I Am not His to Claim

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

At 7 o'clock in the morning, the first thing I did was stare at the screen of my phone, fixating on the photo of Marissa I had taken from Mason’s mansion, in the chamber.

“Who are you, Marissa?” I whispered to myself, my head filled with confusion when someone knocked at the door of my bedroom. I quickly turned off my phone and waited for my dad to enter.

“Good Morning, Elena,” he greeted me with a smile, dressed in his police uniform. “Oh, congrats, Dad. You got the job,” I remarked as he walked towards me, standing tall in front of me.

“Does it fit me?” he asked, his smile widening. I nodded, adding, “Any uniform suits you, Dad.” I stood up and hugged him tightly. “Thank you. I appreciate it,” he said, kissing my forehead. As he looked into my eyes with a smile, he added, “I can now protect you, Elena.” His words pierced my heart, leaving me feeling both stabbed and comforted. “Mom would be very proud of your achievements dad.” I said to him and he messes my hair. “No. Your mom would be proud of you. I remember her telling me that she is afraid that you would have a hard time adjusting in the town, once we moved here.”

I almost dilated out of the reality when he said that. Mom? Said that? Why did she said that? Does she knows about the little secret of the town that is why she tells me that? I know that mom wanted me to be here before my eighteen birthday, she wishes it, even before the accident that took her life, and that was also the last thing she wishes before she left this world. What does that supposed to mean? Why does mom want me here? Oh god, I am just overthinking things again. Things that are small that making me big just because I think too much of possibilities that could be impossible.

“You’re going to be late for your first day, Dad. You should go,” I reminded him, and he kissed my forehead once again before leaving the room. However, before he left, his eyes caught sight of something unexpected. “What happened to your neck?” he inquired.

I instinctively covered my neck with my hands and forced a smile. “Nothing. A cockroach bit me,” I lied. “That’s a big cockroach that bit you,” he remarked, clearly disbelieving. “Yeah, a big one,” I replied, the tension between us palpable. After he bid me goodbye and left the room, I immediately searched my wardrobe for something to cover the bite mark Mason had left on my neck.

That mark on your neck... shows that you are my mate. That you are mine. And that no one can mess with you.

Mason’s voice echoed in my head, reminding me of the reason behind his actions. Despite his good intentions, it was difficult for me to accept and carry around this mark of his in public. What would people think of me? What would my classmates, especially Olivia, think?

Olivia...

She was still upset with me for associating myself with the Alpha Three, despite her warning. But how could I avoid them when I had already encountered their leader before she cautioned me?

By 8 o'clock, I finally arrived at the campus, noticing fewer students in the hallways, a clear sign that I was late for class. As I made my way to the classroom, I could feel the eyes of those around me, silently scrutinizing me. But I brushed off their attention, accustomed to being noticed since I arrived at this school. I was nobody...

Entering the classroom, the professor halted her lecture, her gaze fixed on me—or rather, on the scarf covering my neck. I could sense her silent inquiry, her eyes holding a story I couldn’t decipher. “Sorry I’m late,” I murmured as I hurried to my seat and retrieved my book. But I couldn’t ignore Olivia’s stare from behind me, a few seats away. I smiled at her, but her eyes reflected fear, though she hid it well. I recognized the look of fear, having experienced enough of it myself. She stared at me for too long, a single tear escaping her left eye.

What had happened to her?

She quickly avoided eye contact and didn’t bother to glance back at me.

As class continued, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air. Olivia's reaction weighed heavily on my mind, and I found it difficult to focus on the lecture. Every now and then, I stole glances at her, trying to decipher the emotions hidden behind her guarded facade. But she remained stoic, her expression a mask that revealed nothing. When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the lesson, I gathered my things and made my way out of the classroom, hoping to catch Olivia before she disappeared into the crowd. As I approached her, she tensed, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route.

"Olivia, wait," I called out, reaching out to touch her arm gently. She flinched at my touch, her body stiffening beneath my fingertips.

"What do you want, Elena?" she asked, her voice cold and distant. Gone was the warmth and camaraderie we had once shared, replaced now by an icy barrier that seemed impossible to breach.

"I just... I wanted to see if you're okay," I replied, my words hesitant. "You seemed upset in class, and I couldn't help but worry."

Olivia's eyes softened slightly, a flicker of emotion passing through them before she quickly masked it once again. "I'm fine," she muttered, her gaze drifting away from mine. "Just... tired, I guess."

But I knew there was more to it than just fatigue. There was a heaviness in her demeanor, a burden she carried that she wasn't ready to share. And try as I might, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was somehow at the center of it all.

"Olivia, please," I urged, my voice pleading. "I should be the one asking that question. To you. You should not worry me Elena, worry about yourself." Olivia said in her cold concerning voice. "I appreciate your concern, Elena," she added, her tone final. "But I am not the one you should be concerned about. Yourself."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway, feeling more lost and confused than ever. Is this all about what happened last Friday? In the cafeteria? I am concerned about myself, but I wanted to be concerned with them. I though I had made friends, friends where like this moment I could rely on. But I let that friendship slip from my own hands

As I pondered these questions, a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Elena."

I turned to see Mason standing before me, his expression unreadable. His presence alone was enough to unsettle me, to stir up a whirlwind of conflicting emotions that threatened to consume me whole.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "I am schooling here. Remember?" Yeah he is right. “I meant, why are you talking to me? Your fiance is around the premises of the campus. She would caught us.” I said and I felt like that it came out differently than I am thinking. It sounded like a mistress at the moment.

Mason chuckled and reached out to touch my arm, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through me. "Don’t worry about her. You’re my fated mate right?" he implored that gave goosebumps to my whole body. "I have to show you something." I hesitated, torn between the desire to push him away and the curiosity gnawing at me from within. "Fine," I relented, my voice barely a whisper. "But make sure you are not going to give me another bite mark. It is already hard enough for me to find a scarf to cover it." He smiled and drag me out of the hallway.