The Crippled Billionaire Is My MATE

CHAPTER 4 – The Crippled Billionaire is my mate

Lexi’s POV

“Your wolf will feel it,” Mom’s words echoed in my ears as I felt my surroundings start to spin. Brie felt it the minute I stepped foot into the mansion and that was why she came to the surface.

My mate was right in front of me! My destined mate! He was in a wheelchair, dressed in a pair of cotton trousers, and a white t-shirt with a black blazer. His blue eyes looked directly at my hazel eyes. It was the first time a man other than Dad and Brian was able to look straight into my eyes. Whenever I looked at a man, my aura was enough to make them lower their gaze. In fact, even wolves couldn’t look at me directly. So, how was it possible that a crippled man in a wheelchair, a mere human, was looking at me intently enough to make my stomach knot?

“It’s him! It’s our mate! Go and claim him, Lex!” Brie yelled out as she howled and fought with me to come out.

My mate—I mean, the junior Stark—smiled and forwarded his hand. “Hi! I am Chris.”

My gosh! His smile! His curved lips made me want to float into his arms.

No! Lexi, snap back to your senses. Don’t f*ck things up!

On one side, my wolf, Brie was squealing with joy and on the other side, I was fighting with my own emotions that were flushing to my head and heart.

“Ummm…Mr. Stark, may I use the restroom?” I blurted out. It was the only lie that came to my mind as an excuse to escape the situation.

“Bi*ch! Lexi, he is forwarding his hand to you for a handshake and you are going to run? I am going to come out now and teach you a lesson. Just wait and watch!” Brie threatened me.

Her words did worry me slightly because I knew my wolf better than anyone and when she set her mind to something stubbornly, she would do anything without care. After all, she was my wolf so how could I expect her to be so naïve and innocent?

Mr. Stark signaled a maid over and she approached me. “Miss Lexi, I will show you to the restroom. Come with me.”

When Chris understood that I was not prepared to shake his hand, his arm retreated back to his body. Brushing his actions off, I quickened my steps after the maid and she directed me to the guest restrooms which were located at the end of the corridor where there were separate restrooms for men and women.

“Thank you!” I said with a small smile before rushing into the restroom.

I made sure to lock the door and ensure that no one was around because I was about to have a little chat with my stubborn wolf.

“Why the f*ck did you leave? Our mate is waiting for us there and you left him to pee? Who the f*ck runs to the bathroom when you meet your mate for the first time?” Brie yelled out fiercely. She was lunging at me in my head like a roaring pissed wolf who wanted to tear me into pieces.

“Listen to me, you bloody b*tch! We were perfectly fine without a mate, right? This mate is a f*cking bullshit thing that is going to ruin our lives. Yes, everyone else found their mate at the age of fifteen and I am twenty now and still mate-less. But, we have lived for five years since then, so we can survive another century!” Infuriated, I slammed my fist into the bathroom wall and the wall tiles cracked.

“Why can’t you understand that we can’t live without a mate! The Moon Goddess has paired everyone with a mate and here we found ours even though we are late. I knew that we will find him here,” she said.

“Wait, what do you mean you knew? Oh! So, you were staying quiet and didn’t utter a word until we came here and met him. You knew that if you told me about him, I would never come here. Well played, Brie! You showed me today that you are a real f*cking b*tch!” My hands balled into fists as I paced around the bathroom until my body was drenched with sweat. Plus, all the heat and sweat were part of the hormonal effects of meeting our mate.

Brie sighed. “What’s wrong with you, Lexi? Look, everyone loves to be loved and you don’t know how mates go crazy when they fall in love and—”

“And they marry and the female will forever live as the male wolf’s subordinate. I don’t want to live my entire life under someone’s scrutiny or protection. I am doing well on my own and we can do whatever we want, Brie!” I argued before I washed my face and drank a lot of water from the restroom tap.

“Lex, having a mate does not lower anyone, be it the male or female. The concept of mates is about love and the bond they share. Don’t you want to have a beautiful family life like your mom and dad? Don’t you want to see your little pups running all over the house?” Brie’s voice turned slightly emotional as she tried to emotionally blackmail me.

“Pups? You want me to make pups with that crippled man? Have you seen him, Brie? He can’t walk and he has spent his entire life in that wheelchair. Most importantly, he is a bloody human for f*ck’s sake! Think, Brie! Use your brain!” I yelled at her. Truth be told, I was getting fed up with my wolf and if the Moon Goddess was right in front of me, I would have asked her to take away my stubborn wolf.

