I screamed bloody murder when someone grabbed the arm Sally was murdering a while ago. My pack trainer must be proud of me since my survival instinct kicked in right away.
I grabbed the arm grabbing me and twist it around ending it behind the attacker's back, totally locking his arm. Yes, it's a he. Amidst my adrenaline rushing and accentuated vision, my mind did not register the tingles dancing all over my body.
"Let go." said the soft stable voice of the man kneeling on the ground to ease the pain of his twisted arm. You know, I'm thinking nowadays that my brain stopped functioning the day I met this man. The realization of who the man I'm currently twisting my arm and that I'm hurting again made me jumped a few meters away from him.
"Oh good god, I'm so sorry. You better stop startling me like that." I chided him in worry and embarrassment. Goodness, what will he think of me now? Some war freak squealing bitch? I've hurt him twice in a row. My heart tingled again and certainly not in a good way. Hurting your mate's not a good option.
I saw him straightened up brushing his dirtied pants, some stubborn dust clung near his knee. My body moved on its own accord and bent down to brush the dust down.
"It's fine." He said to my utmost surprised and pulled me up. He took hold of my arm and traced something with his finger and jaw tense. I involuntarily shiver and freed my arm from his grasp. Frowning, I look at what he's looking at, ah, faint nail marks. Nothing serious.
"It is not serious we're best friends and we do that a lot"' A nervous smile was pasted on my lips. He looked at me still tense and unmoving.
"I don't like it." He muttered and I don't know but my ball of wolf skip around in happiness and me too, thinking that he might care about us. We're mates after all.
"And it is normal between us. I'm a werewolf nail marks won't kill me." Maybe rejection does. Of course, I did not dare speak the words out loud.
Not like the rejection will kill me but it will kill my chance of happiness and contentment.
"What are you doing here?" I asked taking small steps casually. It is not that I don't want to be around the presence of my mate I just need to do something while talking to him so I can distract myself from looking at his face. The more I looked at him the more wild thoughts flew around my head.
"You are my mate." He softly muttered following my movements right away. I bet on all mystical phenomenon that the bond's making him maintain an almost intimate distance with me while I opened the sliding door of my mart. The words he said made my heart dance a little. Alright, a lot. The fact that your mate recognized you as his was very heart assaulting. Exhilaration.
I decided to play it cool. "The last time I checked, yes, I'm your mate. You are my mate." I somehow kept my voice steady as I successfully slide the door and walked in. I've got a business to run.
"I.." He stuttered, not able to continue his thoughts as he stopped I'm front of the counter. Damn it. My mate's adorable.
I sighed sadly. "D-Do you want to talk about us?" The courage it took for me to ask those words to my mate will earn me an award of the year. I stole a glance at him. Placing myself behind the counter. I don't know if he's aware but every time we met, the bond strengthens and thickens. It will continue to do so unless the rejection rites will be spoken or the Assent. Just a simple few words of rejection will do. Even the thought of it scares the hell out of me.
"Can we do that?" he answered looking at the counter separating us like it's the vilest thing ever. That's the mate bond working.
"I guess we can. We can talk later after work. I'll be working half the day today so you can just come back later. If that's okay with you." I carefully stated. I don't want him to feel bad or anything. I stared at his hair. That black hair of his, I want to run my hands in them so freaking bad but I know it'll never happen.
"I don't know. Can I stay here?" I almost screamed at him no. My eyes landed on his and I looked away the time I did. His eyes were so intense that I just can't look at them without my beats going crazy.
"I-I won't be able to work knowing your waiting here for me. I don't want you to get bored or anything." I quietly smacked myself in my head. The awkwardness exploded after I said those words. I looked at him under my lids. Did I offend him?
"That's okay I can help you." He replied and walked back to the sliding door to flip the open sign.
My jaw unhinged a lot these days. He's going to help me? I don't know about you guys but it made me smile. The thought of a mate helping his other half makes you giddy and content.
"You don't have to Atlas. We can talk later after my shift. Maybe we'll just meet at the nearest coffee shop downtown." I softly muttered, suppressing the smile from going full-blown.
"You said my name." I steal a glance at him while prepping the cash register. He was now back at the counter. A gargantuan glare is being shot towards the poor counter. It made me giggle.
"Stop murdering the counter and yes I did. Do you want me to call you something else?" I asked smiling at him.
"No. I like it," he replied staring at my form. My thudding heart went overdrive after I heard the words. He's such a charmer.
I cleared my throat trying to clear the air of awkwardness after he uttered those. "So, what do you say? Let's just meet later?" If I would've been alone, I would've to applaud myself for being so chill while talking to him even if my insides were the total opposite.
My face went red when he kept staring at it.
