Chapter 16 - Working It Out
I have not seen Vulcan in a week, solely because I have been having class test after class test, leaving me with no time for anything else other than studying. I did, however, start reading books on werewolves whenever I took a break. I love reading so I flipped through those books like a bookworm on fire.
Sighing, I grab my books for the next class and shut the door, screaming when I see my friends, Max and Kayla on either side of me.
″God, don’t do that!″ I breathe, placing a hand over my chest to try and calm my racing heart.
″You get scared so easily, Aurora.″ Max chuckles as he places an arm over Kayla’s shoulders.
″Hey, it’s not my fault!″ I laugh as Kayla shoves him away, grumbling.
They’re human, like me. Yes, my other friends are amazing but I feel slightly out of place whenever I’m with them. I feel more comfortable when I’m with Kayla and Max, we instantly became friends when paired up for a science experiment. Max has black hair, warm brown eyes and is of a slender build. I was the first one to talk to him when asking for notes since he sat beside me.
Kayla has brown hair, which is currently dyed lavender, and piercing blue eyes. She is a few inches taller than me and is the most outgoing girl I know. She’s very popular in school because of her loudness and can make friends in a snap. We met in gym when I got caught for ditching and she was in there being lectured on not to knee a student in the balls whenever she gets angry.
″What class do you guys have now?″ Max asks us, pulling his backpack higher on his shoulder.
″Math.″ We both groan, Kayla resting her head on my shoulder.
″You guys are so hopeless!″ Max grins, backing away.
″Easy for you to say, nerd!″ Kayla grumbles as she pulls me towards our class.
He waves and walks away as we both run to our classroom. The bell had just rung when we slip in, sighing in relief. She sits down in her assigned seat and I sit beside her with Alex to my right. Smiling at him, I take out my things and start writing down the notes already up on the board.
Halfway through the class, Alex leans closer to me. ″When are you going to meet Vulcan?″
″Tomorrow, I’ve been having a lot of tests so I couldn’t find the time.″ I shake my head, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth in slight worry. What if he’s taken my silence in the wrong way?
″I still can’t believe he hasn’t broken down your door yet.″ Alex chuckles, leaning back quickly when Mr. Richards, our teacher, turns around.
“What do you mean?” I frown, wondering why he would break down my door.
“Alpha’s are very possessive and dominant males by nature, especially when it concerns their mates. He’s probably restraining himself so his wolf doesn’t take over and drag you back to his house.” He explains, making me eyes widen.
I remain quiet, not knowing what to do. I know I should go and inform him of my decision but school keeps getting in the way. When I would reach home, the only thing I’d want to do is sleep.
“I’ll go tomorrow.” I reply quietly, meeting his eyes.
″Good!″ Alex smirks, making me slap his arm with a grin.
″Aurora and Alexander! Care to explain why you’re not taking down my notes?″ Mr. Richards yells from the top of the classroom.
″Because your notes are full of shit, that’s why.″ He mutters, making me slap my hand to my mouth to stifle the bubbling laughter.
″I heard that Mr. Youngblood! Both of you, detention after school!″ He states, smirking at our unhinged jaws.
I reach home after an hour of grueling torture that is called detention. Placing the empty plate of food onto my desk, I switch off my computer and stretch in contentment over completing my assignments for the weekend. After changing into my pajamas and slipping some knee length socks on since my bare legs are freezing, I walk out of the bathroom and grab my laptop.
Walking over to my bed, I settle in under the blanket and make myself comfortable, grabbing the bowl of popcorn from the bedside table whilst I wait for my laptop to power on. I scroll through Netflix, finally choosing on a decent looking film and press play. My night is going to be very boring.
Or so I thought.
A few hours later, I wake up to loud banging echoing throughout the house. I realize that I had fallen asleep sometime during the movie. Grumbling under my breath, I sit up and curse whoever is outside for waking me up. When the noise becomes louder and more fervent, I stand, wide awake with my heart racing in fear as I slowly make my way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Grabbing a knife and a saucepan, the only weapons available to me at this time, I tip toe towards the door and place my ear against it.
″W-Who is it?″ My voice trembles.
″Aurora...It’s me, Vulcan. Open the door, please.″ His voice turns softer at the end.
I let out a breath of relief before unlocking the door and making my way back to the kitchen. He closes the door behind him and then there is silence. Reaching the counter, I put my so called weapons back in their place.
Turning, I take him in like he’s doing with me. His dark brown hair is ruffled as if he has run his hands through it a hundred times and a slight beard is growing that makes him look more manly than he already is. His green eyes are dull and tired and his clothes are wrinkled as if he doesn’t care what he looks like anymore.
″Sorry, the loud banging freaked me out. I didn’t expect you to be here.″ I reply in embarrassment, fiddling with the hem of my pajama shirt.
The familiar sparks and tingles dance on my skin and I bite back a gasp as he turns me around to face him. Keeping my head down and my eyes closed, I will myself not to look up at him, his mesmerizing eyes can make me do anything.
″I missed you, Котёночек .″ He murmurs softly, making me pull away to look into his eyes. (Little kitten.)
″I’m sorry.″ I reply guiltily, caressing his cheek. ″I wanted to see you, but I had to study this week for a lot of class tests. Today was my last one so, I was going to come over tomorrow.”
