-Theo-

We are sitted at the table munching on the spaghetti and meatballs that Charles oh so graciously made for us. An amused smirk playing on my lips as I stare at Athena, chugging vodka from a glass. I for one am glad she opted for it when we sat down for dinner.

She had just opened her second bottle and I can see the alcohol beginning to affect her. Her guard is completely down, she is laughing with Charles and seems to be enjoying herself.

My mind re-directs me to the memory of the four of us, including Mila, at Crescent in Charles' house when he last cooked for us and scolded Athena and I for making out on his couch. I look at Charles who is discussing the latest memes with my mate. 

I can't keep him here forever; he needs to be with Mila too. Even though he is the one connection I have with Athena currently, I can't be selfish.

I breath out a sigh making two heads simultaneously turn and look at me. ''Everything okay?'' Charles asks.

''Yeah man, all good,'' I smile at him.

''Hey, remember months ago when Athena saw you for the first time and insulted your hair?'' I ask Charles in an attempt to start the conversation regarding her memory loss.

''Insult? Seriously? The way I remember it, she actually complimented me,'' Charles replies, catching on to my play.

''In fact, and do correct me if I'm wrong, you're the one she insulted. What is it that she called you?'' he pretends to think hard while side eyeing her.

''Creepy guy,'' Athena suddenly speaks up. ''I called you creepy guy,'' she points her fork at me.

''Right! And as far my knowledge goes, 'creepy guy' is definitely an insult compared to 'hero hair'.'' Charles smirks, while air quoting.

''Oh right.... I.... I remember that,'' Athena laughs then stops, ''Goddess, it feels so weird to actually  remember something without getting a damned migraine,'' she whispers sadly.

Seeing her like this makes me want to hold her close and hug her tight. To tell her that everything is going to be fine. That even if I had to go to hell and back to get her memories, I will. But i stop myself. Because knowing Athena, one wrong move and she will pull her walls back up and push us away.

''Let's not try to ruin this,'' I mind link Charles. He sends a subtle nod in my direction as an affirmation.

''If you don't mind me asking,'' When did you come to terms with the fact that you've actually lost your memory? Because from the way you behaved when you woke up from that coma, you didn't listen to anyone, not Theo, not even your own brother. You.....'' Charles asks her. 

I start sensing Athena's uneasiness through the mate bond. ''Charles, I think that's enough. You're making her uncomfortable,'' I say sternly and glare at him.

By now Athena has downed her drink and reaches for the bottle for a refill. ''Honestly, it's okay......kind of,'' she laughs humorlessly, ''I did come here to talk remember?''

She takes a long sip of the vodka. Too long if you ask me. ''Easy there love, you're starting to get tipsy,'' I tell her, resisting the urge to snatch the bottle away.

She faces me and raises an eyebrow at me. Her eyes glaze and are now filled  with defiance. Oh goddess here it comes.

 ''Do. Not.Tell.Me. What.To.Do. Okay?'' She gets up from her seat and grabs the bottle of vodka then picks her empty plate, dumps it in the sink and lifts herself to sit on the kitchen counter. She makes herself comfortable by crisscrossing her legs then takes a sip out of the bottle.

''I'm going through a lot of stuff right now! So you don't get to tell me not to drink. You're not my father!'' She yells.

''Athena, cookie, please calm down. How about you leave that aside and come down okay?''

''Do you even know what I've been going through!? My business was on the verge of closing down, because of some stupid decision I made last year, which I do not even remember! My father is dead! Every time I try to think about the past year I get a migraine so bad, I feel that my brain is being ripped apart!''

''We know, we know everything Athena, '' I try to calm her down and take a step closer to her,. 

''Why do you think we are here? We want to help you,'' I invoke the mate bond on her.

She gets down from the counter and walks up to me. ''Stop whatever it is you're doing, right now,'' she hisses, the anger evident on her face. ''How are going to help me huh? How do you help someone who doesn't even need it!''

''You're angry right now Athena and you're not in sound mind. How about we sleep this over and talk when you're sober?'' I suggest but she scoffs.

''Ohh right of course, let's talk at your convenience! What do you take me for? Am I joke to you?!''

