Alpha Damon's Mate

Chapter 3

As casually as he strolled towards me, you could tell he had no worries in his life. He grinned, and then, all of a sudden - I hadn't even realized he was already there - he pulled me into his arms.

He seemed to like doing that somehow. I was intoxicated by his harsh, masculine scent. "Thank you," he breathed, then suddenly he picked me up and carried me to his car.

Oh you holy schnitzel!

That was too much for my poor, otherwise petrified heart. Without really consciously doing it, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself towards him. His chest heaved as he chuckled.

"You're cute." He got to the car and put me in the passenger seat, then jogged around the car and flopped down next to me.

♧

Neither of us said a word during the drive. The situation was rather uncomfortable for me and he had put on this comforting facial expression the whole time.

Now we sat here. On the couch in his living room, which, just for the record, was huge. As is the rest of the building. The only thing that I found strange was that there was a single small settlement here in the forest, so to speak, because there were other people standing around Damon's villa.

"Let's watch a movie" I raised my eyebrows. "Okay" he grinned. "Horror movie?" I just nodded, annoyed. I wasn't afraid of that sort of thing, so he'd cut himself thinking I'd 'snuggle up' with him.

He pulled a film from a shelf and put it on. So far so good. The movie started out fairly normally, like horror movies do, and when I wasn't overly frightened, Damon himself just put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer.

There was probably barely an inch of space between us, but oddly enough, this closeness didn't bother me.

Everything was wonderful... until the killer was found. In the movie, of course. It was a woman. A psychopath whose problem couldn't be diagnosed. A lump formed in my throat.

To my regret, the not-too-pleasant memory evoked. My eyes watered and when you zoomed in on the woman's face, who even resembled Shannon, I couldn't hold back. I jumped up. The tears flowed unhindered and I just wanted to get away from here.

I just couldn't watch it anymore. It was awful for me. The memories of my birth mother flooded my mind. How I went to the psychiatric ward as a small child to visit her shortly after she was admitted and didn't yet understand what it meant to be mentally disturbed.

And when my mother saw me, she almost freaked out and screamed. "If he comes, flee. Whoever you are" She hadn't recognized me and I had been crying.

Like now. The veil of tears in front of my eyes didn't allow me to see where I was going, but I knew inevitably that it was getting darker.

Fear overcame me.

I shouldn't have run away so easily. After a few blinks, my vision cleared somewhat and I realized I was squatting in a forest. Fear crept up the back of my neck and almost overwhelmed me. Everything in me screamed: RUN! But I knew this was the worst thing I could do because I was lost.

The forest was so dense that hardly any light shimmered through the canopy and I sobbed softly. I lowered myself to the ground by a tree and took a deep breath.

"ELISE? Elise, where the hell are you?” I cried out slightly. “Elise, dammit, don't ever scare me like that again.” Damon stepped into my line of sight and pulled me into his arms.

I, on the other hand, only sobbed loudly and the tears flowed down my cheeks like waterfalls. Damned. I didn't want to look weak in front of Damon.

"Do you want to tell me what made you panic?" I shook my head in fear. I didn't want him to know! I was afraid that if he knew I was the daughter of a madwoman, he would judge me.

"Ne-hein!" I hiccuped decisively. "Pscht" he whispered in my ear and lifted me up with a jerk. "You are very cold. I'll take you home quick"

I nodded trembling and subconsciously snuggled up to him. At least, that's what I told myself, because unfortunately I had to admit that I was attracted to him and that I enjoyed lying in his arms like that.

He gave me a feeling of security that I didn't really know. The only sad thing was that I had only known Damon since yesterday and still - at least by my standards - threw myself at him. And that in the literal sense, after all I was snuggled up against his muscular chest.

A satisfied growl was heard from somewhere above me and I winced in shock. But when I realized that it was only Damon making that sound, I clutched my arms possessively around his neck.

I was damn surprised and confused by my action myself, but what I wanted to know more than anything was why I was so attracted to him, even though I didn't know him at all.

The only thing I really knew about him was that his name was Damon, and that was it. "What are you thinking about, my beautiful angel?" Damon breathed in my ear.

I peered at him, frowning. I was everything, but certainly not 'beautiful'. Of course, when you heard the description of my appearance, you thought 'yes, she can only be beautiful', but one look at my face was enough to realize the opposite.

I was relatively tall, a bit too emaciated and had to wear glasses that made my blue eyes look huge. I also had long blond hair. Despite the lie, my heart warmed.

How could he be so cute? "About you" I honestly admitted and he raised his eyebrows enthusiastically. "Really?" I nodded. "You know... I... I kind of like you, but..." yikes, where did this openness come from? Normally I would never say something like that.

"I've only known you since yesterday and I really don't know anything about you." Suddenly he grinned. "Of course that can be changed! Let's play the question-and-answer game when we're over there. You ask me a question and I do If you have to answer honestly, then it's my turn..."

I nodded. I didn't really have anything to hide, after all - other than my mother's passing - so I wasn't afraid of what he would ask.

I snuggled closer to Damon. "I'm c-cold" I shivered and he grinned. "The problem can be fixed" he started to run faster and it was barely ten minutes before we were there.

"Aren't I way too heavy for you?" "You and too heavy? I think you're a bit too light for your height..." I just swallowed.

Yes, he was right. I was pretty skinny, maybe a bit too skinny but it didn't bother me and I'd rather be too skinny than too fat.

At that moment we arrived and he set me down on the sofa. "Do you want to start?" he asked and I nodded. "How old are you?" He grinned. "I'm eighteen, but I'll be nineteen in five months. How old are you?" "I'm seventeen but will be eighteen in five months. When is your birthday?"

He laughed again that beaming grin that made me feel like it was meant only for me. It made me happy. "on May 2nd. You?" I widened my eyes. "You're not serious? We have our birthdays on the same day?"

He pulled me into his arms. "If that makes you happy, then I'm happy too." Oh my god. I sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelingeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee are

"Your question?" He grinned his beautiful grin again. "Oh... what's your favorite color?" "I love red. What are your parents' names?"

I swallowed. "My foster mother's name is Wilhelmine..." I then said. He smiled. "You don't have to say it. Only when you're ready." I bit my lip. I was waging a little war inside. My heart wanted to pour itself out and tell him of all the grief, but my mind saw it differently. He taught me not to trust anyone.