“Are we going to talk about last night?” I chewed on my lower lip, staring at James. He’d just climbed out of a shower. A towel hung low on his hips, stealing my attention.Whatever happened yesterday changed something between us. His movements froze mid reach for a dress shirt, “Do you have something you’d like to talk about?”That was the million-dollar question. Did I want to bring attention to the obvious shift in our relationship, or pretend like this is how it’s always been and ignore the obvious Elephant in the room? I’ve dreamed of moments like these for years. And it all started with a kiss on the couch last night. This morning, I’m laying on my stomach in James’ bed, watching him get ready for work. His head appeared around the door frame, “You obviously have something on your mind, Rosalind.”A heavy breath slipped from my lips as they pulled down, “I guess I just feel like we went from zero to one hundred really fast….” I paused, completely forgetting what I was going t
Marina’s patchouli scent filled the room, suffocating me with the mixture of her and Rosalind. It had almost faded from my memory after all this time, but now that she’s here; it’s stronger than ever. Her words were angry, but in her face, I could see the pain that she hid behind a snarl. I’d hurt her with my actions. I’ve been so worried about finding a way to keep Rosa in my life that I’d completely pushed her aside and threatened to reject her. I knew she wouldn’t leave. I knew she’d be mine no matter what. It’s why she didn’t fight me in my office. The woman was a firecracker, but for me, she’d fall at my feet. Because she loved me. And despite that, I’d found myself falling for Rosalind over my first mate. The pull with Marina hadn’t been there for so long. That was so selfish of me, but I couldn’t help it. Every time I got closer to Rosalind, Onyx seemed to react. Marina didn’t have a wolf, so she couldn’t understand the piece of me that was lost when Onyx was taken from
Fear encapsulated my mind each time that James spoke. But Marina's words kept replaying in my mind.If you don't tell her, I will.
“When my pack was attacked, something happened to my wolf, and he’s been trapped in some sort of holding cell in my head ever since,” James finally walked over, sitting next to me on the bed. His elbows rested on his knees and his face fell into his hands, “I’ve been without him for over three years and you,” he glanced to his right, “You somehow hold the key to him coming back to me.”“None of this makes any sense, James.”“Whoever attacked my pack, personally attacked me by locking away my wolf. I’ve not been able to make sense of it all myself,” James opened his mouth to continue, but his phone blared from his pocket. He ignored the call before another came through. “What?” he snapped answering the second call. A woman’s voice timidly told him that investors were all sitting in his conference room, impatiently awaiting his arrival. “Tell them to get the fuck out. I’ll deal with it later.”Her gasp had me placing my hand on his knee, “Go,” I whispered, “We will talk as soon as yo
The memory was so vivid, almost like a movie playing in my mind.I remember being shocked at his recovery. I’d never seen a human heal so fast. But that was only the tip of the iceberg.When he’d finally woken up, he was fully prepared to tear the hospital apart to get to Marina.He’d called her his mate. Which could only mean that when she said we were both his soulmates, that’s what he had meant all those years ago.“Trying to wrack that pretty little head for anything to dispute what he’s saying?” Marina snickered, waltzing into the room like she owned the place.I lifted my head, staring into her icy blue eyes. They lacked warmth, and I wondered why she hated me so much when I had been the one kept in the dark all this time.“Nothing to say?” she shook her head, arching a brow.“Why would you do that to him?”The question had been burning in the back of my mind. In all honesty, Marina had consistently done things that would hurt the man that she claims to love in an attempt to hu
I couldn’t speak coherent words at the moment, so I chose silence. Each time I thought I might try to speak; sobs rocked my body. I hated that this was the moment that James chose to come home.For years, I’ve managed to keep my feelings in check. I never wanted him to see me as weak. Not only that, but I needed to harness every ounce of strength I possessed just to make it through those years.After a while, James sat across from me on the floor of our kitchen. His long legs stretched all the way from the island to the opposite counters. He didn’t try to force me to talk or ask any questions, he just kept me company in the silence.“I forgot the sugar in my shortbread cookies,” I whispered, needing to break that silence that stretched between us. It was the first thing that came to my mind, despite the looming bomb that James had dropped on me earlier in the day.“Can’t you just add it now?” James questioned, sounding genuinely confused.My lip quivered as I finally raised my face fr
How can a day start so perfectly, only to turn into an absolute shit show in a matter of moments. And it’s only gone downhill since then. Marina forced my hand this morning when I wasn’t ready. When Rosalind wasn’t ready. And now, as I sit on the floor of my own fucking kitchen; I can see that she’s hanging on by a thread. I had next to no relationship experience before the attack on my pack. I was waiting for my mate, and then my mate was in a coma, and I was so angry at the world, that I didn’t bother putting in even an ounce of effort when it came to my marriage with Rosalind. She was the perfect wife. I see that now as I sit across from her, staring at her tear-stained face. Rosa was always there when I needed her. She took every demand that I made with stride and put in her all despite my overly shitty attitude. She spent hours preparing for galas and events, slapping on a fake smile, and laughing at my fake jokes for the greater good. For this fucking stupid image that I’d be
“Can you talk to your wolf?”The way that he'd spoken about him like they were old friends made me think the answer would be yes, but there was so much I didn't know.James’ large hand engulfed mine as we walked away from the house and towards the trees that filled the back part of our property. The leaves had turned various shades of reds and yellows, and would soon fall off the trees, tumbling to the ground until spring. Fall was always my favorite season because from the balcony of my room, the view was breathtaking. I’ve considered pulling out a canvas and paintbrush, and painting the view, but it’s been years since I’ve bothered with art. “Typically, yes. But I’ve not been able to communicate with Onyx since the attack.”I didn’t miss the sadness in his voice as the words left his mouth. He told me earlier that his wolf was like his other half and losing him felt like he’d lost a piece of himself. “What is that like?” I peered up at him just as a smile overtook his face. “He