11.

I could hear my own heartbeat banging so wildly in that torturing silence, this whole situation feeling like a deja-vù as we stood in that damned elevator as far as possible away from each other. For a second time tonight.

His laboured breathing and impatient drumming of his fingers against the metal wall told me that he wasn't feeling any calmer either, the thought of that keeping that strong sense of restlessness and insecurity very much alive within me.
Hell, even my wolf felt too scared to even dare poke at the surface again. She didn't care for another encounter with his wolf. Not after whatever that was back in our own yard.

I didn't think that he would stop. The pack wolves -especially the ones with higher ranks- weren't known for their merciful or restrained nature. Quite the opposite, actually. And come to think of that, I couldn't help but consider myself very lucky, if I were to be honest.

Maybe the Moon Goddess did punish me by pairing me with a royal pack wolf, but at least he had enough self-control and empathy not to mate with me by force. And I couldn't help but feel so grateful for it.

He cared enough not to hurt me like that. Which was very sweet and considerate of him.
Even in those moments when he'd had me pinned against him, caught in his hold and dangling at his mercy like a limp prey, he hadn't even used enough force to break a single hair from my head. If anything, he'd actually handled me with enough gentleness to make me realize that he did manage to restrain his wolf after all.

*He went against his own nature to protect me. To protect us.* With that thought in mind, my gaze timidly rose to peer at him from between my lashes, noticing that mournful and dejected look marring his beautiful features as he stood there, keeping himself plastered against that wall as if he was the one afraid of me and not the other way around.
And soon enough, those chocolate eyes met my own as he definitely must've felt my gaze on him, offering me a timid and saddened look as we stared at each other for a moment.

"I'm sorry..." he quietly mumbled, looking like he was about to throw himself at my feet and grovel for my forgiveness, much to my utter surprise.

"I-I didn't mean to..." he abruptly paused to let out a long and tired exhale, anxiously raking a hand through those soft-looking unruly waves at the top of his head as I quietly watched him.

"I shouldn't be trying to excuse what I did..." he let his hands fall limply at his sides, lightly slamming the back of his head against the wall behind him as he looked at me again, making me escape a soft gasp.

"I've assaulted you and it's completely my fault. I shouldn't have gotten so close to you when I could already feel how agitated my wolf was. Is. Goddess!" He nervously raked his hand through those dark brown locks again as he swore under his breath, visibly tormented by what happened between us in that backyard.

I however couldn't stop myself from blinking with astonishment, rendered utterly speechless after everything he'd just said.
Not only did he stop his wolf from hurting me in any way tonight but he was also...sorry for even touching me in the first place?!?

*Okay, now I'm seriously confused.*

Did he...really care that much?

"You...you actually mean that?" I mildly winced at the sound of my voice coming out so weak and mousey, my cheeks heating up a little.

"Of course I do, you're my mate," he rushed to reply with a mild and incredulous frown for a moment as if he couldn't believe that I would even bother questioning that, his features softening as he let his eyes roam over my face.
"And now that I've found you, you will forever be the most important being in my entire life. I should be trying to make you feel safe and comfortable with me, not scaring you like this," I unintentionally let out a soft sigh at the sound of his warm and comforting voice, failing to even realize when we'd gravitated towards each other once again like two magnets.

"You're...I'm..." I watched his throat bob as he thickly swallowed, barely aware of that furious and powerful heartbeat under the palm of my hand, my skin already tingling from our closeness.

I let out another soft and surprised gasp at the feel of his hand encasing my wrist, keeping my palm pressed even tighter against the middle of his chest as he wrapped his free arm around my waist and pulled me closer, allowing me to feel the searing heat of his powerful body plastered against my own.

A small and rather wanton sound escaped me on its own volition, my head spinning from the smell of that enticing scent of his, finding myself almost careless about the fact that his eyes were black again, outlining that raging lust within him along with the firm press of his erection against the lower part of my abdomen.

"Fuck,"

He was back against that wall the very moment that ding sounded overhead, looking he'd been burned by my touch whilst those two doors slid open at our side, revealing Nathan's apartment.

My face quickly grew hot again for the millionth time that night, feeling so dumb and embarrassed for falling so easily back into his awaiting arms as I wordlessly walked inside the apartment without so much as a single glance behind me.

