Lycan's Mate (His Claim) Chapter 104

Fiona's POV

I had felt sympathy for him after realizing he had lost his mate, never to have ever spent time with her, let alone meet her. Anyone in the werewolf would have grown insane as he had done, but this still did not justify his actions 3 years ago. Staring down at his younger self, I couldn't help the sad smile that spread across my lips. If only I had known him

he was like this, young and innocent, simply enjoying his time spent with his baby brother. And yet, that was something I would never know, even if he was alive.

"Do you miss him?" I asked quietly, looking up at Blake whose eyes never left mine.

I looked down, my hands falling limply on my lap. As much as I wanted to believe his words, last night's memory of sleeping alone on an empty bed brought an ache in my chest. If it was that hard to be away from me, then why did it seem so effortless for him to do so? I rubbed my chest absentmindedly, but to no avail. The pain coursed through my veins at the thought of Blake indeed wanting to be away from me. Was this how it was going to be? Sleeping on an empty bed every night while he attended to his Alpha duties, barely able to stand the sight of me, let alone my very presence

I shook my head violently, trying to rid myself of these thoughts. Stop thinking such nonsense, Fiona! He probably had important things to attend to. He was in fact away from the pack for an entire month because of me, so there must have been a list of tasks that he needed to take care of immediately

"Then where were you last night?" I whispered, never once looking up at him

Silence filled the room, his body idle in front of me. As much as I wanted to look into his eyes at this very moment, my body failed me, any courage I had earlier vanishing. I could feel like I'm on top of the world, the strongest warrior with him by my side. But other times, I felt like the smallest creature in existence when comparing myself to him….fragile and worthless.

Before I could even interpret what was happening, I was suddenly being swung in the air and placed in front of him, my back colliding against his chest. Burying his face against the nape of my neck, he took in deep breaths, wrapping his arms around me. I sat there, frozen, sparks erupting along the length of my spine and making me shiver at his mere touch. Tracing his lips against my skin, his arms tighten around my waist, closing any existing space between us. I leaned against his hard frame, resting my head on his shoulder and letting out a soft sigh

"I'm sorry, beautiful. There were a lot of stuff that were still pending when I left, so I wanted to get started to advance as much as possible. As well as-"

His voice cut off, causing me to look at him with questionable eyes. His aura instantly changed, his body stiffening and radiating a source of power that even I could sense, regardless of being a human. Blake' eyes were pitch black, his wolf stepping forward. But as quickly as he appeared, he vanished, Blake's dark brown eyes evident under the sunlight entering the room.

"Blake?"

Without answering, he pulled me closer, burying his face once more against my neck and letting out soft growls. His body still remained tensed against me, never once relaxing. I traced my fingertips against his exposed forearms, leaning my head against his own. If only I could find a way to help him calm down. As much as I was desperate to know what he was about to say, my mate's peace of mind was much more important to me now

"Blake?"

I repeated, twisting my body to face him, only to receive a growl in response at my sudden movement. Rolling my eyes, I elbowed his stomach gently, trying to get his attention. He peered up at me, never once letting me go. I had to admit, the way he looked at me was quite adorable and I couldn't help but laugh. He looked like a small puppy not wanting to get caught in the act of something

I reached out and stroked his hair, twirling his dark locks in between my fingers before pulling a bit. He glared up at me, though I can see his eyes shift a darker shade at my action

"Care to tell me what you were holding when I came in?" I asked softly, immediately noticing his change of mood

He let out a soft sigh, keeping his arms wrapped around me as he leaned against the headboard once more. Taking the opportunity of his grip loosening, I turned around and looked into his eyes. They seemed troubled as he averted his gaze, avoiding me at all costs

Reaching out, I placed my hand beneath his chin, slowly turning his head to look at me. Ignoring the sparks that shot through my arm, I leaned forward. "Please tell me?"

Holding my gaze for several seconds as if contemplating, he let out a soft sigh and reached into his back pocket, pulling out the small picture. Staring down at it, he met my eyes once more before handing me the small, yet frail, photograph

Grabbing it carefully, I looked down, immediately recognizing my mate in the photo but in his younger years. He held a smile that could instantly brighten a room, carefree and jubilant. The smile in this young boy's face was contagious and I couldn't help but smile at the sight. Giving Blake' younger self another once-over, I turned to the boy beside him who had a casual arm draped around his shoulders. My smiled instantly dissipated as the young boy's features were easily recognizable. Maxwell

I tilted my head, analyzing the picture as Blake studied me carefully, watching my every move. Maxwell looked significantly different from the last time I saw him. The memory caused a long shiver to run down my spine, but I continued to stare at his young and handsome face. The Maxwell I had known was cynical, cold and quite unstable; but with very good reason.