Start my life afresh somewhere else. It was all beginning to sound like a good idea until I remembered being told by my mother that one can't escape destiny as a werewolf. If the moon goddess had destined me to be with Jacob, no matter how far I ran, I'd end up with him. I quickly killed the thought. I'd grow to love him, I thought, accepting my fate.

Jacob entered the room, and laid on the bed beside me without saying a word.

I shifted on the bed to face him, but his back was turned to me. I wanted to explain my fears to him regarding us, but his posture signified anger.

I shifted back to my former position with my eyes wide opened.

After few minutes, I heard the bed creak as Jacob moved on the mattress. His hands moved around my waist.

"Jacob," I whispered.

There was a bit of hesitation before he answered.

"Yes."

"I'm scared."

"Why?" He asked, moving his hand away from my waist.

"Of everyone. You, my family. Do you really love me?" I thought I sounded stupid at that instant and gulped hard.

His hand went to my face this time around, and caressed my cheek.

"Of course I love you."

"But you never say it," I countered.

"Maybe because I feel like you don't love me the way I do," he answered in a low toned voice, his hands shifting to unzip my Jean.

"Stop. I'm not in the right frame of mind for sex," I said, grabbing his hand.

Slowly, he withdrew his hand. "I understand, you should sleep, you'd feel better tomorrow. I shouldn't be selfish."

"Goodnight," I said to him, with a smile on my face.

"Goodnight," he answered.

Without thinking, I pulled him close to me and started with a kiss that led to other things.