My Mate

I'm just 24 years old, yet I work as if there's no tomorrow. I was an orphan, put up for adoption right after my mother gave birth to me, and I've been living on my own since I turned 18. I can swear it hasn't been easy. My name is Adelaide Shaw. I started working at a restaurant when I was 16, and by the time I turned 18, I had saved enough to buy my own car and a house through my hard work even though they're not that big and expensive. Life at the orphanage was incredibly challenging. Before I moved out, many of us lived on the streets, while some turned to selling drugs and became addicted, as life had not been kind to us. Despite these hardships, I am grateful for where I am today. It hasn't been easy, but I’ve managed to find happiness and strength in my journey. I was driving slowly down the dark, quiet road, relying solely on my car's headlights to see the way ahead. This is what I meant when I said it wasn't easy. My boss called me tonight, even though I had finished my shift in the afternoon, asking me to come back to work. While I feel frustrated, I know I don't have a choice. At least I'll be paid more for the extra hours, which is why I don't feel completely down about it. I know I won’t have enough time to sleep today, but the promise of more pay keeps me motivated. Suddenly, a strong wind picked up, and I felt like my car might be blown away. "Oh my goodness!" I screamed, my eyes wide with fear. I could barely see the road ahead, and my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest as the wind grew stronger. I had never encountered such fierce winds before, and what was even more terrifying was the realization that I seemed to be the only one on the road at that moment. "What's going on? Is this how I'm going to die? No, I don't want to— not now. I love my life!" I mumbled, sniffling as I struggled to keep my car on the road. I could feel myself slowly losing control. "Now, I regret ever coming out tonight, and it's all because of my boss. I don't want to die yet," I said anxiously. Suddenly, the wind became more heavy, and before I knew it, it took control of the car out of my hands. Even though my hands were on the steering wheel, the car started driving itself. No matter what I did, it wouldn't stop, and I had no idea where it was heading. I screamed loudly and fearfully, knowing it was pointless to try to stop the car, and I gave up trying to stop the car, but the fear of death still loomed large, and I had lost all hope of fulfilling my dreams. I closed my eyes, no longer screaming, and quietly accepted my fate. I thought I was ready to die when suddenly, just as I had imagined... My car suddenly hit something hard. Even though I was wearing a seatbelt, my head slammed against the steering wheel with a loud thud. For a moment, I thought I was dead, but then I raised my head and felt a wound on my forehead, wincing in pain. "So I'm not dead," I mumbled slowly, noticing that the wind was already starting to settle. I exhaled softly, relieved to be alive. Not understanding what had just happened as what my car hit was a tree. Before I could process that, something struck the top of my car again, and I thought it was another tree. I realized the car wasn't safe anymore; it was my hard-earned money that I had used to buy it, and it felt like it was about to crash into pieces. Tears rolled down my cheeks, but I knew I needed to save myself first. I quickly wiped away my tears and got out of the car, feeling the sting of blood trickling from my forehead. I gazed up to see what kind of tree had fallen on my car, but when I turned to look, my eyes widened in terror at the sight before me. It was dark, and I couldn't see anything except for a pair of bright red eyes glowing in the darkness. My whole body shook with fear. Never in my life had I seen such an eye before, and it looked terrifying. I thought I was seeing a monster, something I believed only existed in movies and fiction books. But those eyes—what did they mean? I just didn't understand. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" I asked fearfully, unsure if there was even a person standing there, given the glowing red eyes. "What are you doing in my territory? How dare you! You won't be able to leave; you've seen what you shouldn't have. Your death is imminent, fragile human!" The voice shouted, and I could hear five different voices layered within it, growing louder in my ears. I covered my ears, desperate to avoid going deaf. I don't understand what he means by "his territory." This is the road I take in the morning on my way to work, although I've never traveled this road at night. It doesn't seem like a place meant for just one person. The fact that I can only see the red eyes of the figure speaking to me is terrifying, especially since the voice doesn't seem ordinary. I have no idea who—or what—this is. "You'll know now that this road belongs to me at night," the voice said, drawing closer. I was already sweating with fear, and the only thing I could think to do was run for my life. If I could just save myself, maybe I would survive. I couldn't wait for that thing to kill me; running away was my best option. I hadn't run for long when everything that was dark suddenly became even darker in my eyes. Then I saw the red eyes again, standing right in front of me. "You think you can escape? Well, no," the voice taunted. I wanted to plead for my life, but I couldn't open my mouth. That's the last thing I remember before I suddenly passed out on the cold ground. • When I arrived at the restaurant today, my boss was upset with me for not showing up last night as I had promised. She almost fired me, but I'm relieved that she didn't. What if I said, I don’t remember anything after the wind started blowing heavily? I woke up this morning in my bedroom, in my bed, with no recollection of how I got home last night. I can’t help but wonder if I drove myself back because I just don’t understand what happened. As I made my way here last night, I found myself back home the next morning, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was strange. Nevertheless, I refused to let my thoughts distract me from my work. Once I got home, I would try to piece together what happened last night on that quiet road and we were getting ready for the lunch rush when none other than Cyrus Snyder and his group walked in. Cyrus is stunning, with striking blue eyes that seem to pierce right into your soul and dark brown hair styled in a frohawk. His body