My Arrogant Mate
Chapter 28

With my eyes closed and lips pursed, I stood there with a tingling in my stomach and waited eagerly for the fireworks that somehow just didn't want to start.

I carefully opened one eye and immediately noticed that he was no longer in front of me at all.

Irritated, I opened my second eye and shook my head in confusion.

"Thank you," I then heard him behind me and after turning around I had to watch him bite into one of my sandwiches.

I was completely perplexed... and angry!

"Please, you a*s!" I blurted out and, embarrassed about the whole situation, I crossed my arms, which probably even amused him.

"You said I can. What's the problem?" he said provocatively and smiled triumphantly, whereupon I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"I thought you... Well, it seemed to me like..."

"Like what?" he asked when I got nowhere, raising an amusing eyebrow as he eyed me intently.

He meant to play with me? All right, let the games begin.

"Forget it!" I snapped at him and took my bread from him with a skillful grip. "This is mine. Make one yourself."

I leaned against the kitchen island, about to bite my bread, but bit the air as he just snatched it from under my nose.

I wanted to throw food in his face again, but I'd promised myself I'd change, so I took a deep breath and just watched him without expression as he put the bread on the plate behind him down and then turned back to me. My gaze reluctantly rested on his lips, and several times I mentally urged myself to take my eyes off something else.

"What are you thinking about?" he then asked calmly and took a few steps towards me, which drove me crazy again. My heart pounded and I automatically placed my hands on his chest before he could get too close. He glanced down at my hands, which lay trembling on his dark t-shirt, until his eyes met mine again and all I could feel was the tingling in my fingertips and the loud pounding of my heart. "Nothing," I answered in a whisper, which was a huge lie.

I just thought about him...

I could no longer deny my connection to him. I felt it in every fiber of my body.

"Why don't I believe you...", he breathed and stroked a strand of my brown hair behind my ear.

My knees got so weak that I shifted nervously from foot to foot as he got even closer to me and I could feel his breathing on my cheek.

He rested his hands on either side of my body on the kitchen island behind me, pressed his pelvis against mine, and rested his head on my shoulder to inhale deeply the scent of my hair.

My heart was beating so uncontrollably that it hurt a little and under my hands I felt his beating just as fast.

His breath on my neck sent goosebumps all over my body, and when he pulled his head back to bring his face right in front of mine, I couldn't resist the urge to kiss him.

Cautiously, I got up on my tiptoes, constantly looking deep into his dark eyes, which watched me in surprise as I moved my lips towards his cheek.

I gave him a soft kiss on her, felt him twitch slightly and immediately had to grin at his reaction. He was apparently completely surprised that I wasn't hostile towards him for once.

As I pulled back and looked at him, I noticed that twinkle in his eyes that just drew me in, and before I could look any further, I suddenly felt that crackle in the air as he placed his hands on my cheeks and stepped closer to me.

I closed my eyes again and if I was disappointed in him again this time, I would really reconsider throwing the food...

But that wasn't necessary...

Carefully, almost too gently, I felt his lips on mine for the first time. A tingling rushed through me, which was absolutely incredible and I would never get enough of, I knew in that moment.

My hands slid down from his chest to his sides, which I clung to while his hands found their way to my hips to carry me onto the kitchen island with an expert grip.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting his tongue out and completely immersed in that beautiful kiss as he pressed between my legs.

My abdomen was burning, my heart was dancing and the desire for him was driving me insane...

He became more demanding the longer his tongue played with mine and pulled my bottom even closer to his hips, so that I moaned softly into his mouth when I felt his hardness right in my middle.

I pulled myself out of the intense kiss, wanting to catch my breath, but he didn't give me a chance to calm myself or my body.

He immediately started caressing my neck and gripping my butt tighter, making me groan and throw my head back.

"You taste so awesome," he suddenly breathed into my ear, biting my earlobe, which made me blush. I had the feeling that I was about to explode, but before I got completely out of control, the front door suddenly ripped open behind me and, wide-eyed, I pushed Silvan away between my legs to hold my breath in shock.

"What is it?!?" he growled angrily in the direction of the door and straightened his jeans, which unfortunately didn't help. His excitement was obvious.

"We need you. Immediately," I then heard Viola's voice, which sounded somehow desperate.

Curious, I turned to the door and hopped off the kitchen island, but she was gone again.

"I'll hurry," Silvan said, gave me a kiss on the forehead and smiled apologetically to grab his leather jacket and leave the house.

I carefully grabbed my heart, which was still beating much too fast, and then sat down on one of the bar stools to get my life together first...

What the hell just happened here?

