Chapter 41 - You’re my mate

EMMA

Gaia is losing it. Her face turns bright red and her brown eyes burn like dark fire. I swear that her polished fingernails turn into sharp claws. She is ready to attack and I’m in her line of fire.

I look at the now empty glass. Impulsivity can be one of my pitfalls. The amount of times I heard my brother yell at me ‘to think things through for once’ is embarrassingly high.

Drops of the red liquid stream down her face. “You’re going to regret getting in my way.” She growls.

The threat booms through the room. For a second everyone is quiet, even the girls around Gaia have refrained from saying something. Her arms are vibrating and her canines are bared.

“Easy there,” Marius calls and blocks her path to me. “Don’t want to accidentally cause treason.”

Gaia holds my eyes. “It won’t be an accident.” She says through gritted teeth.

“What is going on here?” Hadrian calls when he steps into the dining room and to our commotion. He has a scowl on his face and his eyes move from me to Gaia. His eyes follow her frame. The girls around bat their eyelashes and angle their bodies for his attention.

The anger still burns hot in my chest and stomach. Seeing the attention he gets reminds me of what Cecile said about his slew of bedpartners. And I start to wonder who if not all. I clench my fingers around the glass and walk away from the situation. I leave Hadrian behind with his posse of tramps.

I walk through the halls and step outside to the gardens. I find my way to the small pond with the willow tree. It’s cold in the evening and goosebumps cover my arms.

“What happened?" The deep voice of Hadrian comes up behind me.

I walk further into the garden and away from Hadrian. I ignore him and cross my arms over each other.

“Emma.” He wraps his hand around my upper arm.

The touch immediately warms my body. “Let go of me,” I shout and shrug his hand off. I don’t want to be influenced by his touch. I can’t distinguish my own feelings anymore. My feelings, my emotions, they’re all jumbled.

“No.” He turns me around and keeps hold of my arms.

“Why don’t you go back to that hussy?” I spit out. I sound like a jealous girlfriend, but I’m not. Or maybe I am, I don’t know anymore.

His eyes are stormy and flicker between amber and black. “Is that what this is about? Or is this about Marius?” He growls.

“What does he have to do with this?” I bark and pull away from him. Hadrian lets me go and I step back to put space between us.

“You seemed to like his attention.” He mutters.

I blanch and my eyes widen. “Are you kidding me right now?” I shout. In what world would he think that I like the attention of Marius? He’s arrogant and full of himself.

I blink away the upcoming tears and look away from Hadrian. I’m lost in a combination of anger and hurt that he would think that.

Hadrian shakes his head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. And I shouldn’t have left you alone.” He towers over my small frame. His muscles bulge beneath the fabric of his clothes as he steps closer to me. I want to leave, but he won’t let me go.

His hand wraps around my arm. “You’re my mate.”

“Chosen mate.” I remind him. I’ve learned there’s a very distinct difference between the two. A fated mate connection, created by the moon goddess herself, is something so undeniable and pure.

Or so I’ve heard.

His loud growl emanates through the air and vibrates through my body when he pulls me toward him. His arms are like thick metal bars caging me in. His eyes swirl between light amber and black. “I don’t care. You. Are. My. Mate.”

“But—“

He holds my chin between two fingers, forcing me to look up and effectively shutting me up.

“Are you not listening?” His words sound sincere, but…

“What about Gaia?”

He scoffs. “History.”

I bite my lip. “And the others?”

“Ancient history.” His eyes smolder in the dying sunlight. He moves a hand to the back of my neck and angles it his way. I expect him to kiss me, but he doesn’t. “I have zero interest in them.”

Am I going to let something from the past ruin what is now? Then I should still be hating all werewolves and I know that’s not true.

I lean on the tips of my toes and press my lips against his. I don’t know what I’m doing. I hope the incentive is good enough.

Hadrian freezes for a second and then deepens the kiss. His lips are warm and firm and taste like whiskey. Hadrian pulls me closer and holds me up against his body. He keeps one hand on my lower back. His erection presses into my stomach and I gasp.

His tongue meets mine and I am hesitant about what to do. The touch electrifies my body. He persuades my tongue to move in a seductive dance. My body heats up and I find myself pressing into him and pressing my hard nipples against his chest.

His fingers trail down my lower back over the curve of my ass. “Fuck the banquet, let’s go back to our rooms.” His voice is low and the words come out in a rasp.

His words send nerves through my windpipe, and make it hard for me to breathe. My mind starts racing and then short-circuits. Anxiety quickens my heartbeat. I open and close my mouth and the only thing that comes out is. “We can’t.”

He releases the back of my neck. “You want to go to the banquet?” Hadrian asks with a grimace.

*No.*

“Yes,” I say and I barely manage to believe my own words.

He takes a slow inhale, his eyes roaming my features. He analyzes every detail of my face. “All right.” He leans down and gives me a slow and smoldering kiss. It’s a kiss that makes your knees weak and your toes curl. And when it stops I’m left dizzy and dazed.

“Uhm—“ I blink my eyes and I see the hunger in his. His fingers draw circles on my lower back. My body wants more. My body craves his touch, but I'm not ready for those feelings. This is all going so fast.

I look down at the grass and blink my eyes to clear my brain. That's when I spot the blistering burns on Hadrian’s hand. I quickly reach for his hand and he closes his fist.

“What happened?” I try to pry his hand open, but he doesn’t budge.

“It’s nothing.” He says.

“Hadrian, open your hand.”

He grumbles but does as I say. There is a long blistering wound crossing diagonally on his palm. “It will heal in some minutes.”

*Some minutes?* This is not a regular injury. These are silver burns from my necklace.

“Are you sure?” I feel guilty for being the cause of his injury.

“I’m sure.” He says and I let his hand go.

Hadrian moves a lock of hair from my eyes. “Are you sure that you want to go back?”

I square my shoulder to appear a little more convincing. “Yes,” I tell him.

There is a thoughtful look on his face as he analyzes me. “All right then.” He grumbles and he puts space between us. Every inch of space between us leaves a shiver over my spine.

————

We walk in silence back to the dining room. I walk every step with dread. I really don’t want to go back. I’m on edge as if I’m walking straight into impending doom.

Hadrian guides me into the dining room and the air is charged with the presence of the king. There is a tremble in my hand and I clench my fists.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t our future Luna.” A grating voice says.

My body freezes and the hairs on my body stand up.

*I know that voice.*

That voice has haunted me in every nightmare for the past seven years. There is a monster attached to that voice.

And that monster killed my mother.