Chapter 5:

In the days that followed, the atmosphere in the house was very gloomy. Compared to before, Elmer is more cold towards me. I knew I was wrong and self-criticized, I tried to talk to him first, but Elmer always ignored me and treated me like an invisible person.

After dinner, I lay in bed and awaited the most crucial moment of my life; I would turn 18 in just a few hours. I rolled my eyes, a little disappointed. The cold room was empty, and I was alone in front of the mirror.

Suddenly I heard noises coming from the next room, Elmer's bedroom. He purposely arranged for me to be beside him because he wanted to monitor me. In the evening, Elmer's room would be completely silent; this was the first time it made a sound.

Curiosity arose, and I secretly opened the door to step out; I was very cautious for fear of being discovered; that is a taboo that Elmer repeated repeatedly. I'm afraid of being attacked by crazy wolves, so I mostly obey this rule, but I am in Elmer's house, and the servants will also leave at night; now, this place is just me and him. Elmer didn't lose control like other wolves, so I wasn't too worried.

It was strange today; his door was not closed entirely but left a gap, enough to look inside.

The scene inside made me jump, panicking backward, my heart pounding as if it wanted to jump out of my chest; at that time, I could only cover my mouth in fear as if I had just met a ghost.

Elmer was sitting on a chair, chaining his limbs with large chains. He was shirtless, the prominent red veins crisscrossing his chest and stretching down to his waist. Elmer's pupils dilated, covered with blood, and his face was white as a corpse. His appearance right now is horrifying.

He was gritting his teeth to endure the pain; it seemed terrible.

Elmer had noticed my presence; he glared fiercely, grabbed the lamp on the table, and threw it out. I quickly dodged, then suddenly discovered it was not aimed at me but simply because he wanted to close the door.

I wanted to run back to my room but didn't want to leave him, so I hesitated in front of the store for hours without realizing it.

Suddenly my body also changed; I was scared to look at the clock; it showed 00h.

That time has come!

My chest is tight; I can't describe the beautiful feelings now. I know I've never been in a state like this before, like around me; beautiful flowers are blooming, or like I'm soaking in a stream with white foam and immersed in the harmony of nature.

My nose is up, and I smell a wonderful scent very close to me; I am mature enough and know what that means.

'Mate!' Me and Erina, my wolf, shouted simultaneously excitedly.

My euphoria surged; I had high hopes until it was extinguished because I realized my mate was none other than Elmer when he opened the door.

I froze, and my legs felt stuck on the ground, even though now I really wanted to run to him and hug him as tightly as I imagined before when standing in front of my mate. However, everything stopped when I looked into his eyes, his cold, tired black eyes looking at me mockingly.

My head ached; Elmer's hurtful words that day were like a splash of cold water on my head. I feel shame and pain, a little bit deep in my heart regret.

We kept looking at each other for a long time until my eyes were tired and drooping.

Elmer had restored his normal appearance, he looked tired, but it was okay. In my eyes, today, Elmer is even more handsome than usual. It made me enamored to look at him without blinking.

"Lady Alina." Elmer stood in front of me seriously, the corners of his thin lips mercilessly raised. "Do you have a hobby of peeking at other people? A devil like me might kill you if I lose control. Aren't you afraid?"

I stood up for a few seconds, then shook my head. "I…" For a moment, I didn't know how to face Elmer, and I didn't know what to say to him either.

'Alina, I sense Elmer's wolf; his name is Elder; he's so excited to connect with us,' Erina told me excitedly.

Contrary to her cheerfulness, I couldn't be.

"I'll go back to my room right now." I bit my lip and turned to leave.

Unexpectedly, Elmer suddenly pulled me back at this moment and lost momentum, and I rushed into his chest. Elmer is shirtless, and now my body is in direct contact with his skin; I can even hear his heartbeat. My cheeks were red, I wanted to avoid this intimacy, but Elmer didn't think so. He pressed my head against his chest and spoke coldly. "What do you think when your mate is a devil like me? Would you refuse the sacred relationship that the moon goddess arranged?"

My heart throbbed oddly, I'm sure I didn't have heart disease, but now it was so tormented by an Elmer statement that it almost cracked open. I never imagined the prospect of Elmer being my mate, the words I said to Camelia were just deliberately told her so that she wouldn't make it difficult for me, but now those words create distance between Elmer and me.

"Alina, listen to what I'm about to say!" Elmer loosened his grip, his cold eyes fixed on me as if penetrating my thoughts, the corners of his thin lips curled up. "Even if you are my mate, you are only a prisoner; I never thought of becoming a couple with you."

I remained silent, and my worldview collapsed at that moment, but on the surface, I still gave myself a rigid shell that was not vulnerable. I pushed Elmer away, kept my distance from him, and forced myself to say the words I didn't want. "Coincidentally, I had the same thought."

I dared not stay there for another second. I turned my head and ran to my bedroom; after closing the door, I didn't have the strength to get up, so I slid down the door and burst into tears.

My heart broke into pieces; these hateful scenes only exist in movies; why does it apply to my life?

Although Elmer hasn't officially said no to me, he means it. I still can't think of how to face Elmer; every time I look into his cold eyes, I feel fear. The whole conversation between me and Camelia is probably wrong; only one thing is true. My relationship with Elmer was a mistake; what should I do next?