Me: It’s okay. I’ll laugh for the both of us.
Dane: Did you have a good time?
Me: Mm… I tried cheese curds for the first time.
Dane: Those aren’t very good for you.
Me: True, but they were delicious.
Dane: What did you eat?
Me: Eat?
Dane: Yes, baby girl. What did you eat?
Me: I just told you.
Dane: …
Me: :)
Dane: Are you telling me you only ate cheese curds?
Me: That would be correct, soldier.
Dane: I wish you could hear the growl that just rumbled through my chest.
My jaw dropped, and I pursed my lips. Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes as the image of his tatted torso filled my mind. I swallowed as I rememb
VeraThe seconds ticked by as I waited with bated breath. Although I didn’t know what it was, there was something I needed. None of the guys I’ve spoken to or spent time with knew what it was. They couldn’t show me and I wasn’t going to ask. As those three little dots lit up the screen, I wondered how Dane would answer.Would he prove me right and notice that I’d disobeyed? Or would he not pick up on it? And which of the two did I want to happen? I wanted him to guess it right. I wanted him to know. I wanted him to see me. Ever since I was little, I’ve been invisible. I needed Dane to be everything I fantasized about, everything I searched for in the dark romance books I hid. As my phone lit up and his messaged appeared, my eyes hungrily rolled over his words.Dane: Someone’s been a bad girl.The sharp inhale of breath
VeraThe stubborn part of me didn’t want to see Dane, didn’t want to admit I wanted him more than any of the guys I was talking to. The other half of me, the part that wanted to fall to my knees, was jumping up and down while squealing at the thought of finally seeing him.Me: Are you serious?Dane: Yeah. I want to see you. Let’s meet up.Me: Okay. We’ll plan something.Dane: When?Me: I’ll let you know.Dane: Mm.. I look forward to seeing you on your knees, baby girl.Me: Sigh.Dane: Are you pouting?Me: Yes.Dane: Why?Me: Because I don’t want to have to wait.Dane: You’re the one who’s got the power
VeraWhen I get to the kitchen, I push the door open and find dishes all over the counter, bits of food on the floor, and cracked glasses in the sink. My mother, a beautiful gruff woman shook her head in front of the stove. It had been years since my dad passed and she’d gotten harder, rougher, meaner. She had to keep this pack running, protect not only her children, but the members that looked up to her, and earn the respect of packs led by men. She wasn’t the soft, caring woman I remembered and my eyes watered at the memory of who she used to be. Our relationship was obviously strained. Had been since my father’s passing. I’d been forced to grow up, and I turned to things a child shouldn’t have even known about.“You’re an adult now, you should get up and clean on your own,” she hissed as she cut vegetables.I walked toward the sink and started pick
After everyone was fed, the dishes washed, and the kitchen cleaned from top to bottom, I could finally withdraw to my room. I spent the rest of the day cleaning, scrubbing, and washing every surface in the packhouse. What would normally take a cleaning crew a few days, I got done in a day. I took no breaks, ate no meals, had no coffee as I did what was needed to please my Luna.The weekends were made for never-ending lists, but I made it my life’s mission to get every single thing done and marked off. That was the only way I could do anything outside of pack territory without my mother linking me or demanding I make my way back home. I would be able to go see Uriel without worrying about my phone going off or being interrupted by my mother’s voice in my head while I was in the middle of getting what I planned on getting tonight.After I attempted to look decent, did my hair, and threw on something I could easily slip out of
My mind was a mess of thoughts as I failed to focus on the show he was watching. I was confused. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go. I’m sure he asked me to come over to fuck. I was still new at this whole hooking up thing. Sure, I’ve done it a few times, but my experience and level of interaction with men was still limited. It had been years since I’d lain in bed with a man that wasn’t my partner, no, ex-partner. What I expected when he closed the door was for him to kiss me, rip off my clothes and bend me over the nearest surface. This cuddling thing we were doing was throwing me off. I never did this with Amos and I was struggling to figure out what I was supposed to do. My eyes darted to the door in the corner.Should I ask to go to the bathroom?Maybe I could call Ami and ask her what I should do.She’d probably laugh at me and tel
When we come down from the high, I sneak a peek at him. His hard body flexes against mine and my already warm cheeks flush even more. I roll off of him and Uriel gets up to discard the condom. Before he can come to bed or say anything, I get up and disappear into the bathroom. When I’m in there, I clean up and fix my hair. With the dress back in place, my heart rate quickens. I’m at a crossroads.Even though I tell myself it isn’t that serious, my mind is telling me I need to be honest with him. If I stay and cuddle, it’ll give him the wrong idea, but if I leave, he’ll understand the line I’ve drawn between us. I don’t think we’re at a place where I can hurt him, so I think it’s the best time to distance myself.My heart tells me Uriel is nice and that if I gave him a chance, we could have something great. But my mind and my wolf know Uriel isn’t what I need. Nor is he what I
I haven’t talked to Uriel in three days. I sobbed the whole drive home. The guards ignored me as I did my walk of shame as the sun came up. They hadn’t asked me any questions, and they didn’t report back to my mom. He didn’t write to me, and I didn’t reach out to him. I’d made up my mind not to see him again. I didn’t know he was considering me as a possible partner. That reason alone was enough for me to remove him from my list.My life was nothing close to a fairy tale, and the beast turned out to really be a monster. There was no Prince hiding behind the cruel acts Amos performed on me. I hadn’t been expecting a happily ever after, but I’d planned on spending the rest of my life with him. His absence left a gaping hole in my life, and it was hard trying to find my way again without him.I wouldn’t say I missed him. I missed the idea of him. The comfort having
I’m a sap the entire drive home. My eyes are swollen by the time I park and get out of the car. The guards stare at me. Of course my cousin, Lu, is on duty again tonight, but he doesn’t say anything about my pink nose or my puffy eyes as they let me in. Lu is my cousin on my mom’s side. I don’t even care what they’re thinking. I’ve been going out more often than I have in years. The packhouse is silent as I make my way through the sitting area. It’s a workday and everyone is asleep. I don’t turn on the lights as I make my way upstairs. Closing my door behind me, I’m ready to sink into bed when my phone rings. Who the hell is calling me at this hour? Lifting my phone, it’s Rem, my cousin.“Hey, Rem. What’s up?” I asked when I answered the phone.“Bitch. What're you doing?” he asked.“I just got home,” I