My Erasthai
I hear a beep of an incoming message on my phone at six thirty the next morning. Who would be sending me a text message at six thirty on a Sunday morning? I pull a pillow over my head.
But then I wonder if it's Kevin. I called him so many times last night, wondering how he's doing. All of my calls went to his voicemail. I wonder if he's okay.
Don't do it! Don't do it! Just close your eyes and go back to sleep! Gah!!! I suck! I open one eye and sneak a peek. Then I have both my eyes wide open in surprise.
Constantine.
My heart races just by seeing his name on the screen. I'm wide awake now. How can one person have such power over me? He's not even my mate.
Constantine : Had a busy night last night?
How did he know? I struggle with what to write back to his text.
Me : What are you talking about?
Better fake ignorance rather than confess, or outright deny. I wait with a racing heart for his reply, biting my lips in agitation and anticipation. Not even a minute later my phone beeps again.
Constantine : You know what I'm talking about, sunshine.
What's with him calling me sunshine now?
Me : What's it to you? We're not even friends.
There! Let's see what he has to say to that!
Constantine : No. We're more.
What??? I fell off the bed.
Owww. I think I broke my butt.
So far I think I've been pacing the floor of my bedroom almost forty times. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. I'm getting dizzy.
“Meet me 7 am at the park behind Carson Hill's Public School,” said his last text. I know where the park is. It's near the wooded area where not many people go to anymore, especially on a Sunday morning like this.
It is now 6.47 am. Should I go? It's not like I don't have enough on my plate right now. I have no business getting anywhere near a lycan.
Ezra is quiet. No help there. She's been quiet since Friday night when I felt the pain. She was quiet even when we were around Logan last night. I wonder if that means she's sticking to her guns about staying away from the mate who keeps hurting us.
I shouldn't go meet with Constantine. I should stay away from him. At least that's what the rational part of my brain is telling me. Since when did I listen to my brain anyway?
I rush to the bathroom, wash my face and brush my teeth in a hurry. Then I run a brush through my hair very quickly and tie it up in a ponytail. I dash back into my bedroom and stare at my phone. Five minutes left. I really should stay away. Lycans are not to be messed with. Werewolves are deadly, but we're nowhere near as powerful as the lycans.
Nope, I shouldn't go. Lycans are a whole new level of danger. However, something powerful inside of me rebelling against the idea of me not going. It's pulling me to go. It's like the pull of a mate and it scares me as well as excites me.
Arrgghhh....
I throw myself on my bed and pull the cover over my head. I pull my hair tie off and hug my knees to my chest under the cover. I close my eyes, and all I can see is Constantine's mesmerizing silver-gray eyes, his beautiful face that's being carved by the hands of a god..or goddess...his smile, his lips.
Goddess, I'm so going to regret not going and find out what he has to say. I know that for certain.
I screech and spring out of my bed in alarm when my warm comfy blanket is being stripped off of me.
Constantine.
Right here in my bedroom.
Constantine in my bedroom? I'm not dreaming, am I?
But he's standing there not five feet away from me. His eyes slowly travel the length of my body. His sexy lips curve up into a tiny smile.
What? How? I'm standing there with my mouth opening and closing without a sound coming out. Then I notice my bedroom window wide open. The curtains are blowing in the wind. Right. He came in through the window.
“Nice. Though I prefer to sleep in nothing at all, I like your pajama choice,” he drawls.
I automatically look down at myself, even when I already knew what I put on for bed last night. A baby blue boy shorts pajama bottom with a matching tank top that says, EYES UP HERE across the chest.
They don't cover much at all. His eyes clearly show how much he's enjoying the view.
I yelp in horror and dive into my closet for cover. My face, without a doubt, is flaming red.
He laughs lowly. The sound is deep and sexy. Goddess, even the sound of his laughter is making me weak in the knees. How am I going to function around him?
“What are you doing here?” I squeak, trying to sound angry. It's easier to talk to him when I'm hiding out in my closet.
“You didn't come to me, so I came for you.”
He came for me? The lycan is messing with my head.
I quickly changed into a pair of gray yoga pants and a black short sleeved v neck t-shirt.
I peek out slowly through the doorway. It's surreal to have him in my room.
It doesn't seem like he belongs here, but he's now lying on my bed with his back against the headboard. His arms folded behind his head, looking completely at home. He has black jeans and a tight black t-shirt on. The fabric stretches against his broad chest and flat stomach. His sexy well-muscled body takes over my whole twin bed.
I try to be mad. I should be mad. He shouldn't be here.
But oh goddess, isn't he gorgeous? His dark brown hair is tousled and has slight curls in it. His silver-gray eyes always have intensity in them, even when he looks totally relaxed. His sharp chiseled features are out of this world.
He's studying my room. The pictures of me with my family, and my friends scattered all over the memory board beside the bed.
He turns his piercing gray eyes on me as soon as I step out of the closet. To have such attention on me is somewhat unnerving. I force down the urge to smooth down my shirt and tuck away any stray hair on my head.
“A shame.” He smiles playfully. “I much prefer what you had on before.”