“So, your problem is that he is crippled and a human?” Brie mocked me.

I exhaled sharply and leaned against the bathroom sink. “It’s not only that but, yes, those are some of the main reasons.”

“Do you think we can survive and be sane from today onwards when we deal with him daily? Think about the bond created by the Moon Goddess, the fact that I am living inside your f*cking human body, and how your body physically reacts to our mate. You can’t even begin to imagine what will happen to you when your skin touches his, even slightly, Lexi.” Brie was determined to change my mind.

“Well, it would only happen if we stay here, so we are leaving this shitty place right now!” I exclaimed, ready to put an end to the crazy conversation I was having with my bloody wolf.

“Just try to do that, Lexi, and I will tell everything to your father, the Alpha. I will tell him that his daughter just found her mate and she is running away from him. You know very well how much your dad respects and accepts the mate bond. He is eagerly waiting for you to find your mate. When I tell him, you won’t be able to survive there, Lexi!” Brie threatened me maliciously.

What kind of loyal wolf is she? Instead of supporting my decisions, my own wolf wanted the both of us to rot in the hell of love. The thing was that I knew that she would not hesitate to do what she threatened to do and that she will definitely tell my father about my mate.

I am so stuck!

“You are such a b*tch, Brie! Ugh, fine, don’t tell Dad. I will stay here, but there will be no physical touch between us. If you force me, I will run away to the other corner of the world, and then you can say goodbye to your crippled mate.” I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist. All I wanted to do was break apart the restroom into pieces and release my anger, but I couldn’t.

My wolf remained silent, much to my annoyance. “So, do we have a deal, Brie?”

Still, she didn’t say a word and her action was starting to make me change my mind. “Tell me, I don’t have the—”

“Fine, you fu*king moron, you little c*nt!” she cursed me and I immediately ended our mind-link connection.

Wiping my face with the towel prepared, I exited the restroom and walked towards the living room. I knew that he was waiting there for me, but I was determined not to look at him or have any physical contact with him.

Be brave, Lexi! You can do this!

When I entered the living room area, the father and son duo was deep in a conversation. So, I cleared my throat and once again our eyes met, but I quickly withdrew my pair of hazels from him. It was the first time I had ever removed my gaze from a man.

Approaching Mr. Gerard Stark, I spoke, “Mr. Stark, I would appreciate it if I can have the schedule of Mr. Chris—”

“His assistant will give you his schedule as soon as you get to the office, Ms. Lexi,” Mr. Stark replied.

“Office? Are we leaving for the office now? I thought we could discuss our contract and fees—”

“No, go with him. He needs us, you i***t!” Brie roared in my head, disrupting my thoughts and making me stop mid-sentence.

There I was wanting to avoid Chris and stay with Mr. Stark, but things were moving in the other direction.

“I will discuss them with Kyle. Chris is already late for a meeting, so you should leave now,” he said.

However, before I could come up with an excuse, Mr. Stark withdrew himself from the living room, leaving the two of us alone.

The aura of the living room felt awkward and sweat beads started popping out of my forehead and upper lip. Nervousness bubbled within me and I found myself unable to decide on what to do next.

“Are you all right, Ms. Lexi?” Chris’s deep voice made me shiver and my legs turned to jelly despite being glued to the same place. My heart started pounding so fast that I was afraid that it was going to come out from my ribcage at any time.

“Ummm…yeah. I am f…fine,” I stuttered.

“You look pale. Are you sick?” he asked gently, making goosebumps rise on my skin.

Mustering all the courage I had, I lifted my gaze to look at him. He was a perfect Greek god sculpture—no, if a Greek god saw him, they will be ashamed to call themselves gods—because that was how handsome and charming he looked. He had excellent features like his pointed nose, his sharp jawline that was sharp enough to cut vegetables, and his neatly right-parted combed hair.

“If you have finished scanning me, shall we proceed to the vehicle, Ms. Lexi?” Chris's words washed me over with embarrassment. I wasn’t aware that I was greedily gawking at him. Even Brie giggled at my actions, happy that I got caught staring at my mate.

Nodding my head, I walked forward. Chris’s wheelchair was remote-controlled, so there was no need for anyone to push it and he could control it himself. So, I walked beside him as we headed to the front door and I felt his gaze on me from time to time. I walked to my bike while Chris got into his vehicle. I quickly wore my sunglasses to hide my gaze from him.

