Chapter 85: 85-Mates Kissing Under The Tree
Clementine;
I was taken aback for a moment, even confused about why he would ask me such a thing. But then I managed to put a smile on my lips just to show I was uncomfortable but not offended, because I really wasn’t.
"What’s so exciting about that?" I asked him, and after I had overcome my awkwardness and shock,
"There is—I don’t know," he uttered, "I just know that I want to." This time, he wasn’t even smiling to make it seem like he was joking around. I could tell he was pretty serious.
"Haiden, I don’t want to start something that would get us in trouble, because I’m not ready for anything else."
As soon as I said that, he began to nod, giving me the impression he already knew what I was talking about.
"I know. I’m not asking for a relationship. It’s just that—forget it," he said, and the way he did, I was shocked. And then he just started to climb down.
"What, you don’t want to stick around?" I asked, and he began to shake his head.
"No, I’ll be going back to my pack in the early morning, because that’s where the academy car will pick me up from." This time, he sounded very low in energy, no joking around, no fun talk. However, the minute I was about to climb down, I noticed him standing under the tree with his arms spread.
"Come on, jump," he said, and I laughed.
"No, I’m not. You wouldn’t catch me, and I’d end up with broken ribs and bones," I complained. My legs pulled up and my body tilted to the side to look down, while my knees were now touching my chest.
"Oh, come on, you can always transition. Don’t act like your wolf isn’t strong enough," he grunted, and for a moment, I gave it a thought.
"Come on, don’t be a coward." As he said that, I realized he wanted to give me a reason to think I did it out of peer pressure, not because I wanted to.
"Fine," and I took the bait. I adjusted my body and warned him with my finger not to drop me. He gave me a reassuring look, and then I jumped. The moment I did, he held me. However, while doing so, he stepped back to regain his posture because I really had jumped at him hard. Then, instead of standing straight, he tripped on a branch behind him. And that’s how he landed on his back, and I landed on top of him.
Everything went silent between us for a moment. I didn’t move, as he was holding me by the back with one arm. With his free hand, he brushed my hair from my face, then placed his palm on the back of my head, gently guiding my face toward his.
I would have protested but our bodies were pressed so tightly together that the mate bond ignited a heat between us. I leaned in under the pressure of his hand until our lips met.
My eyes closed at the softness of his lips, my breath catching at the taste of him. He immediately began sucking on my bottom lip while his hand moved slowly up and down my back, then slid to my ass.
The moment he grabbed my ass, I snapped out of the trance and broke the kiss. I shot up like I’d been struck, instantly trying to get away from him.
"I don’t understand, who are you angry at, yourself or me?" he complained as he briskly walked after me.
"No one," I grunted, not even able to wipe my lips clean. I didn’t want to give the impression that I hated it. And that was exactly what was angering me that I liked him so much, I didn’t even want him to stop.
"Clementine, don’t make everything such a taboo. It was just a kiss," he said and I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around to face him.
"And I’m not someone you can use for fun or enjoyment," I grunted.
I watched him stand there with his hands on his waist, his head tilted, almost like he was judging me.
"And when did I say that? You’re the one who doesn’t even want to explore anything."
Before I could even ask him to explain, he started doing it himself.
"I’m not saying I’m madly in love with you. It’s just that I feel connected to you," he uttered.
"Yeah, and that’s the main point," I replied. "The obvious."
"But it also doesn’t mean I am not falling—," Then it seemed like he wanted to say something else but held it in and began to pace, this time even faster than me.
"No, tell me, what were you trying to say?" I said, briskly walking after him.
"Forget it. You won’t understand. You’re someone who’s not very good with your emotions, so you wouldn’t understand mine either." That felt like a lot of accusations being thrown around.
Once we were in the attic, he went into the bathroom so the maid could bring in the food. I had heard the maid tell me it seemed like I’d grown my appetite because I’d been eating so much. Little did she know, I had a big, bad monster with me who could literally eat a whole burger in two bites. I wasn’t judging, because I was a foodie myself, but that was just my response to the maid, and I couldn’t say it out loud. So, once Haiden came out, he grabbed his food and sat on the mattress, giving me his back like a child who was upset.
I didn’t say anything, but after he was done, he started talking to me while heading toward the bathroom, just as the maids were coming in to take the empty dishes. But there was something he said before going into the bathroom that stuck with me.
"And after this, I’ll be sleeping in the same bed as you, to cuddle with you, to help you sleep better."
It felt more like an order than a request or an offer, and I was stunned.