My heart stutters and my cheeks are blazing red again. It annoys me that I feel like everything is out of my control where this lycan is concerned.
It feels as if he's undressing me with his eyes as they raked me from head to toe.
“Stop looking at me like that.” I finally snap, looking away.
“Looking at you like what?” It's clear from the sound of his voice that he finds me amusing. That's another thing that riles me. Me, embarrassing myself at every turn every time he's near, and him, finding me amusing.
“Like a perv,” I answer him, showing my annoyance.
“Not a perv when I'm looking at something that belongs to me.”
My head snaps back up to look at him. He must be joking, right?
He's gotta be joking. Yet, he doesn't look playful or amused now. His eyes are challenging me to deny his claim.
“What do you mean?” I manage to squeak out instead.
“What do you think I meant, sunshine?” he taunts me. “I mean, you're mine so I can look at you anyway, anyhow, anywhere I want to,” he announces. His eyes are watchful.
My heart flutters crazily at his words.
No! I shouldn't be happy about this. I should be getting tired of being treated like an object. Logan said that I belong to him, and treats me like garbage. I'm not having another male, treating me like that. I'm a person, damn it! A respectable, strong she-wolf! I have to show him that I deserve to be treated with respect.
Yeah!!!
Satisfied with the pep talk I'm giving myself, I steal a glance at the lycan sitting comfortably on my bed. His biceps taut with muscles. His well-defined chest and abs almost visible underneath that tight t-shirt. His hair mused sexily like he just rolled out of bed, well, he's still in bed—my bed. His eyes, his lips...
Oh for goodness sake! Focus, Genesis!
I quickly avert my eyes. “Well, you don't own me.”
“Sure I do...and you know it. You've known that for three years now.”
What?
“Now put your shoes on, sunshine,” he continues.
“You can't just tell me what to do,” I protest. “I do what I want to do. Just because you're a lycan doesn’t mean you can make me do things you want me to do.” I think I'm blabbering. I do that when I get nervous.
He pushes off the bed and lithely gets to his feet. His movement is so quick yet so quiet.
“You have no idea what I want to do to you,” he mumbles under his breath. “When did you become such a little spitfire, sunshine?” His eyes narrows as he stalks closer.
I gulp nervously. The way he moves reminds me of what he is. He's a lycan, the ultimate hunter. It scares me and excites me at the same time.
“Careful, I might like it. I might enjoy bending you to my will.” His breath teases my ear. My heart flutters in my chest. My head fills with the image of him— bending me to his will. My stomach clenches and my toes curl at the image.
Oh, cuddly bunnies and fuzzy slippers! When did you become such a hussy, Genesis?
My cheeks turn fiery red.
“I wonder what delicious thoughts are playing in that pretty little head of yours, sunshine,” he muses wickedly. “Whatever it is, I would love to oblige, but we don't have time for that now.”
He effortlessly picks me up and in a blink of an eye, sets me down on my bed.
“What are you doing?” I manage to squeak. He's kneeling down beside me. His fingers are caressing my ankle, sending jolts of electricity up my leg. He easily slips my feet into my old sneakers.
He smells wonderful. All male and woodsy...somewhat sweet and reminds me of summer and raindrops and sunshine. Like a crazy creeper that I am, I lean in and breathe in his scent deeply. I could breathe him in all day.
The back of his head is so close to my nose, my fingers itch to comb through the silkiness of his hair.
“Your family is waking up. I'm taking you away, where nobody can interrupt us.”
Interrupt us? Interrupt us doing what exactly?
He turns and smiles as if he knew what I was thinking. My cheeks turn red. His smile widens, showing his straight white teeth. His amusement at my expense is back. He's turning me into a little hussy. I blame him for all the dirty thoughts that pop into my head just now.
Before I can answer him, he grabs me by the waist and hauls both of us up, and out of the window. My arms instinctively wrapped themselves tightly around his neck. His agility amazes me. We reach the ground without any sound.
As a werewolf, I've done that a few times myself, jumping in and out of the window of my own bedroom but, never have I been as quiet or as graceful.
“Would you like to walk or do you want me to carry you there?” he asks me huskily. His breath fans my ear. Sparks shoot through me. Our bodies flushed together. My arms still wind up around his neck, and his arms are wrapped tightly around my waist. His lips inches from mine. My wolf Ezra is purring at this closeness to him.
I quickly unwrapped my arms from around his neck. I step back awkwardly as he slowly let go of my waist. Ezra is protesting. She wants to stay close to the lycan. I want to stay close to him. There's a wicked glint in his eyes as he observes my movement.
We walk in silence into the woods through my parents' backyard. All the werewolves' houses here have their backyards that lead into the woods. It makes it easy for us to change into our wolves' form and go out for a run or hunt. We also love nature. Having an untouched natural ground is important to us even in our human form.
Surprisingly, I enjoy the walk. He seems to be careful not to be touching me.
We reach a clearing with grass and wildflowers and rocks protruding from the ground. Further ahead is a cliff of over 70-foot drop to the greenery below. From here, we get a nice view of the East side of the town. This is one of my favorite spots.
