Chapter 24

Ella’s POV

After Elena left, I found myself struggling with questions that were gnawing me from inside. I wish things were not as complicated as they are, and we had experienced the bliss of finding each other rather than fear of the unknown.

My eyes shift to Oliver, and instantly his eyes connect with mine. I can see the struggle in his eyes, but what makes me relieved is that there isn’t a hint of doubt in them.

“I am not going to let you down, Ella.” Shaking his head, he takes a deep breath, “But I am not going to lie and say that everything is going to be easy. Being with me is not going to be simple for you. You and I both know that we are different. You are alpha. You have responsibilities towards your pack.”

“And being a guardian, you have responsibilities towards our people. And you can’t turn your back on those responsibilities, just like I can’t leave my pack.” Smiling in understanding, I complete his sentence.

“Even then, you are willing to be with me? Because there might be times when you will need me, and I can’t be with you?” He questions, giving me a choice to walk away. And this itself strengthens my decision that my mate bond is worth fighting for. I am fortunate to have him as my mate who will always put my happiness above his and support me.

“Sometimes, I think people have turned mate bond more like into a slave bond.” Sighing, I roll my eyes, “Being mated to someone doesn’t mean that you have to be with each other all the time. Mate bond brings two people together, but this doesn’t mean their lives should only revolve around each other.” I shrug.

“Growing up, I have always seen mom and dad prioritizing each other, but at the same time, when it comes to fulfilling their duties, they never back down from them.” I smile, suddenly missing my crazily in love parents, “They are always there for each other, but they understand that there are many people who need them, and they can’t let them down.”

Moving my hair to the side, I turn my head to look at Oliver while resting my elbows on my knees.

“When my youngest sister Thea was born, dad wasn’t there with mom. Dad had to leave mom in the final days of her pregnancy to join the neighboring packs' Alphas to fight rogues. Mom needed dad to be with her; at the same time, even our pack needed their Alpha to protect them as the issue of rogues was getting out of hand, and no pack was safe, including ours. Dad chose to fulfill his duty towards our pack and people, and mom supported his decision.” Holding Oliver’s hand, I lightly squeeze it in reassurance, “Mom and dad have shown me that mates are not each other’s weakness, but they are each other’s strength. It is not necessary to be with each other, but it is essential to be there for each other.”

“This is what I want for myself and for, my mate, you.” Smiling at him, I touch the side of his face, “We are going to be each other’s strength, Oliver. Our mate bond is not going to weaken us, but it will be our power.”

His gaze holds a different kind of intensity when he looks at me. I watch him leaning towards me, and it takes me a moment to realize even I am moving closer to him.

My heart stops beating for a moment when he captures my lips with his. Every cell of my body turns alive when he begins to kiss me.

Everything I had heard about the mate bond can’t do justice to what I am feeling. The feeling of reuniting with a missing part of myself is overpowering all the other emotions.

This is real, not any dream. I am not sure what I had seen that day was a dream or not, but at this moment, my reality is beautiful than any dream.

Everything else seems meaningless as nothing else matters to me other than my mate.

The tingling warmth of our bond is spreading from my heart slowing encasing every fiber of my body. The kind of warmth that is soothing, yet it is powerful to burn me.

Tears spring in my eyes because of the overwhelming feelings that I am experiencing. Sighing against his lips, I pull him closer to me, feeling afraid to lose him.

Suddenly, all my fears came crashing down on me, which I was trying to push behind since I had found out everything about guardians and him.

I don’t want to lose him. I can’t lose him.

All this time, I was being strong, but now I feel like breaking. Maybe because I know he is there to hold me.

“Ella.” He gathers me in his arms and pulls me in his lap, “Everything will be alright.” He securely holds me against his chest and rests his cheek on my head.

It is incredible how he can exactly guess what is going on inside me... My feelings, fears, and thoughts, somewhere he always manages to sense them.

“Everything has to be alright, Oliver.” Wiping my tears, I place my hand over his heart and close my eyes, “Otherwise, I will burn this fucking place down, and everyone else who dared to separate us.” Anger bubbles inside me, thinking about everything that can be a threat to us.

“My Ella, as mercurial as ever.” He chuckles and kisses my hair, “But I don’t think I had imagined you any other way.”

The peaceful look on his face, and his easy smile, everything makes him even more handsome if it's possible.

“I think I like you.” Leaning back, I look at him while smiling as my anger sizzles down just by looking at his unbothered expression.

“Yeah, I know.” He freaking smirks, “Don’t you think that I had forgotten how you were checking me out when we had met at Burton’s office when you arrived here.”

Heat rises to my cheeks, which I try to fight by scrunching my face and pretending to deny what he said.

“I wasn’t checking you out.” I scratch my forehead while making a face, “I was just trying to figure if you were a threat or not.”

“Uh-huh.” He nods his head slowly, clearly not buying my lie.

Thinking about that day, I recall the pain which I had felt that day.

“What happened with you that day?” I ask him because I know that pain which I had felt belonged to him.

His face turns rigid as he stares ahead as if even he recalls that day. He absentmindedly runs his hand up and down on my back while he seems like he is gathering his thoughts.

"My wolf, it went crazy when we were informed about your disappearance. He already never accepted Burton's authority, but he refused every command that day, and he wasn't even listening to me. And when they tried to give me the potion forcefully to weaken him, and he took over and killed four guardians." The hint of pride in his tone is hard to miss, "But later we had to face the consequences of our actions, as I was forced to shift and my wolf was punished." His jaws tick in anger as a low growl vibrates through him.

"Every time if we make any mistake, they punish me by harming my wolf as well." Placing his nose in my hair, he inhales deeply as his body shakes lightly, "Bastards always weaken me by hurting my wolf because they know the only thing which matters to me here is my wolf."

"But not anymore. I will fucking kill them even they think about hurting everyone who matters to me." The determination in his voice fills my heart with pride.

"You are not alone, Oliver." Lifting my head, I kiss his jaw, "I am with you. Together we will make them pay for their every injustice against you."