Love Grows In The Dark

by Eli Lowe

  “You know, I always wanted you two to become mates. But never did I imagine that I would have to create such a drama only because somebody didn't care to inform me before.” And just when I had finished my words, the other one had to interrupt.

  “As if you give others a chance to explain.” Kaith barged in from behind and I guess it was time for me to receive my part of yelling from him.

  Tsk.

  What to do?

  It was my mistake too.

  So, I did listen to all those nonsense that he had to come up with only to win our argument.

  “Have you done scolding me? Then could anyone of you two tell me how did you guys find each other?” As I was becoming more and more impatient with each passing time, I voiced my curiosity, for being reluctant to lose any more second further.

  And then Kaith started with the actual thing which I wanted to know eagerly.

  .

  .

  .

  I came back home late at that night only to remember whatever happened to all of us, realising that tomorrow won't be the same as before.

  I was indeed happy for my two best friends but I couldn't gather enough courage to tell that I had found my mate as well. I couldn't confess what I did only to save my heart from being broken.

  Maybe I will tell them sometime later but not now. I wasn't prepared to tell, when I was not even ready to believe it myself.

  Lying on my cold bed in the darkroom my mind rushed back to remember the moment which I had left behind in the darkest alley.

  Maybe I did the unjust.

  ***flashback****

  Standing in the dark with my trembling body and a fragile heart, I gathered enough courage to ask for his promise while letting my body feel all the captivating and sensational tingles that my mate was bestowing me unconsciously.

  “You know I would give you anything and everything you ask as long as you stay with me. One thing that I will never afford to give you is the permission of being apart. And get that in your head very clearly, I will never ever let you go, no matter what. Do you get that?” His deep voice brushed against my ear ensuring the fact that all the ways for me to get away from the very reason of the vulnerable state of my heart, were closed and I was left with only one option that I had planned to ask already.

  “ I... I am not asking you to reject me, instead, I want a promise which I want you to keep for me. Will you do that?” Though my voice shook, assuming the next possible reaction from him, I was determined to make my last hope a reality for us.

  “Anything. I promise.” His head was still buried on the crook of my neck but one of his hands moved to trail down on my waist and engulfed me into his warmth even more. His hand seemed a bit rough and sturdy around my body but still, I could feel his need as he kept on holding me in a way like his life depended on me.

  “Are you sure? You can't say no after.” I wanted to give him another chance to think before letting him fall along with me into the deep dark pit.

  “Yes.” He seemed determined as he proved his answers with a kiss that he had just planted on my neck very carefully. Millions of sparks travelled all over my body just when I felt the very first kiss and.. and the feeling was something which would definitely entice me to want more and more.

  So, even before I start to give in to such temptation of his kisses, I said out loud,

  “Then promise me we would stay unknown. Promise me you will never ask to see who I am actually and neither will I ask you the same. I want to love you without knowing your face and I want the same from you. I want to love not for who you are from outside but for who you are actually from inside.”

  ****end of flashback****

  Episode 14

  Summer's P.O.V

  I woke up the next morning when the new rays of the sun came rushing to me through the open windows with the errands from last night, only to make me aware that the night had already passed, leaving the new day to welcome once again.

  A new day did come but little did I know that my days won't be the same as before.

  Little did I know that I would be left to deal with a lot of things one after another, only to get myself brutally involved with something which I always feared.

  And again, little did I know that I would get only the things which I hate the most in my life.

  No, I couldn't look that far yet. And if I could, I would have definitely stopped myself way before from taking a careless step only to get trapped, while depriving myself of every opportunity to loose free from the cruel grip of my fate, ever.

  Anyway,

  Without being aware of any of this, I started my day once again, like any other day, attempting to hide myself from the whole world, specifically from my mate under the broad daylight.

  Yes, no matter what, I should not be found once again by the one and only, and if that happens my identity will be exposed totally. Keeping all the possibilities in my mind and after reminding myself about a lot of cautions, I had set my journey at last for the same destination as usual.

  Yes, the school, where the possibility to find my mate was the highest cause you know, the school was full of our kinds, the werewolves. And also, when I had already met my mate accidentally last night, it was possible as well that he also lives nearby. Even he could be a student too at our school, who knows?

  And all I knew was I couldn't take any kind of risks this time.

  Keeping that in my mind I dressed carefully, making sure that my smell was fully concealed and if not, it would definitely cause me trouble. So, I chose to wear Kaith's shirt which was already stinking with his smell all over.

  Though it was good for me, still I wondered with disgust, if that dumbass ever washes his clothes properly or not.

  Anyway,

  Today I got to go to school alone as Kaith must be going with Jenny for sure. You know what? He even stayed over at Jenny's place last night.

  I wonder what else I had to find out at school.

