She's The Lone Wolf

~13~

a/n

hello lovely readers. As many of you know I do not have a steady update schedule which I know as a reader of several stories is really frustrating. However, I'm trying to think of this as a low burner. I write every week despite the lack of updates. However, I don't always write my stories in order I write out a plot summary and work on specific parts when I get inspired. Which means I don't always have the next chronological thing ready in order to keep to a timely schedule. I know this is beyond annoying, and I totally understand and respect that. I'm trying to get enough of the big plot points written so I can finish writing the story and then update in a more timely manner so all I have left to do is edit it. If you are not the type of person who can read a slow updated story I take no offense and will being sending out an update when I have the story finished and ready to put out. For now I am going to try my best to at least post every week or two weeks and not keep ya'll hanging for an entire month (again). I hope you enjoy this chapter and I appreciate those who have stuck  with my late updates with this story since August. Make sure you eat, drink water, sleep good, and stay safe. 

xoxo, EA 

Amaris 

When we get back to the house it is empty, Anton must be out working. I decide to talk to him tonight during dinner. Laura excused herself to go make lunch for us and start prepping dinner with the rest of the staff. Emi leads us to the Great Room. I sit down beside her on the large sofa, the silence between us still not breaking.

"I just mind linked Vance, he says that the three of them are at the training grounds. We just missed them." I smile at her and nod along with the information. "He says they'll be back later today, we have the house to ourselves till dinner." I nod again, conversation is not my strong point and I was drained from this morning. "Well, what would you like to do?" Emi says clearly giving up on the small talk.

"Do you think it would be alright for me to go on a run in the backlot. I need to stretch my legs and be by myself for a bit I think." I give Emi a small smile.

"Yeah okay, just don't be too long okay?" I stand up from my seat and head out the back door and to the semi-familiar area.

I drop my clothes into one of the bins, shift, and slowly make my way through the trees. I take my time letting the earthy smells fill my nose as I trot through the forest. I want to go back to the gorgeous field beyond the tree line but a gut feeling halts my tracks and I decide to stay back, hidden in the thick branches. I continue to explore the ground appreciating the peacefulness of it. After a bit I feel my legs grow tired but I'm not ready to go in yet, I find a small grassy patch and decide to lay down and shut my eyes, just for a moment.

I realize I've been out far longer than I expected when I wake up and the sky is a dark navy and stars speckle the sky. I make my way back to the house. When I get to the bins I shift out of my wolfy state and change. My sour mood from earlier fading my alone time was much needed.

When I open the back door I am greeted with shouting that is so loud it seems to take up all the breathing room in the house, no air is left for anyone else.

"Why the hell would you just let her leave alone and without telling anyone?" Anton's thick voice carrying from the Great Room I think. "Now she could be lost or hurt. Someone was trespassing on our grounds yesterday Emilline."

"I'm sorry I didn't think it was a big deal, she's been around a ton of people all day and seemed homesick, and I figured she might want to be alone." Emi's voice was strained and I could tell she was crying. "She told me she'd just be out for a little bit, I thought she'd only be gone for an hour tops. I'm sorry Anton."

"If anything happened to her-" Anton starts but is cut off as I enter the room. When he sees me he visibly relaxes. The air is suddenly not so thick and it's as though everyone takes a breath.

"I fell asleep, I'm sorry." Is all I manage to say with all the attention on me.

"What the hell Amaris?!" Emi shouts at me, and I'm a little taken back. "You told me you'd be right back Laura made us lunch and you said you'd only be out for a bit. It's been 5 hours!" She's about to start again when a growl from Anton cuts her off.

"That's enough." And Emi goes silent. His gaze hovers over me now and I wish Emi was still yelling. "Why did you leave after what happened the other day." His voice is angry but it waves between that and worry.

"I said I'm sorry I didn't mean to worry you." He sighs. "I just needed to be alone." He nods and I know we are done talking for now. Laura walks into the room hesitantly.

"Dinner is ready." Her voice is soft and it melts away some of the tension in the room.

We all take our seats as food is poured into bowls, I look at it suspiciously not quite sure what to make of it.

"It's spaghetti with a tomato sauce," Laura explains in her usual soft and understanding tone. I nod, still not knowing what to make of the dish, I follow everyone's example and twirl the spaghetti around my fork before popping it into my mouth. It's wonderful.

"We need to talk," Anton looks at me confused.

"Sure." I wasn't nervous before but now I was beginning to feel that way. His deep eyes training on mine and an impatient expression planted across his face makes my cheeks flush. I look away from the kitchen to ask for some privacy but Anton doesn't oblige.

"I was talking with Emi and Laura today when we went on a tour of the grounds." The two girls look at me panicked eyed, knowing what I'm about to ask and not waiting to be any part of it.

"Anton maybe you two should discuss this in private, we can leave if you want." Emi suggests getting up from her seat with Laura.

"No that's alright," Anton states bluntly. "Everyone stays." He nods at me to go on.

"Well we started talking about last night and what heat was." Anton's face seems to glow slightly red as I continue on. "We started talking about how to stop it and Laura said-" Anton holds up a hand to stop me.

"I'm not going to be a mate to you. I already told you that so you're wasting breath." He huffs.

"No I know and I don't want to either. So if neither of us wants that then I don't see why we can't just reject each other." Vance almost spits his water out and the girls keep their eyes trained to their plates. Anton looks pissed as he clenches his fists tightly around his utensils.

"Excuse me?"

"Well neither of us want this and I want to go home." I had assumed he wouldn't be this upset by the idea considering he hadn't wanted a mate anyway. I assumed wrong, clearly.

"Do you know how painful rejection is?" He steams. "It feels like you're being ripped to shreds, you can't move for days, it's supposed to be more painful than anything."

"More painful than feeling like you're on fire?" I fire back. " I can't go through that again and again for the rest of my life Anton."

"I won't reject you," He simply states. My annoyance catches.

"Why not?"

"I just won't," he growls and I can feel the waves of power radiating off of him, but I don't care.

"So you want me to stay here in pain away from my home, stuck somewhere I don't belong?" My voice raises and I don't like it. I don't like my temperament here. How I flare up so instantly, how my emotions seem to be out of my control. Anton stays silent looking at me with enraged darkened eyes. I gape. "You are cruel." I cry and shake my head before standing up from the table. I give Laura the softest smile I can muster, thank her for the meal, and retreat back to my room to be alone.

 I think about leaving, bolting to the door and back into my forest, but I can't bring myself to do it which makes me so mad. He has such a hold on me and I loathe it more than anything that I can't force him into the woods and keep him trapped in my cave instead of being trapped myself.