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Amabelle's POV

"You're a strange girl, Amabelle," Vergil told me.

"And why is that?" I asked, sipping from the cup of lukewarm tea in my hand.

Vergil's elusive, seemingly psychedelic, grey-tinted blue eyes watched me intently. "You hide your true self under hostility."

I laughed coldly, setting my tea down on the table in front of me. His house suddenly felt like a cage, entrapping me in my insecurities. "This is my true self. If I seem agitated, it's because you're irritating me."

He chuckled, delighted with my reaction. "Even now, in my house, you fail to give me simple respect in admitting you are attracted to me."

Disgusted with his arrogance, I mockingly grinned. "Aren't you one cocky bastard."

He laughed. "That's what I like about you. There's fire in you, Amabelle, won't you let me tame it?"

My nose turned up in honest disapproval. "That's the problem with you, you seek to find a woman who does your bidding, sleeps in the same bed, but is never an equal. I need a mate who shares the same fire and instead asks me to be their partner."

Then, I got up and walked out of the house without looking back. My father waited for me outside, a concerned expression on his face. It made me smile a little, knowing my father had yet to worry about his little girl finding a suitor.

"How did it go?" My father questioned urgently.

I smirked. "Vergil's pride is wounded and I'm still in need of a mate, so I'd say it didn't go as Vergil wanted. However, I'm satisfied with the results."

My father's smile was wide and amusement drew his features in hysteria. "That's my girl."

His arm laced around my shoulders, a warmth filling my insides. The brightness of the sky consumed my vision as we walked forward.

...light changed to a strange blinding cloud.

All I could see was white.

And then...

I opened my eyes.

"Amabelle?" I heard Dante's voice, felt my side being caressed.

It had simply been a dream.

No.

Memory.

I blinked several times and moved my hands to touch my face but as soon as I did so I winced and shrieked at the stinging sensation. Everything suddenly felt heavy and my stomach turned violently.

"Hey, hey. I'm right here." Dante took my fragile hands, my bare hands.

F i r e.

Fire.

I need a mate who shares the same fire and instead asks me to be their partner...

My hands burned with his touch. A spark only one thing could explain. It was all too much to comprehend, his deepened, worn eyes just as startled as me. Unfortunately, to make things worse, a wave of throbbing unbelievable pain washed over my head, along with an incredible urge to vomit.

From the looks of it, I was once again in the medical wing. Dante was beside the bed I was lying in, his body tense in stress. Despite knowing where I was, my brain was having difficulty fully deciphering what was going on due to the room spinning.

"Amabelle, s'il te plait, mon amour, look at me." His voice was a plead, a desperate one.

My eyes swam with tears, a blinding agony pounding through my head. Even though the light made everything worse, I was grateful I was able to see Dante. He was on his knees, holding my hands. His eyes were hurt, like just seeing me suffer caused him pain.

"Dante, it all hurts." I rasped, watching a careless tear cascade down his cheek.

He took a staggering breath, and stroked my hands, creating a sizzling spark effect along the skin. "Do you want me to make it stop?"

A throbbing ache pushed at my eyes from the back of my skull to the point that I had to clench them shut. His words were from somewhere in the room, and I knew he was speaking, but I couldn't concentrate.

"Amabelle," his words were right beside my ear, so it was easier to understand him, "let me help you."

Do you want me to make it stop?

Yes, yes I wanted it to stop.

"I can make it go away." He whispered, his voice so featherlike and his breath was warm against my ear.

"Make it stop," I begged, my tears spilling out uncontrollably.

Ever so gently, my body was lifted into Dante's arms. Despite awful nausea, disorientation, and a throbbing headache, being in his arms relieved me. Keeping my eyes closed, I rested my head against his chest. He held me so close, so carefully like he was afraid I would break.

"Alpha, where are you taking her, she needs her rest, she's best to stay here-" came the protest from a woman somewhere in the room.

"She needs me, no don't touch her-"

"Dante, she needs doctors-"

"Stop! She needs me, she needs me right now." His voice had grown loud, and firm. But there was a hint of something else that I believed only I was able to hear.

Dante's affection.

There wasn't any further interruption. Wherever he was taking me, it didn't take long to get to. I heard the opening and shutting of a door. Then I was placed onto soothing, squishy padding which I could only assume was a mattress. The bed shifted a little as another body lied down on it.

My eyes flew open, searching for Dante. They immediately connected with Dante's who was lying next to me. Being this close to him, even in the low lighting, I could make out the details of his face. His sharp jawline, chiseled nose, full lips, and the darkness absorbing his blue-hued eyes.

Beautifully dangerous.

Hesitantly, and shockingly, I reached out to touch Dante's cheek. He didn't move, in fact, he stayed absolutely still. Though the pain was still there, it was duller. Hidden more and more it seemed the additional feeling of his touch was healing. It was my own kind of medicine.

"Close your eyes, ma douce rose, trust me," Dante told me, my eyes hypnotized by the way his lips moved.

