Forbidden

Chapter 27

27

Mate.

Definition: a counterpart.

One seemingly harmless word, right?

Mine.

Definition: something that belongs to me.

Equally as harmless.

Wrong.

Two words that had the capability of dagger and knife in my mind. And my wolf refused to stop repeating them. Over and over in my head like a stuck record, in her throaty bark. I knew that such words were true, deep down in my soul; I felt a connection to him that went beyond words. But it was still forbidden. I mean, sure, I liked Liam, but never enough that I saw him as my Mate.

Until now.

I could see his face in my mind, the exact color of his silver eyes, the way his dark hair fell across his forehead and made him look so mysterious. The quirky little grin and the stubble on his chin… The attraction was deeper than the sea. And it scared me half out of my wits.

We should not be Mated.

He was a Shadow, and I was a Leaf, two people sworn to be enemies for all eternity.

And we were Mates.

It was so wrong, like roses growing in the winter, or humans lying with animals.

I thought back to this afternoon, the way my hands lingered on his skin as that final bolt of nuclear attraction exploded within my body, so big and so bright, it didn’t go unnoticed. The way my wolf reacted within my soul, almost triggering the Shift.

But only for a moment, for I’d snatched my hand away from him and took off.

I’d gone through all my classes in a blur, refusing to say anything to anyone because I was still reeling from his touch.

I hated how my body wanted more.

When the last bell rang, I packed up my stuff and walked out into the hall, heading for the front doors of the school. My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I pulled it out.

A text.

Shrugging, I opened it, eager for a distraction from the images of Liam popping up behind my eyes.

It was from Tegan:

Sorry Misha, Hayden and I cut school and headed to the cinema.

Hope you aren’t too angry with us :(

-Tegan

Scowling, I pushed my phone into my pocket, contemplating what I wanted to do next.

I really needed a car.

I contemplated calling my mom and asking her for a ride, but I refused to be knocked down be her countless criticism and her demands on why perfect, sweet Randel wasn’t good enough for me.

As I passed the library, scrolling through my phone for people to hitch a ride from, I wondered absently to myself when was the last time I’d been in there. A stroke of genius hit me like lightning. I could be my own transport. Instead of languorously plodding over my home-work at home, I could do it here, at school, stow my bag in my locker and race home in wolf form.

It would only be me, alone in my head, free to have my own thoughts. And try to understand that Liam was my Mate by all intents and purposes.

But we would never be together.