|03|~ Love Bites

I groan and hit my head on the pillow over and over again with a frown stuck on my face.

What is wrong with me.

He could have marked me for all I know.

Urgh.

I jump out of the bed and hurry to the bathroom.

Maybe water will wash away my thoughts of what just happened.

When I step into the bathroom, I immediately forget what I am about to do.

It’s just so big…

And it’s so beautiful!

How can someone have this kind of bathroom, it surpasses everything I thought it to be.

Oh Goddess!

Now I am daydreaming over a bathroom.

My hormones are all over the place, like literally… in a way.

Hmm.

I wash my face and blow out a breath. I look horrible.

I wonder what he thinks when he stares at me.

A girl who was abandoned by her parents?

A female crazy enough to almost reject her mate.

I scoff.

I’m sure that’s what he sees when he stares at me; and I am sure that one day he will wake up and decide that he doesn’t want little ole me again.

I sigh.

Gosh, I am a mess.

With an eye roll, I wrap my hair wi-

Goddess!

He gave me a hickey…

No, hickeys.

I just had one moment with him and he gave me love bites?

I glare at my reflection as I fall down my hair, trying to cover it up.

It won’t work anyways.

He literally just marked me. 

It isn’t a permanent mark, but it is enough for everyone to know that I am his mate…

I can be so stupid sometimes.

I really don’t know what’s wrong with my head.

A knock comes from the bedroom door, making me stop my silly thoughts.

I still.

Hopefully, it will be a maid but still, I have to stay here.

It would be a bit embarrassing walking out with Sebastian’s scent all over me. 

The door opens and I hear footsteps in Sebastian’s room and judging by the scent, I know it is a male but not Sebastian.

“Who is in there?” I ask loudly, walking out of the bathroom.

“I should ask you the same thing,” The male folds his arm across his chest. 

I never doubted that it was a male that I scented.

Ha.

I have never doubted my nose.

I raise an eyebrow at the odd looking male, “What are you doing here?”

He wags a finger at me, “You little lady, need to get out of here.”

I scowl deeply. 

How old does he think I am…

Five?

“What do you want, grandpa.”

He frowns at me too, “You need to get out of here. Whatever thing you had with the king is over.”

What?

Did Sebastian send him to kick me out?

“What do you mean?”

He rolls his eyes and decides that he has had enough, “His mate is here and now, you need to go. I feel like I have been saying that since we started this conversation.” He drags me by the arm rather painfully while I struggle with him.

It is then that I understand that it is a misunderstanding.

Sebastian didn’t send him to chase me away.

This male is just trying to chase away me because he thinks that I am slut…

But I am not a slut, I am the king’s mate.

I hit his hand a couple of times but he doesn’t let me go.

“I am Sebastian’s mate, you bastard.”

He hums at me in a very mocking way, “All the females say that, you see. I am getting very tired of Sebastian’s need to get a release. He never chooses the same female, always jumping from one to another.”

This psychopath!

“And why is that, you might ask? I don’t know myself. He just can’t keep it in his pants. I am surprised that he hasn’t gotten STDs by now.”

I know! 

All this while he has been dragging me out of the castle and when he reaches outside the gates, he drops me carelessly on the ground.

“Hey, watch it.”

He doesn’t acknowledge that statement, “Don’t ever come back or the king will have your head.”

I roll my eyes with a sneer, “Oh, I am shaking in my boots.”

No, I am not.

“I warned you.”

As he walks back into the castle’s premises, I run after him but I am not fast enough.

He closes the gate in my face with a smirk on his face.

“Bastard!” I scream at his back as he walks inside and the guards take their posts.

He turns momentarily, “You better get out of here before I show you how much of a bastard I am.”

Er…

Is that supposed to scare me?

This is a really crazy guy.

“Need some help?”

I didn’t realize that someone was behind me all this time. I hope he didn’t see anything…

As I turn, I frown.

Oh, it’s a she.

“Excuse me?”

She blinks at me and I take this time to study her.

She looks around my age, technically a she-wolf and carrying a stack of clothes?

Okay?

That’s new…

“You look like you need help, come with me.”

She walks away, heading to the city and I scowl behind her.

Er…

Okay?