Abiding by him, fully able to trust this beast, I shut my eyes. Left in total blackness, I felt his arms wrap around me and cradle me to his chest. There was an explosion of butterflies in my stomach, an exhilarating rush of sparks along my skin. It was all so clear now.

His fingers traced my neck and my face. At first, I recoiled, knowing all too well what happened when I touched my face earlier. Yet the moment his fingers touched my skin, a melting kind of aloe reached me.

I sighed in a breath of solace. A million thank you's were stuck on the roof of my mouth as he simply caressed my cheeks and my forehead.

Goddess, it felt so good.

At the same time, I was terrified.

Because now I knew.

He knew.

We were mates.

All this time, all this time of running from Dante. To think that the man who had caused me so much heartbreak was also the man I was falling unfathomably in love with. The man who now I knew was my mate.

The alpha of the Ember Wolves.

I was the mate that Dante had waited for so many moons for. Fate was a funny thing, I realized. If my father had never stumbled in here by accident and never met Dante, I would never have met my soul mate. My wolf's other half.

"Dante," I murmured.

"Yes?" His voice was hoarse.

Without another word, I fit my palm against his, never breaking eye contact.

Spark.

His eyes closed, and when they reopened tears were rolling down his face. My heart felt a pang of sharpness watching his expression morph through many different emotions.

"I've waited so long, so long for you." He whispered and then pulled me closer.

I smiled into his chest and closed my eyes again. Dante nuzzled his nose into my hair in affection, alighting a fire within me. My wolf was going crazy. She wanted to feel him, be let loose of her chain. But I couldn't.

Not right now, not like this.

Exhaustion began to take over me once again, the drowsiness wanting to drag me down into the sea of sleep. There was a lot to take in, once more. And with what I would assume was a concussion, what I needed now was more sleep.

"You won't have to be alone anymore, Dante," I murmured, starting to feel weightless.

His grip on me tightened, and hazily I could feel his body shaking against me. I didn't realize he was crying until I heard his soft cries delicately in my ear. The beast and the man were no more. A boy, who had been through too much, who had grown too cold for most to understand, was now finally seen by someone.

By me.

"Shh," I whispered, running my hands through his locks of raven-shaded hair.

It seemed to help comfort him, so I continued until my fingers felt limp. Eventually, my vision faded and my mind drifted away from reality. Sleep reached me within seconds after that. That left me a sleeping girl in the arms of her newfound mate...

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I woke up in an empty bed. The sheets were of the finest silk and fur. The one thing I knew right away was that I was not in my bed. This bed, if possible, was more luxurious than mine. It had to of been Dante's room then. I was positive since the whole room was tainted with his scent.

My wolf was loving it, the pinewood aroma almost addictive. The sheets were so soft, and smelt so much like him I struggled to find the will to leave it.

Luckily, my headaches were nearly gone, though I felt weak and unbelievably starving. My throat was parched. It must have been quite a while since I had eaten or drunk anything. In fact, my stomach rumbled in annoyance at that very second.

Sitting up, blood flushed throughout my head a little too fast. Everything felt fuzzy and strange. It was difficult to explain.

Abruptly a rush of heat crept up my spine, leaving my heart pounding. The pinewood scent flooded my senses once more, this time stronger than before.

Dante.

Stepping out of the bed curtains that draped around his bed, I caught a glimpse of his muscular backside just as he was going out onto what looked like a balcony. I wondered if he sensed me just like I could so easily now. Had he been able to before I was? It didn't happen often, but sometimes one mate could sense the other before even touching.

Hesitantly, I followed him. But slowly, the world felt a little tipsy still.

The heat of a summer day met me once I was outside. The tender breeze felt good on my skin. I missed the sun despite it not being that long since I had seen it.

Dante turned around, he must have noticed my presence. His eyes sparkled under the afternoon light, his complexion complete perfection. My body grew warm, and I unintentionally swallowed.

"How do you feel?" He asked me.

I yawned a little and smiled. "I feel better."

He ran a hand through his beautiful locks of hair. "I let you have the bed, I slept on the futon in my room."

My smile grew. "A gentleman, are we?"

Dante's cheeks were painted rose red and he avoided eye contact. "I was just being respectful of your space."

I grinned. "Thank you."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose you'll want to go back to your room after today."

The thought of being away from Dante honestly made me a little sad. But I knew before Dante and I fully committed to each other, it wouldn't be right for me to sleep in his room. That didn't mean I couldn't tease Dante...

"Oh I don't know, I really like your bed. It's pretty comfy." I kidded, winking my eye.

He smirked, his eyes deepening slightly. "Is that so?"

Butterflies flew about in my stomach. "It is, and I'd like to point out that it is proper for mates to sleep together rather than alone."

Dante's eyes widened, and his face changed to a more playful expression. "It's also accustomed for the male, especially for an Alpha, to mark his territory..."

I stopped breathing.

His fingers grazed my neck, causing an electrical current of sensations where he touched. I couldn't help the small gasp that left my lips. He continued until he reached the spot where my neck and collarbone met.

Our eyes met, his flashing with intensity, no longer teasing. His expression was too readable, too explicit. I could almost feel his touch along my body, and the kisses he wanted to share.

