25. Something more than jealousy

"Amelia?" Mom squinted her eyes looking at the approaching figure "I didn't know she would be here"

"I invited her" Rhea said waving at my mate who waved back reluctantly. You could tell how much she hates being here just by the awkward look she was giving to the venue "I like her and I don't have many friends. That's not a problem right?" she gave mom her perfectly crafted story.

"Oh! That's alright sweetheart" mom comforted her "It's nice to see you making friends. She's lovely" And weird as it might seem, my mom actually believes that.

Rhea chanced a smirk at me which I pretended not to notice. It wasn't that difficult of a feat considering how my mate was walking towards me on her endless legs....Wait! What? I frowned at the mid-length sundress she was wearing. What happened to the plain old jeans and t-shirts?

I cleared my throat and looked away only to find my eyes having a mind of their own. I pretended to scroll through my mails to explain my downcast eyes. By the time I reined my immediate instinct of blinding every gaze in the vicinity, the introductions were done.

I felt a tug at my shirt and found Rhea leaning towards me "She's hot" she whispered "You know what they say about mares...."

"Keep your eyes to yourself" I muttered back watching Amelia and mom talk to the planner "Why's she wearing that?"

"To seduce you?" Rhea offered.

I almost smirked before realizing where we were "The only thing it's doing is stressing me out. She better have a good reason...."

"You look gorgeous today Amelia" Rhea beamed at my mate ignoring me.

"Oh this" she scrunched her nose "My mom's visiting. She likes to dress me up like I'm walking straight into the guy of her dreams"

Yeah! I don't like her mother.

But wait her mom's visiting so she will be forced to go home and that means.......Oh! But I'll be caught even if I sneak in through her window. I swear my cat's driving me crazy. I need to do something about it soon.

"I thought you already had someone" My mom piped in. She loves retaining unnecessary information in her brain.

"We....we broke up?" Amelia offered

"That's...I'm sorry" Mom moaned.

"Don't worry about it" Amelia waved her sympathy away "He was a pathological liar" her voice strained as she spared me a fleeting glance for the first time since she arrived.

Rhea snorted next to me but thankfully not loud enough for my mate to hear.

The conversation moved on to the venue and the time of the imaginary wedding and Jenny, the planner, explained why the small plateau surrounded by thick forest will be an ideal place for the midnight marking ceremony followed by a reception in this resort at the heart of the city the next evening.

My family and my people celebrating our union? I would love for that to be a reality. It is a beautiful idea but it is also something that's clearly not what the spirits decided for me.

"Focus" Rhea hissed bumping into me "She's watching"

"What am I supposed to be doing in this situation?" I clearly have no idea of what either of their looks are supposed to mean.

"I'll distract the others" Rhea whispered back "Hold her back and try getting on her nerves. Make her jealous to the point where she blurts everything out of frustration. Use your phone as an excuse to stay back"

"Aren't they cute" I heard mom say. Looking their way I realized they were staring at us, a few steps ahead of us. Rhea and I somehow stopped walking at some point.

"Very" My mate breathed out making me smile. It encouraged me to wrap my arm around Rhea and I watched in satisfaction as her eyes burned into us.

I quickly texted Keith a 'call her' behind my back all the while smiling at them.

"Thank you" Rhea pretended to blush for the both of us.

"Amelia" mom turned to smile at her "I can't thank you enough for bringing these two together. Thank you so much" she took her hands in her own "I have never seen my son happier"

Amelia's eyes snapped to me at that and pain was all I saw in those beautiful eyes as she smiled. I want answers. I want to know if that pain is for me. Lucky for me, her phone took the moment to ring.

"It's my job Mrs. Leoline" she said pulling her phone out of her purse.

She frowned probably at Keith's name and narrowed her eyes at me before excusing herself politely. She didn't look like she was buying Keith's call but was probably thankful for the time-out.

"Well" Rhea drawled "I need to use the washroom"

"I could join you" Mom agreed.

"Jenny we need you to guide us"

"Of course"

The three of them turned to look at me.

"I'm drawing the line at that. I'm not going to be a part of your ladies-room gossip" I raised my hands in surrender.

"We didn't ask you to join us" Rhea scrunched her nose.

"We are asking you to make yourself scarce, Art" Mom added.

I glared at the two of them and turned to walk away.

"Send Amelia our way if she looks for us" Rhea called after me.

I raised my thumb up for them to see without stopping. I need my feet to reach her soon and corner her.

I tracked her down and slowed my pace when I saw a part of the yellow of her dress. Hiding herself from the view of the world, there she stood leaning against a large pillar of the resort, eyes closed, silently crying.

