Chapter 5
1338 Words
Arabella POV
That voice crashed in on me like the tremor from a shockwave, and I quickly felt the warm blood rush to my face. The word "mate" only continued to replay itself in my head, bullying its way through every nerve in my body. I felt breathless, thoughtless; my thoughts had tumbled themselves into a snarled knot of confusion as well as fury.
I looked up at him-with his sharp jawline, his mask that barely spoken of his chiseled features, and he had silvery eyes that cut through the haze of my thinking like a blade. I could feel it then, an undeniable pull, a force that no amount of willpower could stop. My body tensed, my breath shallow, the air between us thick with the weight of something I wasn't ready to face.
Mate. The word gnawed at me like a beast trapped in a cage somewhere.
Surely, this is not real. It couldn't be; because I am Arabella Stormhold, the one who would not permit herself to feel, the one who had come back from the death of her own soul long ago. Fought back to life, and now she have to fight again-to this strange, uncontrollable bond to a man standing right in front of me, looking like something out of a dream.
Oh, the words were low, filled with a raw intensity. "Mate," he repeated, hoarse, as if even the very word is something sacred to him.
I found myself reflexively drawing away from him while my mind was whirring. No. This is not happening at all. Not right now.
I took a step back, heels clicking sharply on the marble, with my heart hammering in my chest; the noise drowned out every beat of rhythm in my ears as I searched to calm myself, willing my way past the strange feelings building within me.
"I... I don't understand what you're talking about," I shot back, my voice cold, but even as I spoke, I could feel the brewing storm inside me. "I don't need any mate."
His eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer, his eyes unwavering. The space between us crackled like the air just before a lightning strike.
"You don't know what you're talking about," he sighed, gentler but holding undertones of irritation. "As if you didn't know, Arabella, you are my mate. I knew it the moment I set my eyes on you."
My heart rumbled in my chest like rolling thunder as I shook my head. No. This isn't real. It can't be real. Instincts told me to run, to get away, but I couldn't tear my gaze from his. It was a gravitational pull, drawing me in.
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked sharply, as if with a blade. "You can't just walk in and claim me as your mate. This is not a fairy tale, and I'm no damsel to be rescued."
He frowned at me; his lips pressed into a thin line. "I am not here to rescue you, Arabella. I am here because I cannot deny this bond. I have known it since I first saw you tonight. You... you are mine."
That word cut deep, more than I would ever care to admit. His words could have incited my anger but rather stirred something within me—something I refused to acknowledge.
I took another step backward, racing against my mind for a release from this situation. This is ridiculous. He cannot be serious. I will not give in just like that.
"I don't care what this is supposed to mean to you," I said, my voice flat and icy from getting caught up in his perception of things. "I'm not yours. Not now. Not ever."
His face softened as though past some barrier, his eyes flashing with something other than I could identify. "Arabella," he said almost pleadingly, "you don't understand. This is not something we can control. The bond is already there."
I formed a lump in my throat, a blend of annoyance and disbelief. "Don't throw that out to me, and I certainly don't need you," I said. I felt my voice vibrating with a sting as I talk, but inexplicably it did not sound right to me. I knew these words are not real at heart. However, my hardened heart that hated by betrayals wouldn't agree.
"Why are you resisting it?" the former asked with a many-emotioned voice. "I don't want to damage you, Arabella. I want to understand you.I want to be with you."
The sound of derision froze on my throat. "I am not interested in second choices. And I am certainly not interested to become some weak, lovesick fool who is bonded to you."
He winced at my words, and for a brief moment, I caught a fleeting startled look in his eyes. Still, gone as fast as it emerged.
"You don't have to be anyone's second place, then," he said softly, moving closer. "I never chose anyone else, never wanted anyone else. But I can't ignore what I feel. This connection is genuine, Arabella. This is more than a mate bond. This is deeper. It is something you and I share."
I felt as the air shifted around us and, despite myself, I was drawn to him. Indeed, the pull of the bond is too strong to ignore. It whispered in my ears to rely using it and leave doubt behind, but I could not.
At least, I could not just abandon the past-the lies and betrayals. Jacques had made his decision, and that was final. I couldn't just believe a strange man no matter what they claimed.
"You don't know who I am," I admitted, despite the tremor in my voice put out there as though it had been strong enough. "You have no idea what all I've been through. You don't know what it's like to love someone who doesn't love you back, watch them turn their back on you for someone else."
The words felt like a dagger to my heart; but, still, I managed to spit it out, so they simply cut me up inside.
He was silent for a long moment while he watched me. His expression softened and with a voice so soft only its whisper could be heard. "Listen to me Arabella," he continued, his voice so soft that to hear him over the music, I had to really pay attention. "I'm not Jacques. I don't know what has happened or what emotions you went through, but I would never do what Jacques has done. I'm not going to take anything away from you. Arabella, I'm here to tell you as my ascendant. Just trust me, something could happen between us, something true."
I wanted to yell, push him away, tell him that I didn't have all that much time— I really don't have time for mates or love or tantra or any kind of s**t that comes afterward. But there is something in his eyes which just...made it hard to do so. Something about what he said anyway, as much as I didn't want it to.
"Listen," I replied, my voice now quite firm. My heart was racing despite this. "I've done everything for this one thing. All, and it was stripped from me. You...you may be my friend, but you're not going to solicit me or make it seem like things are fine."
His eyes softened, a flicker of comprehension in the depths of his gaze. "I never expect you to forget. I just wanted you to know that I'll never go away and I will wait; because what we have is real between us."
I took a deep breath. What now?
I turned away, shielding doubts that had settled into my mind from his view. "And soon we will see what comes of that," I sighed, bitterness threading my voice.
This, I turned and began walking away, leaving him there, standing in the shadows of the ballroom, watching me disappear into the crowd.
- Writer