Instinctively, I pulled away. With my heart racing, my body could barely contain itself. My wolf was almost purring, it wanted her mate's embrace so intently.

Clearing my throat, I walked to the balcony railing, holding onto it until my knuckles turned white. "I've never felt this way before."

Dante stood next to me. What he told me then, shocked me. "Neither have I."

I cocked my head at him. "I find that hard to believe-"

He faced me, his eyes firm. "Amabelle, I promise you, no girl in this world has the key to my heart, except for you."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I hoped he couldn't tell I was shaking. This shouldn't have been such a surprise, but no man had ever said something like that to me. Never. Vergil only admitted to having been attracted to me and wanted me as a wife. Other men in the pack had told me similar things and yet none of them truly caught my attention.

At this moment, I was more grateful I was stubborn and picky than any other moment of my life.

"You're not like anyone I've ever known, Dante," I admitted, smiling shyly.

His face lit up with a beautiful smile. Not a broken smile, a real, genuine one. "And you, ma chérie, are the most beautiful person I've met. Your light has brought me to the surface of an ocean I didn't even know I was drowning in."

Blushing profusely, I struggled to hold his gaze. "Are you saying that I've saved you?"

His smile grew and he cupped the side of my face. "I'm saying that you brought me back to life."

My body trembled. "Dante, I..."

He held me then, in his arms. Automatically my arms wrapped around him. This embrace was the most intimate we had been.

And terrifyingly, I wanted more.

With all the strength I had, I stepped away after a few moments, begging my hands to stop shaking so horribly. Knowing that Dante and I were mates changed everything. I could say now with no doubt, that this was where I belonged.

"How long was I out?" I suddenly remembered my friends, Jirri and Bonny-Lee. They were probably both pissed and scared not knowing if I was okay.

He winced. "Two days. The first day you drifted in and out of consciousness. That had been right after the fight. The next day you woke up suddenly after sleeping for most of the day and that's when I brought you here. I couldn't stand it, watching you so tortured. You slept the most soundly here."

That was probably due to the mate bond. But I chose not to say anything. In fact, I stayed quiet. Yet I smiled to myself anyway.

Then I remembered Gavina...

"How is Gavina doing?" I asked, worried.

He smiled sadly. "She does not deserve your concern, but she is fine. She healed rather quickly. Emotionally, I don't think she understands my actions. She hasn't exactly come to terms with the fact that we're mates."

Wait, he told everyone?!

"Does the whole pack know about us?" I questioned, feeling slightly nervous.

He chuckled. "How was I supposed to keep just beautiful news a secret, mon amour?"

I bit my lip, but it turned into a grin before I could stop it. "You're a little too charming when you're not brooding all the time."

Dante laughed, a musical sound, touching his chest in mock hurt. I couldn't believe myself when I giggled. Dante and I laughing together, who would have pictured this?

Then my giggles stopped and a frown formed on my face.

"What's the matter?" Dante asked me, concerned.

As an answer, my stomach roared.

Dante chuckled again, his lips the only thing I could stare at. I forced my face to remain grumpy, despite my mouth itching to smile.

"What's so funny?" I tried to sound as mean as possible.

He leaned forward and pressed a hand onto my stomach. My entire being froze. I was unable to breathe or think for a few moments.

Time stopped.

The sly Alpha smirked. "Ma chérie, it sounds like you need a nice meal."

I stepped back to steady myself. Once I could think clearly, I smiled. "Are you cooking?"

He narrowed his eyes and wiggled his eyebrows. "I can make you a delicious stack of Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipping cream on top if you'd like."

My eyes widened. "You cook?"

He smirked. "Don't look so shocked, my mother taught me."

I giggled. "You're probably better than me then."

He smirked. "I can teach you."

We laughed some more, and he took to me to the kitchens where he truly did own up to being a master chef. He taught me some of his tricks, including one on how to make waffles extremely fluffy. I couldn't believe how delicious everything tasted. I also couldn't believe how much fun the two of us had.

As we sat and ate in the kitchens by ourselves, I couldn't help but stare and admire Dante Reddick. I wanted to know him inside and out, and I wanted him to know all of me. When I think back to the first day I got here, I can't believe how much I've changed, and how much I've grown to genuinely like Dante.

If I wasn't careful, Dante was going to sneak his way into my heart.

Or maybe he already had.

"Why are you staring at me?" He asked, grinning. "Do I have whipping cream on my nose or something?"

I took a deep breath. Opened my mouth. Shut it. Smiled. "I'm wondering how long it will take for you to realize that I'm falling for you."

My heart leaped at his grin. "I was thinking the same thing."

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Author's Note

WOO!! Another chapter is done! Wasn't that so sweeeeet! I personally love this chapter. Ahh hehe.

Also shoutout to @anaanafis for being so kind and an awsome human being!

If you enjoyed the chapter please vote, but MOST importantly, COMMENT. I demand that you comment, mahahahaha.

Hehe.

Have a lovely day!

See you later lovelies(((:

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