Lycan's Mate (His Claim) Chapter 94

Fiona's POV

He made no move to walk towards me, in which I was secretly thankful for. I knew that if he had closed any small distance between us, I would be a complete and utter mess. Or worse.

With my train of thought, I looked over at Ben who was staring at me with such intensity, I couldn't help but cringe under his heavy gaze. Luckily for me, the sound of Joel's voice distracted me for some time

"Fiona?" I turned to look at him and gave him my full attention.

"We all know a decision still needs to be made."

I nodded, crossing my arms behind my back and hiding the small smile that threatened to spread across my lips when I noticed I was copying Blake' actions.

"Yes"

Turning away from me, his eyes settled on both Alphas in front of him.

"And I hope you both are still aware of what the agreements were." It wasn't a question

Blake immediately nodded in response, his eyes still trained on me. Ben, on the other hand, looked over at Blake before his eyes turned a darker shade of gray. Just the mere sight frightened me some and I couldn't help but look away

Joel nodded beside me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Well then," he turned to me and smiled. "This is all in your hands now."

Taking a step away, I could feel the limelight settle on me once more and I tried my hardest not to quiver in fright in front of these powerful men. Despite them not showing it, it was evident what their ranks were. Even the man standing on the other side of Ben radiated power similar to Marcus's

I took in a deep breath, pushing my hair away from my face after a gush of wind sent it flying forward. I stared down at the ground, feeling my heart begin to race at an unlikely speed and I was sure the others could hear it with little difficulty. I pulled on the sleeves of my sweater as I brought my arms back forward, a habit I found I did whenever I was nervous. As if my rapid heartbeat didn't give it away

I looked up at Blake then, feeling a rush of emotions flow through me in seconds. It was like I was hyperventilating while feeling extremely serene all at the same time. Weird, I know. And yet, I couldn't look away. It was like I was in a trance that drew me closer to him, but I kept my feet firmly on the ground by some miracle. I had to admit, it brought back memories I had desperately fought to keep hidden in the back of my mind. Memories of our first encounter on my first day at school. Memories of how, by just a single look, he would send my heart into overdrive. It was a sensation I had grown used to, yet caught me by surprise every single damn time

Looking away, I took a step towards Bret, the air between us suddenly turning dense. Slowly, I looked up into his bright gray eyes that stared down at me with so many emotions, it was hard to keep up with them all at once. I bit my bottom lip, taking another step as I felt a pair of dark eyes practically burning a hole in the back of my head.

Seconds passed before I was staring up at Ben, the gushing wind that swirled around us stopping suddenly. It was as if time had stopped, and I was the only one able to move

I reached out and placed a hand on his cheek, earning a soft sigh from him. He closed his eyes and leaned against the palm of my hand, inhaling deeply in the process. I stroked his cheek, making him open his eyes once more. Their shade were a dark gray, but I felt no threat as I stared into them. Smiling softly, I retrieved my hand

"I've made my decision," I whispered, knowing very well they were all able to hear me crystal clear. I took in a deep breath, closing my eyes as I grasped onto that little voice assuring me I was making the right decision. My smile broadened some as I opened my eyes and gazed up at Ben.

"I choose to go back home. Where I belong."

Ben's eyes seemed to change then. If it was a good thing, I had no idea. I stared into them for a quite some time, making sure he wasn't going to make an irrational decision before leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek

"I'm sorry, Ben. I don't belong here," I whispered, shaking my head but never once averting my eyes.

"Thank you for making me feel at home." I paused, taking a step back.

"I hope you understand."

He turned away, nodding his head before making his way around Joel who was staring down at the ground with an unreadable expression. I looked up just in time to see his Beta and third in command bow their heads in respect to me and the others before looking over at Ben's retrieving figure with apprehension and following after him seconds after

I turned around to see Anthonio and Marcus looking down at me with bright smiles. I couldn't help but smile in return before looking over at my apartment door

"You mind helping me pack my things?" I asked hopefully, pointing over my shoulder as I looked up at them

"On it," Marcus said, saluting me with a wink before they made their way up the stairs.