"You're feminine." he softly stated leaning on the counter as he crossed the distance between our faces. I can feel the humming of the bond around us.
"I know," I murmured. The staring contest we were addressing was so intense that I can't will myself to look away. He's just so perfect. His hand was about to reach for my face when what he said next shattered the perfect moment.
"Why do you have to be a female?"
His bottle green orbs clashes with my earthy brown ones.
The searing pain travelled along my form when the words dropped. I immediately looked away and forced a smile. I'm good at these things.
"I-I'm sorry I did not mean it that way." he hurriedly said taking a step back.
"It's fine we'll talk later." I still smiled at him. I'm not going to cry in front of him. Never. No one ever made me cry and I'm not gonna start now.
"Mavis," he whispered my name, pleading.
Well, at least he remembered my name.
"Please." I pleaded back.
He nodded, understanding that I need the time.
I stared at him as he turned back and walked towards the entrance of the Solace. I was so entranced by his form that even if I was hurt, I was still amazed at how his black hair followed his movement. They swayed around softly making me insecure with my frizzy hair.
When he was already out I released a strangled moan of pain. Tapping my chest to calm the pain brewing in there, I shake my head and get myself together. I need to work. I need to distract myself from the impending talk later.
Wait, I haven't told him where to meet and we didn't have each other's number!
Leaping out of the counter I ran outside, sliding the door out myself when it took time sliding itself. I saw him about to get inside his car.
"Hey!" I shouted no longer crossing the short distance between us and released a puff of air so as not to wheeze in front of him.
Gawd, I need to start working out again. It was just a short dash but it left me heaving, my adrenaline pumping too fast.
My mate looked back at me with his cute brow furrowed.
"Bean," I told him.
"Beans?" He asked back confused. Why is he so damn adorable?
"Let's meet there around 2." I said in haste and pivoted back towards the mini-mart. His cuteness is too much for my health. I did not dare look back and breathe in relief when I'm already inside the safety of Solace.
"This clashing of pain and amazement will kill me too early," I complained not knowing what to do. When did my life get this complicated? Right, when the mate comes, my mate.
Shaking my head in dismay I started to work just to ease my thoughts. Funny, supposedly, your mind will be at ease thinking about your other half but in my case, I don't know.
Grabbing the mop and glass cleaners I busied myself cleaning around the mart and only stopped when some customers were about to pay for their purchase.
Work. Ease.
---
"Oh, you're early," I said in not so subtle way. Who can blame me? I was hoping that he was kind of late so I can still rehearse the words I need to say and predict the outcome of the impending talk, the rejection.
I was too engrossed with wiping the glass doors of Solace to perfection that I almost forgot about the meeting and yes, I was still cleaning 15 minutes ago and would be probably still if the glass cleaner spray did not run out.
In the end, I dashed out of Solace before locking down the said mart. So, here I am. Looking awkward in front of my perfect mate.
"Yeah, I think so. Sit. What do you want to order?" He asked when I'm already seated.
"Some Iced Coffee for me," I answered him, needing a douse of coldness along my veins.
He nodded and went to order.
I looked outside the glass walls of the coffee inn. I don't know what to feel at the moment, same with the fair sunny day outside.
What if I got rejected? Which is a big possibility concerning my mate's gender. He likes it with sticks. Damn. I shake my head in haste, hoping to erase the thought and the crawling cringe that follows.
"Hey handsome you can share the table with us." My thoughts automatically snapped when I heard that screech.
A honey blonde hair, blue-eyed, perfect brows and lipstick met my eyes. She's doing this cute pucker that I can never do without shaming myself my entire life. She pulled it off perfectly.
Next, my eyes followed where the blonde's looking just to meet my mate's frowned face.
Er... My mate's looking at the blonde in confusion.
"Why would I share a table with you when there's a lot of vacant ones?" I heard my mate answered and it almost made me laugh. I looked at the blonde just to see her adjust her overflowing boobs in her too-small top. Forcing it to almost break free from the cloth.
"Well we can talk now and have some fun later." said the blonde and bites her lip seductively.
My eyes sharpen the moment she did the bite. She's seducing my mate! Not that it is not obvious but she looked so flawless doing it. Why can't I? What if my mate fell for it?
"I'm sorry--"
My mate started to say and a full-blown grin marred my resting bitch face. To think that the blonde's so perfect but my mate's gonna say no to her, I'm so pleased.
"I don't swing that way," he added.
Wait what..?
The full-blown grin instantly disappears from my face. Shit. I need to always remember that he's gay. Gay.
"Oh... Too bad." said the blonde not offended at all.
It hit me differently though. The rejections going to come. With that, a pricking feel slowly covers my body, making me feel numb. My heart starts to escalate its beat causing me pain while taking some deep breath.