****

SILVAN

"What the hell is that shit?" I asked Viola angrily, slamming the front door behind me as she leaned against the SUV and waited for me. Her yellow dress matched the sun perfectly, far too perfectly... It was almost blinding.

"Dad is looking for you," she said boredly, looking at me hostilely.

"And that couldn't have waited?"

I got in the car, started the engine and waited annoyed for her to finally sit down.

"Apparently not, otherwise he wouldn't have sent me to get you!"

Her voice grew louder and I let out a low growl to let her know that now wasn't the time to provoke me. Just when I finally got closer to Jade, some shit had to come up again. It was hard enough to deal with her as it was... especially when others interfered. "Oh, so that's how it is," I heard Viola's voice provocatively from the passenger seat and looked over at her questioningly. She was playing with her black curls between her fingers while staring blankly out of the windshield.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her and concentrated as best I could on the street, which was more difficult than I thought because of her constant confused talk.

"You growl at me, but you let Jade humiliate and beat you. Great alpha! You have my utmost respect for letting a kid fool you!"

Stunned by what she was saying and especially how she was saying it, I pressed the brakes with such force that she almost banged her head on the dashboard.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" I snapped at her angrily, turning to glare at her with hatred. No one dared question the strength of an Alpha. Especially not a spoiled brat like she was.

"My God, Silla. Igor said she hit you and you didn't even fight back. She embarrassed you in front of everyone in the doctor's office and you follow her as if you were her little lap dog. Do you still notice anything?! People are already laughing at you!"

She was like a snake that was just spraying all its venom in the car. I shouldn't give a damn what other people thought of me, I really didn't, but once an Alpha was considered weak, the pack would be thrown off balance.

"Besides, you've disappeared for days without a trace and you've missed several meetings! Have you forgotten the hunters? Or don't you care since your house is completely secured?!"

I didn't know what to say to that at all. Of course I was aware that we were all in danger at the moment, but Jade had demanded my full attention for the past week. She was still so young, so overwhelmed with everything. What should I do if she behaved disrespectfully? fight back? That would be out of the question.

"My relationship with Jade is my business and I haven't forgotten about the hunters! Stay out of my affairs!"

Still furious at her audacity, I got the car moving again, replaying her words over and over in my head...

I wasn't weak. Not at all and I would never let anyone lay their hands on me, but Jade was something else... No one could talk me into it!

Arriving in front of my parents' house, I got out first and waited for Viola, who then came around the car to stand right in front of me.

"What happened to you? You would never have accepted such behavior before, let alone tolerated it, and now you're making a clown of yourself... Because of a child... Because of a girl below!"

She practically spat these words at my feet and when I heard the contempt for Jade in her voice, I gritted my teeth angrily, grabbed her shoulders and threw her against the car.

"Viola, I'm only warning you once. Shut your cheeky mouth and mind your shit!"

Instead of getting the reaction I expected, she just laughed and shook her head in amusement.

"You like her. One of the underdogs. The scum of society. Congratulations!"

She clapped her hands and grinned at me so brazenly that my whole body started shaking with anger. It was only thanks to my father, who just ran up to us, that she and I never found out what I would have done to her.

"What's going on here?!" he immediately yelled, building himself up between us to use his arm to push me away from Viola.

I didn't let her gaze go, just as little as they mine.

"He loves the bottom one," my sister smirked and immediately my father turned to stare at me with a horrified face.

"F**k you," I threw at Viola and then pushed my father away from me. "She's my mate! That's none of your shit!"

"She is Gabriel's daughter! Have you forgotten what he did to your sister!!!"

My father screamed in anger, clutching his heart. I knew he was talking about Lisanna... My sister who was raped and killed. He was convinced that Jade's father was responsible for this, but before he could confront him, he disappeared with his wife, leaving Jade alone. I didn't know then that she had a brother, but at that moment I was glad that she wasn't completely alone. "You don't know if it was him! And what does Jade have to do with it??? Do you want to make her pay for her father's sins?!"

I faced my father. It was dead quiet around us and long minutes passed in which we just looked into each other's eyes in silence! It wasn't until he turned his gaze that I avoided him again. A sign that I was still the alpha of this pack, not him as he would like him to

be.

"Come in," he said, still full of anger, and I followed him, lost in thought. Slowly Viola really managed to let her poison take effect in my mind. How did Jade affect me and my rank? Did I really have to prove myself? Especially now that we're getting closer? The door slammed shut and for the next few hours I just concentrated on what my father had to say to me and the rest of Trevis, Viola and Igor.

****

I was insane with boredom in Silvan's room and combed through his collection of books.

