Chapter 6 - This can't be happening.

V E R A

His words register in my mind as I stare at him in complete disbelief. 

I am mated to the Rogue King. And there's nothing I can do about it.

"N-No, this can't be happening..." I shake my head repeatedly as I begin stumbling backwards, glancing down at the forest floor as if I will find the answer there.

"I can't be your mate... I can't... " I say more to myself, as if I'm trying to convince myself that none of this is actually happening.

"Well, you are, and marks never lie." He answers, and that's when I turn to face him, finding a nonchalant expression on his face, and it seems that's all it takes to set me over the edge. 

"You don't get to just appear out of nowhere, drag me into a forest, bite my neck, and suddenly decide we're mates!" I yell at him, and all he does is chuckle lightly before he begins to step forward, carefully approaching me as if this is all amusing to him. Damn that perfect laugh of his...

"Actually, I can do exactly that. And I just did." He answers me, and I shake my head at him, feeling my anger rise by the second as my emotions continue to clash within my own mind. On one hand, everything is telling me to rip him apart for even daring to put his hands on me, for stealing me from the ball... While the other tells me something completely different... and let's just say that right now, one voice is much louder than the other.

"How dare you?!" I continue to shout at him, but he slowly approaches me, holding his hands out cautiously.

"Relax, firecracker... for your sake. No reason to get all worked up for nothing." He says, his voice low and soothing, almost making me lose my senses as I feel a chill pass through me. 

"Do not call me that." I snap at him, and that's when a smirk returns to his lips as he continues to approach me.

"I can call you whatever I want now, actually..." He answers, and by this time, I feel my back suddenly hit something, making me turn around sharply, realising that I've now been backed up against a tree.

"D-Don't talk to me like that..." I try to warn him, but my voice comes out timid, weak and without warning. 

At this point is now standing right in front of me, towering over me as if my 5'9 height was nothing.

"Like what?" He suddenly says, his voice rumbling in his chest. I am at a loss for words as I stare up at him, his grey eyes twinkling slightly in the moonlight.

"Am I distracting you...?" He asks, placing a hand beside my head and against the tree as he leans down to look at me. My breath hitches as I feel my heart race, trying my best to get a hold of the situation as I stare up at him...

"If you think I will ever accept being your mate..." I begin once I believe I'm able to talk without sounding completely small, though even then, I can hear the slight strain in my voice. I keep my eyes on him, refusing to look away first, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing how much his words have already gotten into my head. 

"Then you're absolutely crazy," I snap at him, forcing the words out with all the confidence I can muster.

"Eventually you'll accept me, unless you'd rather risk losing your wolf forever." He suddenly says, and that's when I realise... he's right...

"How would that translate to your people, hm? An Alpha that can't even shift? They'd see you as weak." He explains, and I simply stare at him, trying to weigh my options. My fingers immediately tighten at my sides, and I feel my jaw clench as I think about what he's telling me.

 I hate that he's right...

 

 If I were to reject him, I would lose my Wolf forever; it is the price to pay for denying the one fated for you. I am an Alpha, and my wolf is part of who I am, part of what makes me capable of leading my pack, and the idea of losing her leaves a cold feeling settling in my chest...

 

 It's completely out of the question...

But now, that leaves me stuck with Cole as my mate...

As I find myself lost in thought, I watch as Cole carefully approaches, making me quickly raise a hand to him...

"Don't come any closer," I warn him, though my voice doesn't carry the same authority it did a moment ago...

Cole keeps moving toward me anyway, his attention remaining fixed on me as I slowly begin backing away from him. I don't even realise how much distance I've given up until my back presses against the rough surface of a tree, leaving me with nowhere else to go without moving around him. He stops only when he is close enough that I have to tilt my head back to look at him, and the entire situation becomes even more ridiculous when I realise that I am the one trapped against a tree while he stands in front of me looking completely at ease.

"You know, your words say one thing... but everything else... tells me another..." he lets out as he continues walking towards me. 

The sound of his voice leaves chills running along my skin as he draws closer, and I immediately shake my head as I struggle to look away from him.

"This doesn't make any sense..." I let out, trying to make sense of what he is saying, of what he's done, and failing completely. The bond is supposed to be simple. A male marks a female, and the mark either accepts or rejects him. That is how it has always worked. There is no confusion in the process and no room for debate once the mark has formed, and yet I am standing in front of Cole Drakov, the man I have spent years believing to be one of the greatest threats to the region, while my body and my wolf continue to respond to him in ways I never thought were possible...

I want him... I need him... so much that I feel my entire mind, body and soul fighting against me, and if I'm not careful, I might end up losing control of myself...

"Who are we to try and explain the mate bond, sweetheart?" He answers, and by this time, I am back up against the tree, looking up at him as my breathing becomes elevated. He is so close that if I move even an inch closer to him, I will make contact with his skin. His scent fills the space around me, making it difficult to focus on anything else as the mark on my neck continues to vibrate, reminding me of what he has done every time it tingles against my flesh.

"N-no..." I mumble as I begin to feel my breathing elevate, trying my best not to look him in the eye because I fear that may send me over the edge.

"You're still trying to fight the bond..." he says to me, with amusement in his voice, and that's when I snap back at him with irritation.

"I'm trying to fight you..." I answer sharply, but at this point I can feel how heavily I'm breathing, and I know the answer has come out too quickly...

Of course Cole isn't offended. In fact, I'm certain he is enjoying every moment of this...

His gaze moves over my face, and I immediately look away from him, angry at myself for giving him any kind of reaction to read, just as I feel a deep blush form on my cheeks once I realise that he is still standing very close to me.

"The more you resist, the more painful it'll be for you..." he tells me as he draws closer to me, and I swallow as I force myself to look back at him, refusing to let him see how much his words have affected me.

"Let go, Vera..." he whispers to me, and I slowly begin to feel myself break, the hold on my composure slowly slipping as I continue breathing heavily.

"Don't...say my name like that..." I try to say, my voice coming out quiet and strained as I feel my skin burn from being this close to him. My body reacts as if it has a mind of its own, before I have the chance to tell it what to do. My wolf is still there inside my head, restless and impossible to ignore, and every time I think I have managed to push her away, she reminds me that she is fighting for control, that she desperately wants me to accept him despite how much I try to fight the matebond...

Cole pauses for a moment as  I watch him carefully, waiting to see if he is finally going to listen to me, though I already know from the expression on his face that he probably won't. He has been ignoring my warnings since the moment he dragged me out of the gala, and I have no reason to believe he is suddenly going to start now.

He completely ignores what I've said, and his face moves closer to my neck, toward the mark he has left behind, and my entire body immediately tenses against the tree, my breathing suddenly becoming heavier. I should push him away and tell him to get away from me. I should do anything except remain standing there while he gets even closer, but my hands remain at my sides as I watch him move toward me.

"Vera..." he whispers softly, his voice vibrating against my skin, making me gasp softly, my eyes shutting for a moment as I continue to hear my wolf howl in my head.

"Accept him, Vera! NOW!" I hear my wolf howl, her voice feral and untamed as my chest rises and falls rapidly.

Suddenly, I feel as if he is not close enough... I want his hands covering my body; I want to be completely swallowed by his scent, to be covered by his warmth. And at this moment, I slowly realise my wolf is slowly taking control...