Bonds And Betrayals

17.

BELLO.

I slid my gaze towards her, and did my best to hold back my laughter. She hadn't met my gaze since the towel incident, nor had she said a single word once I explained I had my boxers on.

I wasn't completely naked. I just wanted to mess with her.

She looked absolutely breathtaking. So much so that I struggled to breath properly every time I looked at her. It was all the distraction I needed to stop thinking about the mess from the site.

“Are you okay?” I finally asked, because her silence was getting to me.

‘Maybe you shouldn't have scared her,’ Conri grumbled.

“Mmhm,” she nodded, her head down as she played with her fingers.

We zoomed past buildings, some of which I commissioned over the years. The streetlights adorned the street, with the flowers sprouting on the sides.

“You aren't talking, Bellis,” I murmured. “Did I do something wrong?”

‘Of course you did! You scared her!’

‘Shut up,’ I shushed him, turning slightly to look at her again.

“I just don't know what to say.” She whispered.

“You don't have questions about us? About werewolves?”

She shook her head.

“Nothing?” I pressed again. I wanted her to talk. I love listening to her voice, but above all, I wanted her to be comfortable around me.

“Your explanation earlier this morning was okay,” she finally lifted her head to look at me. Our eyes locked for a brief second before she looked away quickly. “I suppose the concept is interesting.”

“You are not worried?”

She was quiet for a while before she responded. “Not really. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect anymore. And while this was a surprise, I am not scared of you if that is what you are wondering,” she smiled, the sight making my heart leap in joy before I shifted my attention back to the road.

“I am glad you aren't. You aren't supposed to be scared of me, because I plan to spoil you rotten. I will take care of you, Bellis. In every way.”

I turned slightly to face her, and luckily, she looked towards me as well. She held my gaze for a moment without looking away, the smile on her face…a perfection.

I broke the gaze first this time, gripping the steering wheel tightly. If I wasn't driving, I'd certainly have shown her what that smile did to me.

“My mother is late. She died giving birth to me,” I spoke, hoping to break the tension between us and hopefully have her open up about herself as well. “I have a maternal aunt whom I love so much, and who took me in after my mother's death. She is Elliot's mother. Turk is my elder brother, as you may already know. His mother was my father's concubine, hence why he wanted to marry Alpha Lamido's daughter so the court wouldn't complain about the son of a concubine being Alpha.”

“They wanted you to take the position,” she said quietly.

I nodded. “They did. After our father's mysterious death, they wanted me to take the throne. But Turk is my elder brother, even if his mother was a concubine. So I refused the position.”

“You didn't want the crown?”

I was surprised by her question. No one had ever asked me this in the past. “I did and didn't.” Was my vague response. “Can you tell me anything about you?”

She bit her lips, hesitating. And just as I was about to give up, she started to speak.

“My mother is also late, like yours, she died giving birth to me,” her voice was quiet, almost like it pained her to talk about this. “But I had an amazing wet mother, who was like a mother figure to me. That was before my father sent her away. Oh, I have a rocky relationship with him, and I spent 99% of my life isolated. Would you believe me if I told you I was homeschooled?” She laughs.

Wait, what?

“I was always alone, in full isolation. Until I… I mean, a few weeks back when my father traveled and our house was raided. I was captured by the traffickers. I am not sure if my father made it back, else, he'd have come for me.” she continued before I could speak. “That's it. That's all about me.”

But from the strain in her voice. The wavering, the way she kept her gaze fixed ahead, her face emotionless, I knew there was more to the story. There was more she wasn't telling me, probably because she didn't trust me enough yet.

But I would rectify that soon.

It also explained her awkwardness.

“Looks like we have something in common,” I tried to lighten the mood. “About our mothers, I mean.”

She chuckled, nodding her head. “I guess so,” then she faced me again. “I think not just that, because I also have a brother. The only difference is I am the eldest,” she chuckled. “So, as werewolves, do you like, have a wolf?”

She didn't want to talk about her again, and that was fine by me.

‘Safe to say we are going to make that father pay when we find him, right?’

‘I suppose we would. But we'll need the full story to determine his level of punishment,’ I answered Conri.

“We do. We shapeshift.”

She moved on her seat, fully facing me, eyes wide and excited. “You do? Can you show me?”

“I can. Whenever you want.”

“That is so cool!”

I reached for her hand and laced our fingers together. Her palm was soft, and so tiny compared to mine. And without thinking, I brought our clasped hands to my lips and pressed a soft kiss on the back of hers.

“Would you like me to find your fam…”

“No,” she responded, her voice sharp, and a little agitated. “I…I” she tried to pull her hand away but I held tighter.

“Look at me, Bellis,” I called, my voice urgent. Desperate even.

She wiped the corner of her eye before she turned to face me. And I reigned in everything within me not to rage at the pain in those eyes. Those gorgeous hazel eyes that always seemed to knock the breath clean out of me every time she looked at me.

“I want you to know this,” I rasped. “I won't do anything you don't want me to. I will protect you. I will keep you happy. I will cherish you, always,” I kissed her knuckles this time. “I want to know you. What excites you, where to touch you. I want to be the main reason you smile everyday. I plan to memorize the shape of your lips and the words that come out of them. Like I said earlier, I plan to ruin you. Wholly.”

“Bello…” the sound of my name in her voice…that voice, was wrecking. A complete wreckage. It was the first time she has said my name since meeting her yesterday.

I parked the car in front of the store before I turned to face her fully.

“Yes, Bellis?”

“I…don't ruin me too much.”

I leaned closer, her scent hitting me square on the face. Sweet almonds, I realized, finally putting a label to it. She smelled of sweet almonds. It was… everything. I sucked in a deep sigh, removing her seatbelt, then grazed her bottom lip with my thumb, taking more of the lip balm she had applied and sucked the finger clean.

“I can't promise that. Simply because you have already ruined me.”