Forbidden Mate: Awakening

It had been days since “that stuff” occured. I had not been able to sit with, needless to say, see Adrian. He’d been in his chambers or on the docks/field with the generals, excluding Jaxon.

I had been confined to my room, as my mother would have it, and had been trying to make due with it, even though every single day felt dragged and boring.

The day Tyler visited, after being away on a mission, he had already heard of the news and started his cockiness. Though, my dad let me out that day, it was even worse because I had to meet Tyler and watched as he behaved like a dick towards Adrian throughout the day.

With Adrian transformed into a Limean werewolf, the dynamics within the pack began to shift. Tyler, sensed an opportunity to assert his superiority over Adrian as he was always seeking dominance and power over everything and everybody, just like Don.

Don.

The bastard.

I hadn’t been able to see him since the day he last smirked evilly at me. If I were to set my eyes on him, I promised to slap the hell out of him and ask why he did what he did and to prove what. Even though I knew fully well it was for “revenge”, how far did he think he had to go to prove that? Just because Adrian had beat him in a fight?

Where did he really run off to hide? Upon seeing Jax first, I asked him where Don was and he told me, “Heard he travelled for a mission.”

Jax didn’t even let me process that and started bombarding me with questions, “How have you been? Are you well? Hope you’ve not hurt yourself?”

“Jax, if you ask me so many questions at once, what will I answer first?” I joked and he smiled in return.

“I’ve missed you, that’s why.”

“If you really have, why didn’t you beg my dad to let me out of that prison hole?”

I said and went to sit on a bench. He sat beside me.

“You know how your dad is…”

“I do…” I sighed.

Then I saw Adrian from a distance. He was offloading some stuffs from a van that just pulled in, while the generals watched him closely. My heart yearned to be by his side. I watched how his every movement exuded power and grace at the same time. I’d never seen anyone who held that kind of aura, even before and after a transformation, like he did.

“You like him, don’t you?” I didn’t notice Jaxon had been watching me stare at Adrian and I felt slightly embarrassed when he asked me that question.

“What?”

“You like Adrian…” He didn’t ask a question this time but stated it to me. I tried not to let any emotion show in my face and thought of how I’d divert the question.

“Yes, I like and care for him, the same way I like and care for you, Jax. ” I said and looked away from Adrian.

I hoped Jax bought this and just dropped the topic.

“Oh really? Then why did your dad catch you both smooching in the library?” He smirked slightly and I hit his arm to which, in response, he bursted out laughing.

“Shut it. That was just a mistake…”

“Just admit it. I always see the way you both look at each other and how you treat him differently.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I crossed my arms and continued to stare ahead.

“Love does make you do crazy things…” He wouldn’t give up so I dragged his ear out and he whimped for me to stop.

“Stop saying rubbish for godsake.” I let go of him and he jumped up from the bench.

“Ouch, Lily. I was just trying to make you smile.”

“Well not with that. I’ve told you I don’t feel anything for him, so let this just stop.”

“Okay, I’m sorry…” His voice became solemn.

I wanted to look up to smile at him, but my attention shifted back to Adrian when I heard Taylor’s voice.

He was taunting Adrian, jabbing him while he was working and just being a dickhead.

“What’s his problem?” I said out loud.

But could anyone ever know what made Taylor do things?

It started with subtle jabs and taunts, disguised as friendly banter. Tyler would challenge Adrian in training sessions, pushing him to his limits and enjoying his moments of weakness. He loved the admiration he received from the other pack members as he showed off his strength and agility.

As days turned into weeks, Tyler’s actions became more blatant and annoying. The days I was allowed out, he would purposefully outperform Adrian in front of the pack, trying to show he was the greater werewolf in terms of what I didn’t care to know. He kept going on and on and wouldn’t stop.

I watched as the tension between Adrian and Tyler grow, like two wolves circling each other, ready to pounce.

Adrian was still adjusting to his new nature, struggling to find his footing despite Tyler’s relentless annoyance. He seemed to want to settle in well into the grove, but Tyler was intent on tearing him down.

As much as I wanted to stand up for Adrian and defend him, I knew that intervening could worsen the situation. The grove and pack had their own dynamics and rules, and challenging Tyler openly could have dire consequences.

I wasn’t in any shape or form ready to face those consequences.

°°°°°°°°°°

It was during the nights that Adrian and I found time to talk and enjoy the solace in each other’s company. We had promised each other to only meet during nighttime, hidden from prying eyes of the grove.

We would meet at our secret spot, a secluded clearing close to the field. The soft glow of the moon illuminated our faces as we sat side by side, sharing our deepest thoughts and fears.

I had always apologized for what happened and he wouldn’t let me finish. He’d tell me I wasn’t at fault and I should forget about what happened. Still, I bore my guilt heavily.

Once, he opened up about his troubled past, the hardships he had endured as a vampire warrior, though he didn’t dive too deep in. “The vampire coven’s power dynamic isn’t too different from how it is here. There is a hierarchy and we have factions too. We don’t necessarily have leaders but we do answer to our elders…”

He told me how he had been on the run from his kind after he was accused of being a spy and betraying them. I understood that was a very heavy accusation so I always tried to ask what exactly he did, but he always deflected my question. That didn’t make me not stop thinking about it and I had decided to wait until he, himself would willingly tell me.