''Heyy.... heyy let's all calm down okay. Athena stop shouting,'' Charles walks to her and guides us both to the couch.

''You guys don't have the slightest clue of what I'm going through, so don't pretend that you understand me, because you don't!'' She growls out.

 ''I came here and I was living my life, moving forward trying not to break down. I settled well and the one good thing that was going on in my life was Leo. He kept me sane but then you had to waltz in and ruin everything,'' she points at me accusingly.

That hit me hard. She considers Leo as her safe haven, when it should have been me. I am the one person who is supposed to make her feel that way. Not him, ME.

''So if I'm to blame anyone then it would be you, Theo Argent. Because of you Leo chose to break up with me, because of you I'm this pathetic version of myself. I wish you didn't come. It was not the best of times I was living but at least I was not as miserable as I'm feeling right now.''

''Athena you take that back! You don't mean all this. You're hurt I can understand that,'' Charles tells her but she glares at him with enough fire in her eyes that he backs off.

Her words cut through me like a knife. Making something  snap in me.

''Charles, I'd like to speak to my mate alone,'' I order him,the anger evident in my voice. ''But, Theo...'' he begins.

''Charles!!!'' I warn him.

He senses the anger radiating off of me and doesn't say a word more. He bow low in submission then picks an umbrella from the rack and walks towards the door, slowly shutting it behind him.

-Athena-

I could sense his anger through the mate bond and the pouring rain outside was not helping. But he was not the only angry one in this room. I was too.

''Why did you have to send him away? He should hear what you have to say. Look Theo, I'm not going to apologize for how I feel......''I start telling him but he cuts me off. 

He actually cut me off, the nerve!

''I think you've talked enough to last a night, now how about you listen, okay?'' he says gruffly. I caught a sense of power surge through him.

The almost immediately it disappears and he is now trying to calm himself down but from the looks of it, it's not working. In some way I managed to get on his last nerve.

''The only reason I sent Charles away is out of respect for you. Whatever goes down between us right now is none of his concern.''

Okay so, he did this for me. ''Umm...so am I supposed to like, say thank you or?'' I shrug aimlessly, not knowing what he wanted from me exactly.

He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. ''You're making it hard for me to be mad at you Athena.''

Okay that was sexy. I wonder if he would do it again. Okay wait, stop. Ughh focus! ''I'm supposed to be mad at you!'' I cry out in frustration making him look at me. His eyes widening in confusion.

''Look, you had things to tell me didn't you? so why don't you get it over with. So I can leave?''

''Yup, there it is,'' He grumbles lowly then looks up at me. His eyes swirling with emotions.

''You think you're the only one with problems? You think you're the only one who lost someone in their life? I lost my brother, my twenty year old brother! I had to carry his body in my arms and take him to my mother. It's not easy Athena, I know. But running away is not the answer,'' he says as his voice breaks.

A small gasp escapes me at this, ''Theo.... I....''

''No. No Athena, I'm not done yet. You're not the only one who lost their father. Ethan did too, heck your mother lost her mate! And what did you do? You turned your back on your family. Ethan practically begged you to come back but you're so stubborn, so vain and I hate to say this, I really do, but Athena you're selfish too! You left your family to suffer the aftermath of Christopher's death while you used your lack of memory as an excuse to get away from it all. Honestly, you're not the woman I fell in love with.''

''I was hurting okay and I woke up confused not knowing how the hell I got there in the first place, so my first instinct was to get out of there!!!'' I yell at him. His words cutting through me like a blade.

''We were all there, Me, Charles, Ethan, your mom; who needed you more than anyone at that time. And yet you pushed us all away so that you could come here and continue with your life as if nothing happened. I understand that you don't remember me. But what about Ethan and your mom, huh? Didn't you stop to think about them even once?!?!''

I pinch the bridge of my nose and breathe out, ''So what do you want me to do huh? Come with you to Vancouver and pretend like nothing happened and continue to be the mate you want and bear your pups? Is that what you want?!''

