THE STORY

His stare was intense. The kind that makes you feel insecure when there is nothing wrong with you. Unless you're me. There was plenty wrong with me. Regardless, it made me shiver.

"What do you mean?", he questioned, slowly. His eyes were filled with something I couldn't put my finger on. I froze for a minute before continuing, worried I would make him angry.

"Why me?" I whispered. His eyebrow raised slightly and I took that as a sign to continue. I took a deep breath and adjusted my glasses nervously. "Why me? Why did you want me? Why did you call me yours? Why do I feel drawn to you? Why do you kiss me and why do I like it? I mean, I just met you and all you have to do is breathe near me and I get all anxious. My body tingles and I feel butterflies but I don't even know you," I rambled. I paced around the room at this point, out of breath. I stared at the ground while professing my thoughts as if Ace wasn't even there. "How is that possible? How is any of this possible? It's not because you like me, that's for sure. You can't possibly like me. I'm human. A dumb, lowly, unimportant human-" I am interrupted by hands on my face, pulling my gaze to a gorgeous face. One I had known I would never get tired of.

"Don't you ever talk about yourself like that again, do you hear me? Never," Ace demands. His eyes held a dangerous glare, one that told me he had never been more serious than in that moment. I didn't respond, mostly because I didn't know what to say. He seemed to care. I could see it in his body language. He held my face so softly as if I was going to break but also sternly, as if he was trying to keep me together. He cared about how I felt, or how I felt about myself at least. I couldn't help but wonder why. When I still didn't respond, he let out a frustrated sigh. "Do you understand?"

I nodded. All the words that were swirling around in my head, all of the questions I had had stilled. My mouth refused to utter a sound. He cared. He cared about me. Why?

"You have no idea how important you are to me. No idea," Ace says, softly, as if I wasn't supposed to hear it. I did. His thumbs started to move, up and down, rubbing my cheeks in a loving way. I melted into his palms, sighing internally at the contact. We continued looking into each other's eyes for a moment before I spoke.

"Why me?" I repeated to him. I needed to know. He took a deep breath, letting it out. The scent of mint surrounded me and made me swoon. I didn't show it though, and I wouldn't. Not until I knew what was going on.

"You were made for me. And I, you. We were created for each other. And I will never let you go," Ace stated, sounding incredibly sure of himself. My eyebrows furrowed. What? How? And again, why? He noticed my confusion and smiled slightly. He motioned towards the bed in the room, the black bed. "Sit down, little one. I'll explain everything."

I had forgotten we were still standing until he said that. My legs felt an ache, so I made my way to the bed and sat on the edge of it. Ace sat next to me on the same side. We leaned towards each other slightly. He wasn't looking at me though. He was focused on his hands, nervously. He fidgeted for a minute, probably looking for the right words to say. I waited for him to start. Eventually, he did.

"Werewolves were created by the Moon Goddess. There are multiple theories and stories on why she did, but no one really knows for sure. When the Moon Goddess did this, the people at the time were terrified of the beasts. The humans were determined to kill them because they were afraid. In order to save her newly born race, the Moon Goddess bound them to a human form, so the wolves could blend in with the humans but still be true to themselves and what they really were, wolves. The story goes that the Moon Goddess was a hopeless romantic who never found love and she did not want the same for her creations. She would take one soul and split it between two wolves, creating a connection." He turned to look at me, his eyes staring directly into mine. "They are referred to as mates. Once one wolf would find the other half of their soul, their mate, the two would not be able to live without each other. They would be bound for eternity. The two would protect each other from all danger and live to serve one another. They would love each other endlessly and never be apart." Ace grabbed my hands in his and squeezed them gently, still gazing into my eyes. I couldn't look away. His dark green eyes were so captivating. They made me feel safe. "It is said that when one finds their mate, the experience is breathtaking. You feel anxious, and frantic until you find your mate. You will do anything to find them, break down any door or destroy anyone who is in your way. Then, when you are near them, there are butterflies. And you cannot help but to be pulled towards them. Once you meet your mate, it is said that you can no longer bear to be apart. Both of you feel whole. It really is quite fascinating."

"I felt that when I met you," I concluded, mostly talking to myself. I peeled my eyes away from him. My mind was reeling. Ace had given me so much information at once, I didn't have time to process any of it. I had to digest all of it at once.

"And I, when I met you," Ace answers. Processing all of this information was proving to be difficult. I was having trouble putting everything together.

"But, what does that mean exactly?" I questioned, still looking down at my hands. Ace put his hand under my chin and raised my eyes to meet his. He looked content. He looked happy.

"Kaitlyn Ann Windsor, you are my mate."