I could hear my heartbeat on my ears or maybe that was just my blood that was racing, I parted my lips but no words came out, I was completely lost for words.
"Harmony, turn around." Braden said, I could feel him breathing behind me.
I shut my eyes tightly and shook my head.
"Don't be afraid Harmony, I won't hurt you." Braden said softly, why would he hurt me?
"You're naked Braden, I won't turn around." I said as I felt the tip of my ears burn, great I probably resembled a tomato right now.
There was complete silence, I heard noise behind me but I didn't dare to turn around.
"I would have never expected that to be your reaction." Braden said with an amused chuckle.
"Can you please put me some clothes on?" I pleaded completely mortified.
Some awkward and very silent seconds passed before Braden spoke.
"You can turn around Harmony, I'm um...no longer naked." Braden said and I could nearly hear the smile in his voice.
I hesitated for a bit until I finally turned around slowly; surely enough Braden didn't lie since he had some grey sweatpants on but that was it, he was shirtless, a full display of ripped tan muscles and I was shamelessly eye raping him.
"Are you okay?" Braden asked, his eyes twinkled in amusement as I blushed.
"You're a werewolf." I said, it wasn't a question but a statement.
"Why aren't you freaking out about it?" Braden asked completely confused.
"With all those tv shows and movies about the supernatural world, not to mention the books it's not really a novelty, I know that some people don't believe in it, but is almost makes me wonder, no one by how crazy their imagination could be they couldn't just create a whole world of creatures like that, I've always believed in vampires, werewolves, mermaids but not zombies, that seems far to fetched from reality, god I sound like such a dork, I'm so..." I started to say before Braden cut me off by pushing his lips against mine.
My body quickly reacted by kissing him back, every inch of my body went into a frenzy as Braden pulled me closer making me gasp, he then took the chance to deepen the kiss. My hands were sprawled on his chest, his skin was hot compared to my cold hands, his hands were firmly on my waist and I knew that there were the only thing keeping me on my feet for I would be on my knees completely melted by the kiss.
Once Braden pulled away he stared at me confused.
"I don't understand, shouldn't you be crying or at least screaming, completely terrified?" Braden said wondering out loud.
"Why should the fact that you can turn into a cute little wolf terrify me?" I asked with a frown.
Braden's grip on my waist got tighter and his lips grazed my ears as he spoke.
"There's nothing little about me Harmony, have in mind that I'm the big bad wolf." Braden said in a husky voice and I had to restrain myself from biting my lip, what the hell was wrong with me?
I cleared my throat, it was obvious that I was extremely affected by his closeness yet somehow, I found my voice.
"Even if you claimed to be the worst beast of all times I wouldn't be afraid of you Braden, because a crazy part of me tells me to trust you completely, I feel like I really know you, or at least I think I do." I said as Braden cupped my face making me meet his gaze, I could see how his green eyes twinkled under the moonlight, maybe I was wrong but he seemed to be proud.
"You are so perfect Harmony, that's one of the things I love about you and I'll never thank enough the moon goddess for this, for you." Braden said as he caressed my cheek.
With this new-found confession, I stared at him shocked, the silence was heavy around us yet I paid no matter to that.
"I don't understand, why are you telling me this? Isn't it dangerous for me to know about this?" I asked Braden as I frowned at him confused.
"It is especially since there are hunters who would kill any werewolf they knew about." Braden said and I was confused even more by this.
"Then why tell me? Why risk it all?" I asked, I could only assume that by what Dawn had said earlier not only Braden was a werewolf but his family as well.
Braden looked at me with a smile.
"Well for starters you're my girlfriend but mainly because you're my mate." Braden said and I looked at him blankly.
"Your mate, as in a great buddy?" I asked very lost and Braden chuckled.
"No Harmony, my mate as in my soul mate, my other half." Braden said still amused by my previous answer.
"You sound so sure about it." I said, my voice barely a whisper and Braden smiled.
"That's because I am. There are so many things about the werewolf world that you need to learn about, having mates is one of them. You see as a werewolf you have a mate, no exceptions it is someone you are destine to be with, you are born to be physically attracted to each other no matter how hard you fight it." Braden told me.
"So, what you're saying is that you don't have a say in this matter? That you're practically forced and obligated to all of this?" I said as I felt my eyes get watery, I knew it was too good to be true.
"No Harmony, that was an awful choice of words, as mates you are attracted physically but that doesn't mean we're forced to be together, that is our choice. You could always reject your mate, that would be devastating but you do have a choice, a choice whenever or not be with your mate." Braden said as he wiped away the one tear that had escaped.
