I Don't Need You

Forgotten

William

What is it about elevators that made things so tense, I thought as I pushed the button for the 50th floor which was where my room was. My mate pressed 25 and then looked up at me.

“So let's talk,” she said crossing her arms on her chest. Straight to the point little mate.

“I know what I am to you and you know what you are to me,” I said leaning against the back wall of the elevator, she stood to the side of me. Her eyebrow quirked.

“Do I?” she asked her eyes flashing a fiery red and the small elevator began to heat up. She was pissed and I deserved it but I didn't like her anger towards me.

“Mate,” I said in a low growl pushing away from the wall.

“Oh yeah that,” she said dismissively causing another growl to rip through me. How could she be saying these things I know she felt a pull towards me just as I felt one towards her.

“Yes that,” I said with my eyes fixed on the side of her head willing her to look up at me again. She moved further away from me and rested her head on the wall behind her allowing her eyes to close. My eyes landed on her neck and an intense feeling took over me. I was in front of her in a split second. Her eyes popped open giving me an alarmed look.

“William”, she whispered and my name on her lips did nothing to calm me down. The elevator stopped and two wolves entered. I spun to face them growling loudly and watched as they both stepped back off the elevator.

“Hey! Stop doing that!”, Eliza yelled pushing me away from her. I spun to face her and she stood tall, her hair turning three shades lighter and the fire began to lick around her wrist. No one had ever stood up to me before and I knew she could take me already from our alley incident. I couldn’t stop the smile pulling on my lips I was gifted with a strong warrior for a mate. The elevator doors shut as I stalked her.

“Stop what?” I asked hearing the growl in my voice.

“Acting as if you own me!” she hissed circling me as well. Well if we were being technical I did own her but I thought better before blurting that out.

“You are my mate it’s my job to protect you,” I said silently. She stopped circling me and recoiled as if I had hit her.

“Now I’m your mate? So you get to pick and choose when to care about me!” She yelled her flames grew and the heat she emitted burned a few plastic decorations on the wall. I needed to calm her down. I reached out to touch her and found myself face down on the ground.

“Don’t touch me!” She hissed at the same time the elevator beeped, I could see three pairs of feet before she stepped over me and exited. I scrambled to my feet and pushed past the three immortal men still standing there watching my mate’s ass as she walked away. I looked back at them and released a roar and watched as they scrambled onto the elevator. I followed Eliza's scent down the hall and stopped when it ended. I turned to a door that said “Fireball Liz” Ha! Yeah, she was a fireball and a pain in the ass! I began banging.

“Elizabeth!” I yelled in-between bangs, I knew I must have looked insane but damn it, she was making me this way. A few heads peeked out from the doors closest to me. I ran my hands through my hair and smiled at them.

“Eliza” I said gently to the door after what had to be fifteen minutes. When I didn’t hear anything I turned on my heels and left.

This. This was the reason I didn’t want a mate, this crazy feeling of losing control was unbearable. I was living just fine before she was born and then she came and everything changed. I hadn’t felt normal in twenty-four years. I took the stairs three at a time back down to the garage to retrieve my bag from my truck. I never stayed in one place long enough to plant roots so I was living out of my truck and I was okay with that. It’s how I preferred things but tonight I wanted nothing more than to sleep with my mate. My crazy, emotional, and beautiful mate. I felt my eyes shifting as I took the stairs back to the twenty-fifth floor. I noticed the lights were dim in the hallway as I threw my bag down at my mate's door. I knew no harm would come to her here at headquarters, but I couldn’t help this sense of protectiveness that was taking over every fiber in my body. I put my hands behind my head as I laid propped up on my bag. I guess I’ll be sleeping outside her door tonight. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall into a deep sleep plagued with images of my fiery mate.

Elizabeth

I hadn’t slept so soundly since the night before my parents were murdered. My eyes watered as I reminisced on that perfect night. My mother and I danced around the house to our own melody, she was an amazing singer. Her red hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Her beautiful clear eyes shone with happiness. My father was sitting on the couch watching us with a bright smile on his face. His eyes twinkled as he watched my mother I felt my heart swell with love. I wanted the love my parents shared. I always took pride in being brought up with mated parents. I got a taste of what true love was and it made me eager to meet my mate. My mate, I sighed before sitting up in bed.

After his little stunt last night I had hoped he went back to wherever he came from. Even as I thought it, my heart ached at the possibility of him leaving me. I knew William was in the building but I didn’t expect to feel him so strongly when I woke. I went through with my morning routine while humming a tune my mother taught me. Once I dressed and pulled on some training clothes, I headed out the door. I had no reason to look down so I went tumbling as I tripped over a figure laying across the length of my door. My head didn’t have a chance to hit the floor because I was pulled upright by William. His hair was going in different directions but he still looked like a fallen angel. Everywhere he touched me came alive. Immortals were walking up and down the hallway and more than a few stopped to watch us. This wouldn’t have mattered to me but the way some of the females were gawking was starting to piss me off. I shoved William inside my apartment and kicked his bag in as I slammed the door behind us.

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked folding my arms. William rubbed at his eyes before looking around my room.