  Keeping my mind involved with various thoughts, I rode my bike only to cross the familiar roads, letting the wind to tease my hair which indeed helped me to boost my energy up to deal yet another day of my dull life.

  As soon as I reached the school's parking lot, I parked my bike only to see right after that Kaith had just entered as well. And Jenny was with him, just as I had expected.

  “Ah!! It seems that both of you are having a very good morning. Right?” I said as I wanted to tease them, cause I had every right to do so.

  “Funny.” Kaith gave out an irritated smile as soon as he parked his bike just beside mine, letting Jenny get off.

  “Good morning, Sam.” Unlike that dumbass, Jenny came to hug me like every day, with her most precious smile. She is the jolliest person I have ever known. Her pure heart never fails to reflect through her smiles, which I like the most.

  “You know, you are smelling like Kaith.” She said as soon as she pulled herself back and looked at me with her curious eyes.

  “Yeah, I know. And it is something necessary for me, Jenny. I had to use your mate's smell to hide mine. I hope he will tell you everything later about why I must do this. And I hope you would not mind and let me continue. And when you know all my reasons I also hope that you won't tell anyone about my little secret.” I tried to make her understand the cause of my certain decision, at least when she was already Kaith's mate and had every right to know. Also, I didn't want to cause a misunderstanding between them for my own good. I would never want that.

  “No, no... Don't take me wrong Sam. I do believe that you have your reasons definitely, and I would not mind ever. In fact, it is good for me as well, cause being with you will help my heart to ooze with happiness due to the smell, you know.” She assured me with one of her winks, together with her killer dimples as she smiled again.

  “Ah...!! I guess, I have to see too much love from now on, which will surely make me blind one day.” I blurted out once again intentionally, making Jenny giggle while Kaith made a funny
face once again showing how irritated he was with my perfectly chosen words.

  Tsk.

  What to do?

  Why would you encourage my forever funny jokes from now on while you have got your mate? Yeah, yeah, I understand, and I was kidding too.

  I pretended to be heartbroken after receiving such a reaction from my best friend while I did not forget to return back the favour with the same.

  “Anyway let's get to the class. Or you guys want to go somewhere else?” Yeah, I know, I did not want to leave a single chance to tease Kaith. At least when I have every reason to do so.

  “Sam!!... I will definitely kill you one day, with my own bare hands.” Kaith yelled as he could not hold himself back any longer after being teased repeatedly and I knew that it was my queue to run away now.

  So, I escaped successfully.

  I sighed.

  It was fun though.

  Not every morning starts with something bad for me, when I make sure to make it worse for someone else, sometimes.

  Anyway,

  What class I have now?

  Yeah. Maths.

  And right after I had to sigh again realising what I had to face any time soon.

  But only if I knew that something bigger was waiting for me inside the classroom this time, which would definitely turn my whole world upside down, I would surely run away, far away from it.

  It was where all the trouble had begun.

  Only if I knew that I would be left clueless once again which will cause me to think each and everything from the very beginning but still I would be left with no possible answer to soothe my anxiety.

  I wish I knew before.

  Well,

  Let me tell you what happened when I got into the classroom.

  The classroom was filled with other students as usual, and I saw Markus as well, but to my surprise, he was alone today as the gang of whores were not here yet to please him, like always.

  But it was not the thing which made me stunned.

  Cause another thing took away my attention in an instant, shaking the earth beneath me, causing my heart to skip multiple beats.

  I got a smell.

  To be precise, I got the most intoxicating smell, only which could compel me to submit and that too with my own will.

  Yes,

  And the smell was coming from the classroom.

  I could have run away but it was too late already, as I was intrigued to drag myself towards the source of the smell. My legs didn't let me stop, neither did it let me run out of the room but kept moving me forward with each little step.

  With each of my steps the smell was getting even more intense and as I realized where it was taking me, I started to freak out even more.

  Run.

  Run.

  Run.

  I kept telling myself in my mind, but my heart didn't listen as it kept doing its own job and led me to stand in front of no one but the one whom I hate the most.

  Markus.

  Why? Why? Why the whole universe had to conspire against me to make my life even more unfortunate?

  Why him?

  I know that he was not at all aware of the fact that I am the one, because I had already manipulated my scent. But now when I got to know the reality, how could I stand before him again like last night. How can I accept that he is my mate, whom I had already promised to meet again?

  And most of all, I knew who he is, and how is his reputation among girls. Then how can I accept? Why the goddess had to make someone like him for me?

  My heart shattered in an instant only to bury each broken pieces deep into the darkness of my life from where nothing could be redeemed ever again.

  I wanted to cry out loud, but I couldn't.

  I wanted to run away, and I could not do that either.

  Only thing I was left to do was to suffer throughout my life. I had to endure the fact that my mate didn't even bother to wait for me. He didn't even...

  Wait.

  That was not what mate had confessed to me last night. I clearly remembered him saying that he was waiting for me the whole time. Was he lying then?