Everything was there.

From drama to comedy, from thriller to fantasy. No matter which genre appealed to you, you would definitely find it here.

Had he read them all?

Lost in thought, as I turned to the window and glanced into the darkness, I could feel that he would be back soon. So this invisible connection also had its advantages. At least something.

Immediately I got a little more nervous and ran up and down in front of his bed to mentally repeat my first real kiss.

I couldn't deny it. Kissing him was by far the most intoxicating thing I had ever experienced and I also believed there would never be anything more beautiful. His lips so warm, the tingling in my stomach and the goosebumps. It was perfect and I finally started to accept the connection to him.

Lost in my thoughts, I then casually noticed that his smell wafted through the whole house and only a second later I heard the front door.

Who would have thought it, but despite the unpleasant meeting, a delighted smile was put on my face when I heard him running up the stairs.

I turned to the door and held my breath in anticipation until he came around the corner and looked me straight in the eye, which made me swallow hard immediately.

There was no more sparkle like this morning and also all the lightness in his expression was somehow gone. Instead, he looked at me coldly, so cold it almost frightened me.

I didn't know what happened. Didn't know what he was thinking, but I knew something suddenly stood between us. You could literally feel it.

"Jade?" he asked in a pained tone into the silence while taking off his leather jacket, which he then tossed onto the bed. I couldn't breathe and looked at him completely confused as he took slow steps towards me. "I demand that you respect me from now on. I've given you enough time to settle in and I've let you get away with a lot, but now you have to behave like my mate! Do you understand that?!"

If his ice-cold stare hadn't been so insistent on me, I really should have laughed at that commanding tone. But I remembered what I had promised myself and stayed calm, even though I certainly wouldn't submit.

"Yes, I'm your companion and that's exactly why I won't take any orders from you," I replied cheekily and was immediately pressed roughly against the wall by him.

"It's okay!" I glared at him angrily and tried to take his hands off my shoulders, but to no avail. "What's that supposed to mean?" I then asked while my heart was racing and didn't understand the world anymore.

He didn't say anything, just glared at me and seemed to be struggling with himself. What happened to the Silvan who had given me such wonderful feelings this morning? Why was he so changeable in his moods? The chaos in my head was almost unbearable. "Get out," he then commanded quietly but menacingly, releasing me to avoid my frightened gaze and turning away.

"Why are you like that again all of a sudden?" I asked with a trembling voice and couldn't prevent tears from collecting in my eyes. I had been looking forward to his return all day, jumping around the house with joy at the kiss, and now I was just being sent away like a piece of dirt.

"You make me look ridiculous with your childish behavior, so grow up!"

He sat down on the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands, looking more desperate than I did at the moment.

What was that supposed to mean, I was making a fool of him? With what anyway? Should I just put up with everything? Besides, everything was fine today. What was the trigger for his behavior?

Careful, careful not to freak him out again, I sat down next to him, wiping away tears as a thousand questions tumbled through my mind.

"Is it because of the kiss? What do you mean by that?"

I didn't want to leave because I still had hopes that he would just tell me what he was thinking, but nothing came. He didn't pay any attention to me...

Then, in tears, I got up and wanted to leave, but he suddenly grabbed my hand, causing me to jump and hesitantly turn to face him.

"I hope you understood me!"

Outwardly I nodded in agreement, but internally a fire broke out in me. This whole situation made me so incredibly angry that I wanted to scream. But there was not only the anger, but also the bitter disappointment that I was wrong about him. I was still thinking this morning that everything could be fine, but he showed me again that it all made no sense.

I left his room crying and hurried down the stairs to angrily yank open the front door, fortunately for me, and run into the darkness. I didn't care where I went or what kind of people I met on the street. I just wanted far away from him.

Step by step I got closer to the gloomy forest where I had already looked for Bene and then walked barefoot between the trees further and further into the total darkness, which also spread more and more inside me.

Self-doubt, hatred, disappointment... these intense feelings were my only companions under the moon and made the warm tears irresistibly fall down my cheek.

"First this idiot gives me the best kiss I could imagine and then he treated me like I wasn't worth anything!" I sobbed to myself, trying to somehow understand his behavior. But there was nothing to understand! He was just an arrogant bastard who managed to blind me for a little while.

My feet were starting to really hurt from the cold, rough forest floor and its branches, but that very pain drove me to run even faster, until I suddenly smelled a terrible smell and stopped, frozen.

All of my senses were sharpened and wide awake from one second to the next, but apart from the smell, I didn't notice anything else until a hand was placed over my mouth and I was roughly pressed face first against a tree...