Chapter 9 #2
“This is so inappropriate,” I stated, trying to squirm out of his grasp and making a point to look everywhere but at his naked chest…or lower. Yeah, definitely not a good idea to look down there!
“Let me go!” I finally huffed.
His arm around my waist remained firm.
He took a deep inhale, clearly taking in my scent. “Princess, you smell so good. I want to see if you taste as good as I remember.”
His voice was gravelly, almost like a low growl. Which meant his wolf was influencing his decisions.
“What?” I exclaimed aghast.
He thought I smelled good? He thought I tasted good? No…he couldn’t possibly.
He suddenly kissed the soft spot on my neck where I knew mates marked each other. I turned to jelly but managed to pull my neck away from his mouth.
There was a low animalistic growl that came from his chest in protest of his mate backing away. But I couldn’t let him get carried away.
“You…you just turned back from your wolf. You need time to…to… assimilate,” I reasoned breathlessly.
“It’s your wolf’s instinct,” I argued softly, bringing shaking hands up to exert pressure against Aiden’s shoulders.
Steadfastly, I ignored the wonderful feeling of his skin against my fingertips.
“You…you love Lexia. I won’t be the reason you cheat on her,” I stated firmly.
Aiden’s low growls of protest stilled suddenly.
There was a minuscule pause as we both stood frozen, teetering between backing away and giving into the mate bond. And then…
“Go,” Aiden said, that one word with enough force to send me scrambling backwards.
I found myself backing away and running towards my car. It was just as I’d suspected. The minute I spoke Lexia’s name, the man in him came to the forefront. Just because his wolf wanted me, didn’t mean the man Aiden did!
There was a growl from behind me as I turned back on him and ran to open my car door.
It was instinct, I knew. His wolf wanted to run after me.
Probably claim me. The chase was actually part of the mating process for wolves.
As I drove away, I realized my hands were trembling.
It wasn’t until I was out of the driveway and took a left turn to get onto a different road that I finally stopped the car.
Taking deep gulping breaths, I closed my eyes, leaning back in the driver’s seat.
Aiden’s POV
The silver moon hung in the night sky, casting its soft glow over the pack lands spread out before me. I stood at the creek, which ran through the lands, my arms crossed over my chest, lost in thoughts I wasn't able to untangle.
Thoughts about Rose. I wasn’t being fair to her.
Going to her in my wolf form hadn’t been a smart move.
And then I asked her to kiss me. I was constantly in limbo with her.
At dinner I had been unnecessarily harsh towards her.
Tonight, looking at Rose—how she laughed with my brothers, how effortlessly she had fit into our world—something inside me twisted.
I gasped out a deep breath and ran a hand through my hair to let go of thoughts circling around Rose. But it was easier said than done.
A few moments later, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I exhaled sharply, pulling it out and glancing at the screen.
Lexia.
I saw the name and my fingers twitched and curled over my phone, nearly crushing it as my wolf howled in my head.
She wasn’t our mate. He didn’t want to hear her voice.
But did I? I contemplated the question until the screen went blank again.
There was peace for a beat and then the phone began to ring again. I didn’t pick up. I didn’t want to.
And that realization hit me harder than I expected.
There was a time when I would have dropped everything just to hear Lexia’s voice.
A time when the idea of a world without her was unfathomable.
But now? Now, her name on my screen felt like an obligation rather than a desire.
We’d been together for two and a half years now, making plans to strengthen our packs through our union.
Was our relationship so weak, that the mate bond could erase her from my heart?
Or was the foundation of our relationship, based on mutual gains, the weak link?
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to accept what I already knew. I was pulling away from her. And the worst part? It wasn’t just because of the matebond.
Something was shifting my emotions, and I knew exactly where it was leading me.
To Rose.
The name echoed in my mind, unbidden, unstoppable. I hated how natural it felt to gravitate towards her.
It wasn’t logical. When I first met Rose, my emotions towards her had been nothing but resentment. I despised everything about her—the way everyone tried to force her on me, the way she silently made her way into my thoughts.
And now…now, I sought her presence.
The mate pull was relentless. It forced me to crave her laughter, her curves, her fire. I had tried to resist, but what was the point in fighting something inevitable?
A bitter chuckle escaped my lips.
How ironic.
I had spent so long hating her, and now I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
The phone vibrated again, another call from Lexia. This time, I put the phone back in my pocket.
I knew what this meant.
I was changing.
I had to stop it from happening. But how?