Chapter 11
“Cain? Cain, wake up. It’s morning I said quietly.
Cain rolled over in bed and mumbled something incomprehensible.
“What I didn’t get that,” I replied, slightly aggravated.
“I said. I’m not ready to get up,” Cain replied.
I rolled over myself and tried to fall back asleep, but the hunger in my stomach was too distracting. We’d eaten dinner really early last night before coming back to the hotel, and now I was starving.
Was it rude if I got up and ate breakfast without him? Probably
Eh, never mind. Who knew how much longer Cain would be asleep? There was no reason for me to lay here, miserable, in
the meantime.
I slowly crept out of bed, determined not to wake him again. Sneaking into the bathroom, I straightened my hair and brushed my teeth before grabbing the room key and slipping out into the hall.
I made my way down the stairs to the lobby and filled my plate with the requisite cinnamon rolls, eggs, and bacon. Eventually I would have to get back on a healthier diet.
I sat down at one of the tables, and got aggravated when I bashed my leg against one of the table legs. “Stupid table,” 1 growled. A few of the other guests turned to look at me, and so I apologized under my breath.
I had hoped the food would lift my spirits, but so far, it was doing no such thing, I was definitely in a funk. I knew this feeling well. It always came towards the end of my heat cycle asure sign my heat was about to wane. Under regular circumstances, the arrival of this off mood would almost be welcome, as it would mean I was better able to focus on my work once again. But here, staying in a hotel with a really sexy werewolf who I’d really been enjoying matching with, the idea of my heat coming to an end was pretty disappointing,
I swallowed my bite of cinnamon roll, and scratched an itch on my neck. Ugh. That only brought back more of my spiraling thoughts. I thought back to yesterday and the time Cain and I had spent in the park. The sex had been so wild and passionate, unlike anything I had experienced before. I had been certain he was going to bite my neck as we snuggled afterwards, but he had not. For the rest of the day. I had to pretend I wasn’t disappointed or sad. I’d used every excuse in the book, which I didn’t like to have to do. I’d said I had a headache I’d said I was just tired from a lack of sleep. It felt bad to lie to Cain, but what was I supposed to say? I’m depressed because Ive been waiting all week for you to mate bond with me. Just bite my neck already?
Maybe Cain wasn’t really “the one” after all. Was it possible that my intense heat just had me extra attracted to him?
I felt tears starting to come on, and willed myself not to break down in front of strangers. I took a sip of my coffee, and decided to scroll through my phone to distract myself. I’d been avoiding my phone all week, certain I’d have some messages from Jackson. Luckily, though, I opened my phone to only find one message from him. He’d asked whether I paid rent for the month. I had and he would have figured that out on his own had he just checked the account and so I decided not to reply
I did, however, have four messages from my friend Christy. In the first message, she’d asked if I had plans that night. The second message was a question mark. And in the third and fourth messages, she’d asked if I was alive and okay.
I put my plate in the bin, and decided to find a quiet corner and call Christy back.
She picked up on the first ring
“Oh, Marlie! I’m so glad you’re okay. Chelsea told me about you and Jackson, and when worried that, well I’m just glad you’re okay!” she chattered, clearly relieved to hear from me
you didn’t reply to me. I was
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Chapter 11
“Yes, I’m okay. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I’m just a lot has happened in the last few days.”
Christy lowered her voice. “Oh, I’m sure. I’m so sorry. I ran into Chelsea at the bookstore and she filled me in, Where are you staying? She said Jackson told her you hadn’t been back to the apartment. You know you’re always welcome here if you need a place to stay, right?
“Aw, thanks Chris. Actually, I may have to take you up on that offer… I mean. I’m not sure. I’ll have to let you know tonight.” I replied.
I knew Cain had reserved the room for the rest of the week, but with my heat subsiding and the fact that we still had not completed the mate bond, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to spend another night with him after all.
1
“Mmhmm, sure. Just take all the time you need Christy replied, kindly
There was a lull in the conversation, as neither of us knew quite what to say next.
“So what happened? Who broke up with who?” Christy finally asked.
1 let out a sigh, and realized this would be the first time I told anyone other than Cain about my breakup with Jackson. I usually shared a lot with Christy, so it felt delayed to finally be opening up to her.
“He broke up with me,” I said, sadness in my voice
“I’m so sorry, girl,” Christy replied. “Do you want to talk about it
and get her advice on
“I don’t even know where to start,” replied. It was true. I wanted so badly to tell Christy about Cain and get h the mate bond, but I really felt like I had to share the details about my breakup first.
After some hesitation, I continued on “He broke up with me after picking me up at the BookMobile. I mean, he’d been acting strange all day, but I didn’t see it coming for some reason. We were driving, and he was being unusually quiet, even for Jackson. And then he just told me it was over. He didn’t see our relationship going anywhere, and he felt we’d been drifting apart for years.”
