The Taste of Seduction

She closed the book she was holding and placed it in her lap as she rested her arm on the edge of the windowsill, her gaze seemed to be staring off into space.

Amidst the dark clouds overhead, the rain pelted down hard on the grounds.

A soft knock sounded but she was too deep in thoughts to pay attention to the person.

She didn\'t even realize that Maria had brought her soup until she touched her shoulder, gently waking her from this stupor. There were no words exchanged..nothing needed to be said.

She understood her better than anyone else here.

The steam rose from the hot bowl of chicken noodle soup next to her arm, feeling the warmth it gave; however, it did nothing for her emotional state.

How could Marcus possibly be her mate? It made no sense. She thought she could finally have her happily ever after with Atlas when she felt their bond but now this?

Hadn\'t she been through enough?

She sighed and turned to look at the soup, debating whether she was really hungry or not.

It\'s been two days since the ritual and she has avoided everyone.

She hadn\'t seen Atlas yet and her wolf was dying to see him. She kept telling her that Atlas was her one true mate but it made no sense and all of this was confusing.

The shock and jolts she felt when Marcus had touched her was real. She could feel her body yearning for him.

A soft knock rapped against the door, her body hardly moving at the sound. She knew whoever was there would leave once she didn\'t pay them any attention.

Her eyes remained glued to the dark and stormy weather outside. She felt her life was just as the weather was right now. Stormy and dark.

"Angel?" Her heart skipped a single beat the second she realized it was Atlas.

Meredith turned to the door and she felt her wolf\'s excitement.

Mate... My mate…

All she could do was stare at him. The silence between them stretched on, seemingly never ending.

Meredith couldn\'t find her voice. Her mind was hazy right now and she couldn\'t even form a coherent thought in her mind, apart from the excited voice of her wolf, which echoed through her stunned mind, over and over again.

Mate, mate, our mate...

Her eyes began to water as she took him in. She didn\'t know if it was the mate bond or it was because she missed him but he looked so gorgeous at the moment she couldn\'t take her eyes off him.

After several seconds, he slowly took a step forward towards her, his eyes never leaving hers.

Meredith\'s throat bobbed, she hadn\'t realized how much she needed him. She needed him like a heart need a beat. She could feel how his soul stirred with hers.

There was a pull between their bodies, like they were magnets, destined to collide, to merge and become one.

Meredith stood up from the cushion and ran into his arms. He hugged her tightly, breathing her in.

"Do you feel it too?" He whispered.

"Yes..." Meredith answered, a tear falling off her cheek. She knew he was asking of the mate bond.

"Then why the hell is that vampire prince claiming to be your mate?! " Atlas said, anger and frustration laced in his tone.

Meredith pulled away from him and sighed.

"I dont know if it\'s possible but I think both of you are my mates Atlas."

Silence….dead silence ensued between them as she watched a series of emotions flickered over his face.

"All this time... All this damned time... I\'ve wanted you more than anything that I\'ve ever coveted before. I\'ve believed all this time that I couldn\'t have you... And yet, you were my mate, all along.." He ran his hands through his hair, frustration marred on his face.

"Now you\'re telling me I have to share you with someone else?!"

Meredith\'s heart sank in her chest seeing the pain in his eyes.

"No…you\'re mine and mine alone!" He roared.

"At-las…."

"I can\'t Meredith…we have been through so much for me to share you with another person."

"I know Atlas. I know. I don\'t want this but what can we possibly do? Everyone was there when Marcus claimed me as his.

I just don\'t understand how forceful my bond with him is. It\'s different from yours. Yes my body reacts to his touch and-"

A deep growl interrupted Meredith and she realized what she had said.

Atlas\'s eyes flickered with golden glints and she realized it was his wolf. Probably jealous because of what she had said.

Meredith grabbed his cheeks gently and tipped toe to pressed a kiss on his cheeks in hope to soothe his wolf.

He closed his eyes and she saw his brows drew together at the comforting sensation.

"Look at me." She said, her voice feather light.

Slowly, so slowly, Atlas\' eyes opened.

Meredith looked into his ocean blue eyes and found them filled with so much love and affection for her .

She hadn\'t realized just how tense she was until she looked into those eyes and found the familiar emotions there.

She saw the muscle in his body relaxed as he let out a breath of air.

Her eyes alternated slowly between his own as she stared into his depths.

Her hands tangled into his hair as she pulled his lips toward hers, hovering an inch away.

"I don\'t care about some stupid bond Atlas, you\'re the one I want. I love you, not him."

Then she kissed him with such passion that her heart stumbled in her chest, hoping he could feel her love for him through their bond.

A/N: Hlo guys hope we are all good! So I have read the comments and it was exactly what I was expecting mixed reactions hahaha. I had contemplated a lot about this direction and I\'m still contemplating about certain options I just hope at the end of the day we would all enjoy the book.

#TeamAtlas #TeamMarcus #Teamboth eh? Hehehe thank you for your support!