Aryn

The look of bewilderment that darkened her features was almost enough to dissuade me from my restless teasing. She furrowed up her forehead and the slight pout that framed her lips elicited a smile from me. However, underneath the seemingly ingénue placement of her features lay the start of a brewing argument that was to take place. 

"Is this your room?" She asked incredulously with a motion to the bedroom. "Because if it is then why would you bring me here?" She questioned, confused.

"Why else?" I countered with a raise of my eyebrow. "You're my mate and you belong by my side," I enforced with a cross of my arms.

Her eyes followed my arm movement and I saw the embers of repressed lust, burn dimly in those green eyes. I grinned internally at the fact that I had the upper hand and I planned on keeping it like that. She had come back to me and I was glad because it saved me more time for having to find her even though I would have loved the chase, however, she was here to execute a determined plan and I was eager to find out.

"I can't sleep here," she protested with a defiant stare. "We don't even know each other that well. If at all," she reasoned. 

"Doesn't matter," I shrugged. "And if you are willing to know me more, maybe, starting from the intimate details then I don't mind," I suggested before stalking closer to her. 

She eyed my every movement with apprehension and she moved quickly before I cornered her to the bed.

"I won't say it again. Maintain your distance," she breathed, trying hard to reign in her wolf who was vying for attention.

"Darling, distance is not a word I know of," I chuckled, eyeing her figure in the denim jeans and snug top that she wore.

Exactly. Mark her and make her ours, Adolf growled in agreement.

"It's Yil," she ground out in exasperation. "I'm not your darling," she glowered.

"If it displeases you then tell me which one of these you would rather prefer. Kitten?"

"Yil just Yil," she emphasised with a movement of her hands. "What's up with you?"

"Babe?" I cringed internally at the word but I was enjoying this game a little too much. "Tigress?" I pushed, stifling a smile.

"Never mind just give me another room," she sighed and waved me off. 

"You are sleeping in here Yil. Nowhere else," I drawled before sitting down by the edge of the bed.

Her cheeks held a slight tinge of red and she shook her head slightly. "Maybe darling is a much better alternative to my name," she muttered.

"What? You don't like it anymore," I pouted, suppressing my smile.

"No it's just the way you pronounce it with such rawness," she mumbled, looking at the double doors no doubt craving much space away from me.

There was no doubt that I was drawn to her. In much stronger ways than I would admit, however, I still couldn't allow her to get under my skin. I was unsure of what I was doing at the moment but the plan was to embrace all the feelings in their totality. Because only then would I have mastery over them. It was a surety that the more I resisted the mate bond the more I would be consumed by its electrifying intensity. So giving into its euphoric demand gave me an edge. I set the pace for what was going to happen between us.

"You're probably tired, why don't you change and rest," I suggested. "Because arguing over this arrangement won't change anything," her gaze continued to linger on the distant double doors and I smiled. "It's locked," I affirmed and she looked at me in disbelief.

"I will not be treated as a hostage. I have every right to refuse to sleep here," she enforced and her eyes sparked with resistance.

"Of course you do," I agreed. "You can sleep out in the garden, the stables, the corn fields, wherever your heart desires," I counted off watching her countenance change from mild annoyance to infuriation. 

I moved closer to her regardless and this time she didn't back away. She was ready to meet me head on. "Besides, quit the resistance. You know snuggled up warmly in my arms is where you'd rather be," I rumbled, deeply.

And just like that her anger was fueled even more and she vibrated with the sheer strength of it.

"Do you have any idea just how annoying you are?" she spat out and I smirked.

"That's not the answer I asked for," I replied, unfazed before leaning into her. My face was just mere inches away from her and I caught the slight gasp that escaped her lips.

I was also going through great difficulty as I tried hard to ignore the siren call of her whole essence. 

What exactly are you waiting for or would you rather I take over from here? Adolf sneered in annoyance. 

Well sorry to disappoint because scheduled for tonight is a long, cold bath and not the warm embrace of our mate, I dismissed and I was sure to have blushed at the strings of obscenities that he was ready to aim my way if I hadn't closed the link on time.

She continued to stare at me, at a loss for words and I tried hard not to burst out laughing at the face she was making because the plot twist in this whole charade was that I had no intention to sleep on the same bed with her. I had told Roy earlier to bring in a roll-up mattress and that was where I intended to spend my night. Far away from her. Because as much as I'd love nothing more than to feel her soft curves flushed against my lean build as I got acquainted with her body, I was still not going to give into my urges.

Mates were personalities that only existed in the fantastical world to male wolves who had no problem with surrendering their hearts solely to the whims of their better half. Christanity was a construct of humans and something I had absolutely no interest in. However, if there was one story I grasped from my grandfathers' philosophical readings, as he liked to call them, it was the bitter downfall of the man named Samson. A great man brought down to his knees, or rather death, by his mate or whatever the big old book portrayed her to be. 

