Adilah

Chapter 15

The conversation earlier ended, putting us all in a thick tension. Everyone decided to give us time to process all of it so Alexander and Travis left to do something who knows what, while Benetha and Crimson wanted out to get some fresh air. That leaves me and Cole in the room. Of course, to show that I was not affected by it I stayed, but so did he.

He manages to keep himself busy with whatever paperwork he has on the bedside table, while I am currently resting in bed daydreaming. He doesn't attempt to talk to me, and the only noise that there is is the sound of paper whenever he turns a page.

I prop myself up on my elbow to face him and finally decide to break the silence that he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he seems to be really comfortable. "We need to go back ."

He is kinda shocked that I volunteer to talk to him as he lifts his gaze to me. But he then goes back to reading immediately, "No."

I sit up, "Honest. We really need to." I am trying to be reasonable here.

He sighs and put down the files, "It's dangerous."

"You don't understand."

"Neither do you."

My patience finally snaps, not that I have a lot. "Says the man who took me unwillingly. " I remind him of our status. He doesn't get to decide my life all of a sudden like this. I have my own life back in the pack, and I also need to talk to my mother about this. I'll be more at ease if all of the information comes from her.

"I'm sorry, but not this. "

"Why?" Instead of answering, my confidence wavers when he stands up and walk towards me. I don't have enough time to move away, as he reaches to touch my cheeks. Almost instantly my body reacted and I lean on it craving his touch. "This is why." He whispers causing me to shiver. I am seriously not immune to this mate bond. It's stronger than I think it would be. I don't need to yell at him to let me go because he retracted his hand immediately himself. "Samirah will use you against me."

Still a little shaken by our touch I argue, "No. She won't be able to threaten me easily."

"This is not up for question, Adilah. I can't protect you there as much as I can in here."

"I don't need protection!"

"As long as you're mine, yes you do!"

"I'm not yours." Something ticks in his expression. I may have gone too far. He stalks towards me again, "Say that again." I watch as his eyes turn darker, his wolf is coming out. But I refuse to be intimidated, not by an Alpha. "I said I'm not --" I don't have time to finish my sentence for he grabs my chin and pulls me closer to him. It is not painful but nonetheless demands dominance. "Don't you ever say that again. Not in my face or anywhere. Or I'll show it to you myself." I shift nervously. This is not the man who is with me minutes ago, and for the first time, I am afraid to be around him. Sensing my fear, Cole immediately goes far away from me with guilt in his eyes. "I didn't mean it like that."

"That's what they always say." I tear my gaze away from him.

"Please, just listen to me just for this one."

"No, you listen to me. You're an Alpha and you should understand how I feel. I need to go back to my pack, I have a responsibility to run them." I finally decide to give up my secret. There's no use, he needs to let me go.

"What do you mean?" Something changes in his eyes. Sadness and even fear. I am confused of his reaction, but seeing him like that unusually pains me. What is it?

"I need to go back, Cole. I am the next in line to be the Luna, and so is Crimson. Benetha is my childhood friend and she needs to come with me."

Something snaps in him. He starts pacing in the room, slipping curses everywhere as his wolf is on edge. He growls to himself, "Why is fate doing this to me?!"

I watch him scared, "Why? What's wrong?" He looks broken like his whole world just crashed. "She'll never let you be with me."

"Yes we can. It's in the treaty, at least for a couple of years."

"No, it's different! " He stares out the window angrily.

"How different? " I am starting to detest this attitude of his.

"An Alpha and a Luna can't be mated to each other..." He brings his eyes back to me, pain and anger reflect on it, "it's against the law." I hold his gaze without saying anything. I don't get it, there's no rationale for a law like that. It's biased and not right.

"So you're going to let me go?" My voice sounds strained, even though that's exactly what I want, for some reason the thought of it sends my whole mind in protest.

"No. Not for anything, Adilah. Trust me."

I am the most selfish creature in the world the moment that I feel relieved by his words.

***

I carefully make my way to him and still pursue, "But I still need to go back. Please, Cole." I beg, making him see how urgent it is in my conflicted eyes. "If what you said is really true, I want to protect my pack from Samirah. My mother is probably really worried about me too."

He takes my hand and place it on his cheeks, an action to calm himself down and think clearly again. "What if you decided not to come back to me?" I still for a moment, not sure of what to answer. He's probably right. I am very emotional right now especially since the mate bond is taking over my mind, I can't guarantee him anything. He knows it too, and he's not going to let me go that way.

"I don't know." Is all I can say. He tentatively wraps his arms around me, like I am some kind of a scared animal. I tense as usual, but I didn't fight him. If I am going to win this argument, I need to be on his good side. But sensing me relaxed, he then sees it as an opportunity to slips his head into the crook of my neck and inhaled my scent. Throwing me off, I grab his shirt tightly to prevent myself from reacting. We may be getting carried away here.

"Okay. You all can go." Cole mumbles in my neck after a long pause. In shock, I move away to look at him, "You're serious."

He nods, "But..."

I wince, what else does he want? "I am going with you." The air is sucked right out of me.

"We're back!" Benetha suddenly cut our conversation short with Crimson in her tail. I quickly remove myself from Cole even though is useless because my friends are now judging me with their nasty glares.

"Looks like someone is enjoying herself." Crimson sarcastically comments. The ever so unpleasant girl she is.

"We all should be. We're going home." I tell them the news.

They both cheer, already forgetting the scene earlier, but not me.

"I'll talk to Travis so we can already travel later. I'll see you, my moon." Then that is the last straw. I completely forgot who I truly am as my cheek tingle so strongly. A kiss is a show of affection, they taught us that when we were little. I am so glad that my two friends are so distracted by the idea of going home that they didn't notice what just happened.

***

I personally don't like this chapter because I wrote it in a hurry. But I hope you'll enjoy it! I didn't really plan on making Samirah the villain here but I can't think of another plot. She's perfect for the role too because of my description of her in the early chapters. :)