Chapter 25

Flora’s P.O.V

Andre’s arms came around me instantly, holding me to his chest as he deepened the kiss.

The wrongness of it all hit me full force and I knew I had made a mistake.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be! This wasn’t the person I was supposed to be with, or kiss or let him touch me. I felt my skin crawl at the thought of going any further and I hit his chest a couple times to let him know I was uncomfortable.

A growl left Andre’s throat as he pulled me even closer, to the point where I was plastered against him. And I knew I had to stop him.

Gathering all my strength, I pushed him back with my wolf’s force, making him release me and tumble to the floor, but not before I felt one of his claws slice through the exposed skin on my arm. He wasn’t just a werewolf, but a soldier with immense strength and I had a hunch that if I hadn’t taken him by surprise, I wouldn’t have been able to get him off of me.

Andre looked up at me in confusion, his eyes the gold of his wolf and his hair in a disarray. It took him some time to register what had happened as he looked around in confusion for a few seconds before his eyes fixated on me.

“Flora…”

His voice was hoarse, rough like sandpaper and it made my wolf restless as my claws pricked out just the tiniest bit.

I wanted to rub my lips clean with the back of my hand. God, why did I do this? What on earth had come over me that I thought kissing him was a good idea? Just because I thought that me not being able to feel the mating bond was some kind of a fault on my part? Since when did I become so stupid?

Andre must have understood something, because the haze of the wolf left his eyes slowly and he regained his composure. He got up from the floor and dusted off his clothes before pinning me with a sharp look.

“I keep finding it increasingly strange that you cannot feel the mating bond, Flora.” His voice was still rough and it grated against my nerves. “Remember you kissed me of your own free will, so do not blame me for losing my composure.”

“I wasn’t going to.” I told him instantly, knowing well that it had been my fault. “It was a mistake.”

“Maybe the mating bond with you is a mistake.” Andre snapped. “A mate who cannot feel the bond…maybe the rumors are correct and you are a defective wolf.”

With that he began to turn his back on me and walk away, but I wasn’t done. With my hands clenched by my side, I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and turned him back to face me with the strength of my wolf, once again succeeding in startling him.

“Who are you to tell me if I’m defective or not?” My voice was a growl, the strength of the wolf in my veins. “I’ve had to struggle with losing my memories for two whole years, my entire life erased and meaningless. You think a mating bond will be the first thing on my mind right now? So I’m sorry but being the ‘defective wolf’ who cannot tend to your needs, but maybe it’s better that we keep our distance from now on.”

“Flora-”

This time, I didn’t wait for his answer or his excuses. I dashed to my room, ignoring his calls and shut the door tightly behind me, feeling the entire world trying to suffocate me. I fell to the floor, on my knees, clutching my throat to get some air into my lungs.

What was wrong with me? It felt like the walls were closing in on me; even my humongous room seemed to engulf me, making it hard for me to breathe. I needed to get out of here! I needed fresh air!

I rubbed at my lips vigorously, and I didn’t stop until they stung. I knew they would be red and swollen but the kiss felt like a betrayal and I had been the traitor.

Clay and I might not be mates and I might have felt sorry for Andre and thought a kiss might help evoke the mating bond, but now, as I felt tears roll down my cheeks, I realized just how big of a fool I had truly been.

Getting up from the floor on shaky legs, I opened the door to my room and headed straight for that little secret opening from where I could go out into the woods without the guards noticing.

The hallways were almost empty at this time of the night and I made my way to the outer perimeters without fear of getting caught. The only people awake at this time would be a few of the castle guards and some that belonged to Andre. The later were the ones I was trying my best to avoid.

When I finally reached the escape route that I had used the first time to find Clay, I didn’t waste time looking left or right, I went for the exit straightaway and leapt out of the hole in the wall, and into freedom.

I could instantly feel relief.

I gulped down the fresh air into my lungs, feeling the tightness in my chest ease away as I made my way deeper into the forest and leaned against a forest giant. I felt safer here, in the middle of the wilderness, free and unstoppable.

A sudden movement from behind one of the trees caught my eyes and I instantly became alert. “Who’s there?”

But the next moment, his scent hit my nose, the tones familiar under the wildness of the rogue wolf.

“Clay…” I called out his name in a whisper as he stepped out of the shadows and came to stand in front of me.

He was wearing a grey shirt with black pants but his feet were bare. I don’t know who gave him the clothes he was wearing, but I thought I smelled a familiar undertone that I couldn’t place just yet.

“I wanted to see you.” Was his gruff reply.

How much of a coincidence was it that I wanted to see him too? That whenever I am in trouble or in doubt, the first person I think about is always him?

“I wanted to see you too.” I told him, taking a step towards the man who was a mystery to me and yet, who I knew down to the bone. “I kept having dreams about our past…about us. I wanted to see you so badly.” I shook my head, unable to speak past the knot in my throat. “It felt like I was suffocating. Ever since I met you…everything has changed. Who are we to each other, Clay? Why do I feel this attraction towards you? Why do I feel like whatever happened to us…you becoming a rogue, me losing my memories…it’s all connected.”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head, his hair falling onto his forehead as he did so. “I can’t remember anything except…”

“Except?” I urged.

“You.” He said finally. “I want to see you. I want to feel you…”

He raised his hand and I instantly moved closer, like some kind of invisible string was pulling me towards him.

I was inches away from his outstretched hands, my own hands raised to embrace him. But then a growl sounded from his throat and he moved away from me.