I Only Want You, Mate.

Chapter 2

Madison's POV

The man's eyes narrowed. “Your mate?” he repeated, his voice tinged with skepticism. “Are you sure?”

I nodded, my heart racing with excitement and apprehension. “I can feel him,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “He's close.”

The man's expression darkened. “We can't risk it,” he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Your mate could be working with those who seek to harm you. We need to leave, now.”

Before I could protest, the man reached into his pocket and withdrew a small vial, spraying a fine mist all over me.

“What's that?

“A scent covering mist. Its job is to make it nearly impossible for anyone, including your mate, to track you. Now, come on,” the man said, gesturing towards a sleek black car parked at the edge of the clearing. “We need to get out of here before they find us.”

I hesitated for a moment, torn between the desire to find my mate but ultimately, I knew that the man was right. My mate's presence could jeopardize our safety, and I couldn't afford to take that risk. With a heavy heart, I followed the man to the car, slipping into the passenger seat as he climbed into the driver's seat.

As we drove in silence, the reality of what had happened began to sink in, and tears welled in my eyes once more. Were my family truly dead? How would I go on without my family? Without my pack? And what of my mate, the one person in the world who was supposed to be my other half? Would I have to run from him all my life?

The man glanced at me through the mirror, worry-filled in his eyes. “You okay back there?”

I nodded, wiping the few tears that fell from my eyes. After what felt like hours of driving through the night, the car finally came to a stop in front of a bungalow. The man led me inside before taking me to a room.

“This will be your room,” he said, gesturing towards a cozy guest bedroom with warm, inviting furnishings. “Make yourself at home. I'll be in the kitchen making dinner.”

I nodded, offering him a weak smile before he disappeared down the hallway. As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, I collapsed onto the bed, grief crashing down on me once more.

Alone in the silence of the room, the tears I had been holding back finally spilled over, streaming down my cheeks without end.

“Please make it out alive,” I begged as I longed for the comfort of my parents, for the familiar warmth of their embrace. “You promised you'd join me,” I continued to cry until there were no tears left to shed until exhaustion claimed me and I sank into a fitful sleep, haunted by nightmares of my pack members catching me and making my life a living hell.

When I woke up the next morning, the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains, I felt disoriented and groggy.

Swallowing back a wave of grief, I pushed myself out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face in a feeble attempt to shake off the lingering remnants of sleep. But no amount of water could wash away the ache in my chest or the emptiness that gnawed at my soul with every breath I took.

As I stood there, staring at my reflection in the mirror, loneliness wrapped its hands around me like a thick duvet and I refused to believe my family was gone.

With a heavy sigh, I dragged myself out of the bathroom and made my way back to the living room, where the scent of coffee and homemade food wafted in from the kitchen.

“Good morning,” he said, offering me a small smile as I entered the room. “I hope you slept well.”

I nodded, though the truth was far from it. “Thank you,” I said, taking a seat at the table as he set the food down in front of me. “For everything.”

He waved off my thanks with a dismissive gesture. “It's the least I could do,” he said, pouring me a cup of coffee before taking a seat across from me. “You're safe here. I promise. My name is Andrew. “

I forced a smile, telling him mine before speaking, though the weight of my grief still hung heavy on my heart.

Andrew nodded sympathetically, his eyes filled with understanding. “Gaius explained everything that happened and I can only imagine the pain you're going through,” he said softly. “The fire was successfully put out last night and the search for your parents has begun

“Who is searching for them?”

“Everyone,” Andrew answered with a smile. “Hopefully the Gaius and the rest get to them first but I can assure you, you're safe here.”

I nodded, grateful for his words of comfort as they reduced the ache in my heart.

“If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

I nodded, though I wasn't sure what help he could offer. But just knowing that he was there, willing to support me in any way he could, was enough to ease some of the burden weighing on my shoulders.

As we finished breakfast, Andrew glanced at the clock on the wall, his brow furrowing in concern. “I need to get going soon,” he said, rising from the table. “I have classes to teach.”

I felt a pang of anxiety at the thought of being left alone in the house, the memories of the previous night's terror still fresh in my mind. “Do you...do you mind if I come with you?” I asked hesitantly, my voice barely above a whisper.

Andrew's eyes widened in surprise, but then a thoughtful expression crossed his features. “Actually, that might not be a bad idea,” he said, nodding to himself as if considering the idea. “You can wait for me in my office while I teach. It'll give you something to do, and you won't be alone.”

I felt a surge of relief wash over me at his words, grateful for the opportunity to escape the suffocating silence of the empty house. “Thank you,” I said, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

Andrew returned my smile, his eyes warm with understanding. “Of course,” he said, reaching for his coat. “Let's get you ready.”

As I changed into the clothes Andrew provided, he busied himself with gathering his things. Once I was dressed, he handed me the spray bottle of scent-covering solution, instructing me to use it before we left the house.

The drive to the college was quiet, the hum of the engine the only sound breaking the silence between us. As we pulled into the parking lot, Andrew turned to me with a reassuring smile.

“Are you ready?” he asked, his eyes filled with warmth and encouragement.

“Yes,” I nodded, and although I planned to be in Andrew's office all through, I decided to join a few classes to keep my mind off the attack. All was going well and the distraction was working well until that scent and feeling hit me again, stronger than it was last night.

I glanced around the room, searching for any sign of my mate, but no one stood out among the sea of faces. Yet, I could feel his presence, I could feel his eyes glued to my body, watching me.

As the morning wore on, the feeling only grew stronger, and when the teacher finally dismissed the class, I wasted no time rushing to Andrew's office, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and anticipation.

“Sir Andrew,” I said breathlessly, my voice trembling with urgency. “I...I think he's here. My mate.”

The color immediately drained from his face and he shut the window blinds, his eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of danger.

“Could it be that he's a student here?” I asked, the fear of being caught filling my body and soul.

“Stay calm, Madison,” Andrew said reassuringly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “it is a possibility that he also schools here…

As he said those words, the knot of anxiety in my stomach refused to loosen its grip. Andrew also began to look around, trying and find anyone suspicious, but nothing and I immediately regretted my decision to come here. What if he was also sent to kill me? Like that wasn't enough, Andrew had to leave to teach a class in a few minutes and I didn't want to stay all locked up in his office either.

“Here's what you're going to do, Maddison. Never walk alone. Always be in a group, that way he would not be able to approach you,” Andrew suggested before leading me toward a group of students who were gathering in the hallway. All he told them was that I was new and he'd want them to show me around and keep me company till I get the hang of it.

The plan seemed to work, as I couldn't feel my mate's burning gaze on my body either. Relieved, I decided to join the girls for lunch instead of being in Andrew's office and overthinking my current situation.

As I sat at a table in the cafeteria, I picked at my food with little appetite and mostly listened to the girls who were discussing the newly released movie. Although I wasn't a chitchat person, I found myself wanting to hear more about to movie just to get my mind off things.

All of a sudden, I felt a presence behind me, all the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. Before I could react, I felt him again, stronger than before and I could swear he was behind me.

“Hey, mate,” he said softly, his voice sending shivers down my spine as he took the seat beside me. “I've been looking for you.”

I blinked in astonishment, unsure of how to respond to his sudden appearance. “Who are you?” I asked, though I already knew the answer deep down in my heart.

He smiled, his eyes warm with affection. “I'm your mate,” he said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world then he leaned in, placing a quick kiss on my lips in front of everyone.