Chapter Sixteen

After the wave had subsided and I had realized what just happened, I stared up at the liar before me. “What?” I was still out of breath from what had just took place. “Say that again?”

“My name is Theo” His eyes gazed down to the floor as he pulled back on his boxers and ran a hand through his hair, sitting at the edge of the bed. “I should have told you earlier”

“You’re kidding, right?” I gawked at him, wriggling my feet to get out of the restraints. “Untie me”

“Just listen to me for a few minutes, please?” He turned to look at me with pleading eyes and I lay my head back, frustrated.

“I guess I’ll need to if you’re going to keep me captive until you do”

“Look, this whole process” He gestured to round about him. “I don’t agree with it at all. The Alpha Trials thing was not my idea, it was my mother and fathers”

“You seem to have no issue exploiting it for your own uses” I pursed my lips together, almost embarrassed that I had let him get under my skin and into my pants.

“Yes, I used to make a mockery of it because it was so stupid that all of these girls trained their whole lives to try and be my mate. I’ll admit that I haven’t been the most mature about it all” His head shook. “That was, until I met you”

“Oh save the sob story” I pulled at my arms and couldn’t bring my eyes to meet his own. “You can just let me go home and I won’t tell anyone”

“Isabella, I’m being truthful. Please listen to me” His hand reached out to me and my gaze flickered to him and then back to the ceiling. “I first saw you when I was out in the town centre…you were helping a small boy shop for his mother who was disabled”

Thinking back to a few weeks ago, I nodded my head. “He didn’t have enough to pay for it all.”

“So you used the last of your hard-earned money to pay for him?”

“So what?” I lifted my head up to look at him. “You perved on me in town and then found me here? It still doesn’t mean anything.”

“I brought you here” He leant over and undid one of my binds at my feet, continuing with his story. “I couldn’t believe how beautiful you were—and how compassionate—so I asked if you could be brought here so that I could see you for myself, to see how you really were”

I pulled my free foot up towards me as he undid the other. “And what? You decided to torment me for the few days that I’m here? Well you got what you wanted, I had sex with you. You deflowered me”

“And it was the best time I’ve ever had” He placed a gentle hand on my calf but I didn’t kick it off, his touch was warm and comforting for once. “I didn’t bring you here to sleep with you, that was just an added bonus. I wanted to see if you would like me as much as I like you”

“What?” I squinted at him, clearly confused. “You make no sense, just tell it to me straight”

Leaning over me, he undid my arm binds and I brought my sore arms down by my side, rubbing my wrists. His eyes were softer now, more innocent than before. “When I first met you, my inner wolf came out, and I became overwhelmed with lust, which is why I was so forward and unpleasant”

“Then why weren’t you just kind and like how you are now? I would've enjoyed that Theo’s presence more than the Theo that I first met.” He handed me the blanket I had come up with, and I wrapped it around myself.

“It’s an issue that I’ve always had, which is why I never make public appearances anymore” His head shook like he was actually ashamed. “It’s something that’s hard to control without a Luna wolf anchoring you”

“I still don’t understand” My head was spinning.

“Isabella, I’m asking you if you would consider being my Luna?”

My mouth dropped open in shock, I instantly shook my head. “No, what? Why would you ask me here? I’m naked and literally covered in your juices.”

“Trust me” He chuckled. “I would have asked you at the Ball tomorrow but something tells me that after this you’ll want to go home and be with your father, which is fine. I just needed to ask first, for my sake”

A shaky hand ran through my hair. “Why me? I am like the least Luna person here, there are so many other girls that would die for the chance to be by your side. Please don’t think that just because you took my virginity that I’m suddenly sired to you because that’s really not the case at all”

“I’m asking you because I think we’d be really good together. You’re beautiful, selfless, compassionate, kind, funny...” He trailed off before turning back to me. “Do I really need to go on?”

“I cannot be the pack's Luna, I’m not made to be a Luna at all. Look, I do really like you and think that you’re absolutely gorgeous, and this side of you is much better than the other side” I thought for a moment. “Well, some of it...”

“That’s because our wolves have connected, you’re making me a better person and you don’t even realize!” He grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. “Promise me you’ll at least consider it?”

“I can’t promise anything” I pulled my eyebrows together as his watch chimed.

“Fuck!” He looked down at it. “I need to go and make preparations for the Ball. But please, I beg of you, come to the Ball tomorrow.”

He darted around the room putting back on his clothes and bent over, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. I looked up at him with concern in my eyes. “I can’t”

“Just have a think, okay? Use the shower in this room to get yourself cleaned up, nobody will come in and you can spend the night in here if you wish. I’ll see you later Isabella, hopefully at the ball” Stepping away, he walked over to the door and closed it behind him, shooting me one last look of hope.