Can't resist

"Why? Why? Why?" I ask, tears running down my mud-stained face. "I am one of you too! I try my best! Even if you don’t like me, why do you have to be so mean?"

Caroline stands in front of me. Only thirteen, but she’s already tall and beautiful, like a model. She’s also strong, the greatest pup in our group. She is everything I ever wanted to be, but I know I never will.

"Because you are not one of us!" She replies, her voice so cold it freezes the blood in my veins. "So do us a favor and just die already!"

The rest of the group seems taken aback too. They were laughing a second ago as I guess, me being pushed into the mud was funny, but once the word "die" comes out of her mouth, the giggles and piggy noises stopped completely. That was a bit much… Even for the cruelest of them. And the worst part? She didn’t even sound like she was trying to be mean; she was sincere.

"Cut it out, Caroline. If you have time to make fun of others, you have time to train," Axel intervenes, coming towards us with the supervising warrior. He’s not part of our group so he must have seen the fight from a distance and ran to grab the supervisor.

"Thanks," I mumble to the future alpha with a glimmer of hope shining somewhere in my chest. A glimmer that gets brutally extinguished when I hear his answer.

"Let me make it clear, human. I didn’t help you out. I just don’t want my future warriors to lose training time dealing with someone like you. You simply aren’t worth it."

That was the last time Axel addressed me directly until today, until…

*

I felt like the world started spinning around me as I stared at Axel's exposed body. His hair was still wet, probably just out of the shower, and no matter how horrible his personality was, he made up for it in the looks department. Even when I was younger, my eyes would be drawn to him every time he entered a room. I hated myself for it, but now…

No! He’s a bully! What is wrong with me?

Before I could think of anything to say, he already took a step closer, his eyes widened in shock.

"You are..." The words slipped through his lips. Those lips... They looked so soft, so full. I just knew they tasted like cherries... and chocolate... and something forbidden. I...

What the heck is wrong with me?

"I... bathroom... I..." I tried to somehow excuse myself before I did anything stupid, but Axel didn't give me the chance. In the blink of an eye, he was next to me. So close that I could feel the warmth of his skin.

The kiss was sudden, and for a second, the whole world stopped. All the years that he terrified me, all the nights that I spent crying myself to sleep... all and everything was gone from my mind when his lips touched mine. I allowed myself to get lost in it. His arms wrapped around me, gently at first, but then tighter and tighter in desperation. His mouth slightly opened, letting his tongue forcefully depart from my lips. The taste of him made me dizzy and I almost dropped to the ground. But he held me. He was here. Here to hold me.

His hand started slipping lower on my back and I growled in pleasure when he grabbed my ass, lifting me up. My legs wrapped around his waist instinctively and he pushed me into the wall.

The realization that the towel that was covering his body had fallen, and what I felt in between my legs was his erection, is what made me snap back to reality.

I can't... I can't let him take my virginity. No matter how much my body wanted it right now.

Axel noticed my hesitation and stopped, even though I could see every muscle in his body tense up in protest.

"I'm sorry. I got too excited, Rose." He put me down and grabbed his towel. "Come inside, we need to talk..."

He pointed at his room and I was not too sure, but the look in his eyes told me that he wouldn't hurt me. The look on his face told me that he would never hurt me again. So I just nodded and walked inside the wolf's cave.

Once the door was closed behind us, silence fell. A very awkward and weirdly sexually tense silence.

"Can you... Even feel me?" He asked after a while and I looked up from the ground, curious.

"Feel you... like...?"

"Like… Feel that we are... you know...?" I looked at him, confused, and he sighed, sitting down next to me. "Rose. We are mates."

The Moon Goddess surely has a dark sense of humor. But no... this can't be true. He is Axel. He hates me. He made my life hell because he saw me as beneath him. He wouldn't just happily accept to be mated with me. This is a cruel joke. A prank. Caroline would walk in the second I accepted it and laugh.

I get up and look around the room.

"Rose?" Now it was his turn to look at me, confused.

"Where is she? Or are there cameras and they are all watching from somewhere? Laughing," I asked, not able to even look at him.

"Who? Wha...?" When he realized what I meant, his eyes darkened. "Rose. I am not lying! Can't you feel it?"

Oh, yes, I could... I could feel it with my whole body. The feeling was maddening and I wanted nothing more than to jump on him and let him take me in all the ways that were physically possible. But I didn't trust him enough.

"I feel the bond..." I explained, staring at some random spot in the distance so I wouldn't be forced to make eye contact with him. I knew all my determination would vanish if I saw his eyes. His beautiful, intense, green eyes. "But I fear that you won't accept it. And I refuse to put myself in a situation to... to... to be hurt by you again!"

"What kind of monster do you think I am? To hurt my own mate?" He asked, offended.

"I am your mate," I answered, kind of pissed at his self-righteous attitude.

"Yes!"

 "You did hurt me!"

"I didn't know that you were my mate."

"Being your mate or not does not change the person I am. You called me ugly. Now I'm beautiful? Now you are interested? Now I’m worth it?"

"Rose..." His tone softens and I gather the courage to turn to him. His eyes glowed in the dark room and I can swear for a second that I saw a sparkle of regret in them. It doesn’t linger for much. "Things are going to be different from now."

"I am the same, though." I answered and walk towards the door.

Axel grabs my hand, but I shake him off. I can’t do this! No matter what invincible forces of the universe scream in my ear to turn back, I can’t do it!

I don't know how I even get outside. Everything feels covered in thick fog now and my thoughts are a mess. I look for my mom and see her on the side. Grandma is with her.

"We have to go home!" I say to her, every word taking a lot of effort. It is like I can't breathe being away from Axel. What is this bullshit?!

"Is this how she greets her elders? Or should I say ignore? You know, my son wouldn't have allowed her to grow up like this. Acting like a rogue. Running around at such an event and..." Grandma starts berating my mom, but I am not in the mood for this right now, so I look at her with all the hate I gathered in the last years and cut her off.

"Grandma. No offence. I respect you as my family and as an elder. But I certainly don't respect you enough as a person to ask for your opinion, so don't give it!"

I can hear her jaw hitting the floor, but I am done with this conversation. With this entire night as a matter of fact. I grab my mom and drag her to the car.

"Home!" I muttered, opening the door.

The word spins faster and faster with every step away from him that I take.

"Rose... The ceremony didn't even start. And your grandma..."

"Mom. For once. Please!" I plead, on the verge of throwing up. Fortunately, she takes one good look at me and nods in silence. Once in the car, I can sigh in relief.

My mom is silent as she drives away through the dark forest that surrounds the pack and I can't help but look back at the lights behind us.

Maybe I escaped tonight, but I will have to face him again sooner or later.

Will I be able to resist him?