Bound

Chapter 49 - True Mate

Skylar

Okay, Skylar, pull yourself together.

I was currently standing in the bathroom looking in the mirror, giving myself a stern mental talking-to. I was unaccustomed to so many people, and the energy in and around me felt too much. Like I was going to explode. There was an apprehensive feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldn't shake. The marks on my arm seemed to be buzzing just under my skin. My hand brushes over the pendant sitting between my breasts.

With a smooth of my dress and one last look in the mirror, I leave the comfort and silence of the bathroom. As I emerge, I walk straight into a rather large man standing near the door. This man, while not as muscular and buff as Dmitri, is also pure muscle. It seems to be a trend with this species. Not one I'm complaining about.

"I'm so sorry," I say, stepping back.

The man smiles, his brown eyes lighting up as he looks at me. He is tall, as most of these creatures seem to be, at around 5'9". His neatly styled wavy hair, which in his younger days would have been black, is littered with grey, and a neatly cut, short beard matches the color on top. While grey might have aged any other person, he still manages to look about Dimitri's age. He is attractive but not really my type. My type is brooding and with unnatural green eyes.

He is dressed in a black tuxedo, almost similar to the one Dmitri wore in Spain for the conference dinner, the only other color coming from the olive-green pocket square. It is remarkably close to the color of my dress. Almost exact.

"Skylar." The voice is husky and low. Familiar. But I couldn't seem to place it.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" I ask, confusion no doubt plastered all over my face.

"It's me, Chris." He still smiles at me as I comprehend what he just said.

"Chris, wow, what are you doing here?" I can't help the shock that I feel. Yet another person I know who has ties to this new world I've only just begun to navigate.

"I supply the Silver Wood Pack with some of my more specialized herbs, and since I am passing through, I am staying with them for a while. I was invited as a guest of their pack." That is a valid explanation, though I still cannot believe every person I know is aware of this other world that exists right under humans' noses. It's not as peripheral as I used to think, so I can't understand why I never knew any of this before.

"I thought for a minute you were a werewolf," I chuckle nervously. "I'm so sorry I haven't called you. I got back and had so much to sort out at the shop that I haven't had a chance."

"Don't worry about it, I'll be sticking around for another week or two, so we still have time. I have property not far from here." He becomes slightly more serious and very concerned. "How have you been, Skylar? I heard what happened to you in Spain."

"I'm okay. Everything was a shock initially, but I think I'm okay now. If it wasn't for Dmitri, I don't know what would have happened to me." With those words, I look past Chris toward where I last left Dmitri, but he is nowhere in sight.

"You and he are together," his eyes darkening ever so briefly as he states this. "Just be careful. I've heard things about him."

"I know. Everyone I meet tells me to be careful. But he is different with me. There is something special between us I can't describe." I know I don't really have to explain, but I was sick of everyone warning me off Dmitri when all he had been so far towards me was great.

"I just want you to be happy, Skylar." The way he says it makes me believe he really wants that for me.

I ponder at the bizarreness of his words. He barely knows me, with our telephonic conversations not broaching subjects of our intimate lives.

"I am happy, Chris. Why don't you come and meet him at least?" I smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Sure, Skylar. Lead the way." He holds his arm out for me to take, a smile back on his face though it doesn't reach his eyes.

We walk toward where I last left Dmitri, remembering someone calling him from a nearby table. I hope he is close by as I would hate to have to sift through the mass of people to find him. Speaking of a mass of people, a crowd has formed close to a table near the entrance where we came in. As I approach, I can hear gasps and whispers.

"He found his mate," someone says as I pass. "She doesn't know," another person says, looking at me as I make my way through the crowd. Some faces look at me with pity, while others smirk.

I look at Chris. "I wonder what's going on?" He looks back at me with the same pity mirrored on his face as those I pass by.

"I think we should leave Skylar." His voice is low, and he sounds like he is in pain.

"No. What's going on?" I'm starting to panic, the knot in my stomach tightening with every step I take. I unhook my arm from Chris and push my way forward.

As I push through the last person, the sight in front of me almost has me throwing up on the spot as my heart drops. Dmitri. My Dmitri. With Savannah's tongue halfway down his throat. My only comfort is that Dmitri seems slightly uncomfortable, judging from his stance. Maybe this is some sort of mistake.

The room goes silent, all eyes darting between the couple and myself.

Savannah pulls away, her body still plastered to Dmitri, smiling as she looks at him. That smile turns into a smirk when her eyes shift and connect directly with mine.

Dmitri's gaze follows hers, locking with eyes that are about to spill tears. There is a flash of regret before it is replaced with a blank expression. His eyes now unreadable. I know he can hear my heart rate increasing. Just about everyone here can. The whole room is getting a good look at the humiliation I currently feel. I could well be on the verge of having a full-blown panic attack. I can feel the energy building up inside me. It's so strong I almost feel like passing out. The marks on my arms start burning, and as I look down, I can see they are swirling. Hoping no one else has noticed, I push my arms against my sides, hiding them from view.

"My mate," Dmitri announces loudly, his eyes leaving mine and focusing back on Savannah. My heart breaks. I knew there was a chance we might not be fated, but I hoped that the feelings we have for each other would be real enough to override that. I even naively thought that if the time came, he would pick me. Fight for me. Love me. The time has come, and that has definitely not happened.

I take a step back, my eyes darting around the crowd. They land on Chris, who has been standing slightly behind me. He moves forward and takes my arm. Surprisingly, the burning on my wrists subsides.

I hear a growl I would be able to identify anywhere, but I don't look at Dmitri.

"Let's go, Skylar." Another growl erupts from the chest of the man who has just ripped my heart out. Still, I refuse to look.

I allow Chris to move me through the crowd as I keep my eyes on the ground.

He stops me as we make it through the bulk of the people. "Do you want to get out of here?"

"More than anything, I would like to be anywhere but here," I say to him without hesitation, desperation and hurt coating my words.

"Trust me, okay? And don't be scared."

Before I can ask what he means, I'm pulled into darkness for a second or two. With the next blink of my eye, I find myself standing by my front door. The very place I wanted to be. Home.

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