Just as I was about to sit on my bike, I heard the vehicle window lowering and soon Chris’s melodic voice reached my ears, “Ms. Lexi, if you are my bodyguard, you have to travel with me.”

My back was facing him so he couldn’t see my face. Inhaling a deep breath, I looked at my reflection in my bike mirror and shrugged my shoulders.

“I believe you heard me, Ms. Lexi,” he said.

Is he going to bother me like this all day? This is so irritating! Ignoring the mate bond is harder than I thought and Brie’s giggling isn’t helping.

“He likes us. I can feel it,” she said

I scoffed at her words. “Don’t talk rubbish, Brie. I don’t feel anything.”

“You feel it, Lex. It’s just that you refuse to accept it,” she replied in a teasing tone.

My wolf was getting on my nerves. “Listen—”

“We are getting late, Ms. Lexi. You better come quickly,” Chris exclaimed from his vehicle before I could finish my argument with Brie. Reluctantly, I walked over to his vehicle.

“I will be following you all the way, Mr. Chris. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you,” I assured him. In fact, I was amazed to hear my own possessive and determined tone.

Chris looked at me for a few seconds in awe before snapping out of it. “Dad won’t be happy when he finds out that you were following me with your bike and he might cancel the contract. I believe this contract is going to pump your security firm with a lot of money. So, Ms. Lexi, I hope you are a sensible and intelligent lady who understands what I am trying to say.”

What an awful day! Everyone is trying to justify their point and make me to flexible towards their decision. First Dad, then Brie, and now Chris.

Inhaling a deep breath, I walked to the other side of the vehicle and opened the front passenger seat door to sit next to the driver.

But, as soon as I opened the door, Chris stopped me, “Ms. Lexi, you need to sit in the back seat since the front seat belongs to my manager.”

Gritting my teeth, I shut the door with a loud thud as I cursed myself for the f*cking day I was going to endure.

The journey was quiet as I looked outside the window while Chris busied himself on his phone and his tablet. Eventually, we reached a tall building which was his office. Snapping into my work mode, I got down from the vehicle and quickly went to his side to see that a special ramp had already been prepared for him.

“You were quick, Ms. Lexi,” he said with a smile.

We entered the building and the manager opened the elevator doors before pressing the button for the 17th floor.

“Ms. Lexi, I have a meeting now. You can stay inside in the meeting room with me,” Chris informed.

His manager looked at him in surprise. “Sir, this is a confidential meeting and—”

“I decide what’s best, not you.” Chris’s tone suddenly turned stern and rough, changing my opinion that he was a sweet guy. The manager nodded and remained silent.

Attempting to diffuse the tension, I spoke, “It’s all right, Mr. Chris, I’ll stay outside. I am not interested in meetings and—”

“Ms. Lexi, you are my bodyguard. Anything can happen to me during the meeting, so I suggest you stay close to me,” he replied politely, much to my confusion.

It was like Chris was a sweet guy, but he chose to be tough when he needed to show his power and aura. Soon, the elevator door opened on the 17th floor and the three of us walked to his personal office.

“Ask Selena to bring me the files prepared for the meeting,” he instructed his manager while we were entering his office.

The manager nodded and walked away from us. Looking around, I noticed that the floor had a few meeting rooms and some cabins. But, I wasn’t interested in finding out more about details since I was planning to avoid being Chris’s bodyguard.

As soon as we entered Chris’s office, he directed me to the couch located on the right side of his table. The minute I took a seat, the door of his office opened and a lady entered. She was dressed in a tight mini-skirt that showed off her creamy thighs along with a white shirt that had a few unbuttoned buttons which helped parade her cleavage clearly.

Is this lady dressing up for work in an office or for a club to tease men? Wait, why should I even bother? Shaking my head, snapped out of my thoughts and focused my attention on what was happening.

The lady walked over to Chris and stood so close to him that Chris’s elbow unintentionally caressed her waist. Chris didn’t pay any attention to her, but he knew that she was there.

“Good morning, Sir!” she wished him in a preppy voice.

Ugh, she is such a flirty b*tch! Her red lips and her lusty dressing style are enough to sexually arouse men. Does she dress like this for the office every day?

Without realizing it, I started to feel uncomfortable as well as insecure about her and Chris even though there wasn’t a need to since it was their personal matter. She did not even notice my presence and kept on teasing Chris, but his eyes were focused on his laptop screen.

