Where The Rivers Meet The Falls

Chapter 8

            His words stung, no, they burned. But when he just shook his head and left his bedroom, I nearly lost it. My insides felt so strange, and painful. The way he had been so angry calm only made me feel like having a fit. He knew his words would get to me and he said them on purpose. That asshole. Besides, who did he think he was to judge me? I didn’t answer to him; I wasn’t one of his pack members. Ugh and to think I actually started to like him!

            I didn’t know when I had started to cry but there I was breaking down and screaming. I didn’t know if I was more pissed or hurt. Everything was so confusing. All I know is that I couldn’t wait the full three days, I needed to leave now.

            I went to the giant walk in closet and pulled together everything I’d worn out of the clothes Graham had bought me. Everything else he could return. I would take the used clothes and leave the money difference. I would owe him nothing.

            In the process of packing another wave of emotions hit me and I collapsed to the ground trying to stop my wailing. What was wrong with me? Within seconds the door opened and Graham had me I his lap, I had tried to push him away but he wouldn’t budge.

            “I’m so sorry baby, please stop crying. I shouldn’t have said that, I wanted to take it back the moment I did. And hearing you cry is the most painful thing in the world.”

            He pulled away slightly to look at my tear swollen face and kissed where my tears still streaked my face. His dark hair struck out everywhere, a mess like he’d been running his hands through it. A look I was becoming used to when he was stressed or worried. His face looked tired and pinched. Is eyes were deep pools of emerald begging for forgiveness. He caught sight of what I had been doing and his face crumbled.

            “No, Ariabella, please, you can’t leave. I really am so sorry. Please I need you.”

            All of my fight had left me and I dove into the shelter of his shoulder. Despite how mad and hurt my wolf and I had been, it was from his disappointment in us. Knowing this we crumbled at the presence of our mate and his words. I gripped his undershirt tightly in both fits as my tears soaked his shirt. His large hands gently smoothing my hair and ran up and down my back. I could feel him relax with my resignation in his arms. I felt so emotionally exhausted I didn’t understand anything anymore.

            Graham carried me like a baby all the way to his bed. When he attempted to pull away after setting me down I kept a grip on his shoulder. No matter how mad I had been before my wolf and I needed our mate.

            He gave me a questioning look, “Please. Stay.”

            Graham didn’t need any further convincing as he crawled in beside me and pulled me against his chest. We lay together with my back pressed against his chest for a long time. Although he was still wearing his dress pants and I was only wearing shorts and a sports bra neither of us made an attempt to try to change. We both fell asleep like that, perfectly content with how things ended.

            Two days. It was all I thought of the next morning as I still laid in Graham’s arms. The bond had become much worse; I was starting to worry whether or not I would actually be able to leave when the time came. The whole day passed pretty uneventfully, mostly filled with frantically make plans by Derek and my constantly switching decision.

            Graham came home around dinner time; he hadn’t even made Jonathan and Alethia stay after lunch time. It seemed like Graham finally trusted me to be in his home alone, although I had been faking not feeling well in order to avoid conversation today.