Blood Legacy (Rewritten)

50. Mate

Our gazes met from a distance as I calmly made my way back to our school's picnic area with Jess and the wolfy girls trailing after me, noticing him sitting on a table close to the school's entrance, his elbows resting on his knees, hunched over in a rather predatory way as he watched me like a damn hawk.
David was right next to him, casually watching me too with a somber expression.

The area was now completely deserted as lunch time was already over, making me realize that they've been actually waiting for us to return.

Why? Hell knows.

I raised my chin a little higher and straightened my back though as I could notice him sizing me up and down with that brooding gaze of his, refusing to take his eyes off of me as I approached with determined strides, defiantly looking right back at him.

I could feel my heart pound within my chest but I didn't let that hinder me, mentally steeling myself in as I finally stopped right in front of him, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Listen, I would very much appreciate it if you'd stayed out of my fucking mind. Okay?"

He wanted to ignore me? Fine. But I would be damned if I was just gonna let him barge inside my mind whenever he felt like it.

He didn't say anything in reply, the hint of a smirk dancing on his perfect lips as he let his gaze roam over the length of me again, for some reason my body starting to slowly heat up under his stare, making me lightly squirm as I could feel that familiar tingle in that certain place between my legs.

Oh crap. Not again.

I mentally whined with annoyance, angry at my own bodily reactions in his close proximity.

I wanted to let out a frustrated scream and maybe even slap that stupid smirk off of his annoying face.

Why did I still want him so fucking much? Didn't he say that it would be over once we had sex? Was I still under the influence of that stupid heat or something?

Oh, fuck this shit.

I was about to spew out some ugly profanities at him and angrily storm away when David's sudden change in demeanor abruptly drew my attention, watching him sniff at the air like a freaking hungry animal, his eyes turning black again exactly like they did the last time I felt like this.

Holy shit.

My cheeks started to burn with embarrassment, not even sure how to react as he suddenly jumped down from his spot and took a firm hold of my wrist, managing to freaking scare the crap out of me.

"Why do you smell like this?"

"Like...what?" I stupidly blinked a few times in response, cluelessly looking between him and a very angry-looking Nathan when he raised my hand closer to his face and took a rather hearty sniff, his black eyes swirling with conflicted emotions as he peered into my own.

"You...smell like..."

"Take. your hands. off of her. Now," Nathan thundered with rage from right next to him, seemingly about to freaking attack him when David's gaze abruptly shifted somewhere past me, his features contorting with pure shock and disbelief.

"My...mate..." He quietly said under his breath, his widened gaze still directed at that certain someone behind me as he absently let go of my hand, allowing me to take a few staggering steps back and turn to have a look at that person too.

"N-no..." Jess' voice came out so shaky and vulnerable, her blue eyes filling with unshed tears as she continued to stare back at him with shock and despair.

What the fuck was happening?

"No no no no no," She continued to say as she looked at him, few tears already trailing down her cheeks.

What the hell? I startled as she let out a frightened squeal and grabbed my arm, using me as a shield at the same time he moved closer and tried to reach her.

"No!"

"Please don't touch me!" She fearfully squeaked between sobs, feeling her trembling hands and hearing her heart-breaking sniffles as she placed her forehead on my shoulder for a moment, seemingly trying to regain some composure.

What the fuck was going on? Why was she reacting like this? I thought that she wanted to find her mate or whatever?!

"No, j-just stay away from me," She shakily whimpered, her hands lightly squeezing at my sides as she held me and started to cry.

Oh my god...

The sounds of her sorrow-filled sobs and whimpers made me feel so sad, wondering what made her react like this as I quietly placed my hand over hers and gave it a mild squeeze, trying to at least comfort her as I raised my gaze to peer at David, noticing that equally despondent look on his face as he peered at the fragile being behind my back.

He was devastated. It didn't take a genius to see that. But what I failed to understand was why.

"Jess...please. It's me. I'm not gonna hurt you," He softly pleaded, his hands balling into fists at his sides as he watched her cry like a scared little child.

But she completely ignored him and instead she went around me, consciously situating herself as far as possible away from him as she stepped right in front of Nathan, her teary gaze raising to meet his as she quietly begged,
"Please...Don't make me do this. I'm begging you. I don't want to leave my family,"

What?

Why would he-

"I'm not going to," Nathan simply answered as he peered down at her,
"The choice is yours to make. I'm not gonna force you to do anything you don't want to. He's your mate. And you are free to choose whether you wish to be with him or not,"

Silence fell around us after he uttered those words, my gaze cluelessly shifting between them, watching Jess throw a timid glance in David's direction, her gaze lowering as soon as she noticed that tormented look on his face. And without a single word she shoved herself past us and ran away, noticing that visible intent of running after her in David's stance as he almost made a step in the direction she'd ran off to, only to be immediately stopped by Nathan's firm grip on his bicep.

"Don't chase her. You'll only make things worse,"

But he only growled in response and tried to evade him, making Nathan grab both his arms and violently tug him backwards, his eyes shifting to that glowing golden as he firmly commanded in his ear,
"Stand down,"

"You'll only scare her away. Let her decide," He tried to reason with him, my heart aching for him as I could notice that lifeless look in his eyes as he went limp in Nathan's hold, finally giving up.

"Go to her. I'll handle this," Nathan said as he looked at me, receiving a single nod in reply before I turned around and ran after Jess.