Third person's POV
The morning sun filtered through Jade's curtains, rousing her from a fitful sleep. As consciousness returned, so did the memories of last night's strange events – her mother's secretive phone call, Raymond's cryptic warning, and Andrew's mysterious illness.
As she had finally retreated to her own room the previous night, Jade's determination only grew stronger. There were too many questions in her head.
And she had promised herself as she climbed into bed, that she would start finding answers, come the following day. And as sleep slowly claimed her, Jade couldn't shake the feeling that she was standing on the edge of something vast and dangerous – a mystery that went far beyond a simple family secret.
Jade sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She glanced at her clock: 7:30 AM.
"Usually, I would hear Andrew moving around by now, getting ready for his morning run. But the house was silent." She observed.
Concern gnawed at her. Despite Raymond's warning, she couldn't shake the need to check on Andrew. Before she could talk herself out of it, Jade was out of bed and padding down the hallway to Andrew's room.
She hesitated at his door, hand raised to knock. What if he was still asleep? What if Raymond caught her again? But the worry won out, and she rapped gently on the door.
"Andrew?" she called softly.
"Are you awake? How are you feeling?" She probed further.
For a moment, there was silence. Then, a muffled groan.
"Jade? Is that you?" Andrew asked from inside.
"Yeah, it's me. Can I come in?" She inquired.
Another pause, then Andrew's voice slowly drew out. "Sure."
Jade pushed the door open slowly.
~
Andrew's POV
I was already sitting up in bed, as Jade pushed the door open slowly. From the mirror opposite my bed, I could see the state of my appearance.
My hair was tousled and my eyes were bleary.
The moment she stepped into my room, her scent hit me like a tidal wave. It was intoxicating – and that made my wolf howl with desire. I gripped the sheets tighter, my knuckles turning white as I fought for control.
Immediately, I felt myself wondering if I was presentable enough but I couldn't worry about that for long as I saw Jade staring at me, pleasantly.
She definitely found me attractive even in my state. I chuckled pleasingly at the realization in my mind and locked my gaze on her.
"I just wanted to check on you," Jade said. I could feel her suddenly feeling self-conscious under my scrutiny.
Well, it wasn't my fault. I couldn't tear my eyes off her beautiful face. Looking at her felt like I was getting my drugs for a serious illness. If I look away, I could lose my mind.
"You left the party so suddenly last night. Are you feeling any better?" She inquired further.
I swallowed hard, my eyes never leaving her face. Her voice was sending shiver down my spine. I was trying hard to focus on her words and not on how her lips moved as she talked.
"I'm ... yeah, I'm feeling better. Thanks for checking on me." I told her.
Jade took a tentative step into the room.
"What happened? One minute you were fine, and the next..." She trailed off, definitely waiting for me to reply her. Jade's concern was evident, and it only made her more irresistible.
"It was just a migraine," I said quickly. Too quickly than I had intended.
I had lied and I hated the deception but I couldn't tell her the truth. Not yet. Not when I was barely holding onto my human side.
"It comes on suddenly sometimes. Nothing to worry about." I added, dismissively.
But I could see that Jade couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it, as she looked at me as if she was studying my face.
"She has no idea what she is doing to us!" I and my wolf growled, inwardly. I drank in every detail of hers. The soft curve of her cheek, the way her hair fell around her face, the depth of her eyes – how had I never noticed how utterly beautiful she was before?
Every instinct in my body was screaming at me to claim her, to mark her as mine so that no other male could ever touch her. The wolf in me wanted to bury my face in the crook of her neck, to breathe in her scent and leave mine there.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she pressed. "You seem... I don't know, tense."
If only she knew. I was more than tense – I was a coiled spring, ready to snap at any moment. I took a deep breath, trying to center myself.
"I'm fine, really," I managed, my voice coming out lower than I intended.
"Better than fine, actually. Especially now that you're here." I added, and that was me being sincere.
I saw the blush creep across her cheeks, and the wolf in me growled with satisfaction. She was affected by me too. The realization made it even harder to keep still, to not reach out and pull her to me.
"I should probably let you rest," Jade said, taking a step back.
Panic flared in my chest. No, she couldn't leave. Not now. Not when every fiber of my being was crying out for her to stay.
"No, wait," I said, perhaps too quickly, then I caught myself.
"I mean... you don't have to go. Unless you want to, of course." I tried to sound casual, but inside I was pleading for her to stay.
The air between us felt charged, alive with possibility. I could hear Jade's heartbeat quicken, could smell the subtle change in her scent that told me she was as drawn to me as I was to her.
"I... I guess I could stay for a little while, if you would love my company, that is!" she said, and relief flooded through me.
"I'm always up for your company, Jade," I said, meaning it more than she could possibly know.
As Jade perched on the edge of my bed, it took every ounce of willpower I possessed not to pull her into my arms. Her proximity was maddening – so close, yet not nearly close enough.
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to regain some semblance of control. When I opened them again, Jade was looking at me with a mix of concern and something else... something that made my heart race even faster.
"Andrew," she said softly,
"what's really going on?" She asked me.
In that moment, with Jade looking at me like that, I almost told her everything. About being a werewolf, about her being my mate, about how desperately I wanted her. But the rational part of my brain – the part that wasn't consumed by her presence – knew it was too soon. She wasn't ready for the truth, and I wasn't ready to risk losing her.
So instead, I reached out and took her hand, reveling in the warmth of her skin against mine.
"Nothing's going on, I'm just really glad you are here." I lied again, hating myself for it.
As Jade's fingers intertwined with mine, I knew I was fighting a losing battle. Sooner or later, the truth would come out. And when it did, I could only hope that what was growing between us would be strong enough to withstand it.
For now, though, I allowed myself this moment. Sitting here with Jade, her hand in mine, feeling the pull of the mate bond strengthening with each passing second. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.
And as I looked into Jade's eyes, I made a silent vow. I would protect her, no matter what. From my secrets, from the dangers that lurked in the shadows of our world, and even from myself if necessary. Because Jade wasn't just my mate – she was quickly becoming my everything.
As we sat there, hands intertwined, the air between us grew thick with unspoken desire. Jade's eyes met mine, and I saw a flicker of something that made my wolf howl with anticipation. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, she leaned closer.
My heart raced, my senses overwhelmed by her proximity. I could hear the quickening of her pulse, smell the intoxicating mix of her perfume and natural scent. Every fiber of my being screamed to close the distance between us.
"Andrew, I..." Jade whispered, her voice barely audible.
But before she could finish, a searing pain shot through my body. I jerked away, a growl escaping my lips before I could stop it. No, not now. Not here.
"Andrew? What's wrong?" Jade's voice was alarmed.
I looked up at her, panic rising in my chest as I felt something. My wolf was forcing me to give him control.
I guessed always suppressing him was making him lose his mind, especially when our mate was besides us and still I wasn't trying to mark her like my wolf had wanted.
"Let's mark our mate!" My wolf growled to me, inwardly.
"No, not now! It is too early. She doesn't know anything about our world, remember? Marking her now would be too much for her." I tried to persuade him but he wasn't going to have any of that.
My vision sharpened, the world taking on a reddish hue. I could feel my canines lengthening, my nails gradually sharpening into claws.