Chapter 7 Chapter Seven
Still holding my chin, Malakai gently strokes my face with his thumb, staring intently, searching for the right words to say. “Leilani, I do want to be with you. I just can’t, your father would never approve, and you are eighteen. I don’t know how to explain it, but I think you are my mate.”
“You are my mate.” I say confidently.
“That’s impossible though Leilani, you are only eighteen. We wouldn’t even be able to sense each other for three more years. I don’t know why; I just feel the overwhelming urge to be with you.” Malakai shakes his head.
“Last night wasn’t my first shift.” I mumble quietly.
Malakai tenses before fixing me with a bewildered stare. “What do you mean last night wasn’t your first shift?”
I try to turn away, but Malakai holds my head firm in his hand. “Leilani, answer me.” I take a deep breath; I shouldn’t have said anything. “Two years ago, on my sixteenth birthday, I was sleeping peacefully in bed when I suddenly woke up with an excruciating pain in my left leg. I felt something snap in my calve, then my thigh, then my ankle. I muffled my screams in my pillow. When the pain set into my right leg, I realized my bones were breaking. I ran through the house trying to make it outside before I shifted in my room. With each break of a different bone, I bit my tongue harder trying to muffle my screams. My father didn’t need to know. I ran through the woods surrounding our house slowly breaking every bone in my body, waiting for the full shift to take over. After what seemed like hours my body took over its full wolf shape. I ran for hours feeling freer than I had ever felt.”
Malakai’s blue eyes widened with shock. “That’s why you shifted so quickly last night. Why didn’t you tell anyone? You didn’t have to go through that alone.”
I shrug my shoulders, “I didn’t want my dad to freak out, and take me to the pack doctor. You know how overly cautious he is with me.”
Malakai laughs in agreement. “You could have told me angel.”
I blush, “By then I already had a major crush on you, and I didn’t want you to think that I was defective or something like that.” Malakai laughs and I can’t help but laugh with him.
“You’re not defective angel. I’m sorry you went through that alone.” Malakai sounds sincere. I give him a half-hearted smile. “Stop crying angel. I hate seeing you in pain.”
I wipe my tears, closing my eyes “I can’t help it.”
Malakai’s hot breath lands on my face, I open my eyes. I open my eyes in shock when I see Malakai’s face less than an inch from mine. “Malakai” I breath out slowly. “What are you doing?” I take a shaky breath.
“I don’t know. I can’t get you off my mind, ever since you came down the grand staircase. I can’t keep my eyes off of you. You are beautiful Leilani.” I blush, closing my eyes again. Just then I feel Malakai’s soft, full lips on mine. He kisses me with needy desperation as his other hand finds the back of my neck pulling me closer to him. I moan softly into his mouth, as his lips take mine.
Malakai slowly pulls away, leaving me breathless. His eyes are dark with desire. “Leilani, I’m...”
I quickly cut him off. “Don’t apologize. I don’t want you to ruin my first kiss…I mean our first kiss.” I stutter. Malakai narrows his eyes.
“Fuck, I didn’t know that was your first kiss. I shouldn’t have… I…” he rambles unsure what to say.
Embarrassed, I quickly turn away, staring out the window. “Can you please tell me where we are going?”
He takes a deep breath but starts slowly heading deeper into the woods. The gravel slowly disappears as we drive down a narrow path. “I never got a chance to give you your birthday present.”
“Why on earth would you hide my birthday present way out here? Are we even still in the pack territory?” I ask looking around at my surroundings.
Malakai laughs. “Don’t worry we are still very much within our pack territory. In fact, we are here now.” Looking through the windshield I see a run-down cabin with a small porch, and a couple of rocking chairs out front.
“Is my gift inside the cabin?” I ask confused.
“Your gift is the cabin. I figured since you were eighteen now, you deserve somewhere you can escape to, to be alone if and when you want to be.”
I smile as I bite my lower lip. “Can we go inside?” Malakai smiles and hands me a set of keys with a keychain that says Leilani. He must have had that custom made; I have never been able to find anything with my name on it.
He parks the car directly by the porch, before getting out and opening my door. “Be careful on the steps they may be slick.” I can’t help but smile at his concern. I unlock the door and step inside; the interior is in much better shape than the exterior. There is a small brick fireplace, hardwood floors and a lilac-colored couch, love seat set in the living room area. There is a large TV mounted on the wall, near a large bookshelf filled with books. Hanging above the fireplace there is a large picture of Malakai, myself, and my dad from just a few days ago.
I turn and hug Malakai tightly. “Thank you, I love it.”
Malakai hugs me back, “you haven’t even seen the bedroom or kitchen yet.”
“I’m sure it’s amazing. I seriously can’t thank you enough.” A rush of guilt comes over me and I frown.
“Why are you frowning, I thought you liked it?” Malakai asks.
“I do. I just feel bad. I’m really sorry I was being so hateful earlier. I was just upset, I just want to be with you so bad, and it hurt that you didn’t feel the same way.” I say quietly.
“Leilani, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I do want to be with you, I have waited for my mate for years. I never imagined it would be you. But we can’t be together. Your father will never allow it, and you are only eighteen years old.” Malakai gives me an uneasy look, unsure of how I will react.
I smile. I don’t care if I am only eighteen, I am going to be with Malakai, with or without my father’s permission and approval. Malakai looks shocked “Why are you smiling?”
“I’m smiling because I always get what I want, and I want you.” I playfully pat his chest.
Malakai sighs exasperatedly. “Leilani we can’t be together.”
Irritation slowly builds inside me. What doesn’t he understand? He is going to be my mate. He is my mate. “Then why did you kiss me earlier? Am I just some kind of game to you?” I snap.