He sits on the rock, at the edge of the cliff. I sit further away from him. I need that space to be able to think clearly. He notes the distance with a small smile playing on his lips.
We sit there looking out at the scenery below. I feel his eyes on me. He's observing me, while I'm looking straight ahead pretending to be engrossed with the view.
“How much do you know about us, lycans?” he asks suddenly, still studying me.
“Uh… not much at all,” I admit. “You guys are so full of mystery,” I complain.
“Yeah, we are a secretive bunch.” he agrees. “But I bet you knew that we don't have mates given to us by the moon goddess like werewolves. We are governed by our instincts. The only way for us to have mates is when we feel the attraction...or when we meet what we call our erasthai. It only happens once for every lycan, because when we find our erasthai, we claim them. Our erasthai could be anyone, a mated or unmated werewolf, a human, married or not, another lycan, or a fae. What we don't do is let them get away. Ever.” His unusual silver-gray eyes never leaving my face.
I nod, showing that I understand, but what I don't get is why he's telling me all this. I can feel his burning gaze. Still, I refuse to look at him.
“I remember the first time I saw you,” he continues. “You're so young, and sweet, and beautiful....and fascinating.”
Huh?
I finally turn to look at him. That's not how I remember it. That first time I saw him I was too busy staring and being stupid, so in awe of his presence, so awkward, and embarrassing.
I gulp. “Are you sure? I mean the first time you saw me was at the art store, right?” I have to be sure.
“Yes, the art supply store,” he affirms with a little smile. “We just arrived here. I left everything in Russia. I needed all the supplies for my studio.”
Okay. So, that explains why he bought so much stuff that day.
“I didn't expect to meet you there. Everything about you, your look, your voice, your scent, the way you moved...was captivating. I knew right away then. So I marked you.”
What?
“What?”
“You are my erasthai.”
I blink a few times. No, there must be some mistake. “Are you sure? How can you be sure? Marked me? What do you mean marked me? How?”
I must be dreaming. I'm still lying in my bed, right? I'll be laughing so hard when I wake up in the morning and remember all this.
“Oh, I'm very sure, Genesis. I've been sure for three years. When a lycan meets his erasthai, he knows,” he assures me confidently. “I haven't marked you physically... not yet.” He is silent for a while as if letting the word sink in. “I just marked you through your wolf. She knows me by now. I've started our bond by marking you through your scent and aura so other lycans who might be interested would know right away that you're mine. You don't want fights between lycans. It'll leave a city like this in carnage and destruction within hours.”
I scramble up to my feet to clear my head. This is not what I expected when I woke up this morning.
How do I feel about all this? You know, if by any slim chance that this was all real? Well, I don't know yet. This can't be real. I mean, I've been thinking and dreaming about this unattainable lycan for three years. Now, he's telling me I'm his “erasthai”?
It's like when you wanted something that you thought impossible to get. You dream about it for a long time. You’ve even resigned yourself that you’d never get it. But when you suddenly get it, you just don't know what to think of it or what to do with it.
However, I don't know how I feel about another male claiming me like a caveman. I've had enough of that with Logan so far.
Yet, this is Constantine. The lycan I've been dreaming of for three years. Oh, I'm so conflicted.
I stare at the beautiful creature in front of me. I can't be his, and he can't be mine, right?
He is now standing in front of me, watching me curiously. “What are you thinking?” he asks.
“If I was your erasthai, how come you never talked to me once after that day at the store three years ago?”
“I couldn't bring myself to get close to you without taking you. You were too young, and you were waiting for your mate.”
“So if my mate had claimed me, you would have backed off?”
Constantine growls. “The thought of you being claimed by another is enough to make me want to destroy everything in my path,” he mutters fiercely. “But that's what I had been telling myself to do... the right thing. Wait for you to grow up. Give you the chance to meet your mate. Lazarus and Caspian think I was being stupid. They wanted me to just claim you right away,” he explains. “If I was being honest with myself, I don't think I would be able to ever let you go. I wouldn't have let him claim you. I've been around, waiting for you for three years...not that it's an issue now. The moment he rejected you, he lost any tiny chance he had to keep you.”
“So you've marked my wolf, and you've started our bond...now all you have to do is mark me physically?” I squeak. I'm surprised my brain still works.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Almost like the way a werewolf mark his mate...by biting her neck. Only lycans can bite and mark their mate anywhere they choose to.” His intense silver-gray eyes roaming my body as if deciding where to mark me.
I swallow hard. My breath hitches at the thought. “So I don't have any say at all in this?”
An emotion flicker in his beautiful eyes before his thick dark eyelashes sweep down and the flash of emotion is gone.
“Sure you do...you can say yes.” He stalks closer.
I take a few steps back. My heart is hammering against my rib cage by the way he is looking at me.
“Uh...can I have time to think about all this?” I don't know why I said that. Well, maybe I'm trying to buy time because the way he's looking at me now is giving me a heart attack. Not even Logan has this effect on me.
“Of course, my sunshine. Whatever you wish.” He smirks.
Why do I get the feeling that he's just saying that to humor me? Like he's just giving me the time that I want...but not too long.