"I will be the thorns that protect the delicate and precious rose."
~♡~
Oceania Esterez, seventeen, is a vampire living on werewolf territory since she was born. Pretending to be a human, she knew everything there was to know about the werewolf spec...
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Julian's fingertip brushed down my neck, igniting the sparks behind his trial. I knew for a fact he's here to wake me up because we didn't fall asleep together. Julian would never sleep in my bed without my permission. I groan and finally opened my eyes. "Good morning, sunshine," he grinned happily which I despise. "It's too early for this," I groaned and flipped over, away from Julian.
"Nope, none of that. I think you're forgetting that your mom comes back today," Julian sighed. I jolt off the bed at the reminder. Fuck, I didn't pack up yet. I only have a couple of hours before I leave Julian. "I need to pack," I blurted out and rushed to the bathroom. Julian grabs my wrist and pulls me back to him. "I don't think so. I have an idea but I wanted to tell you first," Julian revealed and my eyes curiously looked into his.
"Okay," I say and patiently waited for him to go on. "How about you and your mother stay here permanently," Julian nervously suggested. That's a surprise definitely. Permanently. "Here as in at the packhouse? We can't do that. Mom doesn't like-" I began to question. "Here. Not on the other levels. This one, with me," Julian cuts me off seriously.
"You're mate...I'm sorry, I know you don't like it when I bring her up but..." I softly say, my eyes glued to the floor because I know it's something he didn't want me to mention. Julian sighed and he remains quiet for a couple of seconds before finally saying something. "We rejected each other okay? She's happy with someone else and I'm happy with you, it isn't a big deal," Julian finally admitted.
He's full of surprises this morning.
The strings of my heart tugged for some reason at that confession. I have so many more questions but he seems hurt by it so I saved them for another time. "Okay, um. I'm sorry to hear that," I whispered. Am I the second option? Am I desperate? Was I an easy target for him all along? Julian shook his head and grabs my chin before pressing his lips firmly on mine.
My body relaxes in relief, that makes me feel better. Just as I was about to kiss him back, I realized I haven't brushed my teeth yet and he has so I pulled away. "I need to get started. I can't say about the moving thing. It isn't my call," I say afterward. "Of course, I'll ask her sometime," Julian agreed.
"I'll see you outside," Julian added before leaving the bedroom. Not wanting to waste the time, I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth before showering. I changed into something simple, a sweater and Jeans with my converse. I finished packing up just in time and cleaned up the bedroom, making sure it was just as I found it on that first day.
Finally, I make it outside and placed my bags in the living room before walking into the kitchen. No surprise, Julian was there but he had company. Their eyes' attention turned to me when I stepped in. "Oceania," Julian acknowledged and the man who was around Julian's age smirked. "This is Rio. Alpha of the Daylight Misk pack. Rio, this is the Oceania," Julian continued with an introduction.
"Uh, hi. Nice to meet you," I blurted out and quickly walked closer to shake his hand, not knowing what to say or do. "No, no. The pleasure is actually all mine," Rio corrects me and our hands lingered for a couple of seconds. It felt wrong for me to rudely pull away. "That's enough," Julian mumbled below his breath, and thankfully, Rio drops my hand.
Right then my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pull it out to read my mother's message that she's waiting downstairs in the car. She's much earlier than expected. "Well um, I better get going, mom is waiting downstairs," I announced.
"Right! Come on, let's go," Julian grabs my hand and attempted to pull me out of the kitchen. Instead, I kept walking to the living room. "She looks so innocent. You'd never think she's the girl in that picture," I hear Rio says once I left the kitchen, much louder than he's supposed to say it.
"Shut up," Julian snapped and ran out of the kitchen with a mission to help me downstairs. We made it into the elevator silent, I wasn't satisfied with the tension because something was bothering us that I couldn't get my finger on. My eyes remained on the wall of the elevator but I badly wanted to look at Julian beside me.
Julian pushed the button that stopped the elevator. "What are you doing!" I scolded and reached to push back the button when Julian tugs me by the waist. "Final kiss?" He whispered as I look into his eyes. The elevator no longer seemed important. "Final? Why do you say it like that?" I frowned, my eyes flicked to his lips for a quick second and he already had me hypnotized.
"I didn't mean it like that, never mind, forget it," Julian quickly changed his mind and turns away to push the button when my fingers fisted his shirt and forcefully pulls him so our lips collided. It didn't take long for Julian to relax and kiss me back, his hand sliding around my waist and the other held my face at the perfect place. He tilts his head slightly, changing the angle of the kiss as his tongue slid between mine.
Unfortunately, we pulled away with bright eyes. "I'll see you soon," Julian assures me and pecked my lips once more before pressing the button and in no time we were on the ground floor. Julian helps me until the door once I was in straight view of my mother's car he hands me the bag and watches me leave.
Because I know I'm holding him back, I quickly threw my bags into the car and got into the passenger seat. "Hey mom," I plastered a fake smile across my face as calmed myself in the seat. She rolls her eyes playfully and stretches over the console to hug me. When I finally hugged her, the smile was no longer fake and I finally realized I missed her.
"Hi honey, it's been so long. I've missed you, you look so alive, I'm so happy to see you like this," my mother rambled off. We pulled away from the hug and I gesture for her to start driving and she quickly does. "I missed you too...um- yeah," I just say. She's used to my lack of conversation so I don't worry about it.
"How's he?" I asked, referring to uncle Joey. She smiles and nods her head as we drove home. "He's in excellent condition. Not at first but it's a better now," mother assured me happily. That's a relief. So for the rest of the ride I remained silent because I was still upset for a reason. I felt empty.
"So how was it? You're so silent...I thought you would've been a little bit more excited to see me," mom sighed as she dumps her bags on the kitchen counter. True to her words, she frowns. "Oh no. I am, I'm just feeling weird today. It was um fine, I managed to stay alive," I quickly say. She nods her head, slightly shocked.
"Yeah...how did that happen?" My mother wondered. I shrug my shoulders, not wanting to tell her the truth though there's no reason that I shouldn't. We weren't doing anything wrong after all, his mate is with another and they happily rejected each other. "Blood bags," I partly lied anyway.
Mother nods her head again, accepting the difficult information. She's supposed to know something is up. I'm usually less willing to drink blood than that. The guilt eats me away and I'm confessing within seconds.
"I can't do this. I'm lying, mom. King Julian and I have actually gotten really close and he knows about everything and I know you were part of it but he also told me that he's met, Dixon and Addison. He knows everything," I blurted out in one go.
Mother remains silent as I tried to catch my breath. The lack of words from her was ruining me. "How close are you two? Between acquaintances, friends, fling, relationship, lovers-" she rambled off finally. "I-I think it's between fling and relationship, it's complicated but he makes me feel weird. I really like him and it makes me confused but I feel happy, he's good for me," I interrupted her.
Mother remains quiet at my confession again. Should I have said all of that?
"You're in good hands alright? Julian is an amazing guy and I wouldn't want you with anyone else, be proud of your feelings. Anyway, I sort of assumed something happen by the way you were looking at him inside A momma knows when her daughter is falling for someone," she grins.
Was it just a fling for the time I spent sleeping in his level?
