“Yeah, sorry man!” Seth exclaimed, lightly scratching the back of his head, a signature gesture of his when feeling awkward.
“It’s okay,” he waved his hand in dismissal. “Now that you’re here, we could start that karaoke-dinner thing, huh?” He grinned wolfishly.
Damn, this is gonna be a long night. I sighed inwardly then entered the cozy place with Seth on my right side and my stupid mate on the left. It was dimly lit, with tables all around, and a stage at the very back — a stage that would be illuminated when it was time for the performers to do their thing.
We were chatting animatedly when – by mistake, I swear – I spilled some water on Jonathan. As a reflex I took a handkerchief and tried to dry off his water-drenched shirt while apologizing profusely.
I felt his chest-muscles tense beneath my fingers and then an almost imperceptible shudder pierced through him, making me shiver in return. Knowing I was his mate and such, was one thing; seeing the effect I had on him by the simplest touch up close was another thing altogether.
I quickly removed my hand and raised my head to look at him, only to find him watching me intently as a hawk would his prey; with eyes darkened by what I could only assume to be a strong surge of lust.
“It’s okay.” His voice came out deep and husky; another tell-tale sign.
To think that I’ve considered his non-altered voice as a bedroom voice – how wrong of me!
I kept my eyes on the table then averted my face when I felt a blush spreading on the delicate skin of my face. Seth smiled understandingly, and that just made my face take a darker shade of pink.
Other than that small incident, which had imposed an awkward silence on us for some time; the evening went uneventful. We talked, we ate, we listened to some bad singer-wannabes and talented others. We had even succeeded in persuading Seth to sing... and let me tell you, he is awesome. To be honest, it was fun.
Seth got some girls’ numbers whereas Jonathan – constantly keeping my side, adjusting his body’s position to mine’s each time I moved so that we were always sitting close to each other – made it quite clear to the interested girls that he was not to be tempted – not at all.
“So, see you at school tomorrow then?” Jonathan asked in a hopeful tone when we were parting ways, each going to a different car.
“Yeah,” I let out as a whisper. But deep inside, I wanted to scream in frustration with all the sarcasm I could muster obviously and maybe even add dumbass or something.
Damn, that would be satisfying. It’d be an even bigger thrill to see his reaction.
I snapped out of my entertaining thoughts when I felt Seth’s hand on my elbow ushering me towards his car. It was barely a quarter to ten when I opened the front door; and I was soon met by my parents.
“Hey.” I greeted them awkwardly.
“Where have you been?” My father all but barked at me.
“We’ve been worried sick.” My mother exclaimed just before she engulfed me in a hug.
“It’s a school day; my curfew is at ten so...” I trailed off, not knowing what to say exactly, and then disentangled my mother’s arms from around me.
“Well, yeah...” Mom started but couldn’t continue seeing as dad cut in, “Why didn’t you answer your phone?” My eyes squinted at the accusation and I retrieved my phone from my pocket, my eyes widened at what I saw: 10 missed calls and 2 texts.
“I didn’t notice, sorry.” I used my sweetest tone, efficiently bringing them to give me softer looks.
“What was so important anyway?” I asked them after few silent minutes.
“We wanted to tell you that...” Mom paused to look at dad who just nodded ever so slightly “Karl is awake.” My eyes bulged and I instantly felt the tears threatening to fall.
“Really? When? How?” I choked on my words as I felt a lump obstructing my throat.
I kept chanting ‘I won’t cry’ in my mind like a mantra.
“Yes, really,” I heard mom reassure me in a soft voice.
“Today at seven pm.” Dad told me what really mattered to me.
I was just about to yell at them and ask for the reason why they didn’t tell me when I remembered the missed calls.
I nodded absently; though I couldn’t say for sure whether I’ve been asked a question or even been talked to.
“Can we see him now?” I asked in a hoarse voice.
