For the Taking ?

12 ? Questions

Groaning I sat up rubbing my face with annoyance. I needed to get him off my mind it was making me feel all wrong.

"Need a glass of water, angel?" I jolted to my feet at the raspy voice. Turning around a short man stood by the doorway.

He was old, well over seventy years old and from the bald patch on his head and white hair I'd say he was pushing eighty. He was wearing a vintage style sweater and tan trousers, his wise eyes held such warmth it left me speechless.

He took a couple more steps into the room stretching his arm out in front of him revealing a glass of water. "Here."

"Uh- thank you." I stared awkwardly as I took the glass.

He smiled softly as he sighed catching my attention. "The boys have you stressed?"

Swallowing the water I sipped, I nodded my head. "Yea, I guess you could say that." I didn't know how much he knew about the brothers so I kept the reasons for my stress far from my lips.

"I remember when they used to stress me out daily. Turned my gray hair white I might add." He moved to sit on the sofa next to me, his movement slow and shaky with age. "I'm Mr. Chap, but you may call me Lucky."

So this was Mr. Chap. For some reason I had always imagined him to be younger and not fragile like he was. I pulled my legs on the sofa to face him more comfortably.  "Nice to met you Lucky. I'm Seraphina."

"I know who you are, Desmond told me all about you." My heart sped up at his words though it was short lived as his once smiling face dissipated. "You're the girl with no wolf."

His tone gave nothing away. There was no way to tell if the statement was prejudice or rhetorical, either way the words left me speechless. The last couple days have revolved around the broken part of me, and I've spend more time hear taking about it since I arrived than I had in the last five years combined.

"Has Desmond marked you yet?" His question threw me off as I stared deadpanned.

Desmond and I had just met a few day ago and had hardly spend more than a few hours together a day. We hadn't exactly gotten to know one another very well, but it's common for mates to mark one another soon after finding each other. I never thought someone would ask that question especially to me.

Now the question was asked and I felt stuck. Nothing sounded right in my head because I honestly didn't know the answer. I never asked Desmond and now I felt like slapping myself in the face for not thinking about it sooner.

"No." I chocked out.

He hummed at my reply, his index finger rubbed against his thumb as he thought. I didn't know what his intentions were and though Desmond told me he was a kind man I still didn't know him. I didn't trust him.

Licking my lip as I asked I turned to him. "Why do you ask?"

"I've always known the boy to be rather strange. He had always told me how in love he'd be when he found his other half. It's my fault for assuming he'd mark you on sight." He admitted with a huff standing up and walking back toward the kitchen.

I found myself stuck staring at the back of his head as he retreated into the next room. I wasn't sure how to take his words. Were they meant to be taken with a grain of salt?

Once he was out of sight I downed my glass of water finding my mouth and throat parched from the conversation.

His words echoed in my head. Desmond would have marked his mate right away if he'd found them? Why hadn't he done that when he discovered me?

The million questions that built up in my head felt like a balloon inflating nearing it's point of popping under the pressure. But I wanted to know. I wanted to know why he had made an exception for me.

Staring at the empty glass I thought how I could ask him, how I would bring up the subject. Desmond didn't seem like the type to be dishonest, if I asked him he'd tell me I told myself. It would take an extreme about of patience and the more I thought about it, the task grew more haunting.

Reaching the answer I so badly wanted to know would be like searching for treasure in the darkest cave deep underwater. Sure, it was possible but at what risk. Would he see me asking such a question as provocation?

So many question.

Then came the hurt that stole any concentration I had from my mind. Did he not claim me because I was embarrassing? Is that why I've been holed up in the cabin most of the day? Did he see me as someone tarnishing his reputation?

My stomach churched painfully. What if he was trying to figure out how to reject me? He was just buying himself time, I thought.

Just when I thought my life was turning around, that I wasn't hated and found a place that people  didn't despise me, I could enjoy it. I felt foolish for ever thinking I belonged somewhere, that I'd be excepted by my mate.

It was all too good to be true.

Read up to chapter 25 today, on Patreon. Link is below and in my bio.

Http://www.patreon.com/MarinaWritings