My Most Precious Human

I looked around my new room. The wooden boards were framing a huge, wall-size window in front of me, which opened onto a small balcony. It let out a magnificent amount of light, just enough to brighten up the dark wooden floor. The white, raw walls perfectly corresponded with the dark brown flooring and the wooden furniture's skeletons wrapped in light-cream leather. But the most stunning part of the room was my new bed. The massive ebony frame went up to the ceiling, crowning the bed with a beautiful cream-white canopy. Below the falling layers of a silk-like fabric were a soft quilt and multiple down pillows. It was all amazingly cozy, but at the same time, unquestionably sexy. Just looking at it put me in a mood to...

My heart ached again.

I started to question whether that stupid bond-breaking formula, which I said aloud as if I had casted a spell, even worked. Maybe it did... on Sariel. Perhaps I didn't feel any change within me because I was a human...

"The hell with those stupid genes!" I shouted painfully, cursing my human nature.

It sucked. I was unable to feel the mate-bond and breaking the vampire blood-bond clearly malfunctioned in my case. Perhaps I was meant to be uncertain of my significant other's feelings, then heartbroken and finally empty. I wondered what Sariel felt at that moment... I wondered if he felt relieved after I had broken our bond. After all, he used to fight those feelings my blood forced on him. Did he feel freed from the burden when I left him?

My chest squeezed once that question appeared in my mind, forcing salty-wet streams down my cheeks. I was going to surrender to my despair if it weren't for the sudden knock on my door. I jumped up from the floor and brushed the tears off my face.

"Yes? Who's there?" I called out nervously.

"It's me, Ari. I brought your suitcase, Ms. Lilith."

I opened the door while hurriedly putting a smile on my face. "Please, come in..." I gestured at him, and quickly added, "and call me Lilith... please."

"I can't do that." Ari winked at me, taking my suitcase into the room. "Alpha would have killed me if I called you by your first name."

"Seriously, Beta Ari? I think I can decide whether I want someone to call me by my name or not," I smirked.

"Not if Alpha Draven decided you are his Luna-to-be," he chuckled.

Chills ran down my spine. "What did you say?" I choked out.

"Wasn't that obvious?" He shrugged.

I swallowed hard as fear clouded my eyes and froze my expression.

"Hey, this isn't a death sentence, you know?" Ari snorted, making me realize that my panic had surfaced right before his eyes.

"I didn't mean it that way..." I smiled nervously, "I just... It's a bit overwhelming."

"You'll get used to it... and Alpha Draven. Whatever you may think about him, he is not a bad guy." He was trying to help me accept the situation, but I was more than aware that none of his words could speed up the process.

I smiled at him in my silent response. I might have known that Draven was exactly the villainous type, but that didn't bring me anywhere close to having feelings for him. Speaking of which... did he truly have feelings for me?

"Beta Ari... Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" I gazed at him hesitantly.

"Shoot away." He made himself comfortable in the closest chair.

I sat on the bed, locking my eyes on him. "Do you have a mate?"

"Yes. I found my Sadie when I was visiting a nearby pack six years ago," he replied casually.

"What was it like for you? I mean, how did you know it was her?" I asked, cautiously stepping into an intimate topic.

He sighed and then grinned. I figured he must have been recalling their first moment since his aura emanated pure love and bliss. I could taste the sincerity of his feelings by merely looking at him.

"It was like an irresistible calling that kept pulling me close to her. When I saw her, she was like the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. Some men stood in front of her, I swear I could rip them apart only because they were trying to talk to her," he chuckled.

"Were you... in love from the moment you saw her?" I inquired shyly.

"I... don't know how to describe what I felt..." He looked up as if searching for words, and then stated. "I was ready to submit to her entirely, and at the same time, everything inside screamed that she was mine and mine only. I still feel the same way about her." He giggled while an adorable blush popped all over his face.

I couldn't help but smile. I kept wondering if Draven felt something similar when he saw me at the ball. Was that the reason why he attacked Derek? Did he want to protect me because he instantly felt that I was his? I wished I knew what it was like to feel this kind of connection. It would make a lot of things easier if I did. Perhaps I would look at Draven then and instantly know what was best for me.

"Is Sadie a werewolf?" I asked.

"She's a half-breed. She is wolfless, but she felt our bond right away," he grinned.

"I envy her... My life would have been easier if I just felt who I was destined to be with," I smiled sourly.

"Hey, cheer up!" Ari smirked at me. "The mate-bond is a great thing, but you don't have to feel it to be with a wolf, you know?"

"Yeah... you are right," I chuckled. "I guess Alpha Draven will have to make an effort if he wants to have me."

"Oh, you'd better be prepared for it." Ari sounded hundred percent serious.

That tone of his voice did something weird to my heart: it fluttered. It felt as if my body was desperate to erase the pain by any means necessary. I immediately hated myself for that. The last time I followed my stupid heart, it led me straight to the unconditional love I felt for Sariel. It took a great amount of pain for me to sober. I was in the process of locking away the remains of that love, but it could take a long time for that feeling to die within me. I would be damned if I got myself into another so-called relationship without thoroughly thinking it through.

"Well, I have to get going, Ms. Lilith." Ari stood up and headed for the door. "Is there anything you need? Or maybe you would like to see the town? It's a safe place, so you can actually walk freely wherever you want."

It sounded like music to my ears. I couldn't recall the last time I walked freely anywhere. I had literally lived my entire life looking over my shoulder, and once I gained protection I found myself locked in a golder cage.

"I'd love to see the town... if I may," I said timidly.

"Great!" Ari called out, grinning. "I will let lan know. He will take you wherever you want. I'll tell him to wait for you by the main entrance. Just tell me how much time do you need." "Fifteen minutes," I sang excitedly.

He nodded, acknowledging it, and left my room. I was jumping for joy, grinning like a child. I wasn't even aware of how much I craved freedom. The simple act of walking through the streets, window-shopping, wandering around without any particular care had never even been in my dictionary. For the first time, I was in an oasis far beyond my father's claws, and I could do whatever I wanted. It felt wonderful.

I took a five-minute shower, changed my clothes, grabbed my purse, and ran downstairs, laughing at my insane level of agitation. Once I walked out of the door, I saw a blue-eyed, blond guy, wearing a black halfway unbuttoned shirt and a pair of jeans. He was leaning against the black Range Rover with his arms crossed over his chest. His stare was blank and indifferent, making me wonder if he wasn't sleeping with his eyes open.

"Um... Are you lan?" I asked, giving him a polite smile.

He flinched as if my words actually woke him up. "Yup," he grinned.

Then he jumped away from the car and opened the door for me, gesturing at me to get inside. I nodded and three seconds later I was already sitting in the front passenger's seat. lan shut the door on my side then swiftly jumped through the hood and appeared behind the wheel before I blinked my eyes. I knew it was his way to show off in front of "the new girl", but it worked. My jaw almost dropped. Of course, I pretended not to be impressed at all. I just smiled at him, waiting for him to start the engine. He looked at me, confused and slightly disappointed with my zero reaction, and then nervously cleared his throat. "Is there somewhere particular you would like to go... Ms. Lilith?"

"Yes," I smirked. "Do you know where I could buy a phone? I think it's about time for me to have one."