CHAPTER NINE
EMMA'S POV
"Here..."
I looked over at Xavier and he slid over his beer to me.
"No thank you."
"You know I can read your mind right?"
I looked down and nodded. All males did, it's a way to protect their mates.
"Then take it, I promise not to tell."
"I really don't like it."
"Then what would you like?"
I bit my lower lip and looked at him.
"I'm okay."
He turned his body towards me and held out his hand to me.
"Come on, I think it's time for you to have some fun."
"Where do you want to take me?"
"Just take my hand and I'll show you."
I looked at his extended hand for a minute before I took it, letting him lift me off of my chair.
If he really was my mate then he wouldn't harm me, right?"
"You bring her back before midnight!"
I groan at Daddy's over protectiveness, but still smile at him as he gives me a wink.
"Mind if I change first, I really need to get out of this dress."
"If you promise I can drive your car."
"Ummm..."
"Oh come on, I promise not to scratch it."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Okay."
We ran inside and I went into my bedroom while he waited for me outside of the door. I quickly changed into one of my summer dresses and flats then fixed my make-up before coming out.
"Almost done?"
"Yeah!"
I opened the door and he jumped back making me laugh.
"Ready."
He took my hand and we ran down as I tossed him the keys.
"Be nice."
"Of course."
He opened my door as soon as we got my car and then went around to his side.
"Ready?"
He roared my baby to life and we were off into the fields.
XAVIER'S POV
"Ever seen the sunset?"
"Yes when I was a little girl Dad would come home and take mom for runs and I would follow just to catch them over the cliff, watching the sun fall behind the mountains.
I smiled, not helping the excitement that she didn't reject me.
"So you know you turn at midnight, right?"
"Yeah, but I've been turning since I was sixteen, what's so special about this one?"
"Your mate will be right in front of you."
'Oh shit, I forgot about that.'
I laughed coming into view of the ocean,
"Come on."
I turned off the car and got out, running over to her side to open her door.
"I think the best thing about where you live is the ocean."
I quickly pulled her out and dragged her down to the ocean, but she pulled back as soon as we hit the edge of the cliff.
"What are we going to do?"
"Watch..."
The image hit me like a ton of bricks and I couldn't contain my growl of anger only to hear her whimper.
I quickly turned around and took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, I just..."
"No, I'm sorry, look we can forget this and pretend like we're still a student and teacher..."
I snap my head to look at her.
"Is that what you want?"
"I just feel like I can't give you what you want. I mean I'm trying really hard to let you touch me, but..."
She then turns.
"I love you."
Her head starts to shake and she begins to cry.
"I'm sorry."
"No..."
I let out a sigh and take her into my arms.
"Don't be. I should be the one being sorry. I should have been there for you, I just..."
"It wasn't your fault."
"But I blame myself for it. If you would have just let me kill him..."
"And what difference would that have made? Your parents, my sister would have been devastated!"
"But what about you? You shouldn't be suffering like this."
"Either way I would have. One way or another someone gets hurt and I am not going to be the one who causes it."
I look down and shake my head wanting to go back and rip his heart out like he was ripping mine from just the feel of the pain she was in.
She was tearing herself inside and I didn't know if I could take it.
"Please stop."
I looked at her and she looked confused.
"I can feel your pain. I hear your thoughts and I know you think you're not good enough."
She looked down, sitting on the hood of her car.
I went up to her without touching her and watched her, listened to her battle within herself about what she should do.
"I love you... I love you... I love you. I LOVE YOU!"
I felt her heart skip a beat and I looked down at her looking up at me.
"And I will stay it, scream it, yell it and howl it to the moon until you believe me. I'm not going anywhere, do you understand me?"
"But..."
I placed my finger to her lips and smiled as her breathing increased.
"There is nothing you can do that's going to stop me from loving you. I've watched you for the past three years and I've seen it all."
"You've know for three years?"
I nodded leaning in closer to her.
"You have no idea how painful it is to watch the woman you love smile and laugh and not be the cause of any of it."
"Is that why you got mad at me and Zander the other day on our trip to the fabric store?"
I laughed, nodding as she pouted.
