Chapter 171: Curiosity and Care
Pandora fell silent. She did not expect that at all. She had just been asking out of curiosity, and it seemed this man here did not mind.
She was curious because, after all the rumors, she did not even know what to think. She had asked that because she heard a particular person say it, though for other people it had been the other way round about Raven using her. It surprised her deeply.
She gently turned as she faced Raven. There was a wide smile on Raven’s lips as he looked at her, waiting for her to speak. Pandora was taken aback by the smile; she did not expect it at all. This man really was surprising her in the most unexpected ways.
"You can’t say that, Raven. Why would you say I should use you? I do not want to," she glared at him...even though that glare only made the admiration in his eyes sparkle further.
"But I don’t mind and you asked, so I answered," he spoke, his perfect teeth coming into view. Pandora pouted her lips, left speechless. She looked at him still in disbelief.
Raven held her chin as he spoke.
"Use me, sweetheart, and no matter what happens, I will always be with you." Pandora’s heart skipped at his words, and she then spoke,
"You have to understand, Raven, that you are spoiling me," she said seriously, adding,
"And it is not good, because I would keep getting spoiled. You do not want me to become spoiled by always giving me what I want," she spoke softly, as she was slowly getting used to this life.
There was a wide smile on Raven’s lips as he spoke.
"Oh, sweetheart, you have seen nothing yet," he said with a soft laugh. Even the laughter momentarily caught her off guard. By his handsomeness, she fought to remember herself, trying not to be too awestruck. She managed to keep a straight face, though the corners of her lips moved upwards ever so slightly, which Raven did not fail to notice.
"You are so stubborn," she said, giving him a glare.
Raven chuckled at her words before speaking quietly, "Oh please, you’re the stubborn one here."
Pandora laughed, unaware of the truth—she was indeed the stubborn one. Raven found this even more admirable, for it was her stubbornness that had made him allow her to stay.
Even though he knew he was taking a risk by allowing her to stay with him..given that they were both adults, a man and a woman —he didn’t know why, but something in him told him it was what he wanted. Or perhaps it was because of her eyes, those blue eyes that seemed to spellbound him with just a look.
He spoke quietly, "Now come, let’s go check, your arms."
Only then did Pandora realize she had a scratch from when the maid had pushed her. Before she knew it, he had taken her hands, and they began walking inside. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind. She halted and turned to him.
"The maid," she said quietly.
Raven raised an eyebrow, surprised by her words. "What is the matter, Dora?" he asked gently.
"The maid... I hope she’s fine," she whispered worriedly.
She remembered that when Raven had arrived, the maid had immediately stood and left. As she was leaving, Pandora had heard a gasp from inside, though she had no idea what it was.
Raven fell silent. He couldn’t believe this lady—his lady..was actually worried about someone who had injured her. Even with her own injury, she thought of the other person.
He hadn’t noticed how soft-hearted she truly was. And right now, he found himself wondering...wondering why he hadn’t broken the maid’s arm more.
He looked at her, and she stared back at him, as if waiting for him to answer before moving. At last, he nodded—though Pandora wondered if the nod was for what she had said or for something else.
They both walked toward her room. He sat her down on the bench and spoke quietly, "You have to think about yourself first. You are very important."
Then he reached for the first aid box from the lower drawer, opened it, and brought out some cotton wool. Sitting beside her on the bench, she placed her hand atop the table. He took the cotton wool and began treating her.
Pandora watched him, noticing the extra care he was taking. Softly, she said, "You know, this is just a scratch. First aid isn’t really necessary."
She spoke calmly, but Raven shook his head. "Pandora, remember to take good care of yourself—even if it’s just a dot. You need to tend to it."
His voice was calm as he carefully dabbed the cotton wool on her scratch. Pandora hissed softly, though it was really only a scratch. She hadn’t expected him to treat it with such care, and her heart continued to melt for him.
The more he acted this way, the more her heart softened. And she wouldn’t lie if she said she had no feelings for him—for she did. Deep, deep feelings.
He finally placed the band-aid on her scratch, making sure it would heal quickly and stay safe from dirt or anything else. Just as he finished, Pandora’s heart raced even more at the gentle way he had taken his time.
Before Raven could stand, an arm suddenly wrapped around his neck—Pandora hugged him tightly. She felt so cherished. Raven was slightly taken aback, yet as her sweet scent wrapped around him, he hugged her back, a faint smile curving his lips.
Pulling a strand of his hair between her fingers, she whispered, "Wow... you treat me so well, Raven."
Raven chuckled softly. "You deserve the world, Dora."
Her heart melted again. She fought not to cry, not to turn into the crybaby Raven had once teased her for being even do he did not mind at all. She wanted to be strong, yet his care made her feel fragile in the sweetest way.
"You are the first person who has ever been so caring to me," she said quietly, lowering her gaze.
"Look at me, sweetheart," Raven murmured.
She lifted her eyes to him, and he continued softly, "And I will keep taking good care of you."
Then he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. Her face flushed hot as she whispered, "Aren’t you curious why a mermaid is in a werewolf world?"
"I know there is a reason," Raven replied quietly. "But whatever it is, i would not mind... because I believe fate brought us together."
Pandora smiled faintly before her voice trembled. "I hated my parents for abandoning me."
Silence hung between them as Raven stayed quiet. She continued softly, "Do you know why it hurt so much? My father wanted to take me away...because of some cruel kingdom rules in the mermaid world, My mother... she snuck me out instead. She found a ship, one I wasn’t supposed to be on. I stayed hidden for a month as the journey dragged on. She slipped me inside through the window, without anyone knowing..."
Her lips trembled as her words spilled out.
Raven took her hand firmly as he caressed it with his thumb. "You don’t have to worry. From now on, I’ll protect you with all my heart."
Pandora gulped, nodding, before whispering, "But... don’t werewolves have mates?"
Raven fell silent.
Pandora knew she didn’t understand much about the werewolf world, but there was one thing she was certain of: once a werewolf found their mate, their bond only grew stronger and stronger, tightening with every moment.
To her, the idea of a mermaid and a werewolf being together had never even seemed possible. And that was why she was curious—what would happen if Raven finally met his mate?
Now, she realized one of the reasons she had always tried to hold back her feelings. She didn’t want to accept the truth—that she deeply liked him. She forced herself to hold it in, to suppress the pull toward him, because she was afraid of being hurt later when he found the one destined for him.
Yes, Raven was taking good care of her, better than anyone ever had, but what if it was only because of his nature, not because of love?
B..But he had said he love me.
And even though she had shared so many moments with him, she found herself longing for more, aching to be closer to him in ways she had never imagined.
Her lips trembled, refusing to move. She didn’t know why tears threatened to spill. She didn’t know how her heart would survive if she ever saw another woman in Raven’s arms.
Pressing her lips together, her chest tightened painfully. In fact, the very thought of seeing Raven with another woman brought a sharp pain to her chest. She couldn’t even imagine how it would feel to witness it in real life, nor did she know how she would be able to cope—or even stand it.
And then Raven spoke quietly.
"They do."
"So... once you find your mate, does this mean you would leave me?" she asked softly.
Raven’s body stiffened at her words.