Undone

Chapter X

"What?!" Kate blinked at Jeremy, confounded. "I'm fairly certain I just heard you say werewolf, but that can't possibly be true."

Jeremy's hands reached to tie the buttons on his shirt. His eyes, having burnt with desire moments before were now stoic and impassive as they stared at her silently.

Wide-eyed, Kate's mouth dropped open. "You've got to be kidding me," she mumbled, her mind reeling as she turned away to slip her sweater over her head. Either Jeremy was insane or he thought she was.

As she hastily righted her clothing, she could still feel the pressure of his lips on hers; feel the way her skin continued to tingle from his touch. If she hadn't noticed that his bandages were gone they would surely have, at this very second, been making love on her couch. Her stomach fluttered at the thought and she closed her eyes, suddenly close to tears.

"I know this is a lot to process, but you have to let me explain-"

"-the fact that you think you're a werewolf?" Kate demanded, turning back to face him, anger swiftly overcoming her need to weep. "Do you know what you sound like?"

He held up both hands placatingly. "I realise what you must be thinking-"

"Oh, I sincerely doubt that," she interjected sarcastically.

"-but," Jeremy continued patiently, "I'd like you to hear me out."

"This is insane!" Kate cried. "You don't actually think I'd believe such a ridiculous assertion, do you? Do I look that stupid? Nevermind. Obviously I do." Her breath left her in rush. This had to be a bad dream.

"Kate, I know this seems preposterous, but I'm telling you the truth." Jeremy sounded so calm, so self-assured that she could almost believe him - if the claim wasn't so absurd.

Kate felt defeated. From the moment she'd met him he'd done everything in his power to keep his distance from her. Even when he'd offered her his assistance or done the noble thing and enquired after her well-being, she'd always sensed reluctance on his part, as though he was doing so against his better judgement. She hadn't wanted to accept that perhaps he just wasn't interested. But this, this...insanity was the last straw.

"For whatever reason, you obviously don't seem to like me very much. Why else would you be this determined to make me feel like a complete fool? Since we met you've subtly been pushing me away and I don't understand why. I suppose in the end it doesn't really matter," she said, her shoulders drooping as she felt the weight of her disappointment settle around them. "I never meant to make you feel indebted to me and I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. You owe me nothing. All I've ever asked you for is the truth and it's the one thing you've never been able to give me. So I give up. There's no need to strain that artistic brain of yours coming up with some ridiculously implausible werewolf story. I have no idea what's going on with you, but I can't stand here and listen to this."

Kate moved to brush past him. It was late and she wasn't in the mood to play any more games. If he wanted to keep whatever was really going on to himself, then there was nothing she could do about it. That said, she didn't have to pretend that she was okay with it. And yet, even as her anger and disappointment simmered within her, Kate's mind was racing, grasping at straws as she tried to sketch some scenario that would explain why the injury she'd tended three days ago was completely healed.

Obviously he couldn't be a werewolf. Could he? No! she thought dismissively, the rational part of her brain rejecting the very notion as she stomped past him.

Jeremy grasped her by the arms, forcing her to rear backwards, their eyes meeting. His were burning with an intensity she'd never seen before, an edge of desperation clear in their depths. All trace of calm was gone. "Firstly, a few minutes more and I would have had you naked beneath me," he growled, his words causing her belly to flip flop. "Do you honestly think that I'd have allowed that to happen if I didn't like you?"