Cold Kisses

12. Just stop

Verity

My face was as red as blood while I took in his words. I don't think I had ever been so shocked and flustered as I was now. Did he just ask me that? Aloud from his mouth? Like he actually meant it?

I was about to answer, the goddess knew I was tempted to say yes. My mind begged me to say yes. But then I remembered what he did, touching Regina even though we were mates and not them. Them being close, too close. Skin to skin.

"Why don't you go to Regina and ask her?" I ducked under his arms and begin to walk back to the house. "I'm positive she will say yes immediately. She might not even wait for you to ask, just jump your bones once you get there."

"Come on, Verity," he shouted after me. "She's not mine like you are."

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around, glaring at him while I pointed in his direction. "I'm not yours! Stopping thinking that I am!"

"You are my mate, bound to me for the rest of your life. It's quite obvious that you are mine." He rolled his eyes at me, snarling. 

"That doesn't mean I appreciate it when you only refer to me as an object that can be owned," I hissed at him. "I am a person and belong to no one other than myself. Get that through your thick head! I'm not an object you can claim ownership over! I am a goddamn person with feelings, you slow-headed idiot."

I stormed away, leaving him behind me. For the moment, I didn't care what he would do, I had enough of this. Enough of this life with werewolves, who think they own the fucking world and the creatures living on it! 

He shouted after me, telling me to come back immediately. I didn't look back. Screw him! He can rot away in Hell for all I care.

As I neared the house, I stopped. Why go in there when I could just stroll around outside? I really didn't want to be stuck in the same building as him right now.

I sighed. Leaving was out of the question, he probably had multiple persons keeping an eye on me. But just walking on the grounds should not be a problem, right? I mean, it's not like I would be trying to leave. 

I walked into the woods once again, sniffing the air. Instantly, the scent of water nestled in my nostrils and I began to walk in the direction the scent came from. Whilst I walked, I noticed how quiet it was. I frowned. It couldn't be me the animals were afraid of, my scent was always masked. My eyes widened for a second and I hissed in annoyance. It had to be a wolf! Probably Ray or Max, watching me by orders from Hunter. How irritating.

Walking deeper into the woods, I soon found myself standing on a small cliff. Below, water poured. I looked around, spotting a tree just by the cliff. It had branches a couple of metres - maybe four- above the ground. A smiled spread over my face as I let my nails grow. I climbed up, moving as swift as a cat, and sat down on a thick branch while leaning my back against the tree trunk.

Up there, I had a good view over the lake, along with the tiny waterfall, and the clearing near it. I sighed and tried to relax. But Hunter haunted my mind and I could not find some rest in the peace.

I was so conflicted. While I did want to mate fully with him, I also did not want to. Making commitments was not my thing and it would only bring disaster to us and the future we certainly would not have. Besides, a vampire mated to a werewolf? That's just absurd.

"Why, goddess?" I glared up at the sky. "Why must you play such cruel games? I have done nothing to offend you." At least nothing major.

Why did it have to be me? A human would have been fine, they do not know we even exist and I could have let that person leave a life in peace. Or a vampire, I could have just ordered that person to leave me alone and forget about me for the time being. But for heaven's sake, why a werewolf, and an Alpha on top of everything?

Alphas are only after one thing - control. They want to control everything from the smallest pup to the oldest wolf. Control is all that seem to matter for them. They even demand their mates to let them do that, control every spectre of their mates's life. 

Tell me every single thing about you, they order. Let me claim you and call you mine, they say. Don't keep any secrets from me, they command. Stay or else I will force you, they threaten. Leave and I'll hunt you down, they promise.

Huh, they are just like him.

I grimaced at the thought of him, a shudder running down my spine. He was vicious. Cold and always demanding answers. Dismissive towards those with lower ranks. Treating others like they were the dirt under his fingernails. He barely acknowledge mother. Only giving her orders when he spoke to her. Or demanding sex, saying it was his right, whether she wanted to or not, since they were mates. He was nothing but ice-cold. Always telling her to get me out of his sight, for he could not stand seeing me anywhere near him. Saying I was a disgrace to him. 

Usch, awful. 

The sound of a twig being snapped woke me from my thoughts. I peered down, furrowing my eyebrows as I scanned my surroundings. 

Five wolves had emerged from the forest and was now lapping on the water. They smelled vile, a strong stench oozing from them. Dirt covered their coats, settling deep in their fur. I scrunched my nose up as I stopped to breathe. Gosh, they stink.

One of them looked up, yellow eyes zeroing in on me. He growled, causing the rest to look up. They glared at me and snarled, flashing their canines.

This must be the intruders Hunter was talking about, I thought. But didn't he say he had taken care of them?

"Well hello there, pretty lady."