Chapter 6 - Noah

The Moon Goddess didn't manage to screw up my life completely, apparently.

So, he got me a mate.

Her smell permeated every corner of that small cabin. My damned eyes seemed to be covered by a fog now, but I could still make out the shapes of what was inside. There wasn't much. A chair, a table, an old fireplace whose bricks creaked as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

Why was her scent there, as if that were a place where she spent a lot of time? It was winter. Didn't her parents know that a helpless little thing like her was out there, freezing in that crappy cabin and trying to chop wood? Or was she an orphan? My mother always found families willing to take in lone cubs. There was no explanation for the little thing seeming to live there…

Fuck.

I clenched my teeth, slamming my fist against the table.

What did I care if that woman lived alone in the middle of the forest? I wouldn't take her as mate. Not a chance. She said no one sent her into the middle of the forest to find me, but I still couldn't believe it. The disgusting concoction she put in my mouth had made me feel better, but I wasn't stupid enough to fall for her ridiculous talk.

Someone had sent her. I didn't know how, but they had put that smell on her. To trick me. So that I would keep a parasite close to me, thinking she was my doomed mate.

If they thought they could create a weakness in me, I would prove them wrong. Even if my eyes remained like this forever, I would tear them out and still be able to get my revenge.

I didn't need anything more than my anger.

The sound of the cabin door creaking made me stand on alert for a second, until that scent hit me. That soft, rosy, and subtly sweet aroma that made my wolf squirm, but not in a bad way. No, actually, it was addictive, intoxicating.

Now I understood why all the single men in the pack were so desperate to find their mates. My wolf was so frantic that I felt I could lose my skin at any moment if I didn't touch her.

I didn't realize I was growling until I felt the little thing gasp, sounding frightened.

“Uh…” I heard her footsteps approaching me, apprehensive “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you, but I didn’t have many options other than coming here.”

"You live here?" My teeth clenched just thinking about it.

I had her under me when we met. She was small, thin, frail. What the hell was her family thinking, letting her live in a place falling apart and without proper heating?

“Well, yes. Most of the time, until my parents… Need some help around the house.” she murmured, her sad tone telling me there was more to it than she was telling me.

“You're avoiding the damn question...!” I completely forgot what I was going to say when I realized there was something slightly salty mixed with her scent “Are you crying?”

"Uh... No." She hesitated before answering me, her voice choked.

I shouldn't care. I really shouldn't. This mating bond thing shouldn't change the fact that she was just a stranger and a potential threat to me. As far as I knew, it could just be a strategy to make me trust her.

But when I remembered how she had sounded two days ago, when we met... She was like a little bird, singing without caring who was listening. And now, I could hear the low murmur of her sobs. What had happened to make her like this?

And why was my chest tight over something so trivial?

“Don’t lie!” I growled, my wolf on alert, ready to tear the throat out of whoever had hurt our mate “Are you hurt? Who did this to you?”

“I… I really don’t want to talk about it.” I heard the chair across the table creak “I came because I forgot to tell you there was no food here. I brought some sandwiches. Although, you certainly went back to your house and eat something... Right?

"Only two days have passed." I rolled my eyes "I can go out and hunt when I really need to. Now, answer my question...!!

"But... Won't your family worry about you being away for so long? Especially while you're injured?"

Instead of answering her, I just stood there, struggling to make out the slightest hint of her face through the blur of my vision. She was probably just being cynical. She knew who I was. She knew very well who was waiting for me at my "house."

She knew the only thing that worried them was the fact I was still alive at that moment, instead of having frozen to death.

“You don’t really like to talk, do you?” There was a hint of a smile, but also nervousness in her voice.

“The question, Holly.”

I had avoided saying her name until that moment because I had a distinct feeling that I would become addicted to it, like a drug. And, judging by my wolf’s reaction, I was right.

“It’s a family problem.” she murmured, downcast “Nothing you have to worry about.”

I gritted my teeth, but this time, it wasn’t just frustration bothering me. The fact that her words seemed genuine, as if there was nothing behind them, made me uneasy. Because of my suspicions? Certainly. But…

Why did she keep acting as if she hadn’t realized we were mates?

It was simply impossible that she hadn’t sensed it in my scent. Although, I had to admit there was something strange about her too. Her scent was more than faint. It was almost nonexistent. And, after two days, she must have been burning with the urge to mate as much as I was.

I swallowed a growl as my wolf bristled at the thought that our mate was walking around, not only without our mark, but also without knowing she belonged to us.

Well, the bastard would have to get used to that feeling.

“Uh… Nice talk, I guess, but...” she stammered, and I heard the chair creak as if she had stood up “I should go. I… I don’t have much time. I just wanted to confirm if you were feeling better.”

I made her gasp when I managed to grab her wrist the second she passed me, toward the door. Feeling her skin, soft and warm, under my fingers almost made me lose control. Luckily, I was still able to speak, even through my clenched teeth.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the type to keep secrets.” I warned her, wondering if she even imagined how close I was to throwing her to the ground and marking her right there.

“I appreciate you worrying about me, but…”

Hearing her nominate that feeling was like plunging my thoughts into ice water. So little time and I was already about to break all the promises I had made to myself about never letting the madness of mating overwhelm me. I had to stay alert. In control. That little thing was dangerous.

Especially her tears.

Even though it made my wolf furious and cost me a lot of effort, I let her go. It wasn't like I needed her words to do something about it, anyway.

"I… I hope you like the food." she said shyly, the sound of her voice fading from me "And… If you don't have a home to go back to…" was that pity in her tone? "You can stay here as long as you want. It's safe here… When they don't know where to look, at least." She sighed softly, and I had the distinct impression that she didn't intend for me to listen to her.

"I won't stay here more than two or three days," I grumbled, not wanting her to think this would become our meeting point or anything like that.

"That's good… It means I'll be able to say goodbye." Again, her voice was extremely low, but not enough to stop me and my wolf from being on alert once more.

“What did you…?” Before I could finish that question, however, the cabin door slammed shut, leaving me with nothing but silence.

And the damn, rosy smell that was messing with my head.

Fuck what she meant. Let the little thing think she’s really capable of getting away. That’s what I said, trying to calm my wolf.

Denying mating or not, I was still willing to show her she couldn’t get very far.