Bound By Moonlight to My Mates (by Sofange Daye) novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Charlotte

I am awake before the sun comes up. If I am an ancient wolf or whatever, I am not going to rely on someone else to protect me. No, it is time for me to learn how to protect myself. My father was the Delta of the largest pack in the country, and while he may not have been my biological father, I know I can be as strong as he was.

I slip out of Jake’s room, climbing over his snoring form in front of the door, and silently make my way to my bedroom. The door creaks open loudly, making me cringe at the sound. Moving through the room in the darkness, I gather everything I need for my morning workout.

“Are the lights broken, Little Cricket?”

Theo’s voice makes me jump, and I fall back into the wall. My fingers fumble for the light switch, and when I find it, I flick the lights on too quickly. I am blinded by the sudden change and stumble forward. My heart is pounding recklessly in my chest as my eyes dart around the room, looking for Theo.

He is lounging on my bed, shirtless. My eyes roam over his body shamelessly, taking in every dip and muscle. Tattoos cover his body, each one more intricate than the last. I trace the outlines with my eyes, knowing he would never permit me to touch him. It is as if my brain is trying to memorize what he looks like in case I never see him again.

“What are you doing in here?” I manage to rasp out.

His already dark eyes turn pitch black. “I wanted to apologize for my abrupt departure.”.

“Oh,” I whisper. “It’s okay. I am getting used to it.”

Theo chuckles loudly. “Why are you whispering? Are you afraid one of the other mates will find me in your room?”

My eyes grow wide. “Of course not. I am trying not to wake anyone.”

“You are failing,” he tells me. “You couldn’t be silent if you tried.”

His playful tone doesn’t keep me from glaring in his direction. “If you will excuse me, I am going for a run.”

Theo’s eyes glitter with a moment of excitement. “I will come with you. After all, it isn’t safe for you to be alone.”

He rises from the bed, and I groan loudly at the sight of his gray sweatpants. They leave absolutely nothing to the imagination.

“Suit yourself,” I mutter as I leave the room.

Theo catches up to me with ease, and I can feel his breath on my neck. “Walk on the balls of your feet. It will make your elephant steps quieter.”

I gasp indignantly. “Fuck you. I am not an elephant.”

“No,” he muses. “You are my cricket. My very loud and annoying little cricket.”

He bounds down the stairs silently, and I am keenly aware of how loud my footsteps are as I follow him. Once we are outside of the pack house, I turn my anger onto him once again.

“What have I told you about calling me Cricket?”

Tilting my chin up with two of his fingers, his eyes bore into mine. My skin burns with need where our skin touches, and I squirm beneath his gaze. “You’d better start running, Little Cricket. You won’t like what happens if I catch you.”

I shake

my

head free from his gaze and step back. “You are going to chase me?”

Theo closes the distance between us again. “No, I am going to hunt you.”

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My mouth falls open as I try to formulate words, but nothing comes out. Theo taps at an imaginary watch on his wrist.

“Tick tock, Little Cricket.”

Both fear and excitement cause me to move my feet. I run in the opposite direction, turning to the forest that surrounds the Southpaw Pack. Theo has given me a head start, but I don’t know how I will outrun someone who can materialize out of thin air. Maybe I want him to catch me.

The dark parts I keep hidden are curious about what he might do if he catches me. I am so lost in the filthy thoughts swarming my mind that I almost miss the sound of branches snapping behind me.

“Shit,” I mutter.

“I can hear you, Little Cricket,” Theo taunts.

Tala growls in my mind. Just give me control.‘

‘But… I begin to argue, but she cuts me off.

‘Get naked or I will rip your clothes.’

I let out a huff of frustration, but do as she says. Stripping off my clothes, I tuck them neatly behind a large tree. Tala surges forward, taking control. Her massive paws hit the ground with a thud, and she takes off.

She weaves through the trees, spreading her scent before changing directions. I am lost as I watch through her eyes. I have no idea where we have gone, but Tala seems to know the way. It is as if she has done this before.

The sound of running water is just ahead, and she pushes herself faster. A waterfall is just through the trees, and it is beautiful, but Tala doesn’t give me time to appreciate it before she dives into the water.

‘What are you doing?‘ I hiss at her.

‘Hiding,‘ she replies as she doggy paddles behind the waterfall.

Once we are hidden by the curtain of water, she gives me back control, and I dip my shoulders into the water to hide my body. I hold my breath as I wait for Theo to find me. That is, if he can find me?

Suddenly, the water heats up around me, and I know he is here. I keep my shoulders beneath the surface and wait for him to emerge from the other side of the waterfall. As I inch my way back, I run into something hard, but it isn’t the rocks,

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