Looking back at the castle, I know that I won’t be allowed in as long as that male is in there, so I follow her.

It’s all I can do right now.

Thank the goddess that the city is a bit far from the castle.

So nobody saw what just happened.

She leads me through many paths and pass many houses.

All the while, I try to store everywhere we pass in my head, whether the scent or faces of the people.

I don’t know why she is helping me or where she is taking me to.

You can’t just trust someone on your first meeting…

We stop at a small cottage with a calm scenery close to it. 

I don’t want to say this but I think she is poor, in a way.

I guess I said it.

She spares me a glance before she ushers me inside.

The living room looks like it is lacking somethings, but it is very cozy.

“I’ll show you were you will stay. Come on.”

Is that a good thing or bad thing?

I follow her into a room, a bedroom. Though this place lacks the modern gadgets and maybe a few home materials, it looks very comfortable.

She really did a great job here.

She drops the stack on clothes on the bed and turns to smile at me, “If you need anything, I will be out so just get settled in.”

I frown at her. “Why did you bring me here?

“My name is Estella.”

“I didn’t ask you for your name.”

She exhales and drops her smile, “I brought you here because you clearly needed some help.”

No, I didn’t.

I still don’t, right?

“Why are you helping me then?”

“Because I want to.”

What?

“Why?”

I feel like we are just running round in circles.

“When is it a crime to help someone?”

I roll my eyes at her, “I don’t know you and I don’t trust you, okay. So talk.”

She groans with a distant smile on her face, “I know how it feels to be in the position you are right now?”

“And what position is that, exactly?” I arch an eyebrow at her.

“My mother was thrown out that same gate by the former King after he slept with her, so I know the shame you will have to face even though I didn’t experience it first hand.”

Oh.

I guess all the Kings didn’t wait for their mates.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Did I say that out loud?

Damn, I did.

“I am sorry for what your mother went through, but I am not a slut.”

“If you say so,” She shrugs at me, making me frown.

Do I look like one?

“Just stay here, you can’t be walking around with hickeys and the king’s scent on you.”

I know.

“Where are you going?”

“I have work to do.”

Oh…

“Can I come with?”

She scowls deeply at me as she stares at me in disbelief, “Did you not here a word I just said?”

I roll my eyes. 

I tend to do that a lot now.

“You could give me your clothes. Your scent would be enough to cover his. I just have to avoid getting too close to someone.”

She squints at me, dramatically. It takes a while but she agrees.

When I get dressed in her clothes, we set out.

Where?

I don’t know.

To be fair, I am only going out- I mean going out like out of the house, not like on a date or something. 

Oh goddess.

My head is really messed up.

“My name is Minerva, by the way.”

“Nice to me you, Minerva.”

So, we set out.

Yeah, that’s a better way of saying it.

She leads me pass all the houses and paths we followed before, and all the while people continue to stare at me.

It is very creepy, but I understand. They have never seen me before, they are simply curious, that’s all.

I have the urge to ask Estella where we are going, but she looks like she knows where she is heading to, so I keep my mouth shut.

“Estella, Estella!”

Urgh…

She stops and turns towards the voice, I stay behind her hoping the scent will be masked.

I can sense her smile as she sees the little kid run towards her, his face full with glee.

“Hey, Rusty.” 

The little kid smiles back at her. I can see his gaped teeth, it makes me want to smile too.

He looks so carefree as he mumbles words into her ear.

At a point, he notices me standing at a small distance and his smile turns upside down…

“Who is that, Estella?”

She turns her head to my direction. She doesn’t need to figure out that it is me the little kid is talking about.

I try to keep a stone face as I fold my arms across my chest.

“That’s a friend of mine, Rusty.”

The little kid frown stays in place, “A friend?” Estella nods at his question, “She smells funny.”

What?

Estella moves away from the kid, holding a laugh, “I gotta go, Rusty. Say hi to your sister for me?”

This makes the kid’s eyes shift from me and goes back to Estella.

He nods, “Sure.”

Estella places a kiss on his cheek before we turn to leave.

Behind us I hear, “Bye, funny smelling lady.”

Estella bursts out laughing and I frown, turning to look at the waving kid.

Funny smelling lady…

Really?