CHAPTER 16

Analise's POV

In the list of 'My most stupid decisions', this one surely took the first place.

"I am so going to regret this." I said to myself as I walked through the castle halls, looking in every corner. "Where is he?" I turned another corner and entered the less frequented part of the castle.

'You know you don't have to do this right?'

"I know." I replied. "But, I feel like grandmother knew exactly what she was saying. You cannot just throw a random advice and it is exactly the one you require. I mean, don't you find it odd? I never spoke to her about a mate or Alexander. Yet, she knew that somehow, I would need advice about being patient and talking."

'You are right.' She said. 'Thanks for doing this despite his hurtful words'

"I think I have mastered the subtle art of 'not giving a fuck' over the past few days."

'Here goes nothing.' Crescent said out of nowhere and I felt his presence near me. Indeed he was a few steps away from me, walking in the opposite direction. I did not know if he was ignoring me or he did not know I was here.

The halls here were not guarded. It was the perfect place to try to talk to him. I took in a deep breath, calming my nerves and my mind before I used my werewolf speed. I was behind him in no time and I pulled him into one of the vacant rooms in the hallway.

My hands were on fire as sparks went off between my palm and his arm. The touch was electrifying as it spread throughout my entire body. I realised that it was actually the first time I have touched him and this was definitely not how I expected to feel.

The first step I took in the room, he turned around, getting free of my grip. Both his hands closed around my wrists as he backed us up to the wall behind me. He held both my hands above my head in a tight grip as he glared down at me. For a split second I saw something flash in his eyes but I could not decipher his emotion.

Was it because the sparks?

Was it because he was pissed after last time?

With a swift movement of my hand, the door locked next to us but he did not realise it since he was busy glaring at me. At that time I was thankful of my werewolf genes due to which I was tall. I was not short with my 5ft 9 height but he towered over me with his 6 ft 4 height. As much as I liked feeling the sparks, I spoke up. "You know you can let go of my hands right?" He let out a breath as he released hands, taking a few steps backwards and putting some distance between us.

"I don't have time for this." He said under his breath, irritated as he moved past me towards the door. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here and I did not doubt that. He grabbed the door knob, twisting it around but the door did not open.

Frustrated, he turned around. "Open the door right now."

"I did not lock it." I said nonchalantly. "You had my hands in a grip. Remember?"

"Then tell whoever you told to lock the door to unlock it." His voice came out hard, cold and void of any emotions. There was not even a hint of the frustration he showed only seconds ago.

"I will." He did not move nor did he say anything but I could see his questioning look as to why I agreed so easily. "But, we need to have a talk first." Before he could object I added. "A real talk. Not half sentences. No excuses. I need my answers."

"What answers do you need now?" He asked. "Why am I not letting you tell people we are mates?" I nodded reluctantly. "It's for the good. For me. For you. For everybody."

"Funny how you know what is good for me." I voiced out. "You don't even know me. You know nothing about me. But here you are." I scoffed. "Knowing what's right or wrong for me."

"You don't know me either." He retorted. "You don't know what I am talking about."

"Then tell me!" I exclaimed. "Just tell me and maybe we can work it out."

"There is nothing to work out." I wanted to punch his face because of how he look unbothered by everything happening around him and how he was being, well, cold. "It is for the good."

"Stop with the lame excuses and tell me the truth." I said sharply. He stayed quiet, an icy expression on his face that could make the frozen tundra of Greenland look like tropical islands. "if you really want what is good, then why are you here? Why are you not leaving? Your presence here has caused nothing but nuisances. First with my dad, then my brother, my sister and me."

"In case you forgot princess, your family needed help." He threw the princess title around like an insult.

"If I am not mistaken, you were the one who came here uninvited." I reminded him. "If you leave, nobody will have any objection." I cocked my head to the side. "If you left, you would not have to endure my family. You would not hear any taunts because of our family's history. You would not have people disrespecting you, calling you asshole. You have more people than we do. You have allies who would not hesitate to fight for you. You could defeat the vampires." His expression did not budge in the slightest way. "You would no longer have to see me. Then why are you staying here?"

"Whatever you are doing, or trying to do, is not going to work." He said, his jaw clenching. "If you think keeping me in this room would help you get your stupid answers, then you are wrong. I could easily break this door down and leave."

"I would like to see you try." I nudged my head in the direction of the door.

He turned around and headed to the door. As he was about to punch the door, I casted a spell on the door. Just as his fist was about to make contact with the door, a protective shield surrounded the door. He dropped his hand before turning around and glaring at me. "Don't look at me. I am a werewolf. Not a witch."

"Then tell your witch friend to open it up." He motioned to the door, his voice firm. "You got a witch to lock us up in this place just so you could get your stupid answers?" He took a few steps towards me and let out a small scoff under his breath before muttering. "Pathetic."

