The Lycan's Forbidden Mate

For a split second, her expressionless face appeared endearing. Like a bunny or a mouse who didn't realize a Lion was about to eat her.

"You're going to accept it."

"Will you make me submit? You will get your fingers severed if you put your hand on me."

Nikolai's brow's wrung together. She was becoming very adept at intimidating him. Her tongue. That tongue...

"Why don't we strike a deal?" He made a suggestion, only to have her dismiss it with a snide snort that made him clench his teeth. At this time, one may say that he had met his match.

He needed to give her his blood right away; else, she would die. He probably would have blended it into a beverage, If it was going to work that way.

Ophelia stood up from the bed while keeping a blank expression on her face, walked up to him, and then sat down at the edge of the bed next to the food while keeping her eyes fixed on him.

"I don't want to live, I don't want to go back to being an assassin for my ignorant, power-hungry father who is being controlled by his ignorant, power-hungry brother." She spoke unbotheredly, forcing a smile at the end, before diverting her attention away from him and toward the sizzling delicacies next to her.

Intensely gazing at her, Nikolai cocked his head to the side. She was becoming more intriguing to him. He no longer needed to manipulate her to enrage the moon goddess, he wanted her, voluntarily and genuinely.

"Tragic background." He noticed that she was intently focusing on the dish and he clicked his tongue.

"You shouldn't reply all the time." She returned, her hand resting on her stomach.

He could hear the raucous, irate grumble. She really was starving.

"It's for you; you can eat if you want." He spoke sluggishly.

"Really?!" When Ophelia inquired, the enthusiasm in her voice caused his chest to thump.

She grabbed the tray, set it on her lap, and then grinned while looking at him with her sparkling eyes. She had the same expression as a young child who had received her favorite toy.

"You must take the cure." He growled, her smile fell causing him to groan in annoyance.

"Can't this be the last meal I eat?" When Ophelia took a fork and dove it into the roasted beef with sauce, she questioned with her lips pursed. "But why do you care? I tried to murder you, you attempted to kill me. Nothing will turn out fine if I li.."

"Did you not hear me?!"

She flinched at the rage in his words and gasped as his crimson eyes darkened with the same wrath.

He leaned in close to her once more, enclosing her in his arms while his face was close to hers. His scorching rage-filled gaze ignited fire and terror, which she managed to stifle but knew he noticed.

"You are so unyielding," He began with a beguiling hiss. "I don't understand the intense tenderness I feel for you; if it weren't for that, I would have either pinned you down and forced my blood into your mouth, or I would have just left you to die."

"This is an opportunity to just end whatever fate has been written for us, Nikolai, if you keep me alive, you will ruin both of our lives." Ophelia spoke softly but clearly, her eyes filling with tears of fear.

Her words surprised Nikolai. Fate? Did she know?

"I'm sorry if keeping you alive will cause problems in your life, but I can't let you die, I recently found you, I can't bear to lose you, and if you flee to hell or the heavens, I'll do whatever it takes to track you down, including going up against gods, goddesses, and the devil."

Ophelia's eyes went wide at those words. She knew he meant them and that was what frightened her.

She believed everything the fire god told her. A fire god could not possibly be wrong, but she persisted in saying all of those things out of stubbornness. Was her fate really in her hands? Why on earth was she and Nikolai meant to be but not destined to be together?

"This is ridiculous," She muttered, dropping her head to avoid his scorching stares. "I am not your mate Nikolai,"

"It's not ridiculous!" He sharply said, grabbing her shoulders. Time was running fast, and she was ice-cold. His chest fell heavy, his mind in chaos. There was no way he was going to let her die.

"Screw that! It is!" She gave him a snarling, furious look. "We're in a war! A conflict that will shortly be resolved on a battlefield where so many will perish! I'm not your mate! I am not your mate! I am not your plaything and YOU are not a fucking child!"

"You don't know how connected we are, do you?" With a sneer, Nikolai questioned. "How much of your early years can you recall? What percentage of your dreams can you recall? Even though I haven't been here for three hundred years, I am perfectly aware that we are at war, therefore I don't need your lecture or reminder."

Ophelia heard his voice grow more agitated and frustrated as well as felt his hold on her shoulders tighten, but she didn't turn her head away. His inquiries caused her to reflect in depth and made her try to recall important events from her childhood and her dreams that had occurred prior to the episode she had with Lev, but she was unable to do so.

"It has no significance. The fact that I don't recall the most of my childhood does not prove that we are connected." She adamantly objected.

Did he really say he had been gone for three hundred years?

After releasing her shoulders and putting his arms at her sides to continue enclosing her, Nikolai let out a deep, vicious growl. He then closed his eyes.

He tightened his grip on her shoulders as his jaw tensed and his eyes sprang wide, but this time they were crimson rather than the usual pure black that resembled a demon's.

For a brief moment, Ophelia felt her soul leave her body. Her heart raced, and she experienced fear like never before.

He firmly bit his lower lip and said, "My dear Fire storm, Nothing you say can change the fact that you belong to me." without any provocation, he suddenly pressed his lips to hers.

His surprising release of his hold on her shoulders caused Ophelia to freeze. His lips coaxed her to open up, which she did reluctantly. She tasted iron and immediately felt her body combust like it had been set on fire before succumbing to darkness.