your life now?”
“I might be the alpha of a pack, but they were all misfits. All those that found me were looking for a home and they have it with me. I always wanted to share it with you. So many nights I heard you crying. I stood outside of your door and shared your loneliness, but I was too much of a coward to go in there and apologize. It was a matter of pride. Nick’s death wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know what your brother would’ve done. I never wanted this. I was a prick. I still am. I’m scum. I—”
I placed a finger on his lips. “So you want to fix this?”
“Yes. By all the stars, yes. I want to learn all about this new side of you. But tonight, I don’t want to push things. Nothing can break this fragile peace we have.”
“I think that’s a good thing. Will you kiss me?”
Landon pressed his soft mouth to mine. His hard body conformed to mine. I ran my tongue over his lips and tasted cherry lip gloss. This was what the other girl he had kissed tasted like. I pulled away, but couldn’t let him go. He grimaced and sighed.
“I need to take a shower. I want to get their smell off of me. When the time is right, I’ll introduce you to them. There are others. The two that you saw assume they can fight one another for mate status, but you already have my heart. I know I acted badly. You’re the only one that I have ever wanted. I don’t know what I’d do without having you in the back of my mind. Without having Nick in my thoughts, it’s been a darkness that I couldn’t fathom.”
I nodded. “I know. I feel the emptiness too. And with Tannin.”
“He’s the one who turned you away?”
I huddled into the safety of his arms and thought about Tannin holding me earlier that morning. I had felt a sense of renewed faith. My grandmother had told me not to give up hope with my werewolf. She was right. That was what had given me the strength to confront Landon. I couldn’t bear living the rest of my life alone. “He doesn’t think that we could be mates.”
“He’s a fool then. To push someone so beautiful away; what an idiot. What’s inside of you is fantastic. I’ve never seen it before. Why has it unfolded its wings now?”
“I don’t know. She’s becoming part of me. My family couldn’t deal with the darkness inside of me. They were afraid and that was why they locked me away.”
“The next time you see him, make him see what he’s missing.” Landon cupped my cheek. “I’m going to get cleaned up. Shouldn’t you be at the shop?”
“Yeah. Melissa’s there though. Will you have dinner with me later?”
“I’ll make your favorite.”
“I’d like that.”
He lifted my hand and brushed a kiss over my knuckles. He backed away and I watched him go. I went to my room and thought about the rest of the day. There were many things that I had to do. Hope warmed my soul knowing that we were on the right path to fixing the broken relationship between us.
Later that night, I sat before the television. My eyes drooped from the emotional whirlwind I’d been through. The sounds of the television dimmed. I tried to stay awake, but sunk lower into sleep until I hovered on the edge of the in-between. Darkness surrounded me. After a few minutes my eyes adjusted and I could perceive some shapes. The room began to lighten. I was in a circular space. I turned slowly and counted seven doors. They were closed. When I listened hard enough, I heard scratching behind the doors. The cries of those who wanted to come out. They begged me for escape. Their sadness and loneliness tugged on my soul. Their voices were sweet. There were so many of them I wasn’t sure that I could endure listening to the forlorn woes. I studied the doors. Each one had a different symbol on them. One caught my attention. A heavy wooden door with serpents intertwined on the sides. I put my hand on the wood. The door pressed outward. I trailed my fingers over the wood to the knob. Before I could grasp it,
“I might be the alpha of a pack, but they were all misfits. All those that found me were looking for a home and they have it with me. I always wanted to share it with you. So many nights I heard you crying. I stood outside of your door and shared your loneliness, but I was too much of a coward to go in there and apologize. It was a matter of pride. Nick’s death wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know what your brother would’ve done. I never wanted this. I was a prick. I still am. I’m scum. I—”
I placed a finger on his lips. “So you want to fix this?”
“Yes. By all the stars, yes. I want to learn all about this new side of you. But tonight, I don’t want to push things. Nothing can break this fragile peace we have.”
“I think that’s a good thing. Will you kiss me?”
Landon pressed his soft mouth to mine. His hard body conformed to mine. I ran my tongue over his lips and tasted cherry lip gloss. This was what the other girl he had kissed tasted like. I pulled away, but couldn’t let him go. He grimaced and sighed.
“I need to take a shower. I want to get their smell off of me. When the time is right, I’ll introduce you to them. There are others. The two that you saw assume they can fight one another for mate status, but you already have my heart. I know I acted badly. You’re the only one that I have ever wanted. I don’t know what I’d do without having you in the back of my mind. Without having Nick in my thoughts, it’s been a darkness that I couldn’t fathom.”
I nodded. “I know. I feel the emptiness too. And with Tannin.”
“He’s the one who turned you away?”
I huddled into the safety of his arms and thought about Tannin holding me earlier that morning. I had felt a sense of renewed faith. My grandmother had told me not to give up hope with my werewolf. She was right. That was what had given me the strength to confront Landon. I couldn’t bear living the rest of my life alone. “He doesn’t think that we could be mates.”
“He’s a fool then. To push someone so beautiful away; what an idiot. What’s inside of you is fantastic. I’ve never seen it before. Why has it unfolded its wings now?”
“I don’t know. She’s becoming part of me. My family couldn’t deal with the darkness inside of me. They were afraid and that was why they locked me away.”
“The next time you see him, make him see what he’s missing.” Landon cupped my cheek. “I’m going to get cleaned up. Shouldn’t you be at the shop?”
“Yeah. Melissa’s there though. Will you have dinner with me later?”
“I’ll make your favorite.”
“I’d like that.”
He lifted my hand and brushed a kiss over my knuckles. He backed away and I watched him go. I went to my room and thought about the rest of the day. There were many things that I had to do. Hope warmed my soul knowing that we were on the right path to fixing the broken relationship between us.
Later that night, I sat before the television. My eyes drooped from the emotional whirlwind I’d been through. The sounds of the television dimmed. I tried to stay awake, but sunk lower into sleep until I hovered on the edge of the in-between. Darkness surrounded me. After a few minutes my eyes adjusted and I could perceive some shapes. The room began to lighten. I was in a circular space. I turned slowly and counted seven doors. They were closed. When I listened hard enough, I heard scratching behind the doors. The cries of those who wanted to come out. They begged me for escape. Their sadness and loneliness tugged on my soul. Their voices were sweet. There were so many of them I wasn’t sure that I could endure listening to the forlorn woes. I studied the doors. Each one had a different symbol on them. One caught my attention. A heavy wooden door with serpents intertwined on the sides. I put my hand on the wood. The door pressed outward. I trailed my fingers over the wood to the knob. Before I could grasp it,
Similar Books
