HOLLOW

•SEVEN•

•Natalie's POV•
•

I woke up early the next day. The sun was barely showing behind all the trees. I stretched with a faint memory of last night. It seemed quite blurry right now. The only thing I remember was Athanasios saying he would see me this morning. I took my time getting ready in the bathroom. After a shower, I put on the same clothes I wore the day before. The rest of my morning routine went by quickly and before I knew it, I was looking at a sunrise.

For the rest of the morning, I decided to sit by the window and read the book. I was almost done with it and a lot of information didn't really make sense to me. There was a knock on the door, causing me to look up from the book. "Yeah?" I asked loud enough for the person on the other side to hear. The door slid open, revealing Athanasios.

"How's the book?" He asks. I nod with a small smile. "Pretty good." He leaned against the door, just watching me. I couldn't help but shift under his gaze. "Lets go," He says before walking out the door. I close the book and run to catch up to him. I spot him walking down the hall a couple feet ahead.

"Where we going?" I ask once I caught up to him. He looked down with a smile on his face. "Somewhere," He was cute. I can't deny that. I didn't stop myself from staring at him either. He wore a long cloak even though we were inside. His curls fell over his face as we walked. Athanasios suddenly stopped at the last door in the hall. I watched as he opened the door with his large hands. "What's this?" I ask. He chuckled before answering. "Your new room." He held open the door for me as I walked through. I said a quick thank you before looking around.

The first thing my eyes landed on was the balcony. It was at the back of the room and it had a small round table with two chairs. The bed was different from the one I had been sleeping on. It looked like it was for a normal person but it was still quite large for me.

"The bathroom is just through that door," Athanasios says. I nod and look around the room a bit more.

I was looking out the window, watching as the snow fell. It was so pretty here. I still missed home though. "Natalie," I turned my head to look at Athanasios. He was now sitting at the edge of the bed. "Come sit," he patted the spot next to him. I left the window and sat next to him. I felt so little next to him. He was a giant and I was barely five feet. "I have to tell you something," he says, rubbing his hands on his knees.

I nodded and waited for the information. There was only silence for a few seconds. He ran a large hand through his hair as he sighed. "Natalie... we- we are mates," he says. My heart dropped as soon as the words left his mouth. If my world wasn't already swirling then it was now. "W-what?" I said. I got up from the bed and looked at Athanasios with wide eyes. "I thought you had a mate!" I shout.

He sighed running his hands through his hair. "I am sorry for not telling you sooner. I was talking about you the whole time," he says. I could only stare at him. The man I was created for, the man that was created for me. All my life I was supposed to be with him. Athanasios then looked up at me. "Are you alright?" he questions. I just stare at him.

"I don't k-know," I state, honestly. This is why he wouldn't let me leave. We were mates. "Will you at least act as my mate. Not now but in time?" he asks. I nod, my eyes still wide. "Maybe," I say. He nods and was about to leave when I called his name. "Hey, Athanasios! Why don't I feel anything when we touch? The book says that I am supposed to smell your scent- and feel these tingles whenever we touch," I say. He suddenly turns around. "You don't feel them?" he asks. I shake my head. Were we not mates? Was Athanasios mistaken? "How old are you?" he asks out of the blue. "Seventeen," I answer. A small smile broke out on his face.

"That's why! You can't feel or smell anything because you are too young to find your mate. Once you turn eighteen you will be able to feel all of it," he says. I nod, now having a smile of my own on my face. "My birthday is June twenty-ninth," I inform him. "That's in a few days," he says before leaving the room. A few days? Had it really gone by that fast?

_____

That night I lay awake in my bed thinking about Athanasios. We were really mates. Who in a million years would've thought that I had someone made for me? The thought made me want to sleep even more so that I could see what tomorrow will bring.

My eyes opened to the sound of knocking on my door. I threw the blankets off of me and got up to see who was knocking. I was a little disappointed to be awoken from my sleep but I didn't mind. I swung the door open, hoping to see Athanasios but instead, Zephyra stood before me. I didn't like her and I didn't dislike her. It was kinda so-so.

"May I help you?" I ask. She threw the clothes that were in her hand at me. I happened to catch them with my face. She could've handed them to me. "About time you answered the door. Get dressed, we're going out," she says. I pick the clothes off of my head before asking, "To where?" She pushed me aside and walked into my room. "Shopping. You need clothes right?" She asks, plopping herself in a chair that was in the corner of the room. I nod and walk into the bathroom to get ready.

I stared at the two brutes who sat in the front of the car. I had recognized the one who was driving. He was the one who I first saw when I was locked up. The one in the passenger's seat I didn't recognize. He looked as though he had a high rank. "How far is the mall?" I ask Zephyra. She looked bored as she stared out the window. "About twenty more minutes," she says blankly.

I groan loudly. We had already been in the car for twenty minutes. How far into the woods do these people live? Maybe if Athanasios was here then it wouldn't be so bad. "Where is Athanasios at anyways?" I question. This time the one driving answered. "He had business to attend to," His voice was gruff and I made a mental note to not ask any more questions.

We finally arrived at the mall and I was bored out of my mind. I literally ran out of the car just to see something different than tree and snow. "Here!" I turned to Zephyra and she gave me a credit card. "It's unlimited," She says. My eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"B-but h-how-" Zephyra cut off my stuttering "Just don't say anything." I nodded and walked off into the mall with the two men following me. Now I know how people with bodyguards feel. I could feel them watching my every move but soon enough I didn't think about it as much so I finally let myself breathe.

With the unlimited credit card, I went to all sorts of stores. Zara, Forever21, MAC, e.l.f, Sephora, Zumies, Hot Topic, Aldo, Vans, and the list can go on. I found that the two brutes were happy to hold the shopping bags. That was one of the main reasons I kept shopping. The most awkward part was when I had to go into Victorias Secret and look for bras and panties. My face was as red as a tomato.

By then I was ready to leave. Never before in my life had I bought so much in one day. As I climbed into the car I heard Zephyra snicker. "What?" I ask, exhausted. She smirked at me. "You look like shit," She says. I didn't even care that she insulted me. All I was interested in was sleeping. So I sat back in my seat and let sleep take over.

•

Please vote, comment, and follow to show your support:)
Tell me if you like the book so far as well!