Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Nathan opens the car door for me when we are out of the house and I step into the car.

"Aren't we waiting for Jasmine?" I ask and he closes the door beside me, and walks to the driver's seat.

"She'll be here in a few minutes." He sighs. "Have you eaten?"

I roll my eyes. "Oh, now you're asking me that, after I have been poked for more than an hour."

"Sorry about that. I'm sure you'll have a lot to eat at the party." He smacks his lips together in sympathy.

"Speaking about the party, who exactly is the birthday girl.

"Seems like you've packed a lot of questions for me."

"You're kidding me, I only asked one question."

"And I'm sure that more are coming. Right?" He stares at me intensely.

"Are you going to answer me or not?"

He closes his eyes and leans headfirst on the steering wheel.

"She's a friend. Just a friend."

I squint my eyes at him and scoff.

"You've said that before. What's her name."

"You see, this is what I meant about 'a lot of questions', Isabella."

"Stop trying to ignore my questions." I grit my teeth. He is really pissing me off now.

He raises his hand and stares at me with a small smirk and his eyes glimmering with a strange emotion that I can't identify.

"It looks like you're no longer embarrassed about what happened yesterday."

I flush almost immediately. He knows where to hit me good.

A discreet knocks comes from the window of the door beside me and Jasmine waves at us with a grin. She is wearing a dress too, I was expecting a suit of some kind, since she is no doubt my bodyguard or as I like to put it- my escort.

"Can I interrupt your daring conversation?"

If possible, my cheeks redden even more.

She opens the door and steps in, while I scoot over for her, at the same time, glaring at the man in front of me.

He gazes back at me with equal intensity but his eyes aren't holding a glare, it's something else.

Soon, we hit the road and the car is quiet except for the radio playing low in the background.

"Why don't we take a small detour to Andrew's on the way back. How does that sound?" He looks at me through the corner of his eyes and I nod.

He's trying to please me, even I know that he doesn't like Andrew. It's very obvious.

Jasmine turns to me with a frown on her face. I'm sure she's about to ask something about Andrew, before she can do that, I flash her a small smile.

"Andrew is a friend of mine. One that I met when Nathan traveled, you've met him before." I tell her.

"Oh..." She nods absentmindedly and then blinks. "Wait, I have?"

"I guess old vampires has short memory span." I mutter and she glares.

"Don't try to be coy with me, because I know what you're doing." She whispers for only me to hear and I glance at Nathan to make sure that he didn't hear a word. So far, it seems so. "Don't make me bring up your conversation with Sir Nathan."

I twist my lips in amusement. I see the game she's playing. Are all vampires like this? Always bulging into people's business?

I lean closer to her ears and whisper. "Why do you call him Sir Nathan and then Nathan sometimes? You're confusing."

She frowns, not bothering to whisper back to me. "I didn't notice that and I certainly wasn't expecting that question."

"What question?" Nathan asks from the driver's seat, his eyes suddenly on us.

"Eyes on the road." I roll my eyes. I don't know why I am more confident to face him now. Well, it has been a long few days and they were pretty complicated too.

"Yes, ma'am." I hear the smirk in his voice as he turns back to the road.

Jasmine mirrors my confusion when she turns to me with a what-was-that-about look.

I get bored easily and thankfully, I carried a purse with me. I spent the rest of my time playing on my phone till we arrive to our destination.

"We're here." Nathan's voice is groggy, maybe he's sleepy. I mean, he has been driving for a while now.

I take a while to look around as Nathan walks out of the door to open the door for me.

I don't think the people around notices us yet. The place is buzzing with chatter and crowded with people, maybe gods and goddesses too.

I lean closer to Nathan as he helps me out of the car. "Why didn't you tell me that it's going to be a big party."

He whispers too, in my ear. "I apologise, maybe next time.

Maybe?

My throat gets cloaked up as I feel his hot breath on the side of my face. It's too close. Too close.

Jasmine steps out of the car and stands besides us while I finally notice the big mansion in front of us. I don't know how I didn't notice that before, it's right in front of me.

"Ladies." Nathan gives us both his elbows and leads us inside.

I feel a sudden ping of jealously when Jasmine grasps his other elbow. Even though I know that Jasmine isn't one to do something crazy, I can't help but be jealous.

A bright light from the room we have entered makes me blink several times. The room looks like a great hall and it takes me a survey the place, except for the people dancing, chatting or simply alone, I see nothing out of the usual.

Are there really gods here?

"Hey, Nathaniel! I'm so happy you came!" A flash of blonde hair rushes to our side and I am pushed back as the unknown woman hugs Nathan, irrelevant of our- his position right now.

Nathaniel?

She calls him that but he told me not to.

She pulls away and I get the chance to look at her face. One things for sure, she is beautiful. Her cheeks are a bit covered with freckles but that doesn't affect her in anyway.

I can almost see the confidence she carries herself in. She's not afraid of anything.

