His Devilish Mate

Beautiful places

MALLERY’S POV

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After eating and drinking the food and water Jace left me, I make s myself comfortable and I don’t even remember the last time I was so full that I fell asleep. I haven’t starved since I was kicked out, I learned to portion my food, not to over eat because I never knew when my last kill would be available. I don’t hate my life, well I didn’t before I was kidnapped and now I don’t know where I am, who these people are and sure, Jason told me his name, but I don’t know the real him. I don’t know if I can trust him, I want to trust him. I want to know that he’s going to love me, that he’s going to do right by me, protect me from whoever he’s trying to protect me from. I don’t know who would want me, my own family didn’t even want me…I’m an outcast, a nobody, a weirdo, a bad person. I can remember the look of my mother’s face when the incident happened, her facial expression is embedded into my brain, it’s something that breaks my heart over and over just thinking of it.

Waking up from a long nap, it’s lighter wherever I am, there’s a small window above me, letting light shine into the basement. If Jason truly cared for me, why would he lock me up in here? Why would he do this to me? He said he wants to protect me, but what if he’s one of the people I have to be running from? What if he’s the one who wants me, but for the wrong reasons? Heavy footsteps make me sit up and when Jace appears, hands in his pockets with a dead serious look on his face. “You’re awake,” he states the obvious, “Are you sure? I might be sleep walking,” I shrug, making him snort as a small smile spreads across his face. He looks so handsome and I tense when my lower inside walls clench. “You’re funny,” it’s something I have never heard, not because I lived in the woods with no contact with anyone, even before when I stayed in the pack that was my home, no one thought I was funny. I was bullied for being weird, casted out for being different and I even had to sit in the back of the class alone.

“Am I going to be let out of this…cage, anytime soon?” I stutter, squinting my eyes . I didn’t want to call it a cage, I didn’t want it to be like when I was younger, but I know what this is. It’s to confine me, to protect the rest of his pack. “I can let you out,” he shrugs, “Good,” I sigh in relief as I stand, “If you answer a few questions for me,” my small smile falls, “What questions?” I ask baffled. I need to pee and I don’t feel comfortable telling him that. “What was the name of your last pack?”, “You mean my home?” I get defensive. “Yes, the people that abandoned you.” He says it with such a vile tone, making me regret standing up for them. “The Cunning Pack,” I deadpan and his face falls, his soft looking lips parted. “Are you sure?”, “It was my pack, I’m sure.” I deadpan. “Alright,” he sucks in a sharp audible breath, nodding.

“Can I be let out now?” His tongue swirls in his tongue as his gaze flicks between the floor and me. “Yeah, I just… I need you to put on this bracelet.” He fishes it out of his pocket, the golden bracelet has a glow about it. He holds it out through the bars and I take it, staring at it with narrowed eyes, “Why?” I ask without looking at him. “Huh?” He acts like he didn’t hear me and I lift my head, “Why do I have to wear it?” I grit out, “It’s to conceal your powers.” He shrugs and I’m stunned that he called it that. My mother always said it was a curse, something terrible and here I stand before my mate, calling it powers. He thinks that I am powerful. “Oh, I didn’t…how does that work?” I ask surprised. I never heard about anything like this. I slip it on, gasping when it shrinks around my waist, fitting to it like a glove. “Does it hurt?” He opens the door to the cage, taking my hand and inspecting it.

“No, I just never seen like this,” it has a beautiful shine to it, “It’s magic,” he shrugs, smiling up at me. “So it’s magic that stops magic?” I snort. “Yeah, ironic huh?”, “Very.” I giggle. I don't know why I giggled, I haven't giggled in forever. I never thought that I would have something like this. I use to sit in alone on the grass, watching children play, watching the loving adults walk past, giggling, smiling at each other. It was nice to watch people who were really in love, because at home, there was nothing but fighting and I was never with my sibling when they protected each other, they said I didn't need it, that I didn't deserve it. "Hey, what's wrong?" he gently grips my chin, making me look up at him. "Nothing, I just..." I tuck my dark hair behind my ear, "You can tell me," he encourages me to say it, but how can I say something so close to my heart to someone I barely know? I know he's my mate, I know he's the love of my life, I can see it in his eyes, but I don't know him...

"If you don't want to, it's okay. I'm just saying that you can," he smiles and it warms me up, my heart fluttering faster. "Okay," I smile, pressing my thighs together as I try not to pee myself. He steps back, looking down, "Do you need to use the bathroom?" he asks concerned, "Yes," I smile tightly, "Come on," he leads the way and I follow while clenching. I almost forget that I have to use the bathroom as we walk through his home. It has high ceilings, it's so open and big, the staircase's railing is gold but I'm sure it's not real. Everything is so white with gold and black detail, it's truly beautiful for a home. I have never seen such a beautiful house, I grew up in a small three bedroom house and I was put in a room alone while my brother and sister shared one. My brother is the oldest and then it's my sister and then me. My mother was banned to have more children after me since I was already an abomination and the pack refused to let her have another.

"Are you okay?" he chuckles, stopping me from gawking at the interior of him home. "Yeah, it's just to perfect," I beam, "What is?", "This house,", "Is it the pack house?" I ask and he turns, walking backwards, "No, this is just my house. The pack house is next door," he nods his head to the side. "Here, the guest bathroom downstairs." he gestures towards the open door and it's a beautiful white tiled bathroom with bright white walls and a shower and toilet. I wash my hands with the crystal looking soap before I stare down at the bracelet and I can't help but wish that I'd have something like this sooner. I wouldn't have been alone, I wouldn't have been casted out of my pack and I would still have a family. My parents wouldn't have fought so much and I would have siblings who actually cared for me.

A knock on the door makes me dry my hands with the softest towel and head to the door, "Sorry, I loved the towel a little bit too much.", "Right," he nods slowly, his eyes narrowed, "So um...look..." he starts and I panic when he stares at me with a serious face, "You're going to reject me?" I blurt out while my heart races, "What?" he asks with an offended look and I realize that I definitely jumped the gun on that one. "No, of course not." he steps closer as I still stand in the frame of the bathroom door. "Then what? You're freaking me out here, I don't...I don't know how to act, how to breathe or what to say around you." my hands wave around while I gesture towards him. "Why? Do I make you uncomfortable?" he stops moving closer, "Yes, you have this effect on me, it drives me crazy, my heart is beating faster, my legs feel a little bit weaker and my hands are sweating!" I hold out my palms and despite the fact that they are coated with sweat, he takes my hands, pulling me closer, "I wanted to know if it's alright if I take you to a party tomorrow as my mate?" my eyes widen. Party? With people? "How many people are there going to be?" I ask concerned.

Just being alone with him makes me nervous, "Not a lot, I just really want you with me the entire time,", "But you keep me in a cage?" I snap absentmindedly, "A cage? It's a cell, I just...I wanted time to get the bracelet made for you, I didn't want to lock you up, but my pack is also a priority and I was afraid you might freak out and hurt someone," he shrugs. It all makes sense, but it doesn't take away that he left me there alone, "Plus I didn't leave you alone, I sat there the entire night, watching you sleep." he shrugs and it's kind of weird but also kind of comforting to know he did that for me. "Oh," I sigh, "So please, would you come with me to the party tomorrow?" he smiles so brightly that I can't say no even though I want to. "Sure," I smile and he pulls me into a tight hug.