"What about you? Do you ever think about rejecting me?" I asked, I knew it was stupid to as such thing now but I wanted to know so I could avoid as much pain as possible, all those rumors had made self-conscious about everything.
Braden stared at me for a while before he took a deep breath.
"At first, I did, I'm not going to lie to you. When I first found out that you were my mate I tried to blame it all on the physical attraction, to eventually reject you, Harmony as a human you are far too delicate for my world, nothing is magical about the supernatural world, it's filled with war, blood and pain; I don't want anyone as pure as you to be tainted by all of that. But in that moment when I kissed you in the cafeteria after that idiot wouldn't stop flirting with you I realized that for once I wanted to be selfish, I could care less about everything, about who knew or saw for in that moment as we kissed I realized that I no longer owned my heart for it beats for and only you." Braden said before he pulled me in for a kiss, it was the sweetest and slowest kiss ever that it was nearly painful.
After we kissed Braden suggested that we went to walk along the beach where he answered every single question I had, he explained about how they had a pack, how his father was the Alpha which explained why his parents had such authority everywhere, how he would be the Alpha in a couple of years, he talked about Lunas, marking, and mating, something that made me blush like crazy clearly amusing Braden. He answered patiently every single one of my questions till the point that I knew everything I had to know now, or at least for now.
By the time, we got back to the house I could tell it was late.
"Would you like to stay over for the night? We could get one of the guest rooms ready, vampires go out tonight to hunt, I would feel better if you stayed here and I knew you are safe." Braden said and I internally swooned as he held my hand and I nodded.
After Braden had kindly lend me some of Dawn's pajamas, who was currently knocked out in her own bed, I headed towards the guestroom where I went to sleep or at least I tried to, at the end I simply sat on the bed leaning against the headboard thinking about everything, with my father's addiction I had lost everything, my father no longer was the man I knew, he spent all of his money buying alcohol, as long as he kept to himself and I managed to avoid him it was fine until he stopped leaving money for the groceries, I had initially started working so I could have money saved up for college, now part of my paycheck went to everything I needed in the house, I didn't mind it for I was becoming more responsible, but then I got the notice, despite the fact that I got the groceries and paid most of the expenses in the house my father hadn't paid for the house's rent, in result we were getting kicked out. I silently sobbed as I hugged my knees closer to my chest and tears rolled down my face, no matter how much I earned I couldn't pay it all by myself, there was nothing I could do.
I didn't know what I would do.
I heard someone softly knock in the door, I held my breath not answering until the door was opened.
"Harmony, are you okay?" Braden said as he stepped into the bedroom only in his boxers, I didn't care if he was practically naked in front of me for my head was drowning in negative thoughts.
I tried to nod so Braden would leave, instead I found myself crying more.
"Is this about earlier, about the whole werewolf thing?" Braden asked in a worried tone.
I shook my head, Braden sat in the bed next to me pulling me into his arms.
"Red, please tell me what's wrong, you're scaring me." Braden said as he pulled me tighter against him, his warmth was somehow relaxing.
"I'm getting evicted from my house; my father prefers to buy liquor and beer instead of making sure that we keep a roof above our heads. I tried to pay as much things from what I make at work, but unless I drop out of school and get a full job, I don't know what I can do." I confessed to Braden, it felt better now that I had told someone about this.
"You could always move in with me." Braden said and chuckled as I weakly hit his chest.
"Don't start." I said in a warning tone.
"What about your mom, Harmony, doesn't she do anything about it?" Braden said as he wiped away my tears.
"My mom died when I was little so it's just my dad and I." I told Braden as I met his gaze.
He stared at me silently before he spoke.
"My offer still stands Harmony, you could always move in with me, as my mate one day eventually you'll move in but if you don't want to rush things I could always talk to my father, I think he knows the man that owns the house." Braden told me and I shook my head.
"No, don't bother, I know I'll manage somehow." I said as I leaned against him.
"See that's what you need to understand Harmony, you're my girlfriend, my mate so as such you are part of my pack, you are part of my family, from now on I assure you Harmony that you'll never be alone." Braden said as he kissed my temple.
I smiled at him.
"Thank you." I said softly.
"Do you want me to leave so you can sleep?" Braden asked me after a while.
I shook my head.
"No, please stay. Don't leave even if I fall asleep." I said as I closed my eyes feeling tired.
"I'll never leave you." Braden promised me as he lowered us in the bed and held me tightly against him while he whispered sweet nothings to my ear making me fall asleep with a smile on my face.