Chapter 3

A groan left my lips as I stared at the white ceiling of my grey-walled bedroom. I miss my mate so much that it feels like a physical ache in my body. I have yet to touch her, but my body craves her touches. I have something that resembles heat flashes everyday that engulf my body until it feels like its an inferno. It makes me fear the day I touch her, because the pain will increase even more with everyday I don't touch her.

A thin layer of sweat coated my whole body, making my underwear cling to my skin like a second skin. My body was bare with my air-conditioner on full power, but it still felt like I was in a desert suffering from heat.

'Let's go to mate, mate will help us.' Alexander whined in my head, making another groan leave my lips.

'How many times do I have to tell you, no!' I snapped at him, making a whimper leave him.

'Please Nole, please! I can't anymore, I miss her too much!' He cried out.

"Whoa," I heard a familiar voice from my bedroom door as the familiar scent of my brother invaded my nostrils," You look horrible." He snickered.

I lifted my head and threw a glare his way, making him snicker.

"Shut up." I weakly demanded as I laid my head back onto my slightly damp pillow. It felt like the sun was near my body, making it sizzle in heat. The heat was biting at my skin, making it almost sting as if I were suffering from a sunburn.

"The mate bond means business." He chuckled as his footsteps neared my bed.

"You have no idea." I groaned out.

"How long have you been suffering from this torture?" He asked as he placed his briefcase down and made his way towards my joint bathroom.

I turned my head to his disappearing, white shirt clad shirt and black skinny jeans cladded legs. His feet seemed to be adorned by a pair of white sneakers.

"I don't know, three hours." I said as I turned my head to the side.

It feels like I have a fever, but a more intense kind of fever. My body feels so hot and I swear I can feel a headache coming on.

His body emerged from the bathroom with a small cloth in his hold as he looked at me with a perfectly arched, pitch black eyebrow.

"Really?" He said in a tone that just said that he didn't believe me. Even his emerald green orbs shown brightly with disbelieve.

"Fine," I groaned out," About 20 minutes."

He nodded, accepting my answer before he placed the damp cloth onto my forehead, instantly making a sigh of relief leave my lips, even though it was short lived. Very, short lived.

He pressed the back of his hand onto the cloth, just for his eyes to grow as big as saucers in bewilderment.

"It's already warm, almost hot!" He exclaimed, removing the cloth from my forehead," I need to fetch a bowl of water with ice."

I waved my hand at him," Forget about it, the heat is starting to dissipate." I said as I felt the warmth decrease in my skin. My muscles felt like they were starting to loosen with the passing seconds. That's the only nice thing about this, the heat dissipates in seconds when it starts to dissipate as compared to how long it stays once it has attacked my body.

"You sure?" He raised an eyebrow in concern.

"Yeah, it's practically gone already," I smiled reassuringly," So, why didn't you tell me that you'd be coming home today? You last told me that you would be working." I interrogated.

"Can't I surprise my brother and daughter?" He raised an eyebrow with a smirk," Besides, I couldn't miss the opportunity to meet my future sister-in-law."

"So that's why you're here?" I chuckled.

"Also because mother forced me to leave and take a leave so I could be with my daughter. Apparently, I'm a workaholic now." He scoffed making me loudly clear my throat," You think so too, don't you?"

"Y-ess." I cautiously replied.

He sighed, running his hand through his full, black curls.

"And apparently, my workaholic ways are making me neglect my daughter. Mom fears that I have rejected her." He weakly murmured with sorrow and fear flowing through his orbs.

"We know you didn't reject her and so do you." I softly replied.

"When is this dinner anyway?" He faked a smile as his eyes turned void of emotion.

Of course he changed topics.

"I don't know. I didn't ask." I sighed in slight irritation.

"Why don't you go ask?" He asked, sending me a wink as he smirked and turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.

I couldn't help the sigh that left my lips as I threw my back onto the bed again and closed my eyes, letting all my thoughts attack my mind at once.

*****

Melissa's POV

'Knock knock'

"Come in." I softly called out as my eyes averted from the book I had been reading.

The slight squeaking of the door opening sounded before my mom's head appeared through the door.

"Hey Sweetie, I need some pointers." She smiled at me.

"On?" I asked slightly cocking my head as I put my phone on the bed.

"Well, first, what do you think I should make for dinner tonight? I was thinking of burgers or lasagna or maybe pies." She asked.

"Umm, why don't you go ask him? For all we know, he might not be a fan of one of those or maybe he is allergic to some of the ingredients." I pointed out.

"You're right," She groaned before she scrunched her eyebrows in thought. Her face suddenly brightened as she innocently smiled at me," Sweetie, could you be a sweetheart and go see if they are home. If they are, please ask Nolan if he is allergic to anything or if there are foods that he isn't a fan of?"

"But Mommm!" I whined as I felt my face flush at the thought of Nolan.

