I shoved him away from me as though he carried a contagious plague, one that could take me out in one touch. But, that's exactly what his touch is. Yes, I was convinced. Shaking my head at him, my eyes narrowed into slits as I stared up at his playful grin. His touch was able to control me completely, he was able to infect my mind with his own memories.

The mate bond is a sickness.

Morpheus could easily get closer, even though it seemed as though I would push him farther away each time I met with him. But, we were just getting closer and closer. No matter what I did, he just wouldn't go away. I didn't understand it, and I knew I wouldn't be able to for a while.

It's always hot and cold with him.

"Do you wish to go home now?" He asked politely, like a mischievous child telling his mother, 'I didn't break it,' but in this case he really did break it, as in me. He was gradually breaking me down. He was playing with my mind as if I was a TV remote. He would press all my buttons and switch my shows. Well, not today, Satan!

"I can walk by myself just fine, thanks," I said rather dryly, and backed up once again. Huffing as I casually moseyed away, only moving a few steps. Silently, I chanted, don't follow me, don't follow me, don't follow m-

"Are you sure?" Morpheus quickly slid in behind me, his arm wrapping around my waist as he pulled my body into him. It seemed so easy for him, too easy, the way he was able to move in. The same as a sneak attack would go. His other hand latched onto my own free hand. His actions were so perfect that he practically picked me up off the ground. Continuing, he added, "I would love to walk you home."

Smooth, I thought. The feel of his thumb softly caressing the side of my hand made my stomach jump. "Don't you have like important duties or something?" I tried. "Anything better than to follow me around?"

"Not really, and besides this is a part of my important duties." His lips moved down to my hand, kissing the side of my wrist as he hummed, "This is what having a mate is supposed to be like, you must know that? It seems you are quite known around here."

Yes, I'm sure the pack members have seen me dragged around here many times before. His lips hovered over my skin, each of his words sent shivers up my spine. It was moments like this that almost made me change my mind. More like distracted me.

"Oh," I droned on as my eyes locked with his, they sparkled like emeralds, but they were too dark. His face looked the same as it was in the tomb, free, of guilt, of pain, of anything. Morpheus looked up at me so sweetly, that I almost forgot what I was doing. Where I was. Who I was with. Since when were you so weirdly dramatic? I asked myself. This is not some coffee shop romance with a man who adopts puppies. This is a man who trains wolves to kill, and this is a romance with no choice of who it is with.

I shook my head slowly, softly. "No, I-I don't think that would be good," I told him. Like he said before, rejection exists. And, I'm not going to wait around until he does it.

Everytime something wasn't going his way, his touch turned colder. Whether he meant it to or not. Morpheus towered over me as he stood up to his full height beside me, his smile twisting around and his eyes devouring me whole. The threatening aura he usually carried nearly consumed me, or at least it seemed as though it could. I tried not to think about it too much. "I don't think it would be a bad thing to let me walk with you. Did you not say you felt better with me near?"

"I said, I feel less scared of you when you're near," I explained and looked away, towards the door. Needing to be strong, to not show my true fear, I tried my best to hide it behind a calm mask. One that I wanted to say, 'Oh? You thought this was my first time? Please, I've been through this type of situation many times before,' or something like that. Impossible, but he hasn't exactly been awake for my life, so what does he know? Nothing about me that's for sure.

I wish I was more like Viviana.

"You are not scared of me, right?" Morpheus roughly grabbed my chin and turned it towards him, my head twisting uncomfortably in the process. Does he even know his own strength? Probably not. His eyes searched mine, but by the way he gripped my chin made me worry that he was going to do his mind voodoo. Oh, oh, oh how I hate that. However, his next words surprised me, took me off guard completely. It felt true, but part of me thought he lied. "You don't have to be. I would never hurt you."

I wanted to tell him, 'but haven't you? You grab at me whenever you want, you mess with my head, and you physically hurt a person I care about' but, I didn't want to see the aftermath of me saying that aloud.

My gaze fell, not out of curiosity or fear, but because he didn't look bad. You should know better, I told myself, looks can be quite decieving. The innocent look on his face almost made me feel guilty. Be strong, Emery.

"Oh, come on," I practically groaned at him while pushing his hand away, "don't get weird. I get it, okay? I really do. I see Viviana happy with her mate, and I know that Johnny is just waiting for the day his mate comes, but me? I never expected this day. And, you? You don't want me, and I doubt that you really need me."

The memory of when Morpheus grabbed Johnny and held him there until his face turned blue was still clear in my mind. It was only last night. And, as soon as I spoke those words, ones that I barely thought about and just said to fill the space, he switched his act. Morpheus grabbed onto the side of arms and shoved me out in front of him, I felt like something on display. He held me there and just watched me with his disapproving, narrowed green stare. As if I did something wrong. It made me feel the same way I did the night before. Suddenly frightened.

I looked back at him with a deer caught in headlights look. The force itself knocked the wind right out of me, but at least I managed to wheeze out, "Wha-"

"I don't understand," Morpheus spoke lowly, cutting me off. "What did I do to you? Everything I have done since seeing you has only been from trying to make you like me, can you not see that?"

"Excuse me?" My voice came out irritated, even I was shocked at how vicious it came out. I was never one for confrontation. But, I just couldn't stop myself, "Do you honestly believe that? Look at what you've done to me. Everything you've done has only messed my life up, and you've been here for what? A few days? You're not exactly what I would call charming."

"I was willing to kill another man for you, a werewolf under my protection, is that not enough to satisfy you? This was not my plan, but I had to act on it anyway. What more do you need? This entire pack house is yours. Everything in it is yours. I'm yours." It felt like he was trying to convince me, telling me that I should accept whatever he does. What year does he think he's living in?

"Well, maybe I'm not yours, huh? Have you ever thought of that?" Harsh, I know.

I bit my tongue, a sour taste of poison from the words lingered in my mouth while I waited for his answer. The expectation was for him to throw me across the room, the way he did with Johnny, but he just laughed. Morpheus glared for a second before a string of laughter escaped his lips.

"You're more fun than I originally expected," he spoke calmly, still on the edge of a laugh. Morpheus let go, his hands sliding down my arms before stepping back. "I'll tell Leo to help you gather your belongings."

"What?" I stood there stunned.

He just smiled devilishly, and then he turned around and walked off. My gaze followed his stiff back as he continued into the distance of the pack house, hands turned into fists at his sides.

"Wait!" I tried to go after him, shouting, "Come back here! Hello, I'm not done talking to you!" It was no use, either he couldn't hear me or he was ignoring me, I assumed it was the latter. I could no longer see him anyway. "Well, it's your loss," I muttered, kicking myself for whatever just happened.

I made my way back to the front door, with my head down and hands holding onto the fabric of my unusual clothing again. It was scratchy in my hands, almost like it was dusty, actually it was really dusty. "What am I doing?" I asked myself, I wondered if an answer was going to come, but all that made a sound was the door closing shut behind me.