BOUND TO MY MATE

TRUE IDENTITY

Holy fuck

The look on Elijah's face had me scooting from underneath him and retreating until my back was pressed against the headboard. My eyes took in his appearance, and I could visibly see his entire body shaking, his eyes transforming from black to green; his fists were tightly clenched until the skin looked translucent over his knuckles. Confusion, desire, and lust all swirling around in his mind, making it harder for him to control himself.

Calm down. Helena is only a human.

Okay, here I go hearing this lunatic's thoughts, so I must do what he suggests. Make him calm down. I relax my shoulders, take a deep breath, and crawl towards him, letting my hand cup the side of his face. "Shh, focus. It's okay. I am right here." While taking another deep breath, I can see my calm demeanor affect him, and I watch apprehensively as he regains control.

"Are you alright?" I whispered.

"Forgive me, my love. My wolf wants to claim you as his own. I'm constantly fighting him to take things slow with you. I did not mean to frighten you." He said uncomfortably.

Admittedly, I was a little shaken, but I wanted to understand what was happening to him. I got off the bed and started pacing back and forth, mumbling about how crazy this s**t was. I need some answers before I check myself into a mental asylum.

I stopped mid-pace to glare at him, then continued while picturing everything that had transpired these last few days. "Why in the hell do your eyes turn black like that?" I asked.

His annoyed expression tells me he is tired of all the questions even after saying I will be patient, but I can't help it.

"I know you are confused and scared, but sweetheart, you must give me some time. You're not in any danger with me. Sometimes, I easily forget that you're a human female, and I must be cautious."

I c**k my eyebrow, "Of course, I'm human, and so are you. That doesn't make any sense, if you're a damn alien." I half-screamed, and panic was written all over my features. Soon, as that alien remark left my lips, I wondered what if. What if he was some alien in a human-s*x meat suit sent to kidnap a female virgin, me, then impregnate her, so they can have some freaky extraterrestrial hybrid baby? I mean, something peculiar is happening here, no doubt.

I'm still pacing back and forth when I felt his hands grip my shoulders, stopping me in my track with a determined look. "Helena, I am not a damn alien. I will never hurt you or allow anyone else to hurt you. You have nothing to fear; please calm down." He leans his forehead to mine.

I closed my eyes, feeling comfort wash all over me, and it wasn't mine. It was Elijah. He was comforting me somehow with his own emotions. I was just too confused to fight it, so I welcomed it. Slowly my shoulders relax, my breathing returns to normal, and I open my eyes. He is staring at me with so much intensity I instantly blush. God, why does this freak have to be so damn sexy?

"You know what? Before we even think of having s*x, we will lay down some safety rules because you're not going insane like that when you're inside me." I scowl.

A burst of laughter that sounds like music to my ears fills the room, and dammit, I would give anything to hear him truly laugh like that again.

"Don't worry, love, your cunt is the most valuable thing I own. Especially since you can't bear my pups with a broken womb."

What in the blue hell is 'pups'? Does he mean actual f*****g puppies? Does he expect me to birth a four-legged animal? You know what? I am completely over this conversation with this beefed-up Jabroni.

I took my hands to my head, closed my eyes, and impatiently rubbed circles into my temple, "God Dammit, you're insane. I need a drink before I continue talking to you." I turned on the ball of my heels and headed for the door, but I turned around to see him still standing there. "Hey, nincompoop! You have to take me to the good booze. Are you coming?" I outstretched my hand for him to grab.

His eyebrows c****d as he accepted my gesture, leading me out the door to a small office across from his room. He walks over to a chestnut-colored cabinet opening it, revealing top-shelf liquor. "What would you like to drink, my dear?" He leans back to get a good view of the inventory with an arrogant smile. My eyes roam over the many neatly organized bottles and notice a brand I never thought I would taste. Oh my God, he has Remy Martin Black Pearl Louis XIII. This liquor is worth almost sixteen thousand dollars a bottle, and he has it stuffed in a cabinet like its backwater moonshine.

I grab the bottle, and the design is exquisite; I can't help but twirl it as the light glistens. "Elijah, this Cognac is worth sixteen grand a bottle, and you have it just sitting in a liquor cabinet. This is unacceptable. Do you understand?" My eyes narrowed.

