Chapter Nine

You Are Mine

(Theodore Pov)

She stared at me, her face white, as if I had just told her the sky was green. "Impossible," she whispered finally, her voice trembling. "No. That's not…"

She heaved the blanket off her lap and was standing in one swift, fluid motion, swaying ominously as her legs threatened to buckle. I was up in an instant, steadying her with a firm grip on her arm.

"Sit down, Camelia," I said without more ado.

No!" she exclaimed, ripping herself from me. "What do you mean I'm your mate? It's not possible! It can't be!"

Her words cut daggers into me, yet I did not bat an eyelash. He instead advanced on her, looming over her as he talked. "You don't feel it?" he asked lowly, even. "The pull between us? The bond?”

She shook her head. Her eyes were wild, desperate. "No. I don't feel anything," she said firmly. "And even if I did… I don't want a mate."

I fisted my hands at my sides and this time the rejection cut a bit deeper. "You can keep on denying it all you like," I said, voice icicles. "Doesn't change the fact, the plain truth, you belong to me, Camelia, and you cannot flee it.”

Her eyes flashed with defiance, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't have a mate," she said stubbornly. "And I don't need one. Besides…," she paused, her voice faltering slightly. "I'm married."

I smirked at that, the bitterness in my heart spilling into my expression. "Married?" I repeated. "To a man who threw you out like garbage?”

Her face had turned beet red, and I almost saw her fists clench at her sides. Of course, there was also the shame standing in her eyes, but I didn't relent.

"I know everything, Camelia," I said, my voice slicing the silence with the sharpness of a blade. "I know what he did to you. How he betrayed you."

"Stop," she whispered in a quivering voice.

"But that does not matter anymore," I said, softening a bit. "Because he is irrelevant now. You are mine, Camelia."

She stared at me so angrily and confused. "I'm not yours," she repeated firmly. "And I never will be."

I moved another step closer and lowered above her. "We will see that," I said low and menacingly. "Because I am not letting you go."

She stared at me, her lips pressed into a thin line, her chest rising and falling in a distended fashion. She was defiant but so utterly confused.

"Let me make one thing clear," I added, my tone soft yet no less hard, "I'm not here to make you do anything against your will. You are my mate, Camelia, and though you may deny it with every breath in your body, the bond is real, nonetheless. Deny it all you will, but it will never change the facts."

“I don't believe you," she replied shortly, narrowing her eyes. "This… mate bond or whatever you're on about it doesn't matter to me. I'm not interested. I don't need a mate, and I don't need you.".

The words cut a lot deeper than they should, yet I kept my face impassive. She lied to me, to herself, most especially trembled in her voice, the slight quiver of hands down her thighs.

"You don't need me, Angel," I whispered, "but I'm here anyway, and I'm sure as hell not going away".

She shook her head and stepped backward as if the distance would give her air to breathe. "This is insane," she muttered, running a hand through her hair.

"What's insane," I said, my voice cold, "is that you refuse to see what's right in front of you.”

She wheeled on me now, her eyes flashing hot with anger. "What's crazy," she shot back at me, "is that you think you have some kind of right to come in here and start ordering me around about my life."

I smiled faintly, the fire in her voice stirring something deep inside me. "I'm not ordering you to do anything," I said, stepping closer. "I'm stating facts. You're mine, Camelia. And sooner or later, you'll realize it.

Her lips opened, and for a moment, I thought she'd fight again. Then the fists closed, and the face hardened into something chilled.

"It doesn't matter," she said, even now. "Even if what you're saying is true, I don't want it. I don't want you."

It hit harder than I'd expected, and for a moment my control slipped. Behind my eyes, my wolf snarled, pushing me to claim her, to make her see.

But I held tight, my voice ice as I returned, "You'll change your mind."

"Don't hold your breath," she snapped her back to me in an instant.

I closed the gap between us in a second, slapping one firm, gentle hand down onto her arm, spinning her back around. The air caught up in her throat as her eyes met mine, and for one moment in time, the room seemed to buzz around us.

"You can lie to yourself all you want," I said, my voice low, dangerous. "But you can't lie to me. I see through you, Camelia. I see the fear, the doubt, the pain you're trying so hard to hide. And I am not going to let you drown in it."

She was shaking, lips trembling, yet not a single effort made on her part to draw back from mine; eyes glued fast with mine in that flicker of defiance-something else, which she wouldn't admit to.

"You don't know me," she whispered.

"I know enough," I whispered back. "I do know you deserve more than this life thrown into your lap. Let me, Camelia.

She shook her head, her voice cracking into her words. "I don't need you saving me."

I gave a weak smile and released her arm, stepping away from her. "I'm not here to save you," I told her. "I'm here to stand beside you whether you like it or not."

And all she did was stare back, her uncertain eyes brimming with emotion, not uttering a single word.

I filled my lungs with air, taking a deep breath as my voice came out even and, finally, the words of final cuts uttered: "I've already spoken with your grandfather. We're getting married".

Her eyes grew large, as wide as they could, while her mouth dropped open in what appeared to be a protest of sorts, but nothing did come out.

"You may fight this all you want," I said to her, and turning, I made for the door, "but this is going to happen, Camelia. Like it or not.”

I came out of the room, leaving her standing there with the stunned silence of hers reverberating in my mind.