''You're a smart woman Athena; you know what you have to do. Stop running away from it, do right by yourself and learn to ask for help from others. We are all there for you, your friends and family. People who love and care for you deeply. Stop pretending like we don't exist. Get out of that bubble you've built for yourself and look at the reality in front of you,'' he says as I feel his anger receding by the second.

''As for being my mate and bearing my pups, I can be everything Athena, but I will never force myself on you like that. I haven't done it before, I haven't done it now and I'll never do it in the future. Your choice matters, but I will not sit back and watch you fraternize with other males,'' he declares.

''And trust me when I say this, I will find a way to bring back your memories and if I fail in doing that, then I will be by your side and fight for you because that's what mates do. There is a reason the moon goddess paired us together and I'll be damned if any one got in the way of that,'' he speaks with conviction.

I stare at him blankly, not knowing what to say or do even. ''Okay...so umm that was intense,'' I say as I fiddle around with the hem of my sweater. ''Way to knock a girl off her pedestal Theo. Classic,'' I say sarcastically and move towards the window.

I look outside, the rain still pouring, cars stuck in traffic, people running inside shops and cafes to shelter themselves. I sigh and turn to look at Theo, who is standing in the middle of the living room, his arms crossed around his chest, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his arms, waiting for me to continue.

''Do you....do you ever think that the whole concept of mates is stupid?'' I ask him as I tilt my head in concentration waiting for his answer.

''Excuse me? why would you even say that? are you questioning a Goddess?

''What I mean is, the moon goddess pairs us right? because she knows best, apparently,'' I roll my eyes. ''The mate bond is what keeps us connected, isn't it? Everything we feel, the sparks, the feelings, the emotions, all of it. It's all there because of the mate bond.''

''What are you insinuating here Athena?'' Theo asks me. I can practically see the wheels in his head turning.

''What happens when the mate bond is not there in the first place? Will the 'mates' still feel that attraction towards one another? Will they still fall in love with each other like humans do?'' I explain to him as I lean on the window sill.

''You want to block the bond between us don't you? Why, just to prove a point? Or do I repulse you that much that you don't want anything to do with me?''

''It has nothing to do with you. Well, it kind of does. You say that we were in love but I have no memory of this. I'm not going to lie Theo, yes I do feel things around you, yes your scent makes me go weak in the knees,'' I admit.

A playful smirk appears on his smug face when I say that. I glare at him and he chuckles, ''please continue, don't stop on my account.''

''Ahemmm...My point is that all that is because of the mate bond. I'd like to see if those sparks and feelings are there without it and so.... Yes, I want the mate bond blocked.''

He chooses to stay silent while I look everywhere but at him, waiting for a response.

''Okay, if that makes you happy,'' he says after a while. Wow that was easy. I honestly expected him to get angry and shout. Break a few things even. But no, he just agreed.

I give him a small smile then walk up to him. ''Alright, so how do we go about it?''

''Just so you know, I'm not okay with this and we are defying all the werewolf laws.''

''My existence itself has defied the laws,'' I retort, ''so how do I do this?''

''When you first woke up, you somehow managed to block me out. Do you have any idea how you did it?''

''Nope, no idea, '' I reply curtly and he nods.

''Okay so, back when we were..... ummm...together we'd gotten into an argument and I sort of.... uhhh.... blocked you out,'' he scratches the back of his neck nervously.

''Ohh, you did, did you?'' I raise a questionable eyebrow at him.

''Yeah....so close your eyes, take a deep breath and try to reach out to the mate bond through your mind. I'd be careful if I were you though, because of the migraines,'' he tells me, worry laced in his voice.

''It's okay, I'll be fine,'' I close my eyes and concentrate on the mate bond. Once I've reached out to it, I give him a nod.

''Now imagine, putting up a wall and push it forward.''

I do what he says and sure enough I feel the buzzing of the mate bond recede. After a few seconds It's completely gone.

I release the breath I was holding and open my eyes only to find him gone. The elevator ding being proof of his exit.

***

Whoaaaa that was a roller coaster, wasn't  it?

what did you guys think of this chapter? Did Theo do the  right thing by calling Athena out? will his words affect her? 

Until next time guys :)

-Jessica.S