"Oh you look cute when you do that kitten."
She raised an eyebrow.
"What you don't like my new nickname for you?"
"Its baby girl, everyone knows that."
"Oh but you're not a little girl anymore, especially not a baby well at least not after midnight tonight. After that, you'll be all woman, my woman."
She blushed and looked down, making me growl.
"You're turning me on now and if I take you now, god knows what I'll do to you later."
She froze at my statement and I cursed at myself for forgetting why she was so scared.
"Shit, I'm sorry. I just... It's a full moon and you know how males get when they get a little excited and more when they're with their mates."
EMMA'S POV
Once he mentioned I turned him on, I froze. How was I supposed to do this? He's my mate and if I understood, I'd have to sleep with him to complete the bond.
I looked back at him as he stepped away from me.
"I can wait... It's no big deal."
"I'm sorry; it's just that I don't think you would want someone who isn't a virgin."
"But I understand why you are not. We don't all expect our mates to be, but I do have one question."
"Okay."
"Was it Zander you lost it too?"
I looked down and shook my head.
"I mean, we did things when we were in Mexico, but we couldn't bring ourselves to loosing it when we knew it belonged to our mates and we were clearly not mates."
"Then it was..."
I nodded feeling the tears weld up in my eyes once again.
"It was meant for you and I can't even give it to you now and I hate myself for that."
"Hey, no stop that."
He took me into his arms and lifted my chin to meet his eyes as he wiped the escaped tears.
"It wasn't your fault, please believe me it wasn't your fault. I know him and I know you couldn't fight him off."
"But I could have fought harder."
"And what would that gain? He would have hurt you worse and then what?"
"You deserve someone who isn't broken and can give you everything."
"I have everything when you smile at me, when you squirm, when you know I'm near and especially when you think about all the naughty things..."
"Oh god."
I burried my head into his neck as he pulls me in closer.
"I like it actually, makes me feel less of a pervert."
"Hey!"
I laugh this time, snuggling closer against him, taking in his sent of how a forest would smell after a rainy day.
"And besides what fun would it be if I already had a made puzzle, defeats the whole purpose of the puzzle."
"But I am a broken puzzle."
"Not for long. It'll take us time and patients to get you, us, were we need to be, but I'm willing to fight and cry and struggle with you. Remember, I can feel, see and hear you wherever you are. The minute you hit twenty one and... and... once we're mated you'll never want to sleep alone again."
I looked up at him to see him wiggling his eye brows at me, making me hide my face again.
"Do you think once I'm twenty one, I'll stop feeling like this and want you?"
"Depends on you, I know your wolf would want me, but you, I don't know."
I looked back up at him still looking down at me and I had to sit up straight which meant pulling away from him.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Are you a virgin?"
He laughed and shook his head.
"God knows I haven't been one for a very long time."
"Who was it?"
He pulled me closer and held my chin.
"Why do you want to know, ha?"
"I'm curious."
"My neighbor and I was only fourteen, she was sixteen."
"Any girlfriends I need to know or worry about?"
He laughed, putting his hands on each side of me against the hood of the car.
"I haven't been with anyone since I found you and let me tell you it's been tough."
I looked down and smile, noticing his thumbs rubbing circles against my thighs.
'Good.'
I heard him laugh and I looked up to find him just inches from my lips.
"Sorry."
"Don't be, you're worth every second."
I locked my eyes with his, but with him between my legs, his thumbs rubbing lazy circles and his intoxicating masculine breath against me, I couldn't help but flinch a little as he pressed a little closer.
"Relax."
"I'm sorry I just can't help it."
He shook his head and leaned his forehead against mine.
"I promise I'm not going to hurt you."
I then started crying, pulling back because he sounded just like his brother. The same lust filled voice that could only indicate one thing and one thing only. I heard a growl and I didn't dare look at him, I knew he was mad.
"I'm not HIM!"
I flinch and couldn't help, but jump away from him and run.
"Emma, WAIT, I'm SORRY!"
But I couldn't, not until I ran into the house and up to my room to take another shower. This time I was able to use the bleach.
