Chapter 0006

Morana.

“You heard me,” Elliot said, his tone hard, with no room for discussion.

I could feel the air shift the moment those words rushed out of his lips. Everyone went silent and glanced at each other in confusion. Elliot has been the biggest bully in our school. He’s rude, arrogant, and self-centered. Everyone in the pack feared him, and he never said anything he didn’t like. He’s cruel and emotionless.

His dark eyes were fixed on me, which sent a chill down my spine. Since my childhood, I have been trying to be far away from him, which has made me a target in his eyes. When my parents died, Alpha and Elliot visited us to give their condolences. That was when I first saw him, and I have been a target for him ever since. Making my life miserable was the biggest sport he enjoyed.

I hate him. I always hated him.

I am so confused right now. The mate bond, the pull, the tingles, and the spark when I touched Adrian. The word mate was still fresh in my head. How can I be Elliot’s mate? Was my wolf referring to Elliot? Did she feel him coming inside and uttering those words? But what about those feelings I felt for Adrian?

Is Adrian my mate? Or is it Elliot?

What the fuck is happening here?

I glanced at Adrian and noticed him clenching his jaw, his eyes hard on Elliot. His hands were fisted at his sides, and I could feel the temperature dropping in the room. His eyes snapped to mine, and I saw the level of rage in them, which scared me to my core.

I moved my eyes to Elliot and noticed a small smirk on the corner of his lips. I tensed and felt my stomach churning with unease. Something was not right. I couldn’t point it out, but I felt it in my gut.

“I need to talk to you alone,” Elliot said, his voice determined.

My heart slammed at my ribcage. I had this sinking feeling about it, but I reluctantly followed him. He led us to the backyard of our house and turned to me.

“You are my mate, Morana.” He declared.

I stared into his eyes and waited for something to happen—something that could make me feel the sparks I felt before. But there was nothing. The seriousness in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine.

“You must be mistaken, Elliot,” I said, my voice trembling slightly with fear. “I’m not your mate.”

His gaze hardened at my words. “No, Morana, you are my mate,” he insisted.

I didn’t understand how to explain it to him. I don’t feel anything for him. I don’t even feel comfortable around him.

“Elliot, I… I don’t feel anything... for you,” I said, my voice shaking a bit in fear. Elliot can be quite unpredictable, and he never liked it when anyone talked back to him and refused to do something he said.

“You are my mate.” He declared it, his tone unwavering.

My legs were rooted to the ground, and I didn’t understand what to do. Before I could say anything, Elliot stepped forward. I quickly stepped back and tried to put distance between us.

"Elliot, please,” I pleaded, but he was adamant and refused to listen to my words. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer. Before I could push him away, he leaned closer. Panic surged through me as I realized what he was going to do.

“Elliot, NO-” He cut my words by slamming his lips against mine, demanding and forceful. I struggled to push him away, my fists pounding against his chest and my nails digging into his skin in a desperate attempt to escape. He pushed me against the tree beside me, grabbed my hands, and pinned them above my head. My heart kept slamming in my chest, and tears rushed down my eyes as I struggled with everything within me. I felt so disgusted, as I could feel his hand moving all over my body and touching me. Desperation gave me strength to keep fighting to get myself free from him.

“Let go of me!” I yelled at him, but Elliot only tightened his grip, his hold unyielding as he deepened the kiss, suffocating me.

Fear consumed me when his hand moved inside my top. His filthy hands were on my bare skin, touching me and moving towards my bra. A desperate cry escaped my lips, which was only swallowed by him. Suddenly Elliot was violently yanked off me. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. I kept gasping for air while tears continued to stream down my face. My heart kept pounding in my eyes.

My whole body shivered with intense disgust at being touched and kissed. My eyes moved to Elliot, who was being punched by Adrian. My gaze was fixed on Adrian unleashing his wrath on Elliot. Rage radiated through Adrian like an electric wave. His powerful punches had him stumbling to the ground.

Adrian grabbed Elliot’s collar, pulled him off the ground, and leveled him with a glare that had burning flames of rage in it, which consumed Elliot.

“How dare you touch her?” he growled, his words dripping with venom. “Lay a hand on her again, I’ll kill you.” Adrian’s voice was laced with menace as he glared at Elliot, his brown-golden eyes blazing in raw rage.

Elliot fell to the ground as Adrian let go of his collar. He stood up and stumbled back, defeated, beaten, and humiliated, while looking at Adrian as if he saw a monster. Adrian strolled towards me and bent down while my whole body shivered as I cried.

“Are you alright?” He asked in concern. I nodded, my breath still coming in ragged gasps while tears streamed down my cheeks. He wrapped his arm around me like a shield against the dangerous darkness, which threatened to consume me whole.

“Ple, please don't say a-any of this to my brother,” I begged through my cries, my voice barely a whisper.

“I won’t,” he said, while pressing my head against his chest. “I promise.”

My hands automatically wrapped around his neck, and I cried. He gently lifted me into his arms and carried me to my room through the back door of my house. His scent enveloped me—the earthly notes of sandalwood mixed with a hint of cedarwood and musk. It was an intoxicating scent that wrapped around me like a warm blanket on a cold night.

I buried my head against his chest, finding solace in his steady heartbeat as he took me to my room and gently laid me down on my bed. He pulled the mattress over me. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice trembling and barely above a horse whisper.

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Morana.” He said it, his tone cold and void of emotion. His eyes held a deadly promise within them. He walked outside, and I heard my brother’s concerned voice throwing questions at Adrian.

“She’s just overwhelmed and tired.” Adrian lied.

“Where is she?” My brother asked.

“She’s taking rest,” Adrian replied.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyelids, and with a heavy sigh, I began to slip into a deep slumber. The sound of the door opening and the scent of sandalwood filled my nostrils. I felt his presence, the silent guardian watching over me and protecting me. I felt relieved and at ease in his presence, and I let myself peacefully fall asleep.