Granted the wolf race would take a great plunge if it were not for the procreation that guaranteed our continued existence. Still, even that could be solved because luckily anyone could propagate with just about anyone. The Sky Lordians needeth go through all that trouble of binding wolves to mates. I could do just fine without one.

"So what's it going to be Yil?" I growled out her name and she trembled ever so slightly with hooded eyes. I caught a whiff of her intoxicating cherry blossom scent and I leaned in further to inhale more. I noticed a musky undercurrent mingled together with her scent and I was perplexed as to why a she-wolf would carry a barely there but potent male scent.

"I don't mind the floor," she managed to choke out amidst my imposing closeness. Then she backed away from me towards the closest which was a few paces from where I stood. "Here is fine," she said pointing to the floor.

"You'll sleep on my bed, fearful mouse," I goaded and she stiffened at the comparison. Before she could talk I continued. "I won't sleep there with you but only for tonight," 

"I'm not a fearful mouse," she ground out.

"Of course not," I agreed with a smirk before lowering myself unto the bed.

She blew the tendrils of hair that had fallen into her eyes in annoyance and glared at me. I watched from my position on the bed, content with the view that I had of her. She was a euphoric dream with her soft silver-white hair that I had run my fingers through and those cherry-red lips that I would love to bite on, hard.

She tentatively set down her small backpack and stretched her arms and neck. 

"Are you going to keep staring at me?" She stopped in the middle of her stretch and crossed her arms.

"Are you going to keep stretching? Or don't you sleep at night?" I countered her question with one of my own.

She placed a finger to her temple in frustration before talking. "Is there a bathroom I can use or something?" 

"Of course. It's just right there," I directed, pointing towards the ensuite bathroom.

"Thanks," she muttered before she passed by me briskly and headed straight for the bathroom. The click of the lock signified that I had been shut out.

I smiled at her actions before laying on the bed. It was much more comfortable than the roll-up mattress, for sure, but I couldn't afford to be that close to her. I reluctantly got up from the bed and did away with my jeans. There was a time limit to being clothed and now was that time. However, I kept a short on for her sake. A precautionary measure against any instant heart failures or seizing breaths. 

It was tempting to do otherwise but I wouldn't succumb...not yet anyway.

I rummaged through the closet and got out one of my black t-shirts because from the size of her small backpack I doubted she packed an appropriate nightwear. Infact, everything from the backpack to the steel determination to maintain distance between us pointed to the fact that she didn't plan on staying long. She really was here to strike a deal. The prospect was tempting as I also needed her to solve the mystery behind the regressing lycanthrope gene. It could turn out to be a mutual relationship to the benefit of both parties. However, why did I feel almost sad at the thought of seeing her go back when all was done and over?

"Ahm, could you pass my backpack?" Her gentle, sweet voice notified me of her presence and I smiled into the closet.

"Come get it yourself," I persuaded. The bag was close to where I stood, however, I made no move to pass it and went about my feigned rummage into the closest. "You know I don't bite," I chuckled, still with my back to her. "Well, that's unless you want me to," I added.

"I'm better off without it. Trust me," she muttered and I heard her shuffle over to where the bag was placed.

When I was content that she was bent over it, I whirled around. She wasn't expecting my move and so she lost her footing but I had anticipated that and quickly supported her back with my palm.

"You know for someone who vehemently denies that we are not mates, your reactions to my touch seem genuine," I teased.

"I d-d-don't know what you are talking about," she stammered and averted her gaze to the floor. "Just give me my bag," 

I righted her to her feet and she snacthed the bag up from the ground before moving to the bed.

"Here's a t-shirt. It can serve as a makeshift night gown because I doubt you packed one," I offered, motioning to the folded shirt on the bed.

"I won't be needing it. So no thank you," she retorted and focused on peering into the contents contained within her bag.

"Well I'd be damned," I swore, softly. "Sleeping stark naked is another one of my favourites. Now the idea of sleeping next to you is starting to look even much more inviting," I growled and she gasped at my bluntness, her rosy cheeks coloured with a crimson hue and her grip on the bag tightened. "Good night Yil," I chuckled.

I strode off to the far side of the room next to the balcony where my roll-up bed awaited me and I stifled a laugh at the flashbacks of cute faces that she had made over the span of our meeting. Maybe teasing her wasn't such a good idea as I burned to make the figments of my imagination a reality. But that would have to wait.

I settled down on the bed and with one click of the remote button, the lights dimmed and the moonlight shone more prominently into the room. I heard her soft hiss as she noticed that she hadn't really packed a nightwear. Now, I was betting a million dollars that I would wake up to find her in my t-shirt.

I chuckled softly at the thought and with her sweet scent cocooning my being in its warmth and her gentle footsteps as she tried to move around inconspicuously, I fell asleep.
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