“I was watching over you,” he said softly before making his way to some of the pictures on my bedside table. He held a picture of my mother and father posing with some cows from our farmhouse. They were so in love you could feel it through the picture. His thumb moved over my mother’s face before he looked up at me.

“You have your mother's face” he stated before replacing the picture. I felt the tears threatening to fall and turned away from him. No weakness. Especially not in front of him.

“She’s so beautiful,” he said and I could feel his body heat at my back. I cleared my throat and turned to face him.

“Yes, she was,” I said holding his gaze. His eyes flashed with sadness as he brought a thumb to my eyes wiping the tear that betrayed me.

“I’m so sorry Elizabeth” he whispered. I felt those words were so much more than just an apology for my mom but I didn’t think too much about it. It would be so easy for me to fall for this man. I took a step back putting some distance between us.

“I don’t need to be watched over, I can take care of myself,” I said looking up at him. He seemed too big for my tiny apartment. William rocked back on his heels.

“Yes I know what you are capable of, but I am your protector, your provider your other half and I’m here now. Do not fight me on this Elizabeth, it is my nature to protect you I-“

“What, after you forgot me? Pushed me out of your head? Pretended I didn’t exist!” I yelled cutting him off. I felt my anger mounting but this wasn’t coming from a place of anger it was coming from a place of hurt. His shocked expression was short-lived as he reached for me. I easily avoided his grasp shooting him a warning glare. He held his hands up retreating from me.

“Listen. I made a mistake not coming for you five years ago. This is all new to me Elizabeth I’ve been living over six hundred years alone and I’ve never been so out of control in my life. These past twenty-four years have been hell for me, especially the last five” He stopped and took a breath before continuing “But I realize it’s been hell because I needed you. This sensation in my heart has worsened in the past five years. You are right I tried to ignore it I tried to put it off as long as I could. I enjoyed my lonesome life. Until I laid eyes on you” he finished in almost a pleading tone.

I didn’t want to hear anymore, the tears were falling fast and free now and my hands couldn’t keep up with pace trying to wipe them away. This man hurt me more than I thought because I was a mess. I wiped away the last of my tears and decided right then and there what I would do. I stood as tall as I possibly could and looked him in his burning red eyes. I had survived this long without my mate, I accomplished things I didn’t know I could, I made a name for myself and people respected me. I had a good thing going here at headquarters and I knew without a doubt that:

“I don’t need you”. I hissed before turning and slamming the door behind me. I sucked in as much oxygen as I could but I couldn’t seem to draw my next breath I braced my hands on my knees as I tried to breathe. It was as if my own body was preventing the air from coming. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused. After a few minutes, I was able to breathe again. As I pulled in more air into my lungs, I wished I couldn’t breathe again as uncontrollable sobs rocked me to my core. I didn’t look back as I ran to the end of the hall and down the stairs.

The minute my foot hit the grass, I didn’t stop running until I was across the large field and about to hit the woods. I forced myself to stop and sunk to the ground wrapping my arms around my legs. The sobs continued to shake my body and I threw myself backward hitting my head on a rock of some form. I gripped my head with my hand and moaned. I didn’t need him. I could survive on my own! Just that thought alone caused more sobs to burst from my lips. I screamed in aggravation.

This body was weak, I decided as I curled on my side and continued to sob. Ugh, shut up! I screamed in my head at myself. I had things to do today, very important things and here I laid in a field crying like a child. I clamped my mouth shut and pushed myself into a sitting position. I looked back at the building and rose to my feet. I would do this, I would get through this day. I just needed to feed it had been too long since I had blood. My legs felt like spaghetti as I made my way back to the door I ran out of. There was this moaning sound and I realized it was me. I crossed my arms holding myself as I walked through the growing crowd in the hall heading towards the cafeteria. Heartbreak, I realized I was causing my own heart to break by forcing myself to push my mate away.

I made a left and headed towards the headquarters doctor's office. It was still early so no one occupied the waiting area. I walked to the desk and tapped the small silver bell. Almost instantly a young vampire appeared with the brightest smile on her face. I envied her for her happiness.

“Hello, how can I help you?” She asked a concerned look coming over her pretty face.

“Is the doctor in yet?” I asked in return.

“Yes he is I’ll be right back,” she said and rushed from her seat. It wasn’t a minute later before the side door opened and a large vampire motioned for me to come inside.

I sat on the hospital bed and watched as the nurse finished taking my vitals. She wrote them down and then quickly left the room. Feeling alone again a small sob burst from my lips. At that moment the large doctor entered. His eyebrows pinched together before walking towards me.

“Elizabeth can you tell me what’s going on?” He asked. I shook my head yes and waited until I felt it was safe to talk without crying.

“My mate. I walked away from my mate he’s here at headquarters” I managed to get out with just one sob. The doctor's face turned to one of understanding.

“I see. Why don’t you lay back for a minute” he said and I followed his instructions.

“Now you aren’t going to like my solution..the only way for you to feel better is to join your mate,” he said uneasily. I moaned and felt another wave of tears rocking me.

“You will only get worse until you do. There is nothing I can do for you Elizabeth but you are welcome to lay here as long as you need. I’ll get you some blood, feeding will help” he said before leaving the room. I didn’t need my mate and I wouldn’t return to him. I said to myself as pain shot through me again.