I Am not His to Claim

Chapter Ten

As we waited for our food to arrive, Tristan reached across the table, his fingers lightly brushing against mine as he handed me a napkin. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and in that instant, I felt like very moment is in slower time.

I don’t know but my heart beats faster, but with a slow rhythm.

“What would I do with this napkin?” I asks. He chuckled. “You are tearing up..” He said and I was surprised because I didn’t even know I am tearing up. But why?

“Are you okay?” He asks. “Yeah I am fine.” I said while wiping my tears. “People tend to tear up when they hit their spot of memory they don’t know they have.” he said that made me confuse. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He cleared his throat and smile.

“Do you believe, that somehow, people reincarnate? Or have a past life? But when we got reincarnated, people forget their past life… But something will trigger it, to remember it, and they tear about it, but they couldn’t remember it.”

He really has the touch of mystery.

“Are you telling me that I am a reincarnation? And that something about what you said, triggers my past life” I asks. “I don’t know what you believe. I am just explaining the reason why you might be tearing right now. It is up to you if you want to believe it, or not.” I take a deep sigh before I finally open one of my question. “Do you think I am the re-incarnation of Marissa?”

And with that question, he stops.

“So you know her?” He asks me coldly. His lively presence was shut off as soon as he heard her name. “No.” I simply answer. “But most people call me Marissa… Even you when we first met.”

He take a deep sigh and our food arrived.

The waiter leaves and wish to enjoy our meal.

On that moment, I could feel my stomach hungry for food when I smell it’s aroma at saw the delicious food on the table. I asks him if these are all the orders and he nodded. We starts to eat our lunch but I tried to get back on to the topic on who is Marissa. Do I really look like her? Do I really have the resemblance to her for people to assume I was the dead girl?

But he did change the topic. And I know from this moment, that Marissa did something horrible, horrible for people not to forget her, and despise her, even just by hearing her name. The only person who does not despise Marissa, is no other than Mason Mones himself.

“So tell me Elena. Why do you want to change schools?”

“Something personal.”

“You mean everyone hated you for being not one of them?”

“You mean poor? Did not come from an Elite family like theirs?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe…”

Maybe I should believe that, that was the reason why I want to change school. Because I don’t belong there. But I know to myself that the reason why I want to separate myself from that Academy is for me to stay away from trouble, for me not to knot myself with Mason again. Because I know, if I stay there, that slap of that woman wouldn’t be the last time.

“or maybe because you insulted their king?”

I look up. “Everyone already saw the video. Most people like that you stood up, but those Elite hated you for that.” I remember seeing the views yesterday being in almost a hundred thousand views, with a thousand curses for me. “I just feel safe if I don’t continue my journey there.”

“Do you want to continue your journey with me?”

I don’t know what to feel about those words. I felt like there were butterflies inside my heart that flutters my blood to make my heart slow down. Like the air is collapsing on to me, making me faint from blushes.

“I meant, continue your journey with a student like me. In Eldoriana High School.”

Yeah.. Maybe I do. Maybe I want to continue my journey with you, Mr. Trinidad.

“Can I ask. How old are you?” He did not suspect that question from me. “Am I too old for you Ms. Denvers?” Too old? If we are going to compare our faces, I would be the one to look old rather than him. And in fact, he looks really young, but in a good way, in a masculine handsome way. “Most people think I aged between seventeen to twenty, but I am older than what my face is showing to everyone. And I guess it already tricked you.” He said in a senseless way. “I am twenty-two” I almost spilled the food from my mouth when he revealed his age to me. Twenty-Two? He is five years older than me? “And you are trying to give your way to me? Who is a seventeen years old?” I said. “I just turned twenty-two last week actually. Before your presence here. And I believe, most people would say that age does not matter.”

I am turning eighteen next month…

Mom promised me that we would live here before I turned eighteen. She said she has more to teach to me, how to cope up with life, and how to live my life… I guess that would not happen. It won’t happen.

Just as we finished our meal, a familiar voice shattered the tranquility of our surroundings.

"Elena."

I turned to see Mason standing just a few feet away, his expression unreadable as he stared at us with a mixture of surprise and something else I couldn't quite place.

My heart began to race as I realized the implications of his sudden appearance, the fragile bubble of our budding connection threatened by his presence.

But before I could gather my thoughts or formulate a response, Mason spoke again, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

"What are you doing here?” And look to Tristan. “What are you doing with this guy?”

He seemed upset. Why should he? I am supposed to be the one who should be upset. Not him! His fiance slap and humiliated me yesterday in front of everyone! I couldn’t even bother to show my face after that.

“We are having lunch Mason. Can you not see?” Trsitan answered. “Did I asked, you that question?” Mason coldly responds, without even looking at him. He is just blankly staring at me, right onto my soul.

I was shocked when he grab my arm and forced me to stand up but I refuse to do what he wants me to do. I resist. “Let go of me Mason! You have no right to touch me!” I screamed and I can see that we get everyones’ attention in the cafe. They seem to fear what is going on, that they had to move and leave the place…

Why are they so afraid?

“Let go of her!” Tristan stand up and tried to stood up for me, but when Mason looked at him, stare at him… I see fear. The cold, enigmatic, mysterious aura of him, left his body. This is not that same Tristan I saw that night. This is new. Something new.

“I’m sorry Elena.”

“Tristan…” I calmly call his name but he grab his things and avoided and eye contact with me. “See you around.” Before he left and ran away from that situation, leaving me and Mason alone, literally in this cafe.

He finally let go of me.

“Why do you care who I talk to huh Mason?” I yelled at him and face him hard. “You cannot talk to that guy! Especially without me!” He said coldly. Really cold. I see no emotion, only darkness. “Who are you to tell me who should I talk to, and who should I not? I suffer a great consequences every time I am near you! No matter how hard I try to understand, I see no reason for me to understand you and your kind?” I am still full o raged.

“My kind?” I feared that I hit his spot… Spot for him to change from being cold, to being someone from the fire itself. His eyes… It again turned into yellow… Like the first time I saw him.

“Did you forget Elena.” He still left that word, coldly, but with a sense of heat. “I claimed you… As my fated mate.”

“I’m your fated mate, Elena.”

That word rings inside my head. His voice, his words… Everything went back into me like it only happened yesterday.

“i am not an animal for you to mate. To claim as your mate!”

“Maybe this would remind you of that.”

And the next thing that happened, shock me to my core.

I saw a fang, came out of his mouth, like an hungry wolf… And that fang, was inserted on my neck, when he bit me there.

I screamed, as loud as I can, that If I remember right, the lights starts to flicker.

And that flickers, turns to darkness.