“Tomorrow,” I was about to protest when dad continued in that firm tone of his that left no room to arguments, “First thing in the morning.”
A small okay was all I whispered before numbly taking the stairs and heading straight to my room. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I couldn’t contain the tears anymore. Therefore, I just let them run freely down my reddened cheeks. I welcomed them because they were tears of joy. I was so happy he had finally awoken.
It’s been so long – way too long.
I wanted to see him smile, to hear him laugh, to see his eyes twinkle in mischief ...
With memories as vivid as ever, I gradually drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 7
Karl
There he was, sitting on the bed, with a sickly pale face and dangerously dull eyes.
My parents entered and rushed to his side. I, on the other hand, couldn’t bring my legs to move in order to cross the threshold. The sight of him, looking so depressingly vulnerable, crippled me to the very core.
His once beautifully messy dirty blond hair was in complete disarray. His once bright green eyes seemed empty and totally deprived of life. His vivacious personality might have just been lost forever.
He seemed oblivious to my parents’ presence, to everything around him –until his eyes met mine, that is. His beautiful green orbs seemed to find back their usual gleam and his face lit up with a breathtaking smile. His hand rose, slowly, silently inviting me in.
I couldn’t refuse him anything. Therefore, I stepped in and was soon throwing myself at him. His arms enveloped me in a loving hug and I just sobbed in his hospital-blouse-covered chest.
“You’re okay, Jas.” I managed to hear his hoarse voice through my own wailing.
Karl was always there to reassure me that everything was alright. Damn, I missed him.
“You’re gonna tire him,” my mother chided me.
I felt Karl’s hold on me tighten then heard his wholehearted protest, “No, let her!”
My parents sighed, defeated, whereas I sighed contentedly. He gently stroked my hair until my sobs subsided. I pushed myself up a little bit and then sat on the edge of the bed, all the while my hand never leaving his.
“I missed you, sleepyhead.” I teased him –with a voice that couldn’t help but quiver at all of the emotions swirling inside of me.
“Missed you too,” he chuckled.
“You are okay, right? They did you no harm?” He asked me, his voice laced with concern, hours later, just after I fed him – made him eat, would be more like it. He didn’t like the food, not that I could blame him.
I smiled ruefully then croaked my reply, “You arrived just in time.” As usual, I wanted to add. He was always there for me; had always been and hopefully will always be as well.
“Good. Otherwise, I’d have to pay those arrogant werewolves a visit again!” He exclaimed mid-grimly mid-jokingly.
That won’t be necessary.
“You killed most of them; and with an ultimate ounce of power, you made the others impotent –offensively speaking, of course.” I informed him in a surprisingly steady voice.
“Nobody messes with my cousin.” He told me in a lighter tone. And that’s when we smiled at each other, good memories flooding our minds.
Nobody should mess with a powerful witch, I inwardly grinned – and Karl was the most powerful among us, after all, even if he was barely twenty-one.
He had exhausted himself in the fight, so freaking much, he went into coma for nearly a month. His body most definitely needed the rest.
I stayed with him for almost the w
hole day and didn’t leave until he was about to sleep at around five p.m., but I did promise him I’d come back first thing in the morning.
Chapter 8
The Bombshell
I entered my room with a smile on my face. A smile that soon got wider when I caught sight of my best friend Celia sitting on my queen-sized bed. Her blonde locks bounced in the air as she shot up from her place and came to greet me. Her deep brown eyes were sparkling with happiness and she was grinning like a fool. I couldn’t help but wonder what was up.
We hugged for some time, enjoying each other’s embrace, then parted and sat on the bed.
“I’m so happy Karl woke up.” I heard her say in that melodic voice of hers.
“I know you are,” I replied, smirking, emphasizing the ‘know’ part. She had had a crush on Karl for three years or so.
She smiled then asked about him for several minutes before squealing excitedly all of a sudden, “I almost forgot! Did you know that the alpha-ultra settled down here, in this town?” I nodded, putting a small smile on my face, desperately trying not to grimace.
