Chapter 20

It's Monday, the start of a new school week.

As I got out of my car, Connor appeared from nowhere and pulled me towards him.

"I've been thinking about doing this all night," Connor said as he had me lean backward.

He then kissed me.

When his lips departed from mine, I saw everyone on the school compound, with shock in their eyes, gasping at us. I was more surprised than they were at Connor's action.

"I thought we were going to keep our relationship a secret, to not allow the werewolf councils to find out," I said.

"They're 30 seas away from us; why bother to hide when my family and I are the only werewolves around here?" responded Connor, coming in for another kiss.

Everyone's eyes were on us when we walked into the school and along the hallways holding hands. I glimpsed Bryson with his girlfriend Elena. They both stared at us, upset.

Connor and I were the talk of the school. No one could seem to believe that he and I were dating; neither did I as well.

"I bought something for you at a jewelry shop while visiting a cousin on Sunday." Connor took me up to the school's rooftop garden.

Facing me, he took out a small red box from his pocket and gave it to me.

Excited, I open it, and I'm stunned to see a beautiful diamond moon necklace.

"Connor, you've bought me a car, rented me an apartment, and are taking care of my other expenses. I can't take this diamond necklace. You've done enough for me." I looked at its sparkling beauty inside the box.

"Please stop watching the cost, for I love you, Amara, and you deserve the most beautiful things."

"I already have you, and that is just enough," I said, looking at him.

He smiled, and I couldn't help but gaze at his pointed canines for the thousandth time.

"It's stunning." My eyes fall back to the necklace, taking it out from the box.

"You're my full moon, Amara," Connor said, regaining my full attention.

I blushed at his words.

"There's also something at the back. I added my own touch to it."

He held my hand holding the necklace, and he slowly turned the necklace pendant over, and there I saw the word 'MINE.' Clawed boldly at the back.

"You're not only my full moon, Amara Lively, you're also mine, my human mate," Connor said.

Tears formed in my eyes. My entire life, I wanted to be loved and felt like I belonged to my parents, who didn't want me. I felt alone and like a dog without any owner-not owned by anyone to love, and now this handsome guy who is way out of my league stands tall before me, claiming me, a nobody, as his own.

I tiptoed, wrapped my arms around him, and pulled him down for a kiss.

After we were through kissing. He took the necklace from my hand, walked around me, and placed it around my neck.

Second class, while I'm washing my hands in the bathroom. Kara came in.

I dried my hands to hurriedly leave, but she stopped in front of me, causing me to halt. Nervously, I watched as her eyes noticed my new diamond necklace. I flinched as she reached for it, and my body turned to stone, terrified of her knowing what she was capable of doing to me.

My heart raced as Kara ran a hand over the necklace and then turned it over, seeing the word Mine clawed boldly at the back; she laughed and then let go of it, walking over to the mirror.

"You're a naïve little human," she said while she started to apply pink lip gloss to her plump lip, which is far more worthy of Connor's kiss than my unattractive, thin lips.

I should run away from her, knowing it was not safe being next to her, but instead I stayed by her comment.

"Why do you say that?" I asked as she began to fix her perfect blonde hair, which makes me dislike mine even more.

"Because werewolf as mate, and one day Connor will leave you for the one the moon bonds him with, and that necklace will mean nothing to the mark he will place upon his mate's neck, which means she is his," she answered as she was leaving.

"This is one of your plans to get him to yourself," I said, stopping her.

"I know you're in love with him." I stared at her back.

"I do," her voice cracks in pain, and at her side, I see her quickly wiping away tears.

"But there's not a day that I want him to return my love, as I don't want his mate to show up at his door, wanting him to claim her, but then you come along instead, a weak and pathetic human," she said, then quickly stepped out.

I wanted to believe what she said was a lie, but deep down, I know it wasn't. After the conversation with Kara, I found every way to avoid meeting with Connor that day, upset that he never mentioned any of what Kara said to me.

I felt so stupid to think mate was another word for werewolf husband, wife, or a partner when he introduced me to his sister Dalia and her mate and his parents.

I wish he'd told me that it was something deeper than that and that werewolves didn't choose their mate; the moon did.

I'm hurrying to my car when I feel Connor's warm hands against my elbow. I stopped, wheeling around towards him.

I couldn't look at his handsome face, knowing it belongs to his already chosen mate by the moon, and so I kept my eyes on his large black boot.

"I've been searching for you, and it feels like you're running from me as if you don't want to be found," he said, his voice soft and full of warmth.

Knowing I can't lie to him, I say nothing.

"Why aren't you looking at me, Amara?" He then said in the gentlest tone, and tears started flowing down; I was unable to hide my anger from him anymore.

"You lie to me," I sobbed.

"You say I was yours, but I'm not," I lashed out at him.

I again felt like a stray not belonging to anyone.

"What are you saying, Amara? You're mine," he said.

"I'm not yours, so stop lying to me!" I yelled so loud that everyone heard and stopped to look at us.

As Connor was about to touch me, I backed away, and Bryson ran to my rescue, standing between us.

"Stay away from her," yelled Bryson angrily.

Connor walked closely to him as if to fight him, and my heart began to race, knowing how powerful he was.

"Stay out of this." Connor gave him a stare that could kill, and I immediately pulled Bryson by the hand from him.

Before I walked away, I ripped off the necklace and handed it to him.

"It was meant for you," he said.

"I don't want it for one day; it will mean nothing, just as I will mean nothing to you when you find your mate." I pry open his hand that was made for touching his other half and not me. I placed it into it with an aching heart and then walked away with Bryson.

Connor stood in the area I'd left him as if he were frozen.

"What did he do to you, so I can return to give him the hardest punch?" said Bryson as we were standing by my car.

As much as I was angry at Connor, I wanted to laugh at Bryson's comment as I imagined his hand snapped like a chicken wing at one punch.

Bryson trying to hurt Connor will only do him damage.

"Nothing," I said, and got into my car, driving from the school compound.

As I'm leaving, I still see Connor in the same spot now, looking at me. I pretended as if I didn't see him.