Evander flashed me a grin before walking to the bench where he kicked off his shoes and started undoing the buttons of his shirt right there. "What are you doing?" I asked him like he was butchering an alien. "Getting into the pool with you," he casually says and my eyes widened. Why did part of me feel excited?

"It's nearly eight," I pointed out. A squeal left my lips when his pants dropped to his ankles. I don't think I've ever turned around so quickly. My body stiffened as all I can hear were our heartbeats. Suddenly, I whip my head around when I heard the water splash.

My eyes widened when Evander surfaced to the top of the water. His hands wipe down his face to remove the water that made his skin shine. His hair was soaking wet with drops dripping down his neck and face. Somehow, I found this insanely attractive.

"Get in," he simply ordered. My arms folded across my chest at the order. "Please? I think we both deserve some relaxation after everything that happened today," he deadpanned. I bite my lip in hesitation.

He was right. He was attacked by vampires, found out that I was somehow involved with the vampires. Then I found out that his father's prisoner was my father. Then helped me through a mental breakdown. Then had to sit with me through talking with my father and my family crisis. Then had to stand William and his bullshit.

"True," I shrugged.

"Get in!" He whines again. Why was I nervous about getting into the enormous pool with Evander? The last time the pool really helped to clear my head about the whole Mikey shit. Swimming does that to me. I sighed, my hands finding the end of my jersey.

"Turn around," I say and without another thought, he turns so now his back was facing me. I kept my eyes on the back of his head as I slipped out of my pants. My lips pulled into a smirk when I noticed his body go rigid. After slipping out of my big tee I threw myself into the water, swimming to the bottom before resurfacing to the top.

"Hi," I grinned at Evander. His eyes were on me as he looked down my neck to the baby blue bra I was wearing. "You look good in blue," he points out. "Whatever you say," I pretended not to care that his words didn't affect me.

Evander moved around, never removing his eyes off mine. "Are you okay? After everything that happened?" He cautiously asked. "I think so, I'm happy that I have my father, you're apparently somewhat innocent in all of this and maybe Will would back off," I shrug my shoulder.

"Though I still want to know what's Will's problem and why my parents lied," I pointed out but tried my best to stop thinking about that.

Evander pulled at my ankle and my whole upper body is thrown at his chest. I try to push away but his hand rests on my bare waist. "Think about the positive things," he tells me. My hands remained pressed flat on his chest. "So I'm not completely screwed then?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, moving one of his to push away my wet hair on the side of my face before returning to my waist.

"No, not completely," I whispered and even the slightest movement of him pressing our bodies together, I felt it.

"What games are you playing at, Evander?" I asked, taking my lip under my teeth as I stare at his brown eyes. "Any games you want me to play, Rieka," his eyes darkened into a threatening black. I say nothing, not knowing what exactly to reply to that. His words were somewhat familiar to the last time we were here.

"How do you feel about William?" He slowly asked.

I bite my inner cheek, not knowing how to reply to that right now. "He is an amazing Alpha, he makes his pack and family very proud. He's strong and has the right mindset and everything but when it comes to me personally, it's like he is a totally different person negatively and I have no idea why," I explained, not even knowing if it made sense.

"Do you have any idea why he does that?" He asked.

I nervously shook my head," I've learned that if we stay away from each other he wouldn't do that shit," I told him, inhaling deeply when he brought his lips too close to my skin.

"There is nothing I wouldn't tell you just to make you mine," he says with his nose trailing random lines on my neck and my heart clenched. "Really?" I breathed out, gripping onto his shoulder like it was all the control I had. "I want you to be mine, Rie, would you like that?"

"I-I think so," I managed to say and I feel his breath leave my neck. His eyes were now darkened slightly as we looked at each other.

Thinks escalated real quick.

"You've hurt me a lot in the past, Evander," I point out even though my body was screaming to jump him against this pool. His eyes soften with guilt," I know that trust me when I say that it haunts me but I would love it if you would become my mate so I can fix it all. I'm not perfect at all and it isn't gonna be all rainbows and butterflies, I'll annoy you and test your limits but all I want to do right now is shower you with kisses and show you how beautiful you are.

I've never regretted the horrible things I've done until I met you. Of course, it took time. I've made so many mistakes and I definitely don't deserve you but I'm selfish and I want you all to myself, literally. If you'll have me, of course. Just please be gentle with me, I've never cared about someone as much as I want to care about you and it confuses the hell out of me," he spoke.

"What about what everyone else would think?" I pointed out.

"That is the whole reason why I was a dick in the first place. But I think after everything, we shouldn't care. Why care what other people think? I just want to know what happiness is like with you," he whispered the last part as he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my jaw.

"Rieka Rain Knight-" I cut him off.

"Sparrow," I corrected him, using my father's last name instead of Joseph's. His eyes shot up with shock before he smiled.

"Rieka Rain Sparrow, would you take me, Evander Spade Rowan, to be your mate?" He asked, not even flinching or moving as if him saying those words did nothing to him. But it had my heart feeling to explode and I couldn't begin to understand how White can become so excited that quick.

"Evander, I mean it when I say if you break my heart again I'll chop your dick off and slice off all your toes. My cousin is the vampire king so you should be careful with what you're promising me," I warn him, truly frightened that I'll get my heart broken again. His eyes softened and his finger trail up from my waist, leaving the water to cup my cheek.

"Deal, let me prove to you that I can be better for you," he promised and my heart clenched. "If I wasn't in this pool I would be on my knees begging for your forgiveness," he adds, dipping his head to the crook of my neck and inhaling on the wet skin there.

"Okay, fine. I, Rieka Rain Sparrow, would love to be your mate, Evander Spade Rowan," I say slowly. A smile broke out on his face as he hugged me tighter.

The feeling had my eyes widening and I gripped onto his shoulders harshly for leverage as the tsunami of electricity hit me. It started from my chest before erupting throughout my entire body. I would have drop down unconscious if it wasn't for the grinning idiot holding me. My mind was becoming fuzzy. His delicious scent engulfed me and I let out a whimper from the impact.

My mind was swirling with so many things. I felt that happiness inside of me now that he was incredibly close. The attraction between us was so much stronger than before.

"Feeling alright, Rieka?" Evander innocently asked. "You don't feel it?" I pathetically asked. I felt like my heart was doing circus tricks.

His eyes darken as he pressed us closer and I let out a small moan, dipping my fingers into his hair. "I feel it all and hell, I'm not regretting it," he finally answered with his lips threateningly close to the corner of my mouth.

"Please don't make me regret this, Evander," I begged with a whimper even though tingles were only spreading from where he touched. "I promise you won't, and I'm promising a lot since I don't usually promise," Evander replied, kissing my shoulder and my exposed collarbones.

"Okay," I smiled reassuringly as his hands slid up my torso, washing away my worries with the water.

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