Sexting With A Vampire
Chapter 132

Leo

I fill my mouth with more chicken, and Nora whistles in a low tone, smiling down at her plate. She has already refilled it once, and if I'm to judge by her face, she might have even more chicken.

It pleases me.

I want her to smile, especially after finding that envelope. Someone is out to get her, but I want us to focus on having a romantic dinner tonight, and then tomorrow, I can start looking for clues. Smiling, my eyes travel to Nora's face, and I furrow my eyebrows. There is something off about the way she looks at me right now. A certain bitterness in her eyes that I can't shake off. It's almost as if she hates that the food is good, even though I realize how dumb that sounds.

"Wow," Nora shows her pearly whites. "Look at you: angel, alpha, muscular, tall, powerful, rich, and now it turns out you even cook excellent food? What is there not to like about you..." Oh, she is definitely bitter...

I arch my eyebrows at her. "Why do you say that in such a sarcastic tone? Is something the matter?"

"Nope." Nora uses her tongue, so there is a pop sound at the end before she drinks more cola.

"Really?" I blink in confusion. "Because it sure sounds like something is bothering you right now."

"Well... I find it weird that you're here with me, and you know..." Nora shrugs, smiling briefly. "Not with another woman."

"Uh, I'm here with you because we are mated and married?"

"And?" Nora questions. "That doesn't stop some people from f*****g other people. There are a lot of alphas who only keep their mate around for power."

I breathe a laugh and fork more chicken. "Well, not me..."

"Would you want to?"

What the heck?!

I thought we were sharing a sweet moment here, and Nora is firing off bullets faster than a gun. Why is she doing that? It makes no sense, especially when she looks like she regretted her sentence as soon as she said it! What is going on?! "No! Not at all!" I mean it.

"Really, because... I wouldn't mind if you did... I have no clue why you're flirting with me, to begin with... So..."

I lift my eyes and study Nora. Tears are glimmering in her eyes, but she is fighting them. It's like she is trying to act tough and put up an act when she much rather would want to cry.

It confuses the heck out of me.

"Why are you suddenly bringing up these questions?" I ask, staring at her. I'm so lost here that it ain't even funny. "Just... Just tell me what's on inside your mind. Share your thoughts. Please."

Nora pulls her lips into her mouth and takes a shaky breath. "Well... The more I learn about you, Leo, the more I realize that you're perfect and I'm just... I'm just normal."

Is Nora serious?!

I want to laugh, but somehow I refrain from doing that.

"I'm far from perfect, Nora..." I'm really not perfect. Not even close. I'm powerful, but I suck at people.

"But it feels like you are perfect. You cook, clean, and take care of this mansion. You take care of me. And you locked the doors. You got rid of your mother for my sake, and... You're just too good for me..." Nora takes another bite of chicken, and tears stream down her face. "And I had really hoped that this chicken would taste bad... But it's perfect!"

Tears stream down Nora's pretty face, and I gawk at her. Holy heck, how much wine did I give her?

Nora is breaking apart inside my kitchen! I'm an i***t when it comes to women! What do I do?

My lips part, but Nora speaks before me.

"I'm sorry..." Nora dries her tears on a napkin, shaking her head. "I'm acting crazy here, but this chicken was the last straw... I feel so worthless that I can't do anything for you, Leo. Lily would have been better for you because she is at least a normal werewolf. But not me. No. I'm just normal human Nora. Completely ordinary."

Her words make my heart stop.

Finally, I'm responding to what Nora is telling me without really saying it, and I'm officially mindblown.

I look at her clearly, and finally, I realize what I'm dealing with: an insecure girl who doesn't think she is special. A beautiful woman, so funny and intelligent, but unable to see it herself just because she isn't a werewolf like the rest of her family.

It hurts me because Nora is gorgeous. She treats everyone equally, and even though she hides it behind snarky comments and an attitude, her heart is made of gold.

And she needs to know why I like her.

"Nora..." I meet her eyes over the table. "Being a werewolf isn't only rays of sunshine and cupcakes..."

"Oh really?" Nora sobs. "Because you sure have it all..."

I shake my head, speaking calmly. "I really don't..."

"Well, you at least seem to have had it easy."

I laugh. "Not even close."

She lifts an eyebrow, smiling in misery. "Really?"

"Yeah..."

"So you, Leo the alpha angel, have had it hard too?"

"Yup..."

She searches my face but looks unconvinced. "Give me an example, and maybe I will believe you."

"Are you ready for it?"

"Hit me with it. Surprise me."

I can't fight my smile. "Alright."

"Great."

"The moment I was born, I was branded as 'powerful' because of my abilities. But never once did they make me happy. My parents knew I would be the next great thing, and all the pack members respected me. Most of them even feared me, and that made them blind to who I was on the inside. They saw only the great future angel alpha, but they never saw Leo, just Leo."

Nora looks puzzled, seeming to hold her breath, and I laugh before I continue my story.

"All the pack members faked being my friend. But you? Man, you were different... You weren't afraid to state your disdain and hated me from the moment I opened my mouth. Not because of my powers, but because I was a self-assured brat. And despite being the angel alpha, you weren't afraid to treat me like the a*****e I was. Okay?"

Nora is staring at me, searching my face with shiny eyes, and I sigh because she still doesn't get it. It's not her fault, though. I'm complicated, but I'm trying to make her understand.

"What I'm trying to say is that... It became an addiction to bully you, Nora. And I realize this will sound bad, but... I mocked and teased you because you were always honest. Always real." Her eyes water even more. "Did you make this up?"

"No! Not at all..." I laugh in frustration. "The only time I wasn't handed a fake smile and compliment was when I was faced with you."

"So what you're saying is that I made you feel human?"

"Yes! But there is more... I didn't understand it at the time, but... I never once liked Lily. I liked you, but the only way to realize I liked you was when your future self came over and..."

She blinks repeatedly. "Wait, you've met a future version of me?"

I laugh. "Yes! It sounds crazy, but the other Nora from the future came here and told me she loved me before I visited you. And being hit with how that Nora felt made me realize what I've felt all along. Does that make any kind of sense to you?"

She tilts her head, close to tears. "It does... Kind of... But I'm having... I'm having trouble believing you... I'm just... There are so many questions inside my head right now... My brain might explode. You met the future me?"

"Sure did."

"Oh..." Nora looks like she might throw out. "My mind is spinning right now. This was like... A bomb and I'm having trouble understanding all of it. I know I'm another guardian, the third one, but... You really met the future me? And she told you that she loves you?" Nora is pretty when she is confused. She gets this wrinkle between her eyebrows that I want to touch.

But I don't.

I smile. "Pretty much."

"Huh..." Nora nods her head. "Am I hallucinating?"

"Nope."

"I might pass out from how fast my brain is processing this piece of information right now..."

I laugh at her expression. "I get that... Should we talk about us first and the other Nora after?"

"Please..." Nora waves her hand in front of her face with quivering lips. She looks mindblown. "So you like me?"

"I do," I touch her other hand over the table, holding her gaze while Nora tries not to cry. I squeeze her fingers. "And you don't have to say it back, or even believe me. I'm not trying to force you into anything by what I've just told you, but I like you. "You like me..." Nora repeats in a whisper as if she can't believe what she is hearing right now.

I smile. "Yes, I might partly have married you to save the world, but I also did it because I have feelings for you. You're special, Nora. You see people for who they are and treat them exactly how they treat you. You're fair and honest. Pure. And... I like that and want you to know that you're more special than you think."