CASSIUS VALE POV

"What's going on here?" I asked as she flinched.

I hate when she reacts to me like that.

She was out of her room and I didn't like that, I only wanted her out when I'm with her, Ravenwood pack wasn't safe for her, the werewolves would easily sense that she's human and might harm her.

The safest place for her was her room and with me.

"I... I only wanted to move around, I have been inside for too long." She mumbled with her head lowered.

"Come with me..." I said, stretching my hand to her, she hesitated taking it for a second before she carefully placed her hand on mine, and I led her to the elevator.

Was she really about to follow the stairway of a six floors building?

I scoffed a laugh at the thought of that.

The elevator door slid close and I clicked the button to the first floor, the ride was a bit quiet and awkward.

My eyes drifted to her hand to see her fiddling with it, she does that when she's anxious or nervous.

"Are you okay, Sweetness?" I asked as soft as I could, she nodded and shifted a bit away from me.

I didn't want to press further so I let her be, I couldn't afford creeping her out, not this morning.

The elevator doors opened and I led her out, placing my palm against her lower back guiding her out of the mansion.

I was about to take her to my vineyard and maybe to the garden.

A tricycle ride stopped in front of us and we entered. "Take us to the vineyard." I instructed.

"You own a vineyard?" She finally spoke up, her eyes wide in disbelief, I smirked and nodded.

"Sweetness, I own more than one, I own a winery too." I added with a light smile, I loved her reactions. She didn't try to hide how amazed she was.

"I hate to admit it, but you're doing amazing! Is this a benefit that comes with being a supernatural creature?" She asked as I let out a small laugh, she was effortlessly funny. She was clearly judging my kind by what she read in fiction novels.

"There is no success benefit in being a supernatural being, Sweetness. I'm only 32, I worked hard to achieve these." She nodded, her eyes fixated on the pretty view of my large manor, a fixed smile on her lips.

She looked so bright and excited that all I could think of was how to keep it that way, I wanted her to see my home as her new home. I wasn't going to let her go... She was mine forever.

"You have a really large estate here with beautiful view, I didn't think it was this large from my room."

"It's best referred to as a community, some of my pack houses are here, so werewolves with no home stay here too."

And that was another reason she wasn't safe coming out alone, no one knew her, I hadn't introduced her as my mate, and it was too early.

I wasn't ready to tell her she was my mate either.

"So, you have a kind heart?" She Jeered as I smiled, knowing what she was trying to do.

"No, Sweetness. I am only nice to you." I hadn't spoken this much in a long time, the only time I spoke at length was when I addressed my pack. But I was willing to switch for her every once in a while.

"You're nice to me?" She sneered with an eye roll. "Oh, okay. If this is your definition of being nice." She said and turned away.

I looked down at her exposed laps, so smooth and soft that my wolf almost forced himself to feel it. I was in my best behavior, I was holding myself from hurting her.

I wasn't soft, I didn't know how to handle a woman softly during intimate moments. I didn't want to traumatize her, she was a virgin. Pure and untouched, I wanted to have her only when I knew it was right.

I haven't known her for long, and I was already a mess of emotions.

Soon, we got to the vineyard, I came down from the tricycle and held my hand out for her, this time she didn't hesitate and I could tell that it was a subconscious response.

I held her tiny fingers protectively, making sure she felt safe. I needed her to know that I was more than the monster she saw that night.

I wanted her to know that she was an asset I wouldn't toy with.

We stood next to each other as we took in the view of the neatly planted rows of grapevines that stretched down to a far end, the morning sun beaming over it... It was a 20 acre vineyard, completely filled.

"Oh my goodness, this is perfect!" She uttered, totally astounded, her eyes wide open in fascination.

"It is, that's the winery. Let's go get some wine." I offered, leading her to the large winery building.

This was the best morning of my life, I felt appreciated in a genuine sense and not in an obliged way for the first time.

"Where are your parents?" She popped the question I hated so much, catching me off guard.

"You're getting too comfortable, Sweetness. You shouldn't know too much for your own good." I cautioned calmly as she lowered her head in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry for invading."

"It's okay, Sweetness." I hate talking about them, they aren't worth it. "I have rogue parent's, so they are what humans consider deadbeat." I gave the simplest explanation I could think of, hoping she wouldn't ask further questions.

"I'm so sorry..." She whispered, I could smell her concern, I hated being pitied.

"They are both doing okay, so all is fine." I added with a small smile as we entered the building.

The smell of vintage wine filled my nose on stepping in as I turned to her with a small smile on my lips... She liked the things I liked and that made me even more obsessed. The dimly lit winery gave that ageless vibe, the people around were people that understood the aura.

The quietness, the light clicking of glasses were like music to my ears.

"I love it here." She whispered, more to herself, all I could do was smile.

She was tapping on the side of me I never knew I had.

"Ever had a good vintage wine?"

"I have had a $20 dollar wine?" She replied as I let out a small laugh.

"I'm about to give you the best."

ANNELISE POV

I took a deep breath as I rested my back on the tricycle seat, I was going back to the mansion alone, Cassius had cut my little moment of relief short because of a pack emergency that needed him.

