Chapter 7

• Hailey's POV
• The last thing I remembered was that I finally fixed the washer. And just as I was about to run it, I blacked out.
• Well, to be precise, I fell asleep.
• I even dreamed of Connor. Playing some loud music to wake me up.
• By the time I woke up, it was about noon.
• To my surprise, I was back in my room instead of lying on the cold floor.
• 'Did Vita find me and bring me back?' I wondered.
• As I turned my head, however, I found a guy sleeping on the sofa with his back against me.
• Curious, I crept up on him, and a familiar face came into view. It was Connor.
• I immediately stepped back, almost screaming out of shock.
• I thought, 'Why is he sleeping in my room?
• 'So it wasn't a dream? He was the one who brought me back here?'
• After making sure that he showed no signs of waking up, I sighed in relief.
• Since I got nothing else to do, I started observing him, my mate. His pajamas' hem was crawled up, revealing a bit of his tight waist. A ray of sunlight filtered in through the curtains and shone on his face, setting off his sharp features.
• Captivated by his rizz, I instinctively stepped up.
• I wasn't sure if I wanted to peep at him or check if he was okay.
• As I leaned in, however, Connor's eyes snapped open!
• I gasped, fear rooting me to the spot. Before I could dodge, he gripped my neck.
• Out of instinct, he started shifting, his fingers turning into claws.
• I always thought of Connor as a rude, willful, and reckless lazybones who disrespected everyone. Including his own grandpa.
• But right now, I smelt danger, a chill running down my spine.
• Most folks would be at a loss of what to do, but not me. I often fought with beasts back in my pack. So, I was an experienced fighter.
• I threw a punch towards Connor's abdomen, but he yanked me off balance before my fist could land on him.
• So now I was sprawled all over him.
• He tightened his grip on my neck, getting my ribs pounding. I couldn't help gasping for air, my eyes blazing with fury.
• Then, my claws came out before my brain caught up, grasping his arm without mercy.
• In a life-or-death crunch, a hottie and a beast made no difference to me. I gotta go all in to save my own life.
• The pain seemed to bring Connor back to his senses.
• His face darkened, his gaze icy-cold, panicking me.
• Although he said nothing, that frosty stare was louder than shouting.
• "Let go," he hissed as his chokehold eased up a little, his voice hoarse.
• "After you," I fired back.
• Connor dropped his grip and whispered, "Who allowed you to come close to me?"
• I felt a bit guilty for no reason. "Thought you'd blacked out. So I wanted to check on you."
• After saying that, I was even more guilty.
• Connor was perfectly fine before I approached him. Yet now, there were scratches on his arm thanks to me.
• But he was at fault, too. I didn't mean to hurt him. He was the one attacking me first.
• However, no matter how much I tried to justify myself in my mind, I still had a terrible conscience about it.
• Just when I was hesitating about saying sorry, Connor piped up, "Are you gonna sit on my lap forever?"
• "Sorry. Wait here." I jumped off the sofa and ran out of the room. Then I found Vita and asked her to fetch the first-aid kit for me.
• "Let me help you fix it up," I said to Connor after returning to my room.
• He glanced at his wound and then at me. His face softened up a bit, but soon, it was back to poker. "No need."
• I insisted, "At least let me help you clean that up."
• This time, Connor didn't turn me down.
• I carefully dabbed disinfectant on his scratches and gently applied band-aids.
• During the process, I found his healing much slower than mine, which bewildered me.
• "Your wound ... seems to be healing rather slowly," I couldn't help but blurt out.
• Connor simply stood up and said, "I'm fine."
• Before he left, he ordered, "You're on kitchen duty today."
• I nodded, making up my mind to cook him a lavish lunch as an act of apology.
• After an hour of effort, I managed to cook three dishes. When Connor got a taste of my cooking, his eyes lit up a bit, but soon, he pulled a long face again.
• "Not bad," he commented in a flat tone.
• I felt great to hear it. "Thanks! I'll be cooking steak for dinner. You wanna invite Frank over?"
• Connor's face darkened immediately. "I don't want any guests," he snapped.
• I was a bit puzzled. "Why not? He's your grandpa!"
• Without saying anything, Connor got up and left.
• I had no idea why Connor ticked off all of a sudden. Was it because I mentioned Frank?
• I let out a long sigh.
• Connor never liked me. And I just made things worse by injuring him the second day since we became mates. How were we ever gonna live in peace?