"Pathetic? Really?" I let out a bitter laugh. "You know that all of this related to us. Our lives. My life." My tone started rising at the end as I got more agitated. "How much of an asshole and self absorbed are you to not see this?"

"Stop it." He warned as he stood in front of me, his short breaths fanning over my face.

I rolled my eyes and continued. "You are honestly such a joke." I poked a finger at his chest.

"You are all bark and no bite." Another poke.

"You are self-absorbed" Poke.

"Selfish." Poke.

"Stupid." Poke

"Weak." Another poke, stronger.

"A coward." Another poke.

"Someone afraid to tell the truth. Little kids are better than you." As I poked his chest again, he caught my hand in his.

He was pissed

"Don't talk to me like that." He said as he closed the little distance between us but I did not budge. I stayed rooted in my place, looking at him dead in the eyes.

"Why? Your fragile ego cannot handle it?" I commented. "The people around you never had the guts to tell you how you are not actually some god?"

"You don't know what you are talking about." He hissed in my ear

"Or is it because some pathetic girl is able to get on your nerves so easily with her stupid questions?" I taunted him.

"You are not pathetic." He said and for once I actually heard some emotion in his voice.

"You had other thoughts about that previously." I reminded him. "You are nothing but an asshole."

"Just because you are my mate does not mean you can talk to me like that"

"Really? I am your mate now?" I said in disbelief. "Then tell me, why were you with my sister last night? If I am you mate why were you with her? Alone. At night. In the garden." I bit out, as the image of them together flashed in my mind. I had seen them last night when I was leaving my grandmother's room. "You did not seem to mind when she talked to you. Were her questions really that interesting?"

"Fucking stop it." He said sharply.

"Cannot hear anything about your lover? I knew you did not want me. However, I did not take you for the type to leave your mate waiting while you went with other girls- my sister."

"It's not what you think it is."

"Explain it to me then. Or was it because it was for the best?" I used his words against him. He did not answer. "I am giving you a chance to explain yourself. Just tell me now or it might be too late when you actually do."

He passed a hand through his hair, letting out an annoyed breath. "I already told you what you needed to know."

"Why are you acting like this?" I shoved him in the chest but he stood rooted to his place. "It is infuriating for god's sake." I grew frustrated as the next words left my mouth. "You know what is actually the best thing to do right now?" I took in a deep breath. "Just reject me. Get it over with." I said, determined. "You will be free. Nobody would be asking you any questions. You could go with any girl you liked. You would no longer have a pathetic and stupid girl bothering you."

"I've had enough of you now." He gripped my upper arm, pulling me close to him until our faces were centimetres apart. His blue eyes held a fire in them- a fury- and he looked to be having an internal battle with himself. "I will not reject you." He said slowly, as if he was letting the words sink. "I am not interested in your sister." He did not let me speak. "You are not stupid nor pathetic." He sighed, sounding defeated.

I was surprised when he leaned down, resting his forehead on mine. "Never say that again. Please." My entire body tensed at our close proximity and I realised how much I actually wanted this.

How much I wanted to have a mate. Someone to love me and care for me. Be by my side. Support me. Be my safety net for when I fall.

"Why are you acting like this?" My voice came out as a whisper. I removed his hand and moved a few feet back.

As much as I wanted this, I would not allow him to just play with my feelings like this. If he wanted me, he should just man up and say it and if he did not want me, then reject me. "One time you act like you don't care then you act like you care. I don't want all of this." It was my time to sigh. "It's depressing. Draining. Irritating. Frustrating. And I am tired of all of this."

His jaw hardened at my words and his expression looked to have been shaped out of granite. Tension twisted between us like an invisible rope, so tangible I could feel it snake around my neck, cutting off my oxygen supply.

"Then reject me if you want because I will not be doing it." He said. "You have more reasons to do so than me."

"What are you trying to say?" I looked at him inquisitively

"You family hates me. We have been enemies for so long. My grandparents killed so many of your people. You said it yourself, you are tired of this."

"That happened years ago. We were not even born." I rolled my eyes. "And, I don't care what my family thinks. Not about you or anyone else. And, I am tired because you keep making this complicated. You are keeping something from me and until I don't find that out, I won't reject you. Try as much as you want. You will not be able to get rid of me so easily. Unless you give the answers I want."

"God." He muttered under his breath. He looked at crossroads- whether to say something or not. "I can't tell you."

I rolled my eyes. "You know what? I have an actual reason why I should reject you." I said and he looked at me, a questioning look on his face.

"You are a fucking asshole."

He was about to say something but then he stopped. He was right in front of me but his mind was elsewhere. There was a slight glaze over his eyes, similar to the ones when werewolves communicate through our mind links. Once he was over, he was frustrated and the anger in his eyes was clear.

"What happened?" I asked cautiously.