“Oh, honey, replied Christy, quietly, “I’m so sorry. If it’s any consolation, we all thought you were way too good for him
anyways
I chuckled a little.
“So, where have you been staying? Do you have all your things from the apartment!” Christy asked.
Oh, good. This was my chance to tell her about Cain.
“So that’s a funny story,” I began. “You know that werewolf club down on Ellicott Street?”
“Yeah, After Dark? Is that the one?”
“Yeah, exactly. Well, I went there after Jackson left, and I ended up meeting this guy another wolf who is in town on business.”
I could practically feel Christy’s eyes light up through the phone “Marlie! A one night stand with a stranger? Get it, girl. Get back out there, and you do you!”
“Well, actually.” I replied, trying to make sure we were on the same page. “It’s a bit more than that”
“Oh? Do tell, sister!” Christy insisted.
I told Christy all about the intense feeling I’d had in the back of my neck as soon as Cain walked into the bar. I told her how physically attracted I’d been to him from the start, and how we’d been holed up here in the hotel for the past few days, making love every chance we’d had. I even told her how we’d mated in th
the wild for the first time yesterday.
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Chapter II
“Oh My God,” Christy replied. “He’s your one true mate, isn’t he? What are the chances?”
My heart sunk, and I could tell Christy got uneasy when I didn’t respond right away.
“I don’t know, Chris. All the signs were there. Everything my mother ever told me would happen. But he’s had so many chances to bite me, and so far, nothing.”
Christy stammered for a minute, seemingly unsure of what to say. Finally, she replied, “Maybe he’s just really traditional, Marlie Maybe he’s waiting for… I don’t know, his parents‘ permission or something? That might be how it works with more traditional pack wolves. I mean, you and I wouldn’t really know, would we?”
I sighed. “Yeah. I keep trying to tell myself that, but then I wonder if I was just overreacting. I mean, I had a really strong heat this time around, Chris. I’m starting to come out of it now, and half of me wonders if I felt more attracted to him because of the timing. You know, just having broken up with Jackson? Maybe I was just in heat, overly vulnerable, and in the right place at the wrong time?”
Christy thought about this for a minute. I loved that I could always depend on her to give thoughtful advice as a friend. Finally, she slowly replied, “Maybe, Mar. I mean, that could be it. You know I haven’t mate bonded myself, but they always. say you know when it’s happening. So, if you knew it was happening, that must have been it, right?”
“I guess so. I just. I don’t know. I don’t know what to do now. I keep waiting for him to make a move and bite me, but how long am I supposed to wait?”
I looked around to make sure nobody was listening to my phone conversation. Sure enough, I was still alone in the alcove near the hotel lobby.
little
“Well,” Christy replied, “you said you have one more night in the hotel together? Why don’t you just wait it out and see. If tomorrow comes and he still hasn’t bitten you, then you move on with your life. Or maybe, while you’re out calling me this morning, he’ll reach out to one of his mates, or his parents, or whoever, and figure out whatever he needs to figure out before biting you
I thought about Christy’s plan and decided it sounded pretty solid. She was right. What did I have to lose by spending one more night with Cain? Even without the bite, we were having a good time. It’s not like I really wanted to go back to my apartment now, anyways.
I thanked Christy for giving such good advice, as always, and wandered back towards the hotel lobby. To my surprise, Cain, was sitting at a table alone, noshing on his favorite: a whole plate of bacon. I took a deep breath and told myself to stay as positive as possible as I went over to greet him,
“Marlie!” he greeted me cheerfully as I walked over. “I figured you were down here. Sorry I slept in so long.”
It was hard to be mad at him, as sweet and considerate as he was As soon as he smiled at me, the stress of the unreturned mate bond melted away at least by half.
I took a seat across from Cain and helped myself to a piece of his bacon.
“Hey! Get your own!” he said playfully, pushing my hand aside.
I pushed past his hand and grabbed a piece of bacon anyways. “Mmm,” I said. “Bet you’re going to miss this when you go
home.”
Cain sighed. “Tim enjoying it while it lasts,” he replied.
I made myself another cup of coffee, and sipped it while Cain unished up the rest of his meaty breakfast. I was still feeling at bit cranky since my heat was waning, but my conversation with Christy had put me in a better mood. I recalled how intercely I had been drawn to Cain, ren from the first moment we met. Bite or no bite, that had to mean something, right? Christy had to be right. He must past he wanting for the right ti bonding with me too soon Or perhaps my recent breakup with
Maybe bring so far from home, he was afraid of mate ackson had made him hesitant? It was very gentleman–like
III