"Here." A glass of iced coffee met my eyes. I mumbled a thank you and gulp the coffee in one gulp then looked at my mate's face.
"Well, that's fast. You got places to be?" I noticed how his eyes darken when he said the last words.
"I changed my mind let's talk outside."
Bluntly saying it, I marched out of the coffee inn and did not glance back to see if he's following me. I traced the steps leading towards the empty playground. I stopped at the slide.
"You walked too fast for your height." said someone close to my ear making me jump and took some steps away from that someone.
"Don't startle me like that! I could've hit and hurt you again!" I chided him with my hand on my chest.
"Sorry." he smiled at me looking all cute. Damn, I'm freaking melting. What do I do with this man?
Gathering my thoughts I let out a deep breath and stared straight at his mesmerizing eyes. I saw him flinched at the sudden action.
"Are you gay for real?"
I attacked. The question is hanging in the air for a quite while. Leaving us both staring at each other. My sorry self appreciating his looks and so on. His red lips spoke to me. I ended up staring at it for the whole duration of our silence. Which is bad since I saw how his lips form that one word that cemented my doubts and fears forever for our so-called complicated bond.
"Yes." He uttered not adding more to it. Leaving me to my device on what to do with it.
"I.. What.." I can't seem to form a word the next. A flashed of pain screwing itself along my body erased all the amusement and amazement I felt a while ago. It hurts and I don't want anyone to experience the same. I looked at him again and found out that he's staring at my reaction with a grim look on his face.
"W-What do I do? What are we going to do?" I whispered, knowing with the werewolf sense of hearing, he will hear it just fine.
"I don't know." he also said seemingly not interested in the subject at hand. Out of nowhere a ball of rage sprung from my insides.
"Well, since you're not interested in the subject at hand and yeah, you got a boyfriend, reject me." I sneered at him. Braving the sudden rage clouding his bottle green eyes. In a blink of an eye, he was standing close to me with his hand grabbing my hair tilting it to met his now black eyes. Tingles crawled across my nape downwards.
"Watch your mouth Mavis." he snarled, causing me fear. He's not going to decapitate my head right?
"And don't fucking look at me like I'll fucking hurt you! I'll never do that!" he added with the fire dancing in his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry." I gasped. The rage I'm feeling a while ago dissipated in the air.
"All my life I was bullied for being different and now of all people, my fucking mate's mocking my sexuality." He hissed in a voice that is much deeper than his normal. It made me flinched in fear and anticipation at the same time.
My muddled brain can't form a sensible thought to pacify the raging male in front of me.
"I was hoping for something different especially from you, my dear mate." the sarcasm dripping from his voice cleared that muddled brain.
I looked him straight in the eye. Again, meeting the black orbs but now it has a swirling pattern of bottle green in it.
Right, I'm fucking whipped for those majestic eyes. A gasp escaped from my lips upon seeing those eyes and my knees buckled. He's in one with his ball of wolf. They're perfect. I can die happy now.
The knees kept its buckling and if not for his arm bracing my waist I would've to melt right down the ground and probably stayed there for life because of humiliation.
Was this kind of roller coaster emotion normal for having a mate? I swear to all mighty that I've never had experienced such mixed.
"Are you alright?" His deep but soft voice snapped me out of whatever trance I was in again. The swirling green fully dominated his eyes, he's in control. I keep my mouth close, trying to keep the blush from reaching my face when I'm now aware of our position and the pesky tingles dancing throughout my body. I'm sure he's too.
What else was left to do? I've pushed him away from me, no longer staring at his mesmerizing eyes.
"I was hoping for something different from you too." Those words went tumbling out my mouth when I remembered his words before I got lost over his swirling orbs.
In my line of sight, I saw how his form went more tense when I said those words. He's still angry, I can clearly see it but then again I can't help it.
"I'm born this way Mavis. I was born swinging the other way. Born with a fluttering in my stomach every time I saw a guy walking in front of me. Born with the feeling of being wrong every time I was forced to date those girls. Born with a heart that beats for my very same sex. You see Mavis, I'm a woman born in a man's form. I can't do anything about it."
Every word he said pierced my shattered pumping muscle. I've got a fucked up situation.
"Then what else can we do Atlas? There's only one option left. Should I do it for you?" He looked at me funny after saying it. What would he have me do? My mate's taken and is happily in a relationship with a nice guy. I don't want to be a woman who wrecks a happy unit just so she can have her own. I've never been that. I should start blaming my parents for raising me as someone so selfless.
"We can still be friends if you want." He looked down, finding the gravel path interesting.
"No." I turned around and leave the place as fast as I can. I'm just glad that he did not follow me and saw how the words affected me. I better go back to Solace and get myself to work more. Life's easier that way.