*Damn. This mate bond is freaking unbelievable!*

My gaze timidly rose to peer at the Alpha, watching him curiously stare at his Beta who by the way was already pacing around the living room as if he wanted to make a freaking trench in it.

"Everything...okay?"

I watched my mate's gaze abruptly snap in his direction as if only now having noticed that his Alpha was also in the same room, a very serious look marring his features as he uttered with determination,
"If I come back here tonight, don't let me in,"

*What?!?*

My heart immediately jumped at the sound of that, powerless against that pinch of fear rising within me as my eyelids fluttered with confusion, watching his Alpha simply nod with understanding.

"I'll bring her car back at school tomorrow morning," I winced at the sound of his harsh tone, watching him storm back to that elevator and punch that button with urgency as if he was desperate to get away from here as fast as possible.

"Can I ask what happened?" I blinked and averted my gaze back to the Alpha as soon as those sliding doors closed, fighting that innate urge to dip my chin in submission as I timidly peered up at him.

"Frankly, I don't even know," I quietly replied with uneasiness, not even sure what to tell him.

What could I say, actually? That his Beta came so close to marking me without my consent tonight but he somehow managed to stop himself, even though he had no real reason to do so? Or that our bond was already so powerful that we could barely stay away from each other and he apparently felt so afraid that he would...give in to his natural instincts and mate with me by force tonight, even though again, he had no valid reason to feel like that? I was just a lowly lone wolf after all. Hell, I was less relevant than a damned Omega, according to pack laws.
He was not supposed to care. They weren't supposed to care about what I thought like, at all. At least from what I knew.

"He...We were...uhmm..." I futilely tried an awkward and embarrassing attempt at explaining whatever happened between his Beta and I, mildly squirming under his curious gaze.

"Right. Okay," He simply blew out a tired sigh, thankfully leaving it at that before he turned around and started walking towards the stairs.

"Follow me,"

I quietly trailed right after him as he led me upstairs and down the hallway, stopping at a door before pushing it open.
I curiously stared at him for a moment, lastly realizing that he was waiting for me to go in there so I did, my jaw dropping as soon as I stepped inside.

It was a guest bedroom. A freaking guest bedroom. He had this spare bedroom the whole time and he'd purposely lied to my face so that I would take that ride alone with his Beta, and possibly end up-

I immediately whipped around and threw him a mildly betrayed and disbelieving look, meeting that shameless smirk on his face.

"Whoops. I lied," He simply said with a shrug, receiving a disapproving look from me.

*Why?* I almost felt like asking out loud, forcing myself not to give in and let those few small tears make their way down my cheeks.

I already knew why. He wanted to make things easier for his Beta. It didn't matter that he said that he wouldn't force me to mate with him. He was still his Beta, his most trusted subject. Of course he would try to do whatever he could to help his situation. Even if that meant that he would throw me to the wolves in turn. *Quite literally.*

So I blew out a small sigh and chose to sit at the edge of the queen-sized bed, my hands folding in my lap as I quietly found myself asking,
"Should I be worried?"

I wanted to know. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Was I really safe here? Was he actually going to come back? My mate? Should I keep fearing him, even though he'd tried to protect me from himself?

"No, it's okay, you're safe here with me," He replied with a kind smile, earning himself a small nod from me. I still felt a little confused and scared but I had to trust him now. I had no other choice. He was my best option at the moment.

"At least he was smart enough to bring you here first,"

My brows furrowed at the sound of that, staring up at him with a hint of curiosity.
What did he mean by that?

"Okay, I guess you should know this since you're his soulmate and everything," My eyes widened a little bit as soon as I heard him utter those words, watching him with rapt attention and even a hint of anxiety as he eventually started speaking again.

"If you don't plan on having sex with him at the moment, try not to rile him up too much,"

My cheeks immediately bloomed with colour upon hearing him throw out those words so casually, blinking with utter astonishment. Why was he telling me all this?

"Because as nice and kind his human side can be, his wolf is..." he momentarily paused for a dramatic effect, making me clutch on the edge of my seat before he continued,
"Well, a completely different story.
He's a fucking twisted psycho, and that is something, considering the fact that I'm the one saying it," He let out a chuckle and a mild shake of his head after all that, my body however physically recoiling with utter horror at the sound of that whilst my wolf whined within me, making herself equally small as she couldn't help but feel so scared of her mate now.

*Oh mighty Goddess, what did you do to us?*