12. One morning with the other Arthur.

There's an itch on my nose.

I groan and shift further into the soft mattress under me too lazy to let the slight discomfort wake me up. How Arthur thought this isn't a good bed is beyond my understanding. All the beds have the same mattress from the same brand and bought at the same time. He simply wanted to piss me off which he totally succeeded in doing by the way. You will know what defeat looks like when you see me sleeping in the guestroom of my own damn house.

My nose itched again. I rubbed the top of my nose with my palm. The itch miraculously then travels to my cheek. I scrunch my nose and use my nails this time to scratch my cheek. I frowned when the itch became a full blown tickle as it reached my neck. I hate mornings especially when I'm waken up prematurely.

I groaned again and swatted my hand in the air to get rid of whatever hair or loose thread was disturbing my sleep. I hit something else instead. My frown deepened. I let my long fingers feel the soft velvet surface which strangely leaned into me in response.

It was only when something wet started licking up my palm did I let out a shriek. My eyes flew open in horror. I shrieked louder and scooted back on my arms when I saw the giant beast on my bed. I realized it too late that this bed was actually smaller than my king sized bed. I landed on the floor ungracefully and in a tangled up mess with the duvet.

The beast's eyes widened as he scooted over the edge to peer down at me curiously.

"What the f*ck are you doing on my bed?" I hissed angrily at the lion.

He simply jumped off the bed and started circling me with his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"What?" I narrowed my own eyes in suspicion and scooted over to lean into the bed so that my back is shielded from. He leaned further into my space I leaned my neck away as much as I could "What do you want?"

He ran his eyes all over my distress state in response.

"What are you looking at?"

He had the nerve to snort out loud.

"Arthur shift back" I don't think I can seek rationality from an animal. My deal was with Arthur and hence it was only fair I deal with the devil and not his clueless animal.

To my horror the lion decided that the duvet over my lap was comfortable enough for him to take a nap. He lazily laid his large head down on my lap and snuggled his snout against the satin covering my stomach.

My breath hitched. I literally froze for a couple of moments.

"Arthur this isn't funny" I managed to whisper through the cold anxiety that seeped up my bones "Please"

The beast only snuggled further in response.

I need to relax before I faint. I took a deep breath then another. I looked down at the beast looking up at me with its magnificent golden eyes. I should have been disgusted. I wasn't. The gold was blinding me. I have never seen anything more beautiful. I felt a tear roll down my eyes.

"I will never love you" I found myself telling the beast "This is wrong. You and me. We are wrong"

He simply kept looking at me. So I gave up and sat there waiting for him to give in all the while wondering why I wasn't repulsed by him as much as I was by every other predator out there.

I got bored after a while and looked down at his unfazed stare.

"I am that pretty huh?" I raised a brow at him "You can't look away?"

He let out a soft hum in response. My haughty self probably imagined that.

"Well as much as I'm proud that I am not fainting or throwing up all over you, I don't think I can hold onto you much longer" I informed him "You are cutting the blood circulation down my legs. You are kind of heavy if you haven't realized that yet"

An hour and a few damaged nerves later, I finally managed to move him a fraction of inches to find an escape to the washroom. I expected Arthur to be back by the time I freshened up but his animal was still there when I came out in a bathrobe and a towel wrapped around my head.

"You are stubborn" I told him as I walked into the closet thanking the spirits that I had spare clothes in the guestroom.

He followed me downstairs when I made my way to the kitchen.

"I don't have food for you" I informed him as he watched me make my pancake batter "I hope you went on hunt or whatever last night because you aren't getting any food of your kind in this house" He lazily made himself comfortable on the floor next to me.

I tried not to imagine what he hunted but the slight flinch was there as unwanted images rushed to my head. 'He's just an animal. It's his nature. It's not against the spirits' I kept reminding myself.

"I think my community will disown me if they find us in this state. When I said I wanted the biggest scandal in the town, I didn't mean this" I spoke in between bites of the delicious pancakes that I brought over to the couch. Thankfully all my couches are large animal friendly courtesy my entire family being unusually large. The beast was comfortably snuggled next to me. He was giving me those steady creepy stares again.

"Spirits! I can't believe I'm tolerating you" I told him once I got off the phone with Mia who called to check whether Arthur did make good of his threat. I told her I was fine. I really am. Arthur isn't here and we aren't having one of those heated fights that drains me of all my strength. We always fight. Every time we are together, we fight.