Celia had always been one to change subjects when you’re least expecting it. Just like that, as if on a whim, she could blurt out something completely irrelevant, something that had nothing to do with the discussion... You just need to keep up, I guess.
Now, was there nothing better to gossip about than my oh-so-lovely mate? Ugh! A mental groan punctuated the thought.
“Of course, you do. He is at your school after all,” she paused before adding excitedly, “and they say he has found his mate — a short-tempered beautiful brunette with light blue eyes.”
I couldn’t help but grit my teeth at that then pinched the bridge of my nose before letting out a sigh of pure frustration. News do travel fast, I thought bitterly.
She looked at me quizzically for a moment before her eyes widened in astonishment. She then all but shrieked, “No!”
I scowled at her then huffed and averted my face.
“You are the one everyone was talking about?” She looked rather amused as she asked that, “You're his mate?”
I was just about to answer her when I heard a deep voice ask in a really firm tone, "YOU are his mate?”
My heart leapt in my chest and my senses went into overdrive. I looked up to find none other than Jeremy leaning against the door frame. His features seemed slightly worried, “Don’t tell me you are!” He exclaimed.
“I won’t then.” I retorted in a low voice.
He swiftly closed his eyes, and then, while keeping them that way, inhaled deeply, “You didn’t reject him, did you?” His voice all but screamed he was afraid to know the answer, “The folks would be furious.” He observed in quite a bleak tone.
“I didn’t. And don’t be a snitch, Jer.” I might have kept my voice calm, even, almost bored but my eyes were glaring at him, openly threatening him.
“I won’t tell... but they’ll have to know sooner or later.” He smiled sheepishly at me while entering my room and closing the door behind him.
“Let’s keep it to later, then.” I muttered, putting emphasis on the later part.
“Oh, come on, Jas. It’s not that bad. He is – according to what they say – like candy for the eye,” Celia chirped encouragingly. I shot her a sideways glare and she instantly clapped her mouth shut; her eyes pretty apologetic though there was a faint trace of amusement in their depths.
There’s nothing funny about it, I wanted to tell her but refrained from doing so, fearing an outburst – of laughter.
“Look, I’m your older brother and I’m worried about you.” Jeremy started in a soft voice, “I know you’ve been through a difficult time this summer, but not all werewolves are the same, you know?” He knew better than to give me a lecture concerning the matter, but he was trying to make me see his point of view, nonetheless.
I shrugged nonchalantly then told them in a firm tone, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Simultaneously, they sighed in surrender while averting their gazes whereas I kept mine hard, unwavering, looking straight ahead – at the wall.
As my mind started going back down the memory line, I kept inwardly screaming at it, Don’t go there, damn it. Don't go there!
“Jasmine, come downstairs.” I heard my mom yell at me and I could have thanked her for saving me from whatever inner battle was about to take place... okay, maybe not something quite as delicate as an inner battle for there was no choice or decision to be made; but it would have been pretty damn troublesome to torment myself with a past I didn’t even want to remember.
I opened the door to my room and shouted back, “Why?”
“A friend of yours wants to see you,” I heard her answer.
I quickly descended the stairs, wondering who it might be, with Celia hot on my heels, like the curious little thing she was; leaving Jeremy behind – probably working on the speech he’ll give me later.
I entered the living-room and all but froze right there and then. I was sure my face went pale for it felt as if all of its blood rushed down, straight to my racing heart that was threatening to jump out of my chest.
“Hey, Jasmine.” His deep voice echoed through the space between us.
I locked eyes with his and was almost scared to see the determination shining in those electric-blue orbs of his.
“Who’s that?” I heard Celia mutter at the sight of him.
I could have scoffed at her dreamy tone. Instead, I let a scowl take over my facial expression.
“Manners, Jas.” My dad scolded me.
I winced at that, sighed then greeted the arrogant werewolf with a terse “Hi.”