“Where are the files, Selena?” he asked while typing something with his right hand before forwarding his left hand which accidentally touched her br*asts.

I didn’t know what happened to me but a soft growl immediately escaped from my throat. My eyes widened with shock before Chris and Selena both looked at me.

“Did you see that b*tch provoking our mate? I want to kill her in a snap!” Turns out it was Brie and she was burning with anger so severe that it manifested through me.

“I told you not to come to the surface! Mind your business! We had a deal, Brie. You are going to ruin everything!” I yelled at her mentally.

“I can’t be like you and just watch helplessly as someone steals our mate!” she replied with annoyance.

“Ms. Lexi, was that you? What was that sound? It sounded strange,” Chris asked and my throat went dry.

“Ummm…no. I think it came from outside,” I lied as I pretended to look outside.

“Sir, who is she?” Selena asked him, unhappy with my presence.

“She is my bodyguard, Selena. This is Ms. Lexi. Treat her nicely, she is someone special.” Chris’s emphasized his words towards the end of the sentence and he sounded different.

Luckily, before anything else could happen, Chris moved towards the door. “Let’s head to the meeting room. The clients must be already here by now.”

So, the three of us headed out of the room. When we were leaving the room, I gave Selena a cold shoulder and shot her a look of warning to ensure she kept a distance from her boss.

After a few hours, the meeting ended well. It was nothing useful to me but throughout the day, I felt Chris’s eyes digging holes at me multiple times. Every time our gazes met, it made me feel uncomfortable and I quickly withdrew my eyes.

Does he feel something too? But I don’t feel a wolf in him, all I feel is emptiness. I have met a lot of humans and they had a soul that I could feel, but Chris was different. He is empty! How can that be possible?

“Ms. Lexi, it looks like you are deeply thinking about something,” Chris’s voice derailed my train of thought.

Flustered, I cleared my throat. “Oh sorry, Mr. Chris I was—”

“Call me Chris. There is no need to be formal,” he interrupted.

“I am sorry but I can’t do that. You are my client and our number rule is to be polite and formal with the client,” I replied.

“Okay, so when my dad is around you can call me Mr. Chris, but I prefer you call me Chris. I’ll call you Lexi and you can call me Chris,” he said with a smile as he pressed the button for the elevator.

Where is this train going to go? What is he trying to do? I should leave this contract before something terrible happens!

Within seconds, we arrived at the vehicle parking lot. It was 8.45 p.m. and the entire day had flown by with meetings. Chris look tired and he yawned frequently, but not me. As wolves, we could tolerate much more than humans.

Chris was about to get into the vehicle when a sudden cold breeze passed and my nostrils filled with the smell of different human beings. Quickly, I scanned the area with my hawk-like eyes.

“What is it, Lexi?” Chris asked when he saw me focused on our surroundings.

Shaking my head, I turned to look at him. “It’s nothing. Let’s—”

But, before I could finish my sentence, my wolf ears heard a gun being fired in the distance.

“Get down!” Wrapping my arm around Chris’s waist, I pulled him out of his wheelchair. With a tight grip on him, I lugged him to the other side of the vehicle to take cover, just in time before a shower of bullets attacked our vehicle.

“What the f*ck?!” Chris exclaimed as he covered his ears.

“Wait here!” I instructed him before leaving our hideout. Running at lightning speed, I reached the location where the bullets were firing from. It didn’t take long since I was faster than a normal human and a normal wolf, since I had Alpha blood flowing within me. So, I snuck up from behind to see two people laying on the ground and shooting at us—or rather, at Chris.

Wrapping my hands around their legs, I yanked them rather easily and they witnessed my strength with shock.

“How dare you hurt him?” I roared. With a snap, I broke the neck of one of the shooters before throwing his partner toward the dumpster.

Before I could get a chance to kill him, I heard the police vehicles approaching. So, I left him there and returned to the vehicle to see Chris still leaning his back against the vehicle.

“What the f*ck was that, Lexi? Where did they come from? Who are those people?” Chris blurted out a long string of questions all at once.

Letting out a sharp exhale, I shook my head. “The police will handle it. Come, let’s get out of here.”

Crouching down, I held onto Chris’s hand to help him up into his wheelchair and that was the moment I fu*ked things up. Instantly, sparks started shooting all through my body.

Judging by the way Chris was looking at me, I knew that he felt it too. “What is happening, Lexi? I…I feel…sparks all over my body!”

Shit! I’m screwed! I’ve touched my mate!