In turn, I shared my own struggles, the weight of expectations placed upon me by my father, “He just expects so much from me and I understand it’s because I’m his only child but I feel he just wished he had a son, than he had me. That’s why he tells me I need to do twice as I can, because I’m a female and to be a leader. Sometimes I just wish I could run away from here and away from the traditions and duties…”

“You could do that but you won’t necessarily run away from who you are.”

Those words held weight and I stared at him after he said so.

“But who am I?”

“I guess that’s for you to find out.”

Adrian was a compassionate listener and always replied in the strangest but smartest of ways.

Days and weeks passed and every night, in those moments, we were free to be ourselves, free to express our true desires and aspirations.

We were happy in the fact that we could be together and talk so much even if it was only in the nighttime. The warmth of each other’s presence, and the understanding that we were not alone in our struggles gave us some sorth of contentment.

As our bond deepened, we discovered that we shared passions and interests. We would lose ourselves in conversations about art, and the beauty of nature. Adrian’s perspectives about topics expanded my own horizons, making me see beyond the limited scope of my sheltered life.

But even as we found solace in each other, we were aware of the risks we faced. If we were ever to be caught, I was aware of the consequences. The grove would disapprove of us, and my dad would outrightly kill Adrian if worse came to the worst.

Despite the dangers, we refused to let fear overcome us. We still continued to be cautious. As the nights turned into weeks and the weeks into months, our connection grew stronger with each passing day, and I enjoyed every single moment of it.

•••••••••••

There was a night I remember vividly. Adrian and I were alone on the empty training field. He was busy practicing some rounds and I sat, watching him in admiration. He told me to join him but I refused.

“Come on. I just need you to spot me.”Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

He took me by my arms and rose me up from the bench. Everywhere was so dark and the silence was deafening.

“Are you sure we wouldn’t be heard?”

“The nearest guards are at the gates. We’re safe.” He assured me then I stood in front of me.

“Wear these.” He gave me a pair of gloves that I’d use. “Put your arms up like this-”

“I know how to do this, Adrian.” I said, making him smile.

He swung gentle punches at the gloves, and I guided his movements.

“Hope I’m not hurting you?”

“Go for it.”

He continued and used both his hands and legs as time progressed. Then, he told me to give him the gloves.

“You try this time.”

“I might punch you by mistake.”

“I’ll take the risk.” He joked and I laughed heartedly.

I geared myself up and got into position. As I was swinging punches at him, he directed me on how to place myself and my punches. I listed to his guidance and in no time, I felt like a pro warrior.

Then, I missed a footing and my body fell on his, plummeting both of us to the ground.

We both laughed as I realised what I had done.

Still on him, I said, “Sorry… I got carried away.”

“At least you’ve gotten the hang of it.”

We smiled at each other and I remained on him for what seemed like a minute. Adrian broke the stare, “Lily…”

“Oh… sorry.” I got off him and he stood up.

“Let’s catch a break.”

We both sat on the bench as we stared at the sky.

“How’s it been…being a Limean?” The question slipped through my lips.

“Nothing dramatic.”

“I wanted to ask, being a vampire…I thought what they did to you, would affect you harshly…”

“It did. I’m still a vampire more than I am anything.”

“Meaning you still crave blood everyday?”

“Not everyday.” He chuckled, “Every night.” As he said so, he looked at his hands and I traced his gaze too.

“Ho.. how do you control yourself?”

“I’ve trained myself to. When I was on the run, I survived months with no blood. I didn’t know how I did it but I knew I had to. I slept in forests and caves, away from any life so…”

The amount of things Adrian had been through made me pity him over again anytime he recollected it to me.

“That must’ve been so hard…”

“Yes, but I had no choice.”

“So what did happen to you after the transformation?”

“Nothing really… I’ve not felt any particular change in my b-”

Suddenly, something triggered a drastic change in Adrian’s demeanor.

His eyes darkened, filled with an unfamiliar rage that seemed to consume him from within. I watched in horror as his body started to contort and shift, his muscles bulging and bones cracking under the strain of his transformation. Fear gripped my heart as I struggled to understand what was happening before my eyes.

In the blink of an eye, Adrian’s once gentle expression was replaced by a fierce snarl. His canine teeth glistened and his hands, now claw-like, reached out towards me, and I stumbled backward, a cry escaping my lips.

What was happening to him?

I knew that Adrian was not in control of himself in that moment. He looked consumed by the primal instincts of his newly awakened werewolf nature. I had to find a way to remind him of our connection, to bring him back from whatever had held him.

Trembling with fear, I raised my voice, desperately calling out his name. “Adrian, please! It’s me, Lily!” I pleaded.

For a fleeting moment, it seemed as though my words had reached him. I could see the struggle in his eyes, the battle between his animalistic instincts and the words I just told him.

And then, miraculously, it happened. Adrian’s transformation stopped, frozen in between his human and werewolf forms. He looked at me with a mixture of confusion and remorse, as if trying to comprehend what exactly just happened.

I could sense the guilt washing over him, realising how he could’ve hurt me.

I cautiously approached him, my trembling hand reaching out to touch his. I saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. He recoiled slightly, still unsure of what he could do not being in control of his transformation.

I spoke softly to him, “Adrian, I know you’re still in there. I know you can hear me. You’ll be fine.”

Gradually, his tense muscles relaxed, and he started to transform back.

He stretched out his hands in front of him and observed them. He had fully turned back human but the shock and confusion still remained on his face.

“What…what just happened to me?”

“Adrian…”

He quickly got up and ran into the darkness, disappearing into the night.

I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Did Adrian just turn into…a werewolf?”