That man has become the cause of many of my reveries and dreams, it's terrible. No night has passed without me dreaming about him since we met and I've only seen him once since then. This is not healthy and fair. I want him out of my mind and me going there will not make my crush disappear.

"Pleeaasee, Sweetheart?" She asked with a pout and puppy dog eyes," I know you have a crush on him, but I need you to go while I finish with our laundry."

"I don't have a crush on him." I murmured with a pout even as I felt my heart race in my chest at the thought of seeing him again.

"Sure you don't Honey, keep lying to yourself. I'm your mother, I'm not blind and I know you," She scoffed, smirking with a perfectly arched eyebrow, thanks to the tweezing she did before we got here," Now go please."

I pouted at her but got off the bed and pulled on my pumps. Some of us are very self-conscious with our toes unfortunately, so the sandals will have to wait until I come back.

I made my way to the door where my mom waited for me with a grin. I threw her a quick glare, but her grin didn't even waver.

"Thanks Sweetheart," She grinned, pecking me on the cheek before making her way to the laundry room," And tell him dinner is at 7." She threw behind her.

*****

Zane's POV

I lifted the clear glass to my lips, slightly parting them before tipping the glass so the liquid could swiftly slide in through my lips. The sweet, but bitter taste of the sweet, red wine invaded my mouth and tickled my already tainted taste buds.

Nolan's nose crinkled in disapproval as he watched the red liquid slip into my mouth.

"I really ask myself what's delicious with wine?" He asked tight lipped.

"You would never understand, Little Brother. You're simply too against it." I shrugged with a lazy smirk as I put the wine glass back onto the cream white granite island top.

He nodded in agreement," You're right." He agreed, before lifting his glass of water to take a sip.

'Knock knock'

I turned to him with a raised eyebrow in silent question.

He shrugged in response but put the glass down and pushed himself off the island and moved to get the door.

I lifted the glass back to my lips, just as the sweet smell of caramel filled my nostrils, making my hand pause.

'Mate!'  My wolf, Liam yipped in joy.

My eyes moved to the unexpected visitor to be greeted by a light brown skinned, young beauty.

A tugging in my mind occurred, telling me of someone trying to communicate with me telepathically through the mate bond.

I let down the walls to allow the voice to filter.

'This is her, my beautiful mate!' Nolan's excited voice informed. My eyes instantly turned into the size of saucers and before I knew it, the glass in my hand slowly started slipping from my fingers until the loud sound of it crashing onto the floor and breaking into tiny, unrepairable pieces ricocheted throughout the kitchen.

Before I could avert my eyes, a pair of dark brown, almost black, shock filled eyes connected with my own, making my wolf howl loudly in happiness as my heart raced and fell into my stomach.

No freaking way.

'Mate mate mate! Go calm down mate!' My wolf profusely urged.

*****

Nolan's POV

My eyes snapped over to Zane's just as his turned to mine.

"Are you okay? What happened?" I asked with concern.

"N-nothing," He stammered, making me raise an eyebrow at him," I just remembered something important. Don't mind me," He brushed me off with an uneasy smile, before his eyes went to my mate," I'm sorry for startling you, I'm just clumsy these days. "

I couldn't help but to raise my eyebrow even more at him, not at all buying his words.

"You sure?" I asked in a way that said that him and I would talk later.

"Yeah." He grinned even as his eyes shone with poorly hidden panic," I'm Zane by the way, Nolan's older brother." He introduced himself as he stood up.

"And Grace's father." I added, my eyes moving to my mate's surprised ones.

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Melissa." She smiled at him.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Melissa. My apologies for startling you again." He nervously chuckled.

My eyes drifted from his awkward form to my mate. I'll address his awkward behaviour later.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked her, making her turn her attention to me as she shuffled in her spot before smiling up at me.

"No, it's alright. Mom asked me to come ask on whether you had any allergies or foods that you didn't like." She said, avoiding direct eye contact with me, making a smile of amusement lace my lips. This is a different girl compared to the one I met. She is clearly smitten by me.

"I have no allergies and I'm not a picky eater so anything is fine with me." I smiled at my little mate.

"Okay, thank you," She said before scrambling down away from the door. She paused and looked up at me," She also asked me to tell you that dinner is at 7." She said before almost sprinting down the driveway, leaving me chuckling in amusement. How cute.

I closed the door and turned to the island towards the rest of the kitchen to find it deserted. There was no evidence of a broken glass in sight. I made my way to the island to find the top spotless, with not even a single glass shard in sight from Zane's broken glass.

A sigh left my lips as I placed my hands on the island top and placed my weight on my arms. My thoughts drifted to my brother's strange behaviour and it confused me. Zane is always composed and confident, never nervous, clumsy or panicked. Even if he ever is, he always conceals his negative emotions quite well.

What I witnessed was not the Zane I knew and that worried me more than anything else. At this point in time, the only thing I know is, I have to know what's going on and that's that.