My Arrogant Mate
Chapter 33

"Wake up darling..."

I opened my eyes tiredly and before I could even perceive anything of my surroundings, I already had a big grin on my face from the memory of last night.

I felt different... No longer lost or lonely, but desired and loved, which made my heart leap in love.

My first glance fell on the window in front of me, through which the first rays of sun were already falling, and then, when I turned to the other side, stretching and yawning, he looked me straight in the eye, which immediately made my abdomen tingle again. He was lying on his side, head resting on his hand, looking at me as if I were one of the most valuable paintings in the world.

"Good morning," I breathed, embarrassed, and gave him a satisfied smile, whereupon he brushed my hair away from my face with his other hand.

"Good Morning."

I immediately felt a deep longing to be close to him again and slid over to him a bit to snuggle into his warm chest, looking for security.

Inhaling deeply, I took in his soothing scent and then felt his hand on my bare back as he pulled me even closer to him.

Only then did I realize that we were both still lying naked under the covers. The only thing I kept on was my bra, but I didn't care, because he made me feel completely accepted, exactly the way I was.

With all corners and edges...

"I'll make us breakfast. What would you like to eat?" he asked whispering into my ear, but immediately I wrapped my arms even tighter around his strong upper body and didn't even think about letting him go now.

"Stay here a little longer," I breathed in a trance and looked up at him to see how satisfied he was looking at me and beaming all over his face.

I was probably shining brighter than the sun at that moment too, because despite all the initial problems, this man had touched my heart, and not just because of the connection or my first time, but because of his so accommodating manner, which is becoming more and more appeared from behind the cold facade.

"Tell me something about yourself," he breathed on my forehead, on which he then gave me a gentle kiss while gently stroking my back again and again.

"You already know everything," I replied and also began to stroke his arm, which immediately got goosebumps. It made me incredibly proud to be able to trigger something like that in him.

"That you like listening to music just can't be everything," he replied with a smirk and took my chin in his hand to force me to look deep into his eyes like he always did when he was talking about something me demanded.

"But it's really everything," I explained and then took a deep breath. "I've been treated like a kid my whole life. Before I was 16, I wasn't even allowed out on my own and was only homeschooled. There's not much you can do except listen to music and escape this cruel reality."

"Is it really that bad with you guys?" He then wanted to know and looked at me sympathetically as if something bad had happened to me before. But it wasn't.

"Yeah, well since I went to school I've seen and heard a lot of bad things. The men don't accept any boundaries and there's nobody who cares."

He carefully placed his hand on my cheek and gave me a quick kiss on my lips, which immediately wanted more from him, but he pulled away from me and hurriedly got up, making me sigh in disappointment.

"What are you up to?" I then turned to him, trying not to look down at his naked body, which I found really difficult.

Despite just staring at his face, I got incredibly hot and bit my lower lip in embarrassment, which immediately made him grin dirty.

He knew all too well its effect on me.

"Believe me, if I could I would spend the whole day in bed with you," he then whispered in a deep voice and let his eyes dart over me, which made me quickly reach for the covers. "But I have to go to a meeting."

I rolled my eyes in disappointment and let the covers pull me down my body in frustration, but once he had changed into boxer shorts and his black pants, I got up and gathered my clothes. "I'll be back as soon as I can and then we'll do whatever you want. I promise."

He leaned in and kissed me deeply, then buttoned his white shirt and left the room without another word.

"Great."

I quickly put on my clothes, padded across the room and then almost had a heart attack when I wanted to go out the door and Martha was suddenly right in front of me. "Good morning, would you like a coffee?"

She smiled kindly, but I just shook my head, overwhelmed, and then returned her smile when my heart had calmed down.

"No, thanks. And it's Jade, please."

She nodded and I then hurriedly down the stairs to stand in the middle of the room, whose dark wooden floor looked beautiful with the sun shining through them.

I remembered this great song from last night that I still don't know the name of. Of dancing with him, of his eyes on me and feeling my whole body vibrate again.

I was in love... In love with an alpha... Had I gone insane?

A ringing at the front door made me jump and full of anticipation that he had probably forgotten something and that I could hug him again, I ran to the door and yanked it open with a huge smile...

If only I hadn't given myself so much to my memories, I wouldn't have completely shut off my senses that I needed at that moment.

I felt nothing but wetness over my face, smelled a horrible smell, and reluctantly fell into black darkness...

A deep hole....