"Whoa, Helena, why does it matter where I store it? It's just liquor, sweetheart, he said dismissively.

"The ideal temperature to store liquor is between fifty-five and sixty degrees. Chilling it preserves alcohol. If you pay that kind of money for it, you must keep it fresh for any guest you serve."

"My baby human, why do you know how to store alcohol? Are you secretly a drunk?" He teased.

"My father was a cicerone, or what some call a beer sommelier, so when he would go to vineyards, hotels, and restaurants, I would go with him, and I picked up on certain things. He enjoyed wine, though. He loved that it was something that got sweeter over time. He used to say it reminded him of people and how we mature with age."

I hadn't talked about my father in years, but somehow, with Elijah, I wanted him to know about everything in my small world. He gave me a thoughtful look, walked to a glass stand, grabbed two tumbler glasses, putting a few cubes of ice in them. I cracked the bottle, and the smell was magnificent. I took a moment to appreciate the aroma before I half-filled our glasses, earning me a side smirk from him.

I held my glass in the air, "Here's to walking an unknown path with a devilishly handsome might-be alien. May the universe protect and guide us both toward true happiness." We clink our glasses. "Cheers." We say at the same time, pushing the cool liquid down. My face frowns once I feel that familiar burn down my throat, and he laughs.

"Holy f**k balls, that is some strong liquor. It's good but it is rough on my throat." I giggled while pouring another drink, earning an exasperated sigh from the alien standing behind the desk. I stifled the laugh threatening to come out of my tight lips, knowing he would probably have a brain meltdown if I did, so instead, I leaned over the desk gripping his forearm. "Trust me, Elijah. I need to relax a little, and this is the best and most efficient way to do that; besides, you need to drink a little if you're spilling some secrets." I pulled my arm back, leaning into the back of my chair.

"God Dammit, Helena! I thought you were going to f*****g wait." He yelled.

His reaction slightly shocked me, but I can't say I was surprised. The fucker acts like an asshole when he doesn't get his way. He is an entitled little prick, and I am over his inflated ego. I swallowed the rest of my liquor, gaining liquid courage before speaking.

"Elijah, would you just freaking relax. You are way too intense, have anger issues, and want to have your cake and eat it too. News flash, everyone doesn't get what they want. In this world, you must work for something, have disagreements, debate, make mistakes, and compromise. I want to do all these things with you and more since I am still here despite you being an alien." I half-smiled.

He throws the glass back, slamming it on the table, "I will try to relax some; what is that you wanted to ask me?" He spits.

"Your tone suggests you are not relaxing, but you will." I poured another drink, "Can you tell me, is your chef able to prepare anything I request?"

"He is but the best chef on the East Coast. Whatever you want, he will prepare it." He mused."

I grinned at his response, "Perfect, can you have him bake us a four-ounce salmon, lightly seasoned with baked asparagus seasoned with salt and pepper." I paused; we needed a fruit tray with mostly berries and melons.

"Love, why does your meal sound more than just a meal?" He asks.

I'm super surprised that he caught on that there was a reason why I specifically asked for these things to eat. He may know me more than I thought.

"Well, salmon is good protein, and there are twenty-two grams of protein in a four-ounce serving. It will help slow the absorption of alcohol, and asparagus has many antioxidants to help prevent cell damage from drinking too much."

I hope he doesn't think I'm weird.

"I don't think you're weird. You're intelligent, and I love it when you voice your knowledge. It is the sexiest thing about you, my love. Shall I show you what your sexiness is doing to me?" He licks his lips as he stares at me, reaching for the phone by the desk as he calls his chef.

"Good Lord, you are insatiable. I need to be careful with you." I poured another drink as we waited for our food. "We will make love soon when we both fully trust each other. So, can you tell me what in the hell is pups?"

"It is just slang that we used to reference babies." He casually stated.

"So, you want me to have your child?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Duh, you're my mate. My life is quite simply your life."

So drinking one bottle of expensive cognac will not be enough to make it through tonight with this guy.

"How do you know we will spend the rest of our lives together? People fall in and out of love all the time."