Feeling his heavy gaze on me once more, I looked over at Joel, avoiding him at all costs for the moment. There was sadness in the old man's eyes, but he smiled at me nonetheless

"I'm sorry, Joel," I said, grief coaxing my tone

He shrugged his shoulders, his smile never wavering.

"It's what you have decided, Fiona. But I will admit, I'm going to miss you ordering me around and such."

I couldn't help but laugh as I stepped forward and hugged him. Out of all of the things I was leaving behind, leaving Joel had to be the hardest thing I had to face. Feeling his warm embrace gave me a sense of ease and safety and I couldn't help but feel saddened as he untangled his arms from around me

He took a step back and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear as he said,

"You're going to make a great Luna someday."

I smiled weakly at Joel as he kissed my forehead. He turned to Blake before bowing and extending his hand.

"It was a pleasure meeting the mate of such a wonderful young woman." Joel sent me a wink before continuing.

"Take care of her, okay?"

Shaking his hand, Blake nodded and bowed before the old man

Without another word, Joel turned and disappeared behind the building, possibly going back to the home along with Ben. Who knows

I let out a shaky breath, feeling the air thicken once more around us both. I looked up at him from the corner of my eye, noticing he was staring off into the distance, his face still expressionless. His body tensed as I fully faced him, but never did he once look down at me. I waited patiently for him to say something. Anything. And yet, he remained silent all the while there was a ruckus occurring somewhere inside my apartment. No doubt Marcus having a little too much fun moving the furniture.

I crossed my arms over my chest, letting out a puff of air. His lack of words was really starting to get to me and I could feel the anger beginning to boil beneath my skin

"Aren't you going to say anything?" I asked through gritted teeth despite my calm tone

He looked down at me then, his dark eyes piercing through mine.

"What is there to say?"

You've got to be kidding me. My mouth dropped open in astonishment. He wasn't serious, right?

"Isn't this what you wanted?" I nearly shrieked

He simply stared.

"Is this what you wanted?"

"Of course! Why else would I decide to go home instead of stay here? Just for your amusement?" He didn't respond, and I could practically feel the steam escaping my ears, just like in the cartoons. And yet, I could feel my heart clench in pain at his lack of response

"Then I guess this isn't what you wanted," I whispered, turning around and making my way towards the stairs

Before I could even reach the first step, I felt a pair of large hands grab my waist and spin me around. I slammed into a hard chest, nearly knocking the wind out of me. I looked up at Blake, letting out a soft gasp as I realized how close he was. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing me closer against him. The usual sparks ignited between us, setting flight the butterflies inside me like they always did whenever he held me like this

Before I could say anything, he pressed his lips against mine, holding my head steady with one hand so I wouldn't pull away so sudden. And he did the right thing, because my first reaction was to do just that. But after a few seconds, I felt my heart melt beneath his touch and I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him closer (if that was even possible at this point)

I let out a small moan as he tugged softly at my hair, making me do the same to him and earning a content growl from his wolf. I smiled against his lips just as he pulled away, breathing heavily as he stared down at me. His eyes were pitch black and so intense, I felt like I was completely exposed to him.

"Of course this is what I wanted," he whispered hoarsely, making his wolf present.

"But just one thing," he said, his expression suddenly serious

I tilted my head in question as best as I could, seeing as his hand was still holding my head firmly.

"What?" I asked, not bothering to hide my curiosity

"Never kiss a guy like that again."

I couldn't help but laugh despite the seriousness in his voice. I could feel him pull away just then, but I tightened my grip around his neck and brought his face closer to mine.

"Was somebody jealous?" I teased.

He growled lowly, avoiding my eyes at all costs. I giggled softly, capturing his attention once more. He tightened his grip on me, making me squeal at the sudden closeness. I looked into his dark eyes, feeling the sparks ignite like a burning fire threatening to melt me.

A small smirk spread across his lips as he whispered,

"You have no idea"