Rex

As I let her move away from the wall, we turn to head to the kitchen to start eating dinner. Everything feels weird, but now I know that she is going to at least try. We can worry about the details later.

Her face is pink from the blush creeping up from her neck. I guess everything feels odd for her, too.

She reaches for some plates out of the cabinet, then turns to hand me one. I take it, but all I can think about is having her as mine.

I want more.

But I have to wait until she gives me the all clear to mark her as mine. Otherwise, I’m going to end up rejected or possibly smacked. Maybe both.

She fills her plate with the pasta dish her mom always made us. I had a hard time remembering all the ingredients, but I think I got it right.

Holly grabs two forks from the drawer as she moves to the side to fill her plate. After handing me one, she heads for the table nearby, so I quickly fill my plate and head there too.

When we sit down, she falls silent as she eats. There is this look on her face as if she is worrying about the world.

“What’s wrong?”

“The full moon might change everything. We don’t know what will become of our bond.”

“Do you really think our bond will just disappear?”

She inhales deeply and I realize she’s been holding back.

“We’re not even officially together and I haven’t seen you in two weeks. With the food and the kisses, I really think you might have just come here for more. Maybe you are just lonely and all we are feeling is hopeful butterflies.”

My mind freezes, leaving me unable to say a word. This is not what I came here for and I only want to make her happy.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Who knows when our fated mates will show up? We could find them at the full moon run next week and this will all be a pipe dream.”

“A pipe dream?” My voice becomes higher pitched as I realize what she is doing. “No, you aren’t running away from me. Our wolves know that there is a bond and we are going to be together. You can’t dismiss me like this. On the night of the full moon run, I’m marking you as mine and that is the end of it.”

She looks down at her shoulder, still covered by her sleeve. “I won’t let you until we are sure.”

Everything in me is covered in confusion. All the excitement and joy of what we are beginning is just gone. I can’t comprehend how she’s come to this conclusion. It’s almost as if she severed all ties with her emotions and is just now distant.

What on earth is going on?

When I look at her and refuse to avert my gaze, she finally looks back up at me with an odd look.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Why are you so distant? I thought we were agreeing to become more.”

She shrugs. “You still have fourteen days. That was our deal and I’m holding you to it.”

I blink a few times out of disbelief. How did we go from sweet kisses and admitting we have a bond with this? There is no reason for her to be like this.

“You’re going to go through the other matches, aren’t you?”

This only causes her to laugh. “Not exactly. You have told me you’d haunt me if I went on other dates. So, I haven’t done anything for two weeks. Then I wondered where you were and why you cut me off.

I let out a huff. “Well, I gave you space because I thought you needed it, but that never meant that I’d be gone forever. I don’t understand what has gotten into you, though. You’ve changed so much in just five minutes.”

Her eyes become watery and I realize there is more to this than she is saying.

“You’re afraid that we’ll become like our parents. We’ll bond and then leave a few years later. Holly, we aren’t them.”

She blinks back tears, but then turns away as her fork hit the plate so I can’t see.

“Just take some food and get out.”

Holly rises from the chair at the table and slowly heads back to her bedroom with her head hanging low.

I don’t even know what to do.

Without hesitating, I at first head toward her room, but the door slams shut before I even get there. I pause with my lips pinched into a thin, tight line.

Fine. If she doesn’t want me here, then I’ll go. But my time isn’t up yet.

Next week is the full moon run and she can’t avoid me then.