I took long strides to cover the distance between us as soon as the tears sliding down her closed eyes reached my view. By the time she registered my presence, I was towering over her, my arms caging her to the pillar. Her eyes flew open.

I pulled a hand away from the pillar "You are crying" I stated softly. Leaning into her, I ran the back of my hand up the path of her face to her eyes, wiping the trail of tears "Why are you crying?"

"Why are you here?"

"You are crying"

"You can feel that?" She asked, almost in wonder.

"Not as deeply as I would want to" I replied "But I will. Soon"

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"I asked you a question first" I responded "I think it's only fair I get my answer first"

"It has nothing to do with you"

"Are you sure?" I leaned closer, greedily trying to take in as much of her as I could. This could be the last for us. Any day can be the last if things go south. How am I going to survive without her? I don't think I can. Not when it's not just my animal who is obsessed with her to the point of insanity.

"Arthur" I heard her breath out.

I frowned before realizing what I was doing. I was about to sink my canines into her. I was that close to her. I smiled against her skin.

"What are you doing?"

"This" I whispered kissing the juncture where her neck met her shoulder "is where I am supposed to mark her" I kissed the spot again, lingering this time.

Her breath hitched and I had to shove the rising guilt away "Wh....why are you doing this?"

"Why am I doing this Amelia?" I raised my head with one final kiss on her skin. Spirits, what if that was the last time I could feel her? I forced myself to meet her gaze all the while resisting the desire to claim her "Why do you think I'm doing this to you?"

She met my gaze. Although unsettling, there was no fear, no disgust in them, only pain and something like longing.

"That's what I asked you"

"But I don't have the answer to that" I replied "You have the answer to your question. Can you find that for me Amelia?"

She blinked in confusion before slowly saying "You need to move. I can't think"

"You can't think with me here?" I raised a brow.

She looked away "I think it's the fear"

Bullsh!t.

But do I call her out on that? Rhea wanted me to take advantage of her vulnerability. Do I want to do that? Even if I manage to force a confession out of her, what will that change? She will still refuse to acknowledge it when it matters the most. Even if the pain in her eyes is a confirmation to me, I don't know the extent of it. What if I'm not enough for her?

I want to show her what a future with me will look like. I want her to see the future I've seen for the two of us. And for that, I'll need something more than just jealousy.

So I do as she says "Think well Amelia" I leaned closer and kissed her temple before moving away "I'll see you soon"

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"Spirits!" she jerked back into her leather chair with a small shriek at the sight of me "You scared me"

"It's really sad that you can't sense me" I tsked, making a show of adjusting myself comfortably into one of the couches in her office.

"Our senses aren't as active as yours. We don't hunt" she said standing from her chair to walk towards me "Now, what are you doing here? And why didn't my secretary inform me about your arrival?"

"It's eight in the evening" I pointed out "There were only like four guards outside. I said I had a meeting" I shrugged "I'm Arthur Leoline. It's beneath me to lie and they know it"

"Remind me to fire them soon" she sat down on the couch farthest away from me "That still doesn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

"To take you home" I shrugged nonchalantly like Rhea taught me.

She frowned "Why would you do that?"

"To sleep with you of course"

Her bewildered expression was totally worth the trouble "What?"

"My animal" I explained casually "It's been troubling me. You are testing his limits by staying away"

She sighed in relief "Oh that"

"What did you think?"

"Nothing" she shook her head "I can't go with you. I need to stay away from your animal"

"Then we are sleeping here" I decided with a nod and started to adjust myself further into the couch.

"What? No" she refused furiously "You aren't staying here. The security team is keeping a tab on you. It will be weird if they watch you enter but not leave"

"I guess the choice is yours" I shrugged "Home or here?"

She sighed "I'm staying at Harvey's. Mom's visiting. Because I'm afraid she'll catch your scent I managed to take her to Harvey's"

"Tell her you have too much work to go there tonight" I said "Tell her you'll see her tomorrow"

"Why are you making me do this?"

"Why do you think I'm making you do this?" I repeated her question.

"You are getting married in twenty days, Arthur. You are going to mark another woman in twenty days"

"I guess you have twenty days to figure it out then" I said standing up "Let's go"

"I hate you"

"No you don't" I started to walk "We cleared that the last time, remember?"

"I'm not driving with you"

"We will drive yours" I picked her car and house keys from her desk "Camilla's on my case. I won't put it past her to track my car"

"How are you going to explain parking it here?"

"Keith dropped me off"

"Of course it's him. It's always the bloody bull" she groaned following me out of her office.

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