His robust features take on a thoughtful look. "Helena, the mate bond is not something that we take lightly. It is a gift to find your other half and an insult to the moon Goddess not to accept it; I have been waiting for you a very long time. I almost lost hope that you didn't exist, but now that I finally have you, touched you, tasted you, I would be damned if I just let you go." He declared.

Oh, man, he does not play fair. How can I stop falling so deeply for this man without looking like a damn fool? I started to say something, but a slight knock on the door stopped me, and he got up to answer it. His chef prepared our meal fast, and the aroma was intoxicating. He placed the food in front of me. I instinctively leaned down to inhale the scent coming from the salmon.

Elijah retreats to his chair behind the desk and says a small prayer before lifting a fork to eat his food. A small smile plays on my lips while my eyes roam around the office, taking in all the art he has decorated on the walls.

"Why do you like art so much?" I asked.

"Art makes us feel, think, and see the world from another's perspective. It grants us a new connection to something we thought we knew and understood."

"That makes sense now that you put it like that, and if I am being honest with myself, it is exactly how I feel about the stories I read. I love picturing myself in the story twisting it to fit my imagination and personal experiences." I laughed.

He stuffs a massive piece of salmon in his mouth, and I notice he has twice the amount of food I have, if not more. "Why do you have so much food? Are you that hungry?" My lips twisted up.

"My aura uses more of my energy than anyone else in my pack. On average, we can eat up to ten pounds of food, but for me, twenty or more, depending on how much energy I use throughout the day."

Dammit, a pack? You know, I will not even entertain this fucker any more tonight. Every time he says some bullshit or thinks some bullshit, I'm going to ignore it. He is insane. Hell, I'm insane for continuing to follow up with this mess. Realization dawns on me as I process that thought. I'm not insane, not at all, actually; I'm brilliant, observant, and dammit; I have a three-point five GPA. I can figure out his secret; he has given me hints the entire time I've known him. Instead, that secretive meat market has given me my answers consciously or subconsciously.

The look on my face gets even more stern as I stare at his handsome face. I will figure out your little secret with or without your help, pretty boy. His confident smile lets me know he heard my thoughts. Something in my peripheral view suddenly caught my attention. My eyes drifted to the window on the side of me, noticing a giant dog, but not an average-looking dog; no, this thing had to be six feet tall on all fours. My legs immediately started walking to the window to get a better view.

As I looked closer, the dog looked more like a wolf. A giant ass wolf. One of its hind legs is more significant than my body. Come to think of it, my entire head looked like it could have fit into its mouth. I was so entranced by the size of the thing when I finally noticed the person it was stalking towards. Daisy is so close to it that she could be killed. From its looks, she was in the southwest corner of the garden. Without hesitation, I took off running through the office, stairs, and patio doors.

My heart is beating so fast with the thought of being too late. I can't fail my friend; I must get her to safety. When I turned the corner, I noticed the miniature rose bush she stood next to while the wolf stalked closer to her, but no one was there. Where did she go? I started panicking, walking towards the forest where she must have gone. Strong hands grip my waist before I can walk through the trees.

"Helena, it is okay."

I turned around, looking at him with a dumbfounded look. Seriously, okay, really, my friend is out here with some hybrid wolf that could rip her damn throat out.

"Retard, I just saw the biggest damn wolf I have ever seen stalking Daisy. I tried to turn to continue walking, but his iron-cloud grip prevents me from moving an inch. She could be seriously injured right now. That thing probably dragged her body into the woods, nibbling on her limbs as we speak."

"Oh, he is probably nibbling on Daisy, but I assure you she likes it; he smirks, "Helena, the wolf, belongs to me; in fact, you can say he is family just like Daisy is family. She will be fine."

A lot of memories hit me all at once. The dream, the woods, how everyone seemed to sniff the air like dogs, the unnatural tallness and strength, just every freaking weird unexplained s**t I ever saw or felt came flooding back. Elijah told me he was a werewolf; Daisy acted weird the night we discussed the mate bond and his referring to them as his pack. Suddenly, it all makes sense, and I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out.

"You're a werewolf," I whispered.