She Who Bears The Wolf's Mark

One Bed

Chapter 20 - One Bed

"Of course. Where else are you going to sleep?" he said in answer to my breathless question, like it was the most logical explanation for our accursed situation, like he simply couldn't fathom a scenario where I'd have my own bed, my own bedroom. Exclusively.

Yellow eyes regarded me with a look bereft of understanding, and for the tenth time today, I was reminded that I was not in the company of a fellow human, but rather...

Did he truly not understand my source of anxiety? Or was he not capable of understanding?

"You can't be serious." My mouth gaped like a fish, my blood running cold. But even as I said it, it was clear to me that Xander wasn't jesting.

The thought of me sharing a bed... with a werewolf, with a monster... I didn't dare think about it lest my knees buckled from underneath me and I rolled down the hill we just climbed.

"Xander, listen to me very carefully," I started, somehow meeting his gaze even as my heart raced and my blood rushed. I balled my fists and summoned the courage to say what I had to say.

Xander's left eyebrow tilted slightly.

"My parents are the ones who made the deal, not me. Up until this morning my biggest concern was my physics test next Thursday, and now I'm here, in some magical village bound to a werewolf. A werewolf! Ha!" I let out a humorless laugh. "Bound or...or mated or whatever. I don't understand any of it, but I need you to understand one thing: There will be nothing between us. There cannot be."

Xander's face didn't register any type of emotion I could detect, and that shocked me more than anything he could have said back. I expected... something in reaction to my rejection. Anger or even a cheeky remark, but Xander merely stared at me.

"Do you not find me appealing?"

I blinked twice in complete and utter shock. It was like someone had poured a bucket of icy water over me. That... that was unexpected. "W-What? No, that's not what I meant."

"Then don't be so quick to disavow our bond."

"Whether I find you hot or not is besides the point! You're a werewolf, I'm a human."

"I assure you, it's possible anatomically-"

"That's not what I meant either!" I huffed, feeling my cheeks reddening.

Xander turned his back to me. "I know what you meant."

All words died at the tip of my tongue. There was something about his voice that gave me pause, making me momentarily forget my worries. Was I hearing things, or did Xander actually sound... dejected?

I had the urge to put my hand on his shoulder and console him, but I didn't dare touch unless I absolutely had to. Besides, I was the one who needed consoling, not him.

"You are scared."

I was. I didn't deny it. If it meant he'd get the stupid idea of us mating out of his head, then I was fine admitting it. "Put yourself in my shoes."

Xander nodded once slowly, seemingly in understanding, although his back was still to me.

My eyebrows rose and my eyes widened. Did he understand what I was talking about? Truly? That as members of different species, we were incompatible for a whole host of reasons, chiefly that I didn't want to be bound to a creature that, up until a few hours ago, didn't even believe actually existed. I had a life I was forced to leave behind, and as much as it was boring, I wanted it back. And even though I was angry with mom and dad, I missed them something awful. I would do anything to get back to them.

"I'll give you time."

My stomach plummeted. No, no, no, no. He didn't understand! How could he? He was-

"A monster? Yeah, you've made that pretty clear."

Xander had the audacity to sound angry.

I would have felt awful about it had he not been the one prying into my private thoughts.

He finally turned to look at me. His eyes were as hard as steel, his shoulders rigid. There was no compassion to be found on his face. "Well, too bad. Like it or not, we're both trapped in this situation. So, as I said, I will give you time to come to terms with it. For your sake, I hope you do, because in case I didn't make it clear before," Xander leaned forward, our faces now inches apart, "there is no out."

No.

That could not be my fate. I refused to accept it.

It appeared that I was mistaken before.

There wasn't a nice bone in Xander's body.

Huffing with indignation, I walked past him, our shoulders bumping. Yes, anger. It was better to be angry than be... scared. I would hold onto the fiery feeling coursing through my veins for as long as I could.

An iron gate appeared in my line of vision. The emblem of a wolf with its jaw hanging wide open was engraved in the center of the closed gate. Two sentries were stationed on either side of the gate, clearly guarding it. Their eyes glittered as I neared, their curious gazes following me with every step I took.

I was aware of Xander following close behind the whole while.

I stopped just a few feet away from the gate. Beyond it, the big mansion loomed like Dracula's castle. My new home? Ha. More like my grave. 

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