Their Mate And Luna

CHAPTER 78

HOW MANY WOMEN?

NICOLE

School is actually good today for the first time in many years. I can’t remember the last time I had a day at school so peaceful, without any form of bullying from my fellow students.

Even the teachers are nice to me. One of them actually offers to help if I have any problems with my studies. I decline, of course. My points are already over what I need to graduate.

I have two more hours to go before the end of school. Remembering my aunt’s request this morning, I raise my hand up.

“Yes, Nicole,” the teacher, Mr. Ron asks with a smile.

“May I be excused…”

“Of course, you may.” He cuts me off, his smile widening.

“Okay, thanks,” I can’t help but wonder at his strange behavior as I pack my things, hearing the murmurs around. They follow me as I exit the room.

The principal is the same, granting my wish without letting me finish. Can this day not get any weirder?

It gets weirder when I exit the school building and find Vince outside. My heart beats fast as he starts walking to me.

“Done with school?” his deep voice seems to curl around my heart.

I nod at him, casting my eyes to the ground, unable to meet his mesmerizing grey eyes.

“You can look me in the eyes, Nikki,” he chuckles softly, reaching for my face but dropping his hand when I dart back unconsciously.

“Sorry,” I whisper, glancing briefly at him before looking down again and clearing my throat. “What are you doing here? Is there nothing to occupy your time in the pack?”

“Nothing as important as you.”

“Hmm,” I start walking and he falls into step with me.

“Where are you going?”

“My aunt’s shop.”

“May I drive you there?” apprehension fills his voice as he asks me.

“I can’t ask why because I know what you will say.”

“It’s the truth.”

“A truth you didn’t believe,” I sigh inwardly as I realise the truth of my words. They never believed in me as their mate, hence the rejection.

“A mistake I now realise.”

I stop walking, turning to him. His eyes hold mine briefly before looking away and coming back to mine.

“We made a big mistake rejecting you, Nikki. It was a decision we made without thinking of the consequences,” he licks his lips and continues. “I can’t imagine what you went through that day, even if you or anyone tries to explain it to me.”

He’s right. He can never imagine it. No one can. Only I can. And my wolf too.

“We hurt both you and your wolf, sweetheart,” his voice drops a little when he calls me sweetheart. “And Vance and I will spend the rest of our lives making up for that. I promise you.”

I feel the sincerity in his words, seeing it reflected in his eyes as he waits for me to speak.

“I don’t know what to say,” honestly, I don’t. A part of me yearns for them, another part wants me to believe his words and forgive him and his brother. Yet, another part of me is scared, afraid that all these could be a scam. A fake declaration of whatever it is that they are trying to portray to me.

One is not supposed to have doubts about one’s mate. You’re supposed to fall for them wholeheartedly, trust them to reciprocate affection and love and even do more for you.

You shouldn’t be scared of your mate. It’s assumed that they come already programmed from the factory to make your life beautiful, blissful and loving. And every other thing that will make you happy.

Never hurting you.

I held such belief until they happened to me.

“Say something, sweetheart,” Vince’s voice draws me out of my thoughts. His face is close to mine, head bent and forehead almost touching mine.

I raise my eyes to his, feeling his warm breath on my face. “Don’t call me sweetheart,” It’s making all my insides mushy mushy, just like when Vance calls me ‘brown eyes.’”

“What should I call you then?” he whispers gently, closing the small gap between us, his eyes darting between my eyes and lips, full of something I have never seen a man show towards me.

Unconsciously, I part my lips when his eyes stop at my lips. “My name. Nicole,” yet I want him to call me sweetheart. I want him to kiss me.

He grins, reaching slowly for my waist and as much as I want to react, I allow him to pull me closer to him. Our foreheads are touching, our eyes locked in a silent battle. I grab his arms to steady myself and feel his muscles relaxing.

His thick arm muscles throb as I touch him and I slowly run my fingers over them, fascinated by heir thickness and that they belong to Vince Stone. My mate.

“You like them?” he croons near my ear, rubbing his nose over it, holding me tighter.

Do I like them? No way! I love them! Who wouldn’t. Any female would give anything to have such a virile male like him. This spurs me into a fit of jealousy as I imagine all the women that had touched him like this.

How many of them? Did they touch him like I am right now? Where did they do the touching? In his room? In her room?

Without thinking, I grab the material of his shirt in my palms, grunting as anger flares through me.

“What is it? What are you thinking, sweetheart?” he asks, when he pulls away from me, a small frown hanging over his troubled eyes. Little flecks of gold float in the grey of his eyes. His wolf, I guess.

“Nothing,” I swallow hard as I slowly extract myself from him.

“Hey,” he stops me, turning me back to him. “What happened? Tell me?”

Tell you? yeah, right. Like I will tell him I am jealous that other women had touched him like I just did. Or touched him better than I did. Or ever will.

“Nicole?”

“It’s nothing,” I manage to pull away from him and start to walk away.

“Not so fast, sweetheart,” he pulls me back, enveloping me in a full hug, resting my head on his broad chest, instinctively I take a lungful of his scent, allowing it to reach down into me. “Talk to me, please.”

Feeling the comforting heat from his body sparks a whirlwind of conflicting emotions within me again. How many women have felt this way? How many have enjoyed this? A sob rises from my stomach, rising to the top, reaching for my throat but I stifle it. Why cry when what has happened has happened. Other women have touched him.

Other women have laid on his chest like this. How many had he held lovingly like this? How many have enjoyed his loving touch while I got rejected.

“Nikki?” he pulls away a little to peer down at me, the golden flecks in his eyes deepening. “Talk to me,” his eyes hardened, golden now with both confusion and fear. “What were you thinking when you were touching me?”

“Nothing,” I reply in a voice I manage to wield strongly, not meeting his eyes. “Just thinking about how good the Moon Goddess can be,” bitterness floods my heart.

Just how long can I continue with hiding how I feel for him and his brother. Blushing miserably, I turn away, glad when the wind blows my way covering my face.

“Do you mind explaining?” he asks, more confused.

“She’s a perfect matchmaker,” I spit out. She should be stripped off whatever power she has for matching me with them. Didn’t she know what they were capable of? Why did she mate me to mates who couldn’t wait for me? Mates who wouldn’t want an omega for a mate.