I Rejected My Obsessive Werebeast novel Chapter 5

Aurora’s POV

“Hello, I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, his dark eyes gleaming softly under the sunlight.

“Are you ready to go?” I said, gesturing toward the parking lot. “I’ll take you home.”

He nodded and followed me.

When we found my car, he opened the trunk and loaded his suitcase with just one hand. His bicep flexed when he did that.

He looked so strong and masculine. Was all predatory werebeast like that?

“What’s wrong?” he asked abruptly, his voice tight. Apparently he had caught me peeking.

“Nothing,” I quickly looked away. “Let’s go.”

Once we were both settled in the car, I started the engine and pulled out onto the main road.

Silas sat in the passenger seat, his posture perfectly straight, his dark eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside the window.

“So,” I cleared my throat, attempting to break the ice, “can you tell me a bit about yourself? Your previous experiences, maybe?”

He answered right away. “My name is Silas Blackwood. 26 years old. 6’9. I’m a weretiger, S-rank.”

He’s taking this so seriously that it was almost cute. I giggled, “Well, yes, I know all about those. But I’d like to hear things that aren’t on the profile. Like your childhood, or fun facts?”

He frowned, looking almost embarrassed. “I grew up in the Matchin Center. There’s nothing fun there.”

I glanced at him. “Did you have an owner before me?”

“No.” One-word answers. Sounded cold and distant.

I didn’t know whether that was simply his personality, or whether he was dissatisfied with me as his owner.

If it was the latter…My fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

Sure, werebeasts didn’t have the right to choose their owners, but I still wanted both of us to feel comfortable with this arrangement. I didn’t want to force anyone into something they didn’t want.

“Are you okay with this?” I asked. “With me, I mean?”

Silas snapped his head up and looked at me. “Of course.”

That wasn’t exactly reassuring. Because he still looked very tense.

We drove the rest of the way in silence. When we finally pulled up to my house, I parked in the driveway and led him inside.

The moment Silas crossed the threshold, his expression shifted.

His brows drew together, and his nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. He froze at the doorstep, looking sad and defeated at the same time.

“Everything alright?” I asked.

“Yeah…I’m fine,” he said sullenly, apparently in a low spirit.

“Well then, come on in. This is your home now.”

He made his way into the living room stiffly. His presence suddenly made this spacious living room look so small.

But it clearly wasn’t nothing as he said. He sat stiffly on the couch, not even bothering to explore the house, as if he had no interest in this new environment at all.

I couldn’t help but frowned at his back.

Sure, I needed a new werebeast, and Silas checked my every box. But still, I wouldn’t force him to stay somewhere he didn’t want to be.

I wouldn’t be like Connor, manipulating someone into staying with me. If Silas didn’t like this household, I’d set him free.

By the time dinner rolled around, I’d made up my mind.

I prepared a decent meal—steaks cooked to medium rare, weretiger’s favorite food according to the Matching Center’s brochure—and set two plates on the dining table.

Silas sat across from me, eating in silence, without looking up.

I took a deep breath and set down my fork.

“Silas,” I began quietly.

He looked up from his food immediately. I forced myself to meet his gaze.

“I need to be honest with you. If you don’t want to be here… if you’re not comfortable with me as your owner… I can take you back to the Matching Center.”

His dark eyes suddenly rounded.

“I won’t force you to stay,” I continued. “I know werebeasts don’t get to choose their owners, but that doesn’t seem fair to me. I want you to be happy, too. So if this isn’t what you want, I’ll—”

Silas suddenly stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

He leaned forward, bracing his hands on the table, his eyes locked onto mine with startling intensity.

“You don’t want me anymore?” he asked, his voice low and rough.

I blinked, stunned. “What? No. That’s not what I—”

“Then why are you trying to send me away?” His tone had an edge to it now, something almost… hurt.

“I’m not trying to send you away,” I said quickly. “I just thought you didn’t like it here. You seemed upset the moment you walked in, and you’ve barely said a word to me all day. I thought maybe you didn’t want to be stuck with me.”

Silas stared at me for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his dark eyes.

Then, without warning, he moved around the table toward me.

I instinctively pushed back in my chair, but he crouched down in front of me so we were at eye level.

Then he leaned in.

Up close, I could see the gleam in his deep-set eyes, feel the heat radiating from him. I was suddenly nervous, but not in an unpleasant way.

“I’m only afraid of hurting you,” he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “They told me that…predatory werebeasts make people scared. I just didn’t want to mess this up.”

“What? No. That’s silly. Why would I be scared?”

His eyes lit up. Then, catching me completely off guard, he lowered his head and buried his face in my palms.

I froze. I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin, the solid weight of him.

“And besides,” he added, his voice muffled against my palm, “… there’s another werebeast in your house. I smelled him the moment I walked in.”

My breath caught.

So that’s what it was? He smelled Connor and he was…jealous?