"Jas! It's good to see you to too." This unknown woman hugs Jasmine too and by the way she called Jasmine, I presume that she knows more about her.

"Evelyn, I'd like you to meet my mate, Isabella. And Isabella, this is Evelyn, the birthday girl and goddess of the seasons."

Evelyn twirls in her pink ball gown and winks. "That's why they call me, Evelyn."

There's something about her that I don't like, I can't put my finger on it though. Maybe it's because she hugged Nathan too tighten and my wolf is slipping negative emotions into my head. Yeah, probably that.

She turns to me swiftly and gives me her gloved her. "I've heard a lot about you, Isabella. You spiked my interest when I heard that you're Nathaniel's mate, also with the fact that you're werewolf royalty."

"Yeah, I can see that you are role-playing a princess. It definitely suits you." I gaze at her outstretched hand with uncertainty and awkwardly shake it.

She frowns. "You were supposed to kiss it." Her face beams up with a smile again, this time a goofy one. "Sorry, I was born in the late 90's and sometimes my mind goes a little far back."

Jasmine and Nathan laughs while I smack my lips together. I'm afraid that if I join them, my laughter will sound a little too forced.

This woman seems nice and easygoing but there's something about her that gives me negative feelings. I don't like her but I'll have to play along because Jasmine and Nathan know her well.

"It's alright, you're the birthday girl after all... Wait, how old are you?"

"I'm pretty old."

That doesn't exactly answer my question but I just nod.

So far, she hasn't shown any sign of hostility towards me and that's a relief. If she felt threatened by me she would have certainly made a scene in public that's the type of woman that she strikes me to be.

I zone out a bit from their conversation and focus on my surroundings.

I turn to Nathan who is deeply focused on his discussion with Evelyn and Jasmine. When I try to tug my hand from his elbow, he turns to me and frowns.

"What is it?"

"I'm just going to find the restroom." I assure him before Evelyn cuts in.

"I could show you if you want. This place is big and it's easy for a few people to get lost sometimes." She smiles.

Her words make me tense up but I sense no negativity coming from her, and that disperses my tension a bit.

As she leads me towards the restroom, I glance at Nathan, he is staring at me too. We watch each other till I turn round the corner.

"Now, we have a lot of time to talk about what your problem is."

She pauses immediately and slowly turn to me with a confused look.

"What are you talking about?"

"Cut the crap. I know that you don't like me and I don't like you either. I follow my guts, Evelyn and it tells me that you're bad news."

She scoffs and her face crumbles into that of disgust. "So you do have a brain. I thought the only thing that princesses do where to scream orders at people and take long naps."

"Well, you would know since you are role-playing a princess." I shrug and the corner of her eyes crinkles.

She takes an intimidated step forward but I stand my ground. There are many things that I am perfect in, and that's hidding my true emotions when I want to.

"Are you trying to mock me, little girl. Do you even know who I am?"

"Yeah, I do. You're Evelyn, the woman who has her eyes set on my man." I can't believe that I just called Nathan my man, it shocks and surprises me at the same time.

"Your man?" She suddenly bends down and laughs loudly. "What are you talking about? Do you really think that you are capable of meeting his standards?"

I raise my chin the air and look down at her. "He is my mate, that is all I need."

"You're obviously still a little girl who knows nothing about Nathan." She smirks and shakes her head in disgust amusement. "How about we make a bargain."

The hatred in her eyes makes me stand still as she steps forward but I don't take my eyes off her. She's trying to intimidate me and I'm not going to let that stand.

"What does that entail?"

"If you find a way to sleep with Nathaniel tonight then I won't bother you ever again. I promise not to hurt you in anyway and also not to make advances to Nathaniel again."

I squint at her. "What's in it for you?"

This seems to easy?

"You're a clever one aren't you? Well, if you don't sleep with him, when I mean sleep, I mean, have sex then you'll be my slave for all your life and you're gonna live for a long time, dearie. I'll make sure of that."

"As your slave, I'll do anything you say, including reject Nathan?"

She nods, looking smug. "Of course, dearie. You'll make sure to break his heart and I'll be there to fix it up for you."

"So if I fail to have sex with Nathan tonight, you'll make me your slave for only eternity but if I do succeed, you won't bother me again, neither will you interfere in Nathan's and I relationship or hurt me?"

"That's correct."

I grin. Suddenly things are getting interesting for me. "Okay, but being your slave is a lot so I'm gonna add something to the it."

She doesn't say a word so I continue.

"When I succeeded, you will have my back and when I need your help, you will come to my aid. This is added to my other rewards you're going to give me when I succeed."

She hesitates a bit and I indulge her. "It's only fair."

"Alright then." She stretches her arm and a white glow emits from it. "This is a god's deal. We will be bounded by our words. If you do fail, you must succumb to my demands and I, yours."

"That's a handy thing you got there." I shake her hand and smile at her. "It's a deal."