He takes my hand and guides me to the couch, making me sit on his lap as he embraces me tightly from behind. His fingertips trail lazily across my arms, making heat explode within me. God, the things this man does to me. It’s like I’m freezing all the time, looking for a source of heat and he’s always there to provide it to me.
His hand falls from my cheek only to slide down until he is gripping my hips. I open my mouth to say something but am cut off by his lips descending onto mine. They are soft and sweet, just like I remember, enough to make butterflies erupt in my tummy whenever they meet mine.
His tongue swipes across my bottom lip, my mouth opening automatically and letting him in. We fight for dominance before I let him win, the once rushed and needy kiss slowing down to passionate pecks. Pulling away, he nuzzles his nose into the crook of my neck, peppering it with kisses before he finally speaks again.
“Please don’t leave me, Aurora. I won’t be able to handle you rejecting me.” He whispers harshly, as if stating his thoughts aloud is physically hurting him.
“I wouldn’t reject you.” I shake my head, looking up at him shyly when he pulls away to stare at me. “In fact, I was going to tell you tomorrow that I accept you as my mate. If you’ll have me, that is.”
He grins and presses his lips to mine in a passionate kiss, murmuring thank you’s in between pecks. But then, he freezes and pulls away to stare at me in confusion. “What do you mean if I’ll have you?”
“Well, I’m human and people from Damon’s pack have been talking about -”
“And you let their words get to you.” He finishes angrily, making me wince.
“Pretending I couldn’t hear them didn’t work all the time, sometimes it affected me.” I shrug before pleading him to listen. “You deserve better, Vulcan. I just want you think about this and -”
“I’ve already thought about it. You are my mate, my Luna and Queen. Nothing anybody says can change that, do you hear me?” He demands, gripping my chin so that my attention is solely on him.
When I remain silent, he snarls furiously and pulls me flush against him. “Do you understand, Aurora?”
“Yes.” I nod quickly, feeling him relax.
He presses his forehead to mine and closes his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips. “You are everything I want and more, my angel. Never doubt my feelings for you.”
I stare at him, confident that we’re going to be okay. Natasha had told me that he was dealt a rough past that had shaped him into a cold, harsh person but with me he seems to melt and I love it. I don’t feel good enough for him, but I will try my hardest to put as much effort into this relationship as I can.
“This is pretty scary for me, I’m not going to lie.” I let out a shaky breath, peeking up at him.
“I understand.” He murmurs, slight worry in his eyes. “But remember, if there’s anything you want to know all you need to do is ask. I’ll always chase your fears away, Aurora.”
I kiss his cheek softly, watching as his green eyes regain some of their brightness and his lips pull up into a small smile. I’m pulled into his embrace again and we sit there for a while, just taking in each other. I had read books and asked Sophia about the mate bond and it’s clear that it has done a number on both of us, that much I can tell.
Vulcan isn’t as bad as me but there are still some obvious signs that the distance has affected him just as much. There are slight bags under his eyes, his skin has lost its color and he looks extremely tired; as if all the energy has been sucked out of him. And I don’t even want to get started on me. We have turned into a mess in just a week!
“We look awful.”
He pulls away, chuckling. “You have no idea how hard it was for me to restrain myself and my wolf from breaking down your door every day.”
“Natasha kept me updated.” I lift a shoulder in a shrug. “She said you would inject yourself with Wo - Wolfsbane? Why would you do that? Damon told me it’s quite painful.”
“I needed to give you space, I had already overwhelmed you.”
“But why -”
“Because my wolf is making it hard for me to resist you, Aurora.” He cuts me off, leaning back against the sofa and bringing me with him. “All he wants to do is make you his in every way possible but I want to give you time. It’s very rare for Alphas to have humans as mates but when they do, they are extremely protective over them. I want you near me all the time, in my sights and out of harm’s way. But if I let my wolf have control, he’ll force you and that is something I will not allow to happen.”
I hum, hiding my face in the crook of his neck with my arms wrapped around him. A shiver runs up my spine when he plays with my hair, making me feel sleepy suddenly. He can’t blame me; I mean the guy woke me up at three in the morning for Pete sake!
Sometime later, I feel him stand with me still in his arms. I crack open an eyelid drowsily to find myself being carried up to my room. Cuddling further into his chest, I sigh in content when he lays me down on my bed and covers me with my blanket.
I open my eyes to see him stand up and put a hand in the pocket of his jeans, the other rubbing the back of his neck. Before starting towards the door, he leans down and places a soft kiss on my forehead, the feel of his lips still lingering even when he has pulled away. When he’s about to leave my bedroom, I call out to him. He turns, the silhouette of his body dark against the warm glow emitting from the hallway.
“Please don’t hurt yourself anymore. I don’t like the thought of you in pain.” I whisper, knowing he can hear me with his enhanced abilities.
“As you wish, mea lux.” He looks at me as he speaks with so much intensity in his eyes making me wonder what exactly he called me. “Sweet dreams, little mate.” (My light.)
“Goodnight, Vulcan.” I whisper, watching him close the door and hearing his footsteps as he walks downstairs and leaves.
For the first time in a week, I sleep content and with a smile on my face knowing everything is finally right between us.