Chapter 5

• Clara
• This is what I thought of vampires before I entered this house: cold, loners, ruthless and many other terrible things but whoa! These guys are sweeter than my own family back in the pack. There is this hunk who is obviously drunk but he is so funny. When I entered this house, I didn't know what to expect.
• In the pack house back home, there are always many people walking around in and out. There are restricted areas though. This family seems very close, closer than our pack.
• I can't believe I am still awake at this hour. I wonder what time it is. I look around the walls hoping for a wall clock to be hanging there, but I don't find any. I need to find the guy, I don't even know his name yet!
• I have been offered some liquor but I turned down the offer. I want to be sober on my first stay here. I have to be careful especially since I am only wearing this coat with nothing inside.
• I get up from the coach that I have been sitting on and walk around the house to look for my mate. I wonder where he could be. How confusing it would be to look for someone in a house you have never been in before! I want to ask for directions, perhaps someone knows where he is, but hell! How will I ask without knowing his name?
• The house is very big. I could tell from outside that it is a very spacious house though it is dark. Everything inside looks very well reserved and neat. Unlike the pack house where everything is everywhere and about. I don't think werewolves are as organised as vampires. Werewolves like cozy places where there is a lot of company and life while vampires are very formal and neat individuals who prefer organised places. I think it was is just a slip that I found some of them drunk, but they still have the seriousness engraved in their behavior.
• I walk through a long corridor full of closed doors. These must be specific bedrooms of each one of them. They seem to be very awake like their day has just started I bet they sleep all day and party all night. The thought of spending the whole night awake with my mate makes me grin like a fool.
• I have to find him soon before I get myself into trouble. Maybe these rooms are all no-go areas. There could be creepy things hidden in there, or...
• The sweet mouthwatering scent snaps me out of my delusional thoughts. Mmm... my wolf purrs. He is here somewhere. I walk through the rest of the long corridor towards the end. There are so many portraits on the walls. Probably one of these vampires is an artist.
• I continue up the stairs after the corridor. This is not a good idea. I could end up getting lost in this house. God knows how big it is and how long it would take them to find me. Who am kidding! Theses are vampires I am talking about. They will definitely find me without even trying.
• At the end of the stairs, I find an open door. The air coming through it is chilly. The door must be leading outside. I walk through it and end up on some kind of balcony. His scent gets stronger. He is here.
• And indeed he is. My face cracks into a smile which immediately disappears when I realize that he is not alone. There is a tall blonde standing in front of him She has her hands around his neck. She is trying to pull him closer like she want him to kiss her.
• I shouldn't be seeing this, I should run out of here, away from this house and go far away where nobody will be able to find me. Perhaps I will be lucky find myself back home. My wolf just coils and hides herself away from me. She can't bear to see this either.
• "Damien, please," the blonde begs and tilts her head to get her face close to his. No. I need to get away from here, but my legs won't move. It is like they are rooted to the floor. Damien doesn't move. So this is how I get to know his name, huh?
• The blonde starts caressing his stubble, and I can't bear to watch anymore. Just as I am about to turn on my heels and walk away, Damien finally speaks.
• "No, Amber. I can't. I belong to someone else now. That is how it has always been. I am not the man for you," he tells her and removes her hands from him. Relief washes over me at the fact that at least he doesn't want her.
• Amber starts to sob. This is so emotional. What does she want from my mate? I know many people who were in relationships before finding their mates. They always get their hearts broken when their partners don't turn out to be their mates.
• Is that the case between Damien and Amber. Are they lovers. Am I interrupting their relationship? I know Damien couldn't have waited for me. He must have lived decades before I was born, maybe even centuries.
• Amber wipes her face with the back of her hand and her eyes land on me. Damien also turns to look at me and a chill runs down my spine. The blonde steps away from him and walks past me without saying a word. Damien keeps staring at me for a moment as if trying to debate on whether he should say something or just keep quiet.
• I also don't say a thing. I just stand transfixed on the floor trying to understand what just happened in front of me. Even my wolf who has been very excited since tonight is quiet.
• "Clara," he finally breaks the awkward silence and takes slow calculated steps towards me. It is suddenly cold out here in this coat.
• He stands infront of me and first studies my face. Good thing I managed to keep it together and never broke down during the scene.
• "Clara, I..." he says and runs his hands through his neatly combed hair leaving it disorganized and sexy. God! I shouldn't be thinking of that. I should be mad or something.
• "I can explain," he tells me. I look into his eyes and wonder what he wants to tell me.
• "You don't have to explain anything," I tell him and his eyes widen.
• " I mean, I understand if there is something that has been going on between the two of you. I am sorry for interrupting," I say.
• "Interrupting! What? No!" he cuts me off. "There is nothing going on between me and Amber. We is family to me, just like everyone else in this house. She just always wanted me to be her partner but I am not for her. I am yours," he says and my heart melts at his words. He doesn't want her. He wants me.
• "What you just saw means nothing. I told her that I don't want to be with her because I have you now," he tells me, and I suddenly feel stupid for doubting him.
• I wrap my arms around his waist and he pulls me into a tight embrace. I raise my hand around his neck and pull his face closer. I want his lips. I want his assurance. He comes to me willingly and claims my mouth in a hot kiss.