is more than just toned, but he’s not quite at the level of a bodybuilder either. The guys who hang out with Cyrus resemble him in many ways, except for their eye color and hair. Cyrus has a reputation in town as a playboy, and he certainly doesn’t lack female attention—cocky might as well be his middle name. Of course, they have to sit in my section. I can’t quite put my finger on why I always feel so nervous around Cyrus. Once they settled in, I approached to take their drink order. "Just cokes for all of us," Cyrus said before I could even ask. I smiled and nodded, replying, "I'll have that right away." As I turned to get their drinks, Cyrus gently grabbed my arm and asked, "Tell me, what’s a pretty girl like you doing waitressing?" I rolled my eyes and walked away. Seriously? That was the best he could come up with? It wasn’t even original, and besides, I didn’t have time for games. The rest of my day flew by, especially after Cyrus left me a generous tip. Normally, I head straight home after work, but today I decided to stop for a few drinks at the bar. Since it was still early, I figured it wouldn’t be too crowded. As usual, I slipped into a back corner table to avoid drawing any attention to myself. I just wanted to unwind, but of course, the universe had different ideas. Cyrus Snyder walked in, making quite the entrance, and settled down at the bar. His eyes locked onto mine as he scanned the room, a smile tugging at the corners of his full lips. Without wasting any time, he made a beeline for me and sat down in the empty chair across from me. "So, are you waiting for your boyfriend?" he asked. "Nope, I've never had a boyfriend," I blurted out. s**t, why did I say it like that? I could feel my cheeks reddening with embarrassment. I glanced at Cyrus, who had one eyebrow raised and an expression of disbelief on his face. "Hmm, I’m not sure I buy that. Gorgeous," he said with a wink as he signaled the barmaid for a round of drinks. I sat there feeling awkward under the intense gaze of his blue eyes. When our drinks arrived, I quickly downed mine, then said, "Thanks, but I really should be going." I slid out of my chair and hurried toward the parking lot. It was already dark outside, and the cool air hit me as I fumbled for my car keys, dropping them as I pulled them from my purse. "Do you think I could take you out sometime, gorgeous?" I looked up to see a smiling Cyrus standing in my doorway. "S-sure," I stammered, surprised that he was even talking to me. "I get off work at six tomorrow evening." He made me so nervous, and judging by the look on his face, he knew it. "I'll be waiting for you at 5:45 then," he said with a smirk as he opened my car door for me. I settled into my seat and watched him walk back to the bar. I sighed, uncertain about what I had gotten myself into. I should have said no. As promised, Cyrus was waiting for me in the parking lot when I got off work the next day. "Bar fight?" I asked as I slid into the seat of the Camaro, the light softly illuminating his bruised face. He shrugged while shifting the car into gear. "Something like that." I couldn’t help but wonder what had really happened. Clearly, whoever he had fought with didn’t have the upper hand, but they still managed to land a few solid hits on Cyrus. The spark in his eyes reassured me not to worry, so I did my best to relax. Our night turned out to be better than I had anticipated. He was a different person away from his friends—less cocky, and surprisingly funny and kind. He made me feel like I was the only girl in the world. He wasn’t paying any attention to the women eyeing him all night. No one had ever made me feel as extraordinary as he did tonight. I felt a twinge of guilt for having judged him before really getting to know him. As he dropped me off at my car, he flashed a crooked grin and asked, “So, do you think we can do this again tomorrow?” Without hesitation, I replied, “I would love that.”I had a great time with him, and I figured I deserved a little fun in my life. Cyrus leaned down and kissed me softly, making my heart pound so hard in my chest that I thought I might faint. "Goodnight, gorgeous," he said, waiting for me to pull out of the parking lot before turning and driving in the opposite direction. **Two Months Later** Cyrus and I have been seeing each other nearly every night since our first date. However, we haven’t gone beyond some passionate kissing. I was nervous about taking things further, and I finally admitted to him that I was still a virgin. I wasn’t sure how he would react, but he made me feel proud of it. Still, he never invited me to his place; we always went back to my apartment, which made me feel a bit embarrassed. It was a rundown place on the lower side of town, and my furniture wasn’t new or expensive. He didn’t seem to mind, though. Whenever I asked where he lived, he always found a way to dodge the question. Maybe he’s embarrassed like I am, even though he doesn’t seem to be struggling financially. A knock on my front door signaled that Cyrus had arrived. I had decided last night that tonight would be the night I would give myself to him. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. The butterflies in my stomach were making me feel nauseous. I took one last look in the mirror before heading to the door. Cyrus looked fantastic in his dark blue jeans and white button-up shirt. His gaze swept over my body, lingering at my chest. This was the most dressed-up he had seen me since we started dating—a dark blue silk dress with a deep V-neck that hugged my curves perfectly. I felt stunning in the outfit, and Cyrus's hungry gaze only heightened my confidence. I had paired it with some silver open-toed heels, but he still towered over me by a few inches. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss, whispering, “You are breathtaking, baby.” I glanced down, a smile spreading across my face as a blush crept onto my cheeks, prompting a soft chuckle from Cyrus. Before my confidence could waver, I wrapped my arms around his neck and drew his face closer to mine. Our lips collided in a passionate mix of teeth and tongues. I was taken aback by my own boldness, but it felt too good to stop now. Cyrus’s hands slid down to my waist, his touch igniting a fire within me. He lifted me effortlessly, and my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. With his foot, he shut the front door, never breaking our kiss, and carried me to my room. My heart raced as he kissed and nibbled down my neck.