"Aren't you tired of looking at me?" I asked him, my fingers itching to check whether his mane was as soft as it looked. But I kept myself in check "Arthur's got nothing to do today? I mean its Saturday but there are still things you could do"

He breathed lazily.

"Fine" I huffed "Let's watch a movie then"

We watched a human movie, The Silver Lining. No offence to the movie but I dozed off at the end of it.

Arthur wasn't there when I woke up from my nap. There was no trace of either him or his animal anywhere in the house.

The afternoon went by as did the evening. He's the strangest bastard around.

I went out with Sophie, Rickey, Mia, Joseph and well Adam. I came back by midnight slightly buzzed. My house is a battleground now and I can't win if I'm not in my senses.

As luck would have it, I didn't have to worry about me losing my senses. Arthur wasn't there. I was tempted to sneak into my own bedroom and sleep but then its Arthur we are talking about. I don't want to be kicked down on the floor when I'm halfway through a beautiful dream.

So I collected my pride once again and stumbled to the guestroom.

___________

The noise from downstairs woke me up. I lazed around for fifteen more minutes because it's Sunday and I earned it.

I found Arthur in the kitchen when I finally walked down the stairs an hour later.

I checked his plate when he walked out with is breakfast. It was just toast and jam. At least he respects my rules. I nodded at him as I walked in to make my own breakfast. He gave me a cold shoulder and went to the table with his plate and coffee cup.

Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Wait!

"When did you return last night?" I asked him despite his obvious lack of interest in having a conversation with me.

"And how's that your business?" he asked scrolling through his phone.

I guess it isn't. I shrugged in response and proceeded to pull out veggies from the fridge.

"Where were you last night" he asked.

"How's that your...."

"It's Keith's business" he cut me off.

"I was out with friends" I gritted out. He has already ruined my morning. Why couldn't it be his animal here today as well?

"Are you sure they were friends?"

I couldn't take it anymore. I slammed the knife on the counter and turned to face him "Why don't you just disappear and let your animal take over?"

"Why?" he looked at me from under his lashes with a half eaten toast in his hand "You miss my animal?"

"No" I hissed "But if I absolutely have to be put in a room with one of your forms, I would rather it be him"

He took a careful glance at me "I can see that" he nodded and went back to his phone like I am not seething here eager to kick him out.

"What are you going to do about Rhea" I asked going back to chopping my vegetables.

"What about her?"

"You get to stay here because you need to start cozying up to her. Don't just sit lazing around. Do something" I reminded him.

"Do you always start nagging people out of their heads early in the morning?" He dropped his plate in the washer with a loud bang startling me. I didn't realize he was behind me "How does your family tolerate you?"

I turned to face him "You don't have to tolerate me. As soon as you get on with Rhea, you can get rid of me"

"That's a tempting thought" he mumbled, his eyes searching my face.

"What?" I asked consciously.

"That guy, Adam" he said, still with that strange look in his eyes "This was his last lifeline"

The look in his eyes told me that there was no room for argument. Something happened when he left yesterday. Something's different about Arthur today. The way he's looking at me is different.

"Where were you last night?" I asked again.

"We aren't in a relationship Amelia" he said folding his hands under his chest and leaning against the counter "I don't owe you an explanation"

There it is that again. Arthur has said this to me a thousand times but the look, the tone he's using now isn't the same. The curiosity is killing me.

I scoffed "You are a hypocrite"

He was searching my face again. I held his gaze this time.

He finally looked away with a sigh "I have decided to seriously pursue Rhea like you want me to"

I wasn't expecting this to be the reason of his strange behavior. It took me a couple of moments to grasp his words "You are being serious?"

He nodded "I will break the bond between us. I'm being truthful this time"

"What about your animal?" I don't want him to be hurt.

His eyes flashed with something I couldn't grasp. It was gone before I could get a closer look. "You handled him well yesterday, better than I handle him myself" he said "You will be enough to distract him until we finish things off cleanly. He wouldn't feel any pull after that"

"Makes sense" I nodded still thinking back to the beautiful gold that snuggled to me the day before.

"So" he took a deep breath rubbing his hands together "Where do we start?"

I thought for a moment "How far were you before her mate appeared? How did you feel about her?"

"I guess I liked her" he replied paying attention to me.

"How much?"

"I don't remember?" he thought back.

"Then we will have to make you remember"

"How?" he frowned.

"Kiss her"

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