Chapter 457 - FOURTEEN YEARS OLD (8)

Kace didn't know that he would break this news this way, he had been thinking about the most complicated case, when the situation forced him to explain this to Hope. 

Just like what had been nagged by Serefina since a year ago, Kace had to tell Hope about this sooner or later. 

Yet, Kace would have never imagined this news was actually brought by Hope herself, she made a way for Kace to discuss this. 

"Me?" Hope pointed herself with her forefinger, her expression was incredulous. "But, how?"

"I don't have the answer for that Hope." Kace was all serious now. Hope wanted him to not treat her like a child, therefore he wouldn't treat her like one. "It wasn't me who has the privilege to choose my own mate."

Hope was at lost for words for a few minutes and Kace was very patient to wait for her next reaction. 

"But, don't you think I am too young for you?" Hope was still didn't believe it, though there was somewhere in the corner of her heart, the smallest part of her that was relieved to hear that. 

"I don't think about you in that way." Kace raised his eyebrows. 

Hope blinked her eyes adorably since she couldn't understand Kace's contradictive statement. "You said that I am your mate, but you also said you don't think about me that way?" 

"At least not until you had come into the right age to think about that." Kace nodded to himself. Hope was fourteen now, she was in early teenager state, probably they could have this kind of conversation again after three years from now.

"No." Hope didn't know why, but she rejected the idea. "I want to choose my own boyfriend," she said sullenly. 

Kace and Hope were staring at each other for more than ten seconds before the former finally broke the silence between them. "Sure." He nodded. "You can choose whoever boy to be your boyfriend."

The sound of Kace's voice was very pleasant, but Hope knew for sure, there was underlying meaning from his words and her guess was right. 

"But if he touches mine, I will make sure he loses his hand," Kace said those words in languid tone as if he didn't mean every words he said when the truth was; he would prove otherwise. 

"I am not yours." Hope widened her eyes in disbelief, her rebellious side was triggered. She was raised by Serefina after all, thus in one or two occasion, she would show this self- sufficient side of her. "I am not a thing. You don't own me."

Hope didn't know why she found out the need to defy Kace. Probably because she was still quest her own identity, but all of sudden Kace had claimed her as his. 

Hope didn't really dislike the idea, since Kace wasn't bad at all. Damn! He was hot, actually! And Hope was blushing because of this thought. 

Honestly, Hope had never seen a man as good looking as him. 

However, this feeling was complicated. She felt the need to deny it and didn't want to be claimed that way. 

"You are mine, Hope. Just like how I am yours." Kace shrugged his shoulder as his goofy smile returned on his lips. "I think this is enough for you for now. We will talk about this later when you grow older."

"You always talk like that," Hope grumbled.

Kace stood up and kissed her forehead.

Despite Hope had said she refused to be Kace's mate, but it came very natural for her to be kissed by Kace and she didn't mind it at all.

============== 

Hope was biting the tip of his pen when the teacher was explaining about story from the past, the girl was spacing out while looking out of the window until she felt someone nudged her side.

Hope whipped her head toward Ian beside her while glaring and mouthing 'what?'

As a reply, Ian pushed his book over to Hope, on the surface of it was his handwriting that said; 'what are you thinking? You have been spacing out since the first class.'

Hope frowned when she read that. She realized that her action must attracted this boy attention because he was very talkative and most of the time today, Hope ignored him. 

Hope took her pen and scribbled under his sentences. 'Nothing'. 

Actually, Hope was thinking about her conversation with Kace last night and it felt like she just opened a pandora box. She didn't know how to discern this information. 

Kace was… old. 

Hope was not sure how old he was, though his face was still the same like her first memory about him, but Hope didn't think she wanted to be with him.

However, in contrary, the moment Hope was with Kace, the interaction that they shared, it felt very natural. 

Kace had said that she didn't need to think about this, at least not now, when she was only fourteen years old, but Hope couldn't help it. 

And if Hope thought about the days that she spent with Kace… all of those days were filled with her either drooling crying, or throwing tantrum like a baby. 

Maybe this was only her self- consciousness, but she didn't think that she had left a good memory for Kace to remember. 

Lana had told her that Kace was the one who would change her diapers when he was around when Hope was a baby.

They used to laugh about how Hope had peed or pooped on him in some occasion when Kace was holding her.

It was funny memories and Hope would taunt him about this occasionally. 

But, not now. 

Those memories were nightmares! 

Hope didn't know why her view about Kace changed all of sudden when she heard she was his mate. Wasn't she not like the idea?

If that was the case, she didn't need to feel bother like how she felt right now, right?

"I feel like I am going to die soon." Hope whispered, she covered her face with her palms.