Terra (The Vulgari Hybrids, #1) ✔

31|Love|

Warning. Sexual content. Mature. Read with discretion. (Runs inside my bathroom and locks self)

| Lia |

"...That I loved you and I always will even without the mate pull?"

The intensity of his words pierced my heart. His honesty was crystal clear in his baby blue eyes.

He must have misinterpreted my silence for he spoke again, "Baby-"

I tiptoed and captured the sides of his face with my hands, the tip of my fingers slipping beneath his black bat-like mask. "Shut up," I said before capturing his lips with mine.

A collective gasp was heard from the crowd.

Fuck them. Fuck all of them. I focused on the feel of his lips as I tried my best to convey all of my feelings into it. He groaned softly before drawing me closer and putting more pressure on the kiss. My body melded with his and it was the most perfect thing, like everything was finally clicking together, a puzzle finally solved. His heat, his scent, his touch ─ it was all I ever needed.

I was startled when he released me. His eyes were glazed with passion, a fire that I had never seen before. He took my hand and led me away from the prying eyes of the Vulgari around us. His strides were so fast that I had to take two steps at a time to catch up.

We went out of the ballroom and into a magnificent garden. Following the cobblestone pathway and passing numerous wooden arches, we turned to a corner until we reached the entrance of a maze hedge. I had no time to gasp in awe at the stunning arrangement of the landscape before me for Theo continued to drag me into the maze. When we finally stopped, I wheezed and tried to gulp large amounts of air.

He released me and moved several steps away. His hands went for his hair and he gripped it tight in frustration. He removed his mask and tossed it aside. I widened my eyes when he turned around and faced me. Tears were flowing from his eyes. He clenched his jaw and kicked at the grass. He stared at the sky and screamed, "Fuck!"

"Theo..." I didn't know what to say. I had never seen him so angry and vulnerable.

"You can't just do that to me, Nathalia. I am your mate. You disappeared for fucking three years. Do you know what it did to me? It was fucking torture!"

I flinched. His words were like knives to my heart. I was hurting because he was.

He slumped to the ground with his back on the hedge and with his one leg flexed. I saw him struggling within himself, his adam's apple bobbing up and down before he spoke again in a broken voice, "You can't just come back and think that everything will be fixed with your kiss..." He looked away and wiped his face with the back of his hand.

My heart broke. Tears pooled in my eyes as I witnessed the aftermath of my disappearance. "Theo, I'm sorry," I choke out, my voice quivering.

"I hated you," he whispered in a low tone, his eyes on the ground. "I can't accept how easy it is for you to forget about me. I told myself that maybe it's because of who you are. You're only a half wolf so your feelings must have been only half of what I feel." He lifted his gaze to me. "But it didn't make sense to me, Nathalia. A mate is a mate."

My knees buckled and I sank to the ground. I had no defense. I could have tried my best if I wanted to. I could have escaped so I could come back to him. But I didn't. I followed orders and trained night and day with only the thought of avenging my parents. I moved him far away from my mind so I would stay focused, so I won't feel anything. I was selfish.

I lowered my gaze as hot tears fell from my eyes.

"I'm sorry..." I said in a weak voice. "I'm sorry," I repeated.