“You never mentioned any Jonathan,” My mom told me, while throwing a pointed look my way, silently asking me to say something.
“He’s new.” I informed them tautly, avoiding their eyes and keeping my gaze on the smug-looking werewolf standing at merely fifteen feet from me.
“And I’m her mate.” He stated flatly as if he had no care in the world, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell in our living-room.
And here goes my plan to let them know later, I thought, both irritation and bitterness filling me.
“What?” They both shouted, rising from their seats.
I was now openly glaring daggers at him, with gaping parents at my right, a dumbstruck friend at my left and the sole cause of my troubles, confidently smirking, standing right in front of me.
Oh, you’ll regret this. You’ll regret it dearly. That was the promise of a lifetime that my eyes were probably conveying.
Chapter 9
One Hell of a Night
I can’t believe this... No freaking way!
After spending the day at school, worried sick about my mate and her whereabouts, after asking that blonde guy about her and he just flatly told me, “If she makes it your business, she’ll tell you.” After threatening the principal’s secretary so I could get her address, after getting stuck in traffic for over an hour; after enduring my wolf’s inner turmoil for the whole day with him wanting to find her, to make sure she was fine... well, the list is long so let’s just stop it at that.
Here I was, entering her house, keeping a smile for her parents’ benefit — who, by the way, let me enter when I told them I had brought her assignments with me — yet internally wincing at the exchange between her, her brother, and a girl I could only assume was her friend or her sister. However, I knew for a fact — with me being kind of really interested in my mate — that she didn’t have a sister, that only meant she was her friend or something like that.
It’s not stalking, I convinced myself as I was looking at my surroundings, I just did some digging... nothing much really but definitely something she doesn’t need to know. She does have one devious little mouth after all, and I don’t want her throwing a fit again.
As I listened to them, two major pieces of information caught my interest: Her parents would apparently be furious if she rejected me. Well, that w
as most definitely good for me. And, if my conclusions were accurate, she recently had had a not so agreeable encounter with werewolves.
Hence the animosity towards me, I mused, starting to get annoyed. Whoever did whatever they did – or tried to do – to her are so dead.
It will be a piece of work to get her to accept me as her mate – it won’t be easy, that’s for sure. I internally sighed at the thought, dreading the long, torturing wait.
She definitely needed to see the werewolves’ good side. She needed to get to know me — the problem was, she was not that willing to do so. A quick glance at her mother – who was telling her to come downstairs – and my decision was made.
My little mate needed to be challenged. Otherwise, I would only ever have her insufferable contempt and hatred... or even worse, her indifference.
I greeted her, watched her recover from shock, and I could determine the exact moment anger started to take over. I also noticed her friend’s appreciation of my naturally good looks, but she was not the girl I wanted –and never will I ever take interest in any girl but her.
I also took note of her stiffened posture, and the tautness in her voice when she said that I was new.
It was now or never that I had to act.
And just like that, I dropped the bombshell in the flattest tone I could muster. I could be talking about the weather, one wouldn’t see the difference, “And I’m her mate.”
Her parents let out a horrified "What?" while jumping out of their seats. Her friend’s eyes widened to the point it might actually hurt. All the while, my little innocent mate – who looked nothing like it at the moment, mind you – was glaring draggers at me. If looks could kill, hers definitely would.
Hell, even when madly furious at me, she’s one hot little thing. I internally groaned before mentally shaking my head at my silliness, seeing how easy it was for her to have me wrapped around her little finger.
I looked at her kissable, plump, pursed lips and felt my blood rush south. I had a hard time trying to focus a little and not get side-tracked which would be of no help to me. For one, I was treading on dangerous territory – I wouldn’t want her to do something really stupid like reject me or anything – and also because the growing hard-on was only going to get her even madder at me, if that was even possible.
The Alpha's Seduction (The Forbidden Mates Book 1) Page 3
