Chapter 3 Bound by Secrets

Elizabeth Point of view

I watched him now from the bench I sat on, admiring him wistfully. Ever since I met him at the party, I couldn't stop thinking about him; he drew me in. I smiled when I remembered what happened at the party-he hadn't taken anything from my hair, he had put something there: a rose flower. Ever since then, I've been so intrigued, and as if he noticed me staring, he waved and dropped the shears. I had discovered he loved gardening.

"Hello," he said when he got to my side and slowly sat on the bench beside me.

"Hey, your gardens look beautiful," I said, and he grinned at me.

"Why, thank you," he said and tossed back his hair from his face.

"So, you are the second triplet?" I asked, and he nodded, smiling.

"Yeah. I am the second, the one who always loves to keep his two brothers in check. Damon and Logan do not exactly get along so well," he said, and I stared at him.

"Why?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"Damon has held a grudge over something Logan did to him when we were just teens. Ever since, Damon has hated him for it, though I still think behind all that supposed hate, Damon would do anything for me and Logan even if he had to kill us," Aiden said. He closed his eyes.

"Where is he, and what's he like?" I asked, and Aiden smiled.

"Damon is in Spain, doing whatever business he usually does. As for who he is..." Aiden sighed. "Damon is the person you don't want to piss off. He kills without even thinking twice about it; he doesn't have the slightest care about what people think," Aiden said.

"Why is he like that?" I asked, and Aiden shrugged.

"Damon wasn't always like this. He drifted away from the moral person he was. His one true love was killed in cold blood, then our parents, and also his best friend," he said, and I sighed. Our eyes met again, and this time, Aiden stared at me curiously. He brushed away my hair from my face.

"You are so beautiful," he said, and I blushed. He leaned forward, then he stopped. He moved away.

"Sorry, you are, umm, with Logan," he said, but I shook my head.

"I am with no one. Even if Logan loves me, that does not mean that I love him back," I said, and he smiled. He fished in his pocket and brought out his phone.

"I have a surprise for you," he said, and I looked at him in surprise. He unlocked his phone and handed it to me to see. On the screen was a message from college inviting me to study...

"Biology!" I exclaimed. "I have always loved biology," I said, and Aiden smiled. I pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you," I said, and he pulled away. He stared at my face way too long, then he sighed.

"You're welcome, Liz," he said, and I smiled. Liz! I liked the sound of that.

"You have classes tomorrow, and you still have today to do all your registration and all that," he said, and I smiled at him.

"Would you come with me?" I said, and he smiled warmly at me. He put his phone back in his pocket and held my hand.

"Yes. I will come with you," he said.

"You should have seen the girls' faces when I walked in with you. Everyone just kept staring; some looked like they wanted to kill me," I said, and Aiden smiled and shrugged innocently.

"I wasn't even trying to do anything," he said. He opened the door for me as we got home and smiled.

"So you don't have a girlfriend?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"No, I don't," he said, and he looked pleased. "Girls are trouble," he added, and I pouted.

"Are you saying that I am in trouble?" I asked. He burst out laughing; the sound was so contagious that I chuckled.

"No, you are not," his smile faded away, and he stared at me with intent. "You are just Elizabeth," he said, and moved closer to me.

"Why do I want to kiss you right now?" he asked, and I moved closer until I could feel his breath.

"Maybe you should find out," I said, and his green eyes bore into mine. Then he brushed his lips across mine, and I shuddered. Just that simple touch was making me go haywire already. He pulled back and stared at me in wonder. Deep down, I was feeling a bit disappointed; he wasn't also my mate. My wolf didn't recognize her.

"You look pale," he observed, and I smiled. I pulled him in for a hug; I really wanted him to be my mate.

"I am okay. Just hold me like this," I said, and he nodded and stroked my hair.

"Do you believe in love?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Yes, why?" I asked, but he shook his head.

"I was just asking," he said and pulled away.

"How did Logan make you feel?" he asked, and I sighed.

"He made me feel alive," I said, and he smiled and kissed me on the forehead.

"How do I make you feel?" he asked, and I grinned.

"You make me feel more alive and... and loved," I said, and he pulled me to him again and covered my lips with his. I wrapped my arms around his neck. He pulled away and stared at me, brushing away the stubborn strands of hair that came into my face.

"I am yours, Aiden," I said, and he stared at me and shook his head with a smile.

"You know what that means in werewolf law," he said, and I smiled; I did know what that meant.

"I do," I said and held his hand.

"It means we are bound for life," I said, and he smiled wide. Then something crossed my mind: if he wasn't my mate, then it was certainly the last of the Stone brothers.

Damon.