Chapter 4: You are mine.

Silence loomed over us in the room. It was eerily quiet and Natalie’s soft sobs were the only thing that could be heard. After racking through my memories for what seemed to be an eternity, I still couldn’t picture my encounter with another man except for Enzo in the restroom, and merely thinking about my encounter with Enzo, drove me over the roof.

“ Natalie, um... you must have mistaken me for someone else.” I told her and took a step back.

How could I have unleashed her son’s demons? It must have been another girl because Enzo was the one who spiked my drink last night and joined me in the restroom.

“ Black skinned, thin, white long hair and green eyes. These were the descriptions he gave to me. IT IS YOU. It is you..” She said with emphasis and at this juncture, I was on the edge. Not knowing what to do in this situation.

“ I’m... I’m sorry Natalie but I can’t marry your son.” I told her sincerely. Even if I wanted to get married, this isn’t how I envisioned it. Besides, I just got banished from my pack and still need quiet time alone to figure things out and how I can get back at Enzo for ruining my life with his conspiration with Mathilda.

“ why? Why can’t you marry him?” She sounded like a desperate mother. I could sense it in her tone. Her usual calm voice has disappeared into thin air.

Now I need to give her a good reason and I hope after this answer, she will let go of the topic and find another girl for her son.

“ I’m a werewolf, Natalie.” I began by revealing my identity even if I didn’t know hers. But if my identity will get me out of this mess that doesn’t make sense, why not reveal it?

“ Werewolves don’t just go to the alter or marriage registry to get married. Every werewolf individual has a mate assigned to them by the moon goddess. Marrying just any man who isn’t your mate can cause someone a lifetime of pain and regret. So…”

I drew in a sharp breath and exhaled slowly knowing fully well that I would never have a fated mate.

“ So… I cannot marry your son because he isn’t my mate.”

“ but you had sex together. You initiated the moves and forced yourself on him. Don’t you think you should take responsibility for that?” She demanded, her pink eyes glittering.

I rubbed my forehead, trying not to lose my cool.

I dropped my hand and looked her in the eyes.

“ I have no idea about what you are talking about. The man I had a sexual encounter with last night wasn’t your son. He is my chosen mate. Well, ex-mate because I don’t want to have anything to do with him anymore.”

“It wasn’t your son, Natalie. Unless your son is actually Enzo then I wouldn’t only be marrying him, I will have his head in a plate on our first night.” I gritted and she chuckled which was absurd. I expected her to be upset but…

“ you must really hate that boy so much,” she smiled at me and I forced a smile back at her.

“ I will take you to my son. Maybe you might remember having an encounter with him.”

Natalie took my silence as a yes and I followed her out of the room. For the first time, I noticed a bridge connecting this castle-like building to a modern building.

In awe, I followed Natalie into an elevator. The elevator conveyed us to a floor I had no idea about and I wasn’t wrong when I said this building is modern and not the gothic one I was in earlier.

This must be her son’s apartment.

We stopped at the front of a grey door and my heart leaped into my throat. What if the man I would be meeting anytime from now is Enzo? I shook my head, trying to get all the ifs off my thoughts.

I felt a soft stroke on my cheeks and I turned to see Natalie giving me the warmest smile ever as if wishing me “good luck” and that increased my nervousness instead of calming me.

I blinked at her, realizing that she wouldn’t be entering the room with me.

I sighed softly and pushed the door as if there wasn’t any strength in me.

The smell of tobacco and coffee gave me a sense of deva ju. I closed my eyes while the door closed behind me and I sniffed the air while trying to remember where I’d smelt something peculiar and insane like this before.

Fuck! It’s so frustrating trying to recall what you don’t remember.

I opened my eyes and took gentle steps forward around this office space. I expected it to be a bedroom apartment but it turned out to be an office.

“ ALARIS BRANTLEY ” was boldly written on the desk. Now I have no idea who this person is but at the same time I am glad it wasn’t that bastard Enzo.

“ Invading privacy,” I heard a hoarse deep bass tone behind me, and my knees melted slowly. The voice turned my head and it reminded me of Henry Calvin's voice in The Witcher. Could this be a real-life Witcher?

I remained rooted in the same place, heart pounding and afraid to turn to see the face of the person who owned that voice.

I forced a lump down my throat slowly and gasped so loud when I felt a cold touch on my cheek. The hot breath of tobacco and coffee fanning my neck brought the sense of deva-ju back and I instantly knew he owned those cold fingers.

An awkward silence fell on us as I tried to stop myself from running away.

I swallowed the buildup lump in my throat and said in a croaky voice.

“ your mother said you’ve gone feral but I..” my voice trailed off as I couldn’t form the next words.

“ I still wonder how a thin fragile girl like you was able to undo my belts and ride my cock without my consent,” he said in a bemused tone, ignoring the utterance I made earlier, and the skin on my neck tickled from his warm breath.

“ I wondered as well,” I muttered in-between gritted teeth, my words sounding as a whisper and I was spun around like a feather.

I kept my gaze on the floor and judging from his foot, I needed no one to tell me that he was the giant-like man.

“ you r@ped me last night at your father’s birthday,”

“Women don’t rape men. The only man I had a sexual encounter with was Enzo and it was in the restroom.” I defended and unexpectedly felt the air leaving my lungs, my feet leaving the floor and my life flashed through my eyes.

“ You were a fucking virgin during our encounter, DIANA. YOU DON’T MENTION ANOTHER MAN’S NAME WHERE I AM. ” His forbidding voice came and my body shivered.

I felt my eyes dilating and my hands getting weak from trying to get his grip off my neck.

I felt the air in my lungs again and my weak legs touched the floor but they gave me away. They couldn’t keep me on my toes and when I expected my butt to hit the floor, i felt a strong grip around my tiny waist, saving me from falling.

Goosebumps cocooned my body. I tried to wiggle away but a part of me wanted to remain in the cold comfort of his arm.

I resisted the urge to hold my neck where his grip had been earlier. I coughed dryly and felt relieved a little but I still had the urge to stroke my throat with my finger and as if reading my thoughts or understanding my dilemma, his hand made its way to my neck and stroked it gently. It felt relieving but didn’t take the pounding off my heart and the sick feeling in my belly away.

“ you will marry me. It has been decided.” He said in a truce but domineering tone and I could discern the danger and intimidation in it.

“ No. I..” I was bereft of words as my eyes landed on his face for the first time. I swallowed the remaining words in my mouth and ogled. My eyes were glued to his and I felt like he could see into my soul, into my darkest place with those purple eyes.

“ They’re ugly,” I murmured with my heart beating fast in my chest, wolf purring and I tried to look away but the more I tried, the more I felt myself drowning in them.

“ Who cares.” He groaned and let go of me. My body immediately craved his cold embrace.

He took five steps away from me and dipped his hands in his black pant pocket before turning his back to me.

After few minutes of silence, he returned to where I was and squatted before me. A sense of deva-ju washed through me again and a soft gasp left me as his lips brushed against mine. Tickling sensation flushed through me and my body wiggled under his sultry gaze.

“ You are the girl whom I’ve been waiting for, for the past 90 years, Diana. You are mine. MY MATE”