ODYSSEUS

Chapter Three ~ I Don't Bite

T A T U M

     "Hey, where are you taking me?" I ask the king as he struts down the hallway. I speed walk right behind him, trying to keep up with his humongous steps.

I adjust the strings on the pair of sweatpants he had given me, trying to keep them from falling off.

"Don't you want to see Lola?" He asks me, I could practically feel the smirk that rested on his lips.

My heart skips a beat at his words.

"You're taking me to, Lola?" I ask him, astonished he would do something so kind for me. Never in a million years would I have thought the werewolf king cared for a human, let alone anyone other than himself.

"Yes, but first," he says entering the kitchen.
"You have to eat," he finishes and turns around, a smug smile rested on his face.

I look at the table seeing a wide array of foods. Certainly for a king. Obviously.

"Come on, sit." He says pulling out a chair for me.
"I don't bite," he smirks. My heartbeat picks up at his heartless joke. What a bastard, did he think he was funny?

I slowly walk over to the seat and timidly sit down as he tucks my chair in underneath me.

He sits next to me at the head of the table. The Alpha's seat.

"This will be your seat from now on," he says before grabbing some food and pilling it on his plate, not glancing at me.

"You plan on keeping me?" I ask him shocked, even though I probably shouldn't be, I wasn't dead like the rest of my village was I?

"Of course, my mate. I wouldn't have it any other way," he says sending a polite smile my way, I let out a breath as the last of my hope slithers away.

He piles food onto my plate, I look down at it feeling uneasy. I felt sick, the last thing I could do right now is eat. All I could think of was village and my people. Even if I were to escape what would I have to come back to? A burned down village. All our hard work and our souls were poured into our little village.

I shouldn't be surprised that the werewolf king would burn down a human village. Oh god. How could I have possible forgotten about Rose?! I sit densely in my seat and pray to the universe for her safety.

At least she made it out, I hope.

"What is your name, mate?" The Kings words bring me back to the present. I look up at him from my untouched food.

"Tatum," I say without even realising I had even uttered a word. It was as if his words had an affect on me. I wanted to please him regardless of the pain and suffering he had caused my family and I. This was sick. I really didn't want to believe in the mate bond but it wasn't giving me a choice. This sucked.

"Last name?" He asks, looking up at me with those soft brown eyes. I quickly look down at his plate realising he had finished his food before I had even started.

"Barlowe," I tell him, keeping my eyes downcast.

"Tatum Barlowe," he says more to himself than I, my name rolling off his tongue. I feel my body stir with an emotion I hadn't felt before. What is happening to me?

"My name is, Odysseus," he says to me, my eyes snap up to meet his, his eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Odysseus, Viotto," he says to me with a smirk. He spoke as if his name should mean something to me. And it did, just not in the way that he had hoped. To me he was the beast behind my families murders... not my soulmate.

"Aren't you going to eat, Tatum?" He asks me, looking at me with concern.

"I'm not really sure if I'm that hungry," I say to him with a small chuckle, blushing at his concern. I keep my eyes down, resting them on my plate.

As if on que my stomach betrays me and grumbles. Well I guess I was going to have to eat it now.

"Tatum, if you don't eat I can't take you to, Lola," he says to me. I look into his deep brown eyes, they swirl with different emotions. I feel myself easily getting overwhelmed and my eyes quickly cast back onto my plate.

I grab the fork and sigh. Did I want to see Lola or not?

I stab a piece of chicken with my fork and place it into my mouth. I feel his eyes on me, making me uncomfortable. I keep shoving the food into my mouth and try to eat as fast as I can to get myself out of this awkward situation.

"Done," I say with my mouth full. I stand up and the chair scrapes loudly causing me to cringe as I swallow the rest of my food.

"Now take me to, Lola." I demand, walking out a random door. I hear him let out a deep chuckle causing my stomach to erupt with butterflies.

"Tatum, baby. You're going the wrong way," he says causing me to blush in embarrassment at both nickname and the fact that I had made a fool of myself.

Of course I had to made a fool out of myself. I walk back into the room with a serious look on my face, blushing as red as a tomato.

"Fine, since you know it all, lead the way," I say to him trying to sound really serious, I cross my arms for effect.

He stands up out of his chair walks out of the room with me in tow.

We finally reach the front door after what feels like ten minutes. This castle is huge. I don't want to imagine how long it would have taken me to find the front door.

The guards standing at it open it for the king. I watch his back, admiring his polished attire. It feels weird seeing a werewolf in a suit. But then again they part human and he's a king. What else is he gonna wear?

I watch as his muscles flex in his suit jacket. This guy had to be ripped.

Before I know it, we reach the stables. At first I see a huge black horse, this horse was just as muscly as him. Some movement comes from behind him and I immediately recognise the horse as, Lola.

I rush over to her, trying to avoid the muscly horse that looks like it would beat my arse in one second flat.

"Lola," I say to her. She neighs and walks over to me, I stick my hand out and she nuzzles into it.

I look over at the king as he smiles at Lola and I's, interaction.

"Thank you," I say to him, sending him a weak smile. She was the last I had of my village of my life I once knew. I'd go insane without this girl at my side. I just wish Rose was here as well. I wish my village hadn't been burnt down I'd still be there, taking care of all the animals, and not just Lola. I'd be with Rose. And my people.

We were so care free and happy living our own lives. We never hurt anybody. We would live civilly alongside the wolves in our respected territory. So all I'm left with now is not knowing why they attacked our village. There had to be a piece of this puzzle that was missing, and I was going to find out what it was.

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Edited

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