Scarlett

Chapter Five

I changed into Alpha Theo's grey shirt, it falling to my knees. His bathroom was bigger than my entire house; a giant clawfoot tub sat in the middle surrounded by white marble. I quickly splashed warm water on my face and tied my hair back, making my way back to his bedroom. The fire was comforting, covering the room in an orange glow. Placing my old clothes on his floor, I eyed the bed.

Flickers of anxiety flowed through me, surrounding me. I was an Alpha's mate. It didn't make sense. It seemed like a cruel joke, and here I was, waiting for him to return. I had already thought about jumping out the windows and running away, but I knew that was a fool's journey. I had to play it safe and outsmart him. If I didn't, I would never be free again, forced to obey him. I wonder what Amber and Elsa would do if they were me. Amber would probably try and run; she normally acted before thinking. Elsa, on the other hand, would love this. I wished they were here with me.

I grabbed a pillow and blanket from his large bed, bringing it to the chair. If he wanted me to stay with him, fine, but I wasn't about to sleep in his bed. He was a stranger—an unfairly attractive one. I made myself comfortable, tucking my feet in under me. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. Closing my eyes, I welcomed sleep.

I heard the door creak open sometime later. I kept my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep still. He made his way over to me, seemingly hovering over the chair. He bent down, placing his arms around my sides, making me jump.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, rubbing my eyes. Alpha Theo seemed to look even better than the last time I saw him. He had taken off his jacket, in a white button-down shirt loosely done up. His brown hair was messier, like he had been rubbing his hands through it.

"I'm taking you to bed." He replied, trying to grab me again.

I pushed his hands away. "I'm sleeping here. You already woke me up once, so please leave me alone." I tucked the blanket tighter to me. I had decided shortly after meeting him that I was not going to hide who I was. I would no longer be afraid to speak my mind. If I was going to be trapped here, I was going to voice exactly how I felt.

He growled, ripping the blanket off of me.

"Hey!"

He ignored my shout and finally grabbed me, cradling me to his chest. Sparks flew from where he touched me, and I felt like I was on fire. Being this close to Alpha Theo made my head spin. He tossed me on the bed, hovering over me.

"I like how you look in my shirt." He said, dark eyes gleaming. His body seemed to completely cover mine, our size difference impossible to ignore.

"Get off of me," I said, wiggling under his grip. My heart was racing as we made eye contact, but I chalked that up to anxiety.

"You smell good." He said, leaning down to my neck, his breath hot on my skin. Panic soared through me; if he bit down now, I would be trapped forever. I knew werewolves bit down on their mates to stake their claim almost immediately after meeting them.

"I said get off of me, you brute!" I said, struggling harder. This time he let me go, pulling himself off of me.

"You have quite the temper." Alpha Theo said, making his way to the closet. He started stripping off his shirt, his toned chest on display. I tried to look away, but my eyes wouldn't let me. His abs were on display, with thick arms pulling down his pants. His pants pooled at his ankles, making eye contact with me the whole time. My cheeks flushed. He started tugging at his boxers, and that was when I had enough.

I covered my eyes with my hand. "You're putting pyjamas on, right?"

He chuckled. "I'm already in them."

"Alpha Theo," I said, pulling the covers over my head. "Please put pants on."

"It's just Theo. If anyone else called me that, I would slash their throats open, but you're my mate." He said, and even though I couldn't see him, I just knew he was smiling. The image of him covered in blood made chills run up my skin.

"If you want to keep your mate, you will put pants on." My voice was mumbled from the thick covers. I could hear drawers slamming open, and then the covers were yanked from me. Alpha Theo's eyes were blazing, but he thankfully was now wearing pants.

"You're my mate. You will never leave me. We are meant to be together. Do not ever threaten me with that again, Scarlett." He growled. He got in the bed, reaching his hands out to grab me. I wiggled away and put a pillow between us.

Laying on my side, I stared at the grey wall in front of me, keeping my back towards him.

"Why is it so difficult for you to understand?" I asked.

"What?"

"That I don't want this," I said, silent tears running down my face. Silence followed. I was sure he didn't know what to say. He probably wished he had a werewolf for a mate; then it would be easy. I don't know why the fates put us together, but it seemed like a cruel joke.

The bed shifted, and Alpha Theo slowly leaned over towards me. He lightly kissed the back of my neck and moved back towards his side. I wondered if he saw my tears or could sense them. The feather-light kiss was oddly comforting, but I assumed that was from my emotions being at an all-time high. I eventually fell asleep to Alpha Theo's breathing.

I awoke to streams of light hitting my face. I stretched out my limbs, noticing that I was alone. I sighed, going to his bathroom to wash my face. On the giant white counter was a toothbrush that must have been laid out for me. Rolling my eyes, I brushed my teeth. My hair was a mess, and my face was puffy from crying.

I made my way to the fireplace, wrapping my arms around me. I always seemed to be freezing in the morning. On a table, a note was left out with a tray of food. My stomach grumbled; I couldn't remember the last time I ate. I picked up the note.

Scarlett,

I apologize for not being there when you woke up. I had pack business I had to deal with. I will come by at noon to take you somewhere. Make sure you eat enough, as I have a busy afternoon planned.

Theo

P.S. Did I already mention how good you look in my shirt?

The last line made my face heat up, and my heart race. I put the note back down in favour of grabbing some breakfast. Bagels stacked with bacon and cheese, pancakes drizzled with syrup, and fresh fruits were all on display. Jugs of coffee and water were also there. I had never had so much food to myself before. All of it looked so good, I didn't know what to eat first. I had no idea what he had planned for this afternoon, but I was hoping it would be quick. I started eating the fresh fruit sweet on my tongue. I tried a bit of everything until my stomach started to ache.

I looked down at the tray, noticing about half of the food was still left. Guilt flowed through me at all this food that would go to waste. Back in the village, I could only dream of eating food this good, and here I was wasting it. I thought about all the times I went to bed hungry because we didn't have enough for all of us.

The guilt seemed to overpower my sore stomach. I picked up my fork and slowly began to eat again. I didn't stop until the whole tray was cleared. My stomach felt like it was going to burst. I got up and laid on the bed groaning. I knew it was dumb of me to eat all of it, but when you have gone so long with having so little, it was almost impossible not to. I laid there for what felt like hours until a wave of nausea hit me.

Bile crept up my throat, my body shaking. I rushed to the bathroom, kneeling next to the toilet. I started to puke, my body lurching forward. I couldn't believe how sick I felt. My throat burned, and I felt so weak. How could I be so dumb? Once I finally stopped puking, I laid down on the cool marble floor to relax for a minute. The tile felt good on my hot skin.

Suddenly, I head the bedroom door open. Was it already noon? Oh, Stars!