XAVIER'S POV
Shit...Shit...Shit! Why did I have to go and push her like that?!
"God damn it!"
I got myself into the car and sped after her, but she cut through the field and made it home before I did, damn she was fast.
I quickly parked and ran in; feeling my skin tingle and my nostrils began to flare from the smell of the bleach.
"Shit!"
I ran up and nearly knocked down her bedroom door as I made my way into her bathroom to see her crouched down in her shower, crying. Her skin was bright red from scrubbing and she was trembling.
As soon as I saw her reach for the bottle once more, I quickly pushed it away, stopping her from harming herself even more. When she reached for it once more I stopped her by taking her hand and turning her so that she would look at me.
It took her a second to realize it was me and when she came too, she slides back into a corner like a lost puppy... a lost baby girl.
"Please don't hurt me."
I looked away, hurt that she would think I would do such a thing, but I understood why. I slowly released her hand from my grip and turned off the hot water she was currently using then grabbed her a towel.
"Em..."
"Please do away."
"I can't help you."
She shook her head and turned her back on me, but I was determined to make her feel safe with me even if I had to fight her all the way.
Midnight needed to come and fast.
EMMA'S POV
I could feel him behind me, waiting for me and when I turned, he was asleep against the bathroom sink cabinet. I don't know how long we've been in here, but I could feel my wolf wanting to get out and I was cold.
What time was it?
He stirred a little making go still.
"I love you baby girl."
My heart dropped watching him as he whimpered in his sleep and my wolf cried out to him. I tried to stretch and just ended up whimpering myself of how stiff I felt.
Then the hot water turned on above, making me flinch and look up to see him standing over me.
"Take your time."
He gave me a warm smile and walked out, leaving a towel out for me.
I sat there for minute to let the water relax my muscles feeling like I should have gotten up and ran after him to tell him I was sorry, but I just couldn't bring myself to do such a small thing.
I slowly made my way over to the mirror, wiping the condensation off and hated what I saw.
"You look like shit."
I cleaned my face, wiping off the caked on makeup and brushed my hair into a braid. My wolf whimpered as the feel of my skin as I applied lotion. The bleach was starting to affect my skin and it was beginning to affect my wolf as well.
I knew it wasn't good for me, but I just couldn't help it. My wolf understood why, but that didn't keep her from begging me to stop.
'Soon you'll lose your sent and then what will happen when we need our mate?'
'I know, I'm sorry."
I felt like a total failure to her, but it's what my human side needed.
After I was finished I came out to my room to find clothes laid out for me, down to my underwear and a note left on my desk.
I'll be outside at midnight ready to run with you when you're ready. I know you don't trust me, but I'm willing to change that and let you have your space if that's what you want. You're wolf will be calling out to when you shift at midnight, so I'll be there, but only when you're ready will I approach you. I don't want you to be afraid of me and know that I'll protect you no matter what because I love you and I always will.
Love always
Xavier
I place the note against my nose inhaling his sent noticing a pair of sparkling hazel eyes starring from below my window that could only belong to my mate in a shiny black coat of hair.
He then bowed his head and howled to let everyone know I was now twenty one. My eyes never left his and was about to call out to him when my door opened, making me jump.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
Sissy came in and hugged me, jumping up and down.
"COME ON!"
She yanked me by my hand running back down to where mom and dad were patiently waiting, well at least dad was.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!"
I hugged them both as I saw our pack beginning to gather around to congratulate me.
I was shaking as I saw the black wolf approach and my head suddenly knew where it belonged, making my wolf cry out to him.
"MATE!"
I started to cry as I saw the sadness in his eyes when he took a look over my bear arms and legs, so I slowly made my way over to him and ran my hands through his silky smooth hair.
"Hi."
He whimpered and licked my face to wipe my tears away, but it only made me giggle.
"That tickles."
I scratched behind his ears and hugged what I could. He was so soft just a stuffed puppy dog. He must have heard me as he nudged my neck making me laugh.
"Oh don't get mad now, it's a good thing."
He sat down on his hind legs and I was able to step in front of his chest, going on my tippy toes to whisper in his ear.
"Will you run with me...Mate?"