  Or,

  Am I failing to see the truth, this time too? Just as I failed last night after I found Kaith and Jenny together?

  I don't understand. Everything is becoming confusing now.

  Ah yes.

  I must be wrong somewhere.

  Cause I remember, yesterday he was here too, sitting just beside me. And even though I was feeling anxious for no reason but there was no clear smell of mate like today.

  How is this even possible?

  I can clearly smell my mate's scent from him right now, but how come yesterday I got no smell like this from him even when he was sitting just beside me?

  Not even the day before yesterday?

  I mean, though he attains these classes seldom, still how could I not recognize his smell before when I had shifted already?

  Was it because his smell always gets mixed with that whore Lizzie?

  Or if there is something else which I can not see yet?

  Oh my goodness!!!...

  What is right or wrong? how can I know?

  Who is my mate?

  Is he really Markus?

  I know, I had promised that I would never try to know his real identity, but if the destiny conspires against me only to make me stand in front of someone who is probably my mate, what else can I do?

  But still, I don't want to believe.

  It couldn't be Markus.

  Please.

  Suddenly, I realized that I was standing in front of Markus' desk for quite some time for no reason, causing him to feel awkward due to my uninformed presence. So, I moved from his sight as quickly as I could, only to find a seat for me again at the back of the class.

  Mate's smell had never left my sensitive nose as I was becoming more and more involved with my undesirable thoughts, throughout the class.

  Even I didn't hold myself back from sneaking a lot of peeks to take quick glances of Markus, bothering least to get caught for my uncanny behaviour.

  And I got caught anyway, that too by Markus, as most of the time I found out that he was looking at me as well every now and then from his seat, with some kind of unreadable emotions buried in his seductive blue eyes.

  No, he wasn't looking at me with disgust like before but something else, and which was causing me to freak out even more.

  My heart started to beat like crazy and if I try to hear clearly it was not only mine whose heart was loud at this moment, but there was another one as well among many. And I could assume to whom it belonged.

  I frowned as some thoughts had crossed my mind.

  What if he finds out my secret?

  What if he is the one?

  What if he is just playing with me?

  No, I didn't know any of the answers. But I wanted to find out for sure.

  As if time was flying today with some great speed because the period bell went off suddenly announcing that the class had already ended even before I could realize exactly when it had started in the first place.

  Whatever.

  I felt like I should not stay here for long, so I was about to rush out of the room just when I heard someone calling me from behind. And I knew who it was.

  And when I turned back, the very familiar blue eyes had confirmed my assumption.

  Markus, it was and he was approaching me quite unexpectedly.

  “Hey!” He said as soon as he came to stand in front of me.

  “Bye.” I didn't even want to give him any kind of chance to find out whatever I was forced to suspect. About us being mates. And if my suspicion was the reality, then I should not be standing here right in front of him.

  It might cause me troubles.

  Cause I knew he was trouble.

  If knowing the true identity of my mate could cause me this much misery then my decision about not seeing each other ever was right.

  I shouldn't have let him come this far.<
br />
  And also, why suddenly he wanted to talk to me? What is even there to talk? Where did all his hatred and disgust for me go?

  What had changed?

  Why now?

  Again, I had no answers, neither did I want to know.

  So, keeping myself away from him was the best option.

  I was about to turn away to rush out of the class, but I heard him again,

  “Wait, Summer. I am not here to look down upon you, neither I want to talk bad to you anymore. Instead, I want to apologise.” His words made me absolutely shocked because I had never ever expected him to say the very word he just uttered right now.

  Apologise?

  “What?” I wanted to ensure if whatever I just heard was my imagination or not.

  “Yes, I realised that I was not a good person before, but I wanted to become one now. So I wanted to say sorry to you first.” Markus said again making me realise that whatever I had heard was no dream and he was actually saying all those words right in front of my sight.

  “Okay.” As I was not at all interested to drag our awkward conversation any longer, I replied in short and was about to go away once again, just when I heard,

  “So, can we start afresh?” I won't deny that his words had totally freaked me out.

  “What did you just say? We? From when I and you became we?” I asked out loud with utter frustration.

  Episode 15

  Summer's P.O.V

  With my sudden outburst, I realised that the rest of the students who were present there in the corridor the whole time had stopped to look at us, with their all curious eyes. As the sight was indeed something rare to all of them. No, actually, the sight of Markus talking to me politely was something that has never happened ever before, as per all of their knowledge. And I had no different impression as well.

  My inner conflict soon started to act upon me, making me fume in utter anger. I was becoming more and more clueless about what was really happening, causing me to become even more irritated. I wanted to run out of his sight as soon as possible, far away from the most intoxicating smell that was coming from him, giving me enough reason to hide from my mate forever. But I knew that I couldn't do that. It was too late.