*****

I woke up slowly with a pounding headache and immediately I still noticed this sharp smell in my nose, which made me perceive nothing else.

I felt absolutely shitty and leaned over to the side of the bed I was lying on, first throwing up violently on the floor. I threw up my whole soul in this darkness and let myself fall exhausted back onto the pillow to close my eyes again...

When the door of the room suddenly opened, I jumped in shock and widened my eyes in fear to recognize my surroundings as if frozen...

My children's room...

"Oh god, Jade," I heard my brother and he immediately grabbed me tightly in his arms like he never wanted to let me go.

I felt as if none of this was real, because it felt so unreal to be sitting here in his embrace when I was lying in bed next to Silvan.

"Devin," I just uttered, completely dumbfounded, and then returned his hug.

Finally, this nasty smell left my nose and I took in the scent that hung on his gray sweater. The last week was not short for me. There was no life outside of this room and there was only me and my brother who gave me the closeness I was used to from him. "I missed you so much," he exclaimed, shaking, and he broke away from me to look at me excitedly. "You have no idea how worried I was!" Tears came reluctantly and I threw myself into his embrace again.

"I missed you too, Devin."

We just sat there for a while and enjoyed each other's security until I realized again that there was another life after all. My new life... with him... my mate...

"How did you get to the other side?" I asked him excitedly, but he didn't answer me, just took my hand and pulled me into the living room with him, where I first looked around carefully.

Everything looked the same as always, only Devin's clothes were flying everywhere. No wonder. He was really stuck without me when it came to the household.

I sat down at the kitchen table and watched him pour two cups of coffee, still shaking.

"I went through the forest and on the other side I followed your scent. Then it was just a matter of waiting for that bastard to get out of the house."

The way he said that word... bastard... There was no mistaking the contempt, which brought a menacing growl down my throat, which then erupted in full from my mouth.

"Don't call him that," I added, glaring at him, which he didn't seem to understand at all.

As well as? How could someone like Devin understand that there were also good people at the top. Especially Silvan, who had such a bad reputation. But I had known him... and learned to love him.

"What did they do to you?" Devin asked immediately upset and slammed the cup onto the round wooden table, which made me startle a little.

"Are you kidding me, Jade??? You don't want to tell me that you like him now??? He kidnapped you and apparently even brainwashed you!"

He shouted those words at me, but he was wrong. It wasn't like that at all.

"Devin! He's not the bad guy you think he is!" I replied angrily and then got up as well.

"Oh, and you know who he is? After a week? I'm good at acting to wrap someone like you around my finger!"

I stared into his blue eyes in complete horror and recognized the hate he felt at that moment. Not only hate for the superiors, but also for me because I no longer only took his side.

But I could understand him. For me there used to be only black and white, upper and lower, but there was also the middle, which I now found myself in.

"What do you mean someone like me~?" I asked then and felt the first warm tears running down my cheeks.

"Jade," he shook his head angrily and wanted to turn away, but I grabbed his arm and forced him to look into my eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked again and he looked me up and down.

"Jade, you're a kid, you know? You're naive and gullible. Why do you think he's managed to get you to stand up for him in such a short time? You certainly mean nothing to him. What should because an alpha like him want from you?" My mouth opened in shock at his words and he too seemed to understand what he had just said in that moment.

"It... I didn't mean it like that," he stuttered and wanted to take my hand, but I immediately turned away from him, crying, avoiding his apologetic looks.

It hurt so bad it stabbed my heart. There they were again, the self-doubt that swept away the good with it.

"I was just mad that he manipulated you like that. I'm sorry."

I glanced over at him as he ran his fingers through his brown hair, waiting for my forgiveness as I sobbed away tears.

"What do you care, anyway?" I threw at him and then pulled myself together. "You're happy without me. Why did you even bring me back?!"

Devin took a step towards me and didn't seem to understand what I meant at all because he looked at me completely confused.

"I saw you with Aleya and the boys," I added, and this time it was him who rolled his eyes.

"She was there for me when you were gone," he explained to himself.

"But you have a mate, you told me that yourself!"

"Yes! One of the top ones! Do you seriously think I would ever accept her? And then what? Let's all have a happy family?"

He angrily turned away from me and ran back to the kitchen. I just stood there, nervously fiddling with my red sweater, and then looked down at my shaking hands.

Silvan had really changed me because I didn't feel safe and secure here anymore... I felt misunderstood and like a little child that Devin still saw in me. What the hell should I do now?