His Unidentified & Untouchable Mate

Stalker (3)

Jacob POV

Okay. So.

Maybe I was being a little unreasonable.

But in my defense, Zahraa wasn’t answering her phone and she hadn’t been out of her apartment in three days (don’t ask how I knew), and I just wanted to make sure she was okay.

Okay. So I suppose she could’ve been opening Doors to get place to place, but in my very limited time with her, she seemed to like walking places normally… sometimes.

Is it really such a crime to want to see my mate? To talk this out with her? I knew I’d done wrong. I’d apologized. I’d give her the world on a string if only she’d ask for it, but she’d cast me aside so quickly and ruthlessly I was still spinning.

So, in that light, it made sense that I ended up borrowing Alex’s nondescript black Mazda to follow her to her friend’s house. And when they came out looking all dolled up, of course I had to make sure her destination was safe. And when she ended up downtown with nothing but a group of girls to defend her? Of course I followed her inside.

Does that make me creepy?

Yes, goddess, absolutely yes it does.

I’d heard that the mate bond could make men do crazy things, and I’d never believed I would be one to lose myself as I had over Zahraa. I could only take that as a sign that our bond was particularly strong, and I shouldn’t let it go.

It took some bribery to get past the bouncer, and ultimately I had to flash my ID. When he saw the last name, he apologized profusely and let me in.

Any supernatural-only joint would know and respect the name Pagiel.

It was easy to find Zahraa. She was a beacon in a dim room, the most beautiful girl here. How I’d had eyes for anyone else in any amount of time was beyond me.

And then there was the guy.

He scooped her up and dragged her along to the bar – but she didn’t shut it down. I hated it. I hated every second of watching another man’s hand on my mate, but I told myself that this was what she’d felt walking in on me in my office.

This feeling was what I’d inflicted on her.

When he tried taking her upstairs, she resisted – which was all I needed to see before I intervened. I didn’t hear what he was asking when I approached her from behind, grabbed his hand with an iron grip, and pulled her against my chest with my free hand. “The lady looks like she doesn’t want to go with you.” I looked down, my eyes locking with Zahraa’s. No goofy hat, sunglasses or goofy coat could protect me now. A knowing dawned in her eyes.

But she didn’t pull away. No, in that moment, she turned to face me, planting her hands on my chest.

A silent request to be protected.

“I’d recommend you leave my mate alone,” I snarled, tossing his arm aside.

He rubbed the spot I’d gripped. “Fine.” His eyes flicked down to her, then met mine once more. I swore they flashed, or glowed slightly or something. Either way, his expression twisted into a scowl, and he added, "She'll seek me out in her own time anyway." He turned, and instead of ascending the stairs, opened a door beneath the steps.

No. A Door.

The spaces between glowed a soft, sparkling teal, and the door opened to a place made of tan tiles and decorated with mosaic patterns.

I didn't relax until the Door shut behind him. My free hand settled on her shoulder, and I relished the few seconds of peace where she pressed her forehead to my chest, using me as her safe harbor. As she should. As I should be.

I reminded myself that I’d failed her.

She pushed herself free, and rubbed her eyes where tears had fallen. “Thank you,” she whispered, voice small.

My heart broke.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, after taking a deep breath. She should’ve been furious – she had every right to be. But her encounter with that asshole had left her drained.

I wanted to redirect the question to her – why was she at a nightclub when the first night we’d met she professed this wasn’t her scene? And where were her friends? “I followed you,” I admitted, knowing that she would find that horrible and creepy and everything it absolutely was.

“Oh,” she replied. And that was it – just oh.

“I’m sorry. About everything – and I do mean everything, including this.” The words tumbled out of my mouth dumbly and in a jumble. “I don’t have any better excuse or explanation outside of me being a complete and utter idiot.”

She blinked a tear free, and I wanted nothing more than to wipe it away. But I remembered that I couldn’t touch her.

She pulled her glove on. “Let’s find a booth.”

I nodded, and let her lead me wherever she wanted to go. We went upstairs and found a booth that was suspiciously sticky, but it was at least farther away from the stairs and speakers and in a nice dark corner.

We sat, and found that neither of us had anything to say.

No – that’s a lie. I had a million things to say.

The way the lights hit your hair reminds me of daybreak.

Your eyes are so damn beautiful.

I want nothing more than to kiss you, to hold you.

When I had her in my lap, I only touched her because I was picturing you.

“How can I be sure it won’t happen again?” she asked. “How could I ever trust you alone with another woman?”

I had no answer. No good answer, at least. “Zahraa, let me confess something about myself. I’m an awful man, who has had a series of equally awful relationships. It never mattered if I cheated on a girl before, because the girls I slept with were cheating on me. The concept of exclusivity is… I won’t say confusing, but new to me. And that doesn’t justify or excuse my actions.” I looked her dead in the eye – I owed her that much, at least. “Everything you’ve heard about me is right. I’m not worth your time.”

I don’t know what I was expecting; maybe for her to throw her drink in my face and yell at me. But it didn’t happen. And, instead, she nodded, slipping her glove back on her hand. “I agree. You’re an i***t,” she said with a sigh. “And you’re probably not worth my time.” Her eyes slid back to mine, “So, if I catch you with any other girls, it really will be no contact this time.”

The breath rushed out of me, leaving me drained and empty. I should feel relief, but instead, all I felt was overwhelming guilt.

“It will never happen again. I promise.” I sank back in my chair, feeling as though I’d just fought an entire war. “Alright, now that we’ve settled that – what are we doing here?”