The Crown's Entrapment

Osman indeed didn't take long, quickly coming back to her with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Careful, it's still hot," he offered the cup with a smile as he sat beside her, holding his own cup of coffee to drink from. Bella saw him sniff it, so he copied what he was doing on her own cup.

"I also love tea, but I guess I prefer this one because of its bitter and sweet taste," Osman commented on the beverage. "I love to add sweeteners to it, so I took the liberty of doing the same blend to your cup. I hope you'll like it."

Looking at the steaming beverage, Bella blew on it and then took a sip. Smacking her lips, she nodded with an approving hum. It was pretty good.

"It's nice," she commented. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

The two of them sat in silence for while, both of them content with simply sipping on their coffee in each other's presence.

"Hopefully you won't get to face the one representing the Siver Crescent Pack," Osman suddenly brought up.

"You mean Pinra, Lord Gilas's cousin?" Bella asked.

"Yes," he nodded with a sigh. "She's scary. She's been killing every single opponent she came across before they can even yield. She's brutal, and her killings are intentional…"

Bella turned to him and, with a smile, teased, "Aren't you being too worried for a woman you've only met twice so far?"

And there he went again with those smiles of his that just seemed to hold the promise of a gentle touch. Bella bit her inner cheek. She didn't answer her sister-in-law a while ago since she was feeling shy about admitting it, but she was actually thrilled to find out more and see what Lord Osman would do to try and woo her in the near future.

"Oh right, I also brought you some herbal balm," Osman suddenly recalled, fishing something out of his pocket as he sold her on his gift. "This product is very effective based on my own experience… Here."

Accepting the small container of balm, Bella didn't expect such a gift as she found herself staring at it sitting on her palm. Why would he give her something like this when she was a werewolf who could easily heal on her own?

Seeing her seeming apprehension, Osman took it from her palm and opened it himself. Bella then watched him take a small portion of it before he then gently held her arm. With his eyes on her, he asked, "May I?"

Smitten by his intense gaze, Bella simply nodded.

Getting her approval, he raised her right arm before thinly applying the balm on a scratch that she didn't even know existed.

"Hmm, I know werewolves heal on their own, but I'm sure that you're aware that although the wound will easily heal, it will still leave a scar on your beautiful and precious skin if left unattended," Osman explained himself as he continued to apply more of it onto her skin.

"This balm is very effective. I bought it during my trade with Ebodia. It can prevent even the deepest scars from forming from fresh wounds. Please don't forget to use it for your fresh wounds, and tell me if you need more."

Bella unknowingly bit her lower lip as she watched him put the ointment on some of the minor cuts she sustained a while ago from fighting in the tournament.

'That's so weird. How did he notice them when I didn't even notice that I have those bruises?' she inwardly mused.

He was holding her like she was some kind of delicate flower that he was afraid to break, and it was making her feel things that she didn't really know how to respond to. And not only were his smiles gentle, but his touch was the same as well as the feeling of his body heat seemed to burn through her skin.… It was hot… despite the snow currently falling near them.

[Just admit it already. You're feeling it… The electricity of his touch,] Poona pointed out. [I think we're not blessed to experience the Mate Pull, but I believe we're still blessed enough to experience our fated true love.]

[I'm only twenty-five, Poona, turning twenty-six in three weeks,] Bella reminded her wolf. [Remember that we still need to wait for another two years before we can rule out that we can't feel the Mate Pull, Poona. What if we opened our heart to Osman, and then along the way we suddenly feel the Mate Pull pointing us towards another man? It'll be too complicated, don't you think?]

Her wolf didn't answer as Bella looked at Osman, the latter having finished applying the balm on her skin. "There," he nodded in approval. He then gave her the balm and said, "Here. Keep this…"

Receiving the gift, Bella gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you."

Bella didn't know what to think. Osman seemed to be a good man, and it would be a pity to hurt someone like him if she happened to choose her true mate should she have any in the future.

"You're spacing out again, little vixen."

"Little vixen? Why? Because I'm sly and wily? Or cunning?" Bella burst out with lifted brows.

"Pardon me. Please don't interpret it like that," Osman chuckled. "It's because you're gorgeous and very attractive. It would be too long to say all those things, so I unknowingly said little vixen instead. Also, your eyes are so sexy, like a vixen's eyes…"

Bella blinked away. She could no longer keep eye contact with him since it was way too…

[Hahaha! That's desire burning in his cobalt blue eyes,] Poona egged her on, preventing her from properly composing herself. [Don't you want to drown yourself in it?]

"Are you aware that the maximum age limit to experience the Mate Pull is around twenty-eight for werewolves?" Bella asked, trying to change the topic by directing it to her true concerns as to why she was hesitating to give Osman a chance.

"I am, but you still confessed your feelings to Calypso, right?" Osman pointed out despite her factoid. "You knew he wasn't your mate, but you still took a chance…" Bella was caught off guard by that statement.

With her frozen, Osman simply stared at her deeply, searching the deepest depths of her soul as he added, "It's alright. It doesn't matter anyway." He smiled, "Take your time. I'm not in a hurry. Just let me stay and take care of you; to protect you until you can finally decide on what you really want."

"But what if I suddenly experience the Mate Pull and meet my mate?" Bella almost whispered out.

"Like I said…It doesn't matter, Bella," Osman reassured her. "Whatever your decision will be in the end, I will always respect it."

"But that would be unfair for you…" Bella said with a frown.

Osman only gave her another gentle smile and said, "No, it won't be. I'm the one responsible for my own actions, not you…"