My emotions were all over the place, I didn't understand what I felt anymore.

I shouldn't like him, I shouldn't care about him or have any sort of soft spot for him, but yet I felt empty when he left.

My little moment with him at the vineyard showed me a different side of him, a vulnerable side of him.

His parents abandoning him at such a young age must have broken him. I could hear the hesitation in his voice when I asked him about them, the hate lacing out his tone as he told me the little I needed to know.

I suddenly wasn't scared of him anymore, I was worried about him. How much feelings he must have been concealing all these years.

"Ma'am... Ma'am..." The driver called, snapping his fingers at me and bringing me back to earth. "Sorry for interrupting your thoughts, we have arrived your destination." He uttered politely as I nodded with a shy smile and came down from the tricycle.

As I walked through the majestic entrance of the mansion, the eyes fixated on me and the whispers from every corner made me anxious, I have never needed Cassius more. As much as he was my captor, I knew that I'm better off around him than these predatory eyes on me.

I started walking faster until I got into the escalator.

I took a deep breath and pressed the button that indicated the last floor as the escalator started moving.

I hissed and folded my arms against my chest.

What does he actually want from me? He hadn't made it clear to me. What do I possibly have to offer a man as wealthy and powerful as him?

The escalator landed at the last floor, as the door slid open, the first person I saw standing by my door was one of the ladies that came to my room earlier.

"Oh, here you are ma'am. I have been waiting for you for over 30 minutes." She said politely with a slight bow.

"What's wrong?" I questioned as I opened the door and ushered her in.

"The interior designers are here to start their job, I just needed a 'go ahead' order from you, because they will be invading your space for half the day." She said as I nodded.

"Well, go ahead..." I shrugged, almost adding 'Make my little cage pretty'

"I can show you to the roof top, you will love the view." She offered as I shook my head.

"Don't worry about me, I will..." The sound of the escalator caught my attention as I turned to see Cassius walking out of it.

His face emotionless, I didn't know the mood he was in as this was his usual facial expression. He came back from the meeting fast so I wasn't sure if it went well or not.

"The interior designers are here?" He asked the young lady as she bowed in response.

"Come with me, Sweetness." He uttered, offering his hand to me as I quickly held it.

"Where are we going? You came back so quickly from your pack meeting, how did it go?" I asked as he pulled me into a room.

His room...

"Don't involve yourself with werewolf business, Sweetness." He simply said and shut his door.

I quietly looked around his room, his room decor was the same as the rest of the mansion, Modern vintage but a darker theme.

The woodsy smell of the room filled my nose, that was exactly how he smelled, and I'm starting to think it's his natural scent.

I took a seat on his dark little couch, my eyes still observing the interior of his room.

The paintings on his wall was strange, I love sketching and I paint sometimes too, but these paintings seemed to have a meaning only him knew of.

They looked pretty and expensive, but weird and I knew not to ask him about them because he obviously would shut me out.

"You have a grandfather clock." I said, my eyes fixated on the huge clock with arms and legs.

"Yes, sweetness. Every room in this mansion has one except yours."

"Why do you have a grandfather clock though? That's so ancient." I said as he let out a small laugh.

"This mansion is ancient, the clock's were bought by my late father so I keep them around to remember him." He explained as I nodded slowly.

The room went silent for an awkward amount of time, Cassius was busy shuffling through a large book while I just sat mutely thinking of how to present my question to him without getting him angry.

"Why are you keeping me here with you?" I finally asked after much hesitation, he paused for a second as if processing my question.

"Because you are mine, Annelise." He uttered and continued shuffling through the book.

"What do you mean by that? You don't even know me enough to claim me."

"I know you like I know my name, Sweetness. You are my mate, you belong to me." He uttered and shut the book.

My heart stopped for a moment as my brain tried processing what he had just said.

I knew what he meant by mate, a mate is more like a wife, a soul mate.

"I can't be your mate, I'm human. You can't lock me up forever." I muttered as my voice started jittering, tears clouding my eyes.

"Why are you crying, Sweetness?" He asked as he walked over to me, pulling me up from the couch. "Have I ever given you a reason to doubt your safety?" He asked as I slowly shook my head.

"No..." I sniffled as tears rolled down my cheeks, he quickly helped me wipe them off. "I have a lot of things to achieve, I need to go to school, I need to..."

"And you will do it all, Anne. I would never stop you from doing all of that. All we have to do is go to another country where you would be safe and free to move around until I'm ready to officially introduce you to Ravenwood pack." He said softly, this is the calmest he has ever been since I came here.

"I will do anything at all to keep you safe, you are my first priority now." He assured and pulled me to his chest in a hug.

I leaned into the hug as tears rolled down my chest, I felt a strange comfort in his arms, an unwanted sensation. I shouldn't be this comfortable with him, yet I felt safe in his presence. 

His masculinity, his scent, his presence felt like a safe shield and I hated it.

"But I don't love you enough to be with you forever, I don't even know you." I said in a teary tone and pulled away from him.

"This is your reality now, Sweetness. You do not have a choice." He said point blankly as he picked a stick of cigarette from the center table, placed it in between his lips, lit it with a lion head lighter and walked to the balcony.