Chapter 19

ARIELLA. Making out with Eli inside an abandoned tunnel during the full moon wasn't something I would have predicted, but here we are. I could sense both of our wolves celebrating as Eli and I passionately kissed in the dark, only pausing as we gasped for air. His touch ignited my skin and while he was gentle with me, I could also feel his need and impatience. "Eli..." That was the only word that ever came out of my mouth. Calling him as we undressed each other while there could be someone just outside the tunnel was the sexiest thing for me right now in the whole world. And as his kisses went down on my body I could feel this tension just building and building up so I held on to him as much as I could. There was no way I could have stopped this even if I wanted to. We had already reached a point where our mating bond was now like an iron chain around both of us that whatever we did, we wouldn't be able to get out of. This was both the scariest and the most passionate thing that I had ever experienced and I was all here for it. When our bodies became one, I let out a moan that was so unbecoming of me that I almost wanted to stop, but Eli didn't even care and just continued what he was doing. It was crazy. I knew I shouldn't enjoy this as much as I had, but how could I even stop myself from feeling all that? This wasn’t even our first time, but it felt like it was. The pleasure and pain were palpable, and Eli’s kisses were just pure heaven. They say lovemaking with your mate is a hundred times more intense and pleasurable than ordinary sex and now I think I agree because this was so good that it made me tear up. My body was not ready for all of the sensations it had received from Eli, and I could tell from the sound that he was making that Eli was the same too. And then we were both panting and sweating, but as we locked our gazes I could tell that we were both the happiest person in this world right now. From the way he was touching me to how he looked at me, I could tell that Eli and I had already crossed the line and we could never go back again from where we were. There was already an understanding that we were mates, we should stick together, and we should make love together. "You're very beautiful, Ariella," he whispered into my ear when it was time to dress again. He helped me, especially with my bra and it made me very shy for some reason. "Can we just stay here forever? I feel like I don't want to leave here anymore." "Oh please, you just want to do it again," I told him as I combed my hair with my fingers. "You stay here if you want, but I'm going to go back to my apartment as soon as the moon disappears." "Can I live with you now, Ariella?" he asked hopefully. "No, Eli. I'm sorry, but you can't." "But why? Are you still mad at me? Are we not lovers yet?" "I already forgave you, and yes, we're lovers but you can't live with me yet. I already gave you my reason, remember? I want to live alone first." Eli looked disappointed. His handsome face showed his puppy eyes that were close to tears. "I see... I guess I haven't earned your trust yet. But if that's what you want, then I'll be fine with it as long as you let me visit you." "It's not that I don’t trust you, Eli," I explained. "I just want to be independent for now. And living with a man is not being independent. You know how I lived with my father all my life. I just want to regain that sense of myself first, because I don't want to admit it, but my issues with my father have totally wrecked me. But don't you worry, as soon as I feel better, I might let you live with me." His face lit up when he heard that. I feel sorry for him that he has to wait and all that, but I also don't want to hurt him because I'm sure I would if we lived together this early. If there was one thing I learned from people around me, that is the fact that hurt people hurt people. To other people, I know this might just look like I'm complicating things, but to me, this is my way of healing. "Do you hate your father, Ariella?" Eli asked me out of the blue, and that made me pause. "I guess so... But I don't know. Hate is a strong emotion. Maybe I'm just mad at him and maybe this will pass. Because you see, one of the reasons I want to live alone is because I want to let him see that I can live on my own, far from what he kept on saying to me that I need to marry someone to continue his bloodline." "He's like my uncle then," Eli commented. "All this bloodline mania is wild to me. I mean, why does it matter if the next Alpha doesn't come from our family? Things like that happen, but Uncle would rather die than let that happen." "Yeah..." I said, relieved that Eli could relate because I thought that he would find this a little shallow. "I forgot that you were also the same. Did your Uncle tell you to prioritize your duty as the next in line?" "Yes. Since he doesn't have a child, he chose me to become his successor, which is nuts, to be honest. There are a lot of people more deserving in our pack, actually. Take my friend, Adam, for example. He's good with battle strategies. He would be a good Alpha if given the chance." I nodded. "So you don't want to become the Alpha?" "I didn't," he replied. "But now, I kind of do." "Really? Why?" He looked at me with his glowing eyes. "Because if I became the Alpha, I could end this conflict between our packs, Ariella. We could even rejoin your pack. And most importantly, we could be together without anyone disapproving." That made my heart skip a beat. "I see... You really are a romantic person, 'no? You always say the nicest things." He chuckled. "I'm not that nice, Ariella, you knew that. I said a lot of mean things to you. But I'm trying to better myself for you." "Don't do it for me, you stupid. Do it for yourself." "But I never really cared about any of these things if not for you," he replied, leaving me breathless. "That conflict between Uncle Ross and your father? I didn't give a damn about it. Not until now, because I want to be with you. So I have to find a way for us to be together without them interfering." "Good luck with that. As soon as my father hears about you being with me right now, he'll probably send his fighters to kill you. It's one of the main reasons I don't want you to live with me too. If he sees you with me, he will hurt you, Eli." After I said that, Eli's expression changed. "If I defeat my uncle and your father, Ariella, would you finally consider living with me?" he asked as if that was as easy as changing clothes.