49 Cat & Mouse

Jules pov

"I am." I responded almost immediately, temporarily forgetting the close proximity we were both in.

I had been curious about why I got selected out of everyone else, so of course I'd want to know the reason.

Blaze hummed, dark eyes trained on my face before reaching up and pushing my hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. I felt my heartbeat slow down a little, especially when it felt like he had shortened the distance between us even more.

His other grip was still firm around my lap, and I tried pretending I couldn't feel the heat of his large palm through my pants.

"I actually selected you for a bunch of reasons." He finally stated and I blinked once, mind proceeding this piece of information.

"One of them was actually because I wanted to fuck you." He continued without missing a beat and my mouth fell open in shock and disbelief as soon as the sentence sank into my mind. My cheeks grew hot almost immediately and I suddenly couldn't meet his gaze any longer.

At once, my mind traveled back to that night at the welcome party whereby I had mistakenly walked into a room where he had been busy with three students all kneeling between his legs, a scene which I had successfully stopped thinking about until right now.

I huffed, not knowing what to say in response.

How does anyone respond to someone telling them something like this?

Blaze snorted after a little while and then he was tilting my face up with a grip on my chin. "Relax, I'm not gonna fuck you yet." He breathed out, amusement clear in his voice.

Somehow, those words made me feel weirdly annoyed and insulted, and I scowled and spoke without thinking.

"You're not gonna fuck me at all."

As soon as the words were out, my palm slapped over my mouth as I stared at him, wide eyed and horrified.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

At the back of my mind, I had expected those words to annoy Blaze and prompt him to strangle me to death or something. But instead, he breathed out a low laugh before arching a brow at me, tone drawn out.

"Now, bunny… is that a challenge?"

My cheeks flushed even more as I hastily shook my head.

The reason why I responded with those words, was because unlike other people who could engage in sexual related stuff, I couldn't, because I'm the furthest thing from a normal person, so there's no way Blaze would ever want to fuck me anyway.

He only wanted to fuck me first, because like everyone else, they just automatically assume I'm as normal as they all are.

That thought was starting to make my heart clench up painfully, which made me hastily shove it away.

"It's not." I mumbled and he snorted, lips twitching.

"Anyways, bun, the second reason is because, it seems like we're fated mates." He continued after a few moments and my eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.

It suddenly felt like I had been ducked in a drum of ice cold water. Immense shock coursed through every inch of my body. My mouth opened and closed and opened again, and my heart felt like it would combust right now.

"W- we are?" I whispered shakily, completely horrified. I knew without looking into the mirror right now, that the expression on my face was a really terrified one. Meanwhile, Blaze looked very calm, a complete opposite.

He let out a low hum and then he was reaching up and cupping my face. He leaned forward and dragged his nose over the softness of my cheek, nuzzling into that area. It took a few moments for me to notice that I was being clouded by his scent even more, and without realizing it, my heartbeat gradually began to slow down.

When he pulled away, a tightness was in my throat and I suddenly felt like crumbling on the ground and bursting into tears.

After Andrian had reassured me that I couldn't have a mate since I was a magic user, I had been very relieved, because getting involved in something like this is the last thing I wanted.

I'm technically a suspect for murder, a wanted criminal with a huge bounty on my head, which is why I'm currently living in disguise and hiding away in this damn school.

All I'm really interested in right now, is bringing the people behind my family's murder down and make them pay for ending my family, which would automatically clear my name up. Then I have to also find a way to unlock my magic which my mother had sealed up inside of me before getting killed.

Those are the things I am currently concerned about. How am I supposed to juggle those things together with being mated to… to someone like Blaze?

"I believe so." He finally responded and my heart dropped into my stomach.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure yet though." He continued and I allowed myself a little hope, silently praying that he'd end up realizing we aren't mates. We couldn't be mates anyway, he's probably thinking this way because he thinks I'm a werewolf whose wolf is still dormant.

But I'm not.

Which means we're definitely not mates!

Slowly, I began to feel relief, and my racing heartbeat slowed down. But, that only lasted for a few seconds, because Blaze was suddenly hoisting me up without any warning once again, leaving me to gasp in shock and grip his shirt tightly, like that's somehow gonna prevent me from falling if he chose to let go.

When he dropped me on my feet this time, I pursed my lips before speaking.

"Can you please stop lifting me up without any warning?" I mumbled as he closed the distance between us and leaned a hand against the spot on the cold wall, inches above my head while gazing down at me.

"And why should I listen to you?" Came his response, causing me to swallow emptily.

I don't want you to keep lifting me unannounced– or announced, because it makes me feel a lot of weird things, which isn't very good for me right now.

Instead of saying that, I huffed and averted my gaze, causing him to laugh before pulling away, granting me the chance to finally breathe properly once again.

"Go take a shower, bunny." He ordered and that was when I noticed that we're currently in the restroom. My cheeks heated up a little as I turned around and retrieved my towel and toiletries, and then I turned back to him.

"Aren't you leaving?"

He seemed genuinely confused by the question.

"I'm about to take a shower." I breathed out and he shrugged.

"So?"

My cheeks flamed as I cleared my throat. "I- I need privacy."

He hummed, appearing like he was in deep thoughts before shaking his head, eyes gleaming as he responded. "I don't think I feel very generous right now, so I'm afraid I can't grant you the privacy you want."

My mouth fell open in disbelief as I blinked at him and after a few moments, he rolled his eyes and reached out to tilt my chin up.

"Relax, pup. Take all the privacy you need." He breathed out, and then he was gone, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

~~~

When I finally exited the restroom, dressed in yesterday's sleep cloth, I wondered if he'd be able to tell that I had cried a little in the shower.

I stared at my empty bed, silently wondering if I'd be allowed to sleep in it tonight.

"C'mere, bunny." Blaze called out from the other direction and my shoulders drooped as I reluctantly made my way towards him.

I stood at the edge of the bed, cheeks flaming as I stared down at his bare chest. I was still trying to erase the image from my mind when Blaze suddenly tugged me down.

The surprised sound that rose in my throat came out in a stuttered gasp, especially after Blaze's other hand wrapped around my waist, and then he was rolling us around until I was trapped underneath his body.