My wolf was angry.
I was angry.
I was feeling very irrational and knew that if I opened that door it was going to lead to a confrontation and me doing or saying something I was going to regret. Instead, I just paced the living room. Back and forth. I knew I was leaving a trail in the carpet, but I wasn’t caring.
This is what the bond did to people. It was making me insane just like every other mating male.
I knew I should leave, but I couldn’t seem to make my legs do it.
As if she were purposefully trying to torture me, I could hear her taking a shower. Knowing she was naked was pure torment.
I’d already decided that Zoey was mine and I would accept her as my mate. But I’d never considered that she might not feel the same.
After her shower she rummaged around the room and then climbed into her bed.
How did I know this? Because I was curled up on the floor in front of her door like a pathetic dog just waiting to be invited in. Only that invitation never came.
*****
Two more days of no change. We ate quiet meals together. We talked about benign things. We worked on our assignments. We watched more ridiculous movies. She took a shower and went to bed while I slept curled up on the flooroutside her room, becoming more frustrated with each passing day.
Hadn’t we started off okay?
Weren’t we in good sync?
Had I really been that far off base?
Every moment I could, I would brush against her, graze her hand, or touch her in whatever way seemed normal or benign. But it was never benign for me. Every touch, even the barest brush, was like a potent shock of excitement. It was torture.
I watched for her reaction, but there wasn’t any. Every now and then I’d think I’d hear her breath catch or see her shiver, but my heart would race and my own body would shake so I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t me.
If we didn’t get out of this place soon, I was going to go mad.
Yet through it all, I could feel our bond strengthening.
I reached my breaking point at the end of our third day as we sat there watching yet another stupid movie. I couldn’t take it a second longer.
“Is this how our life is going to be?” I exploded.
“What?”
“Movies, not talking, complete boredom? Is that what I’m supposed to expect in life from now on?”
There was hurt in her eyes, and then a fire I hadn’t seen since our confinement started.
“Is that what you’re supposed to expect? What about me? I don’t even like movies and if I do waste time watching them then it would be a rom com or a cheesy Christmas movie. Not this.”
I looked confused. “But you’ve been sitting here watching them for days.”
“Spending time with you. I was trying to spend time with you. I’m freaking bored out of my mind. I’m used to being on the go and working a ridiculous amount of hours, but I’m trying here and it’s driving me insane. You don’t even talk. You just sit here and watch awful action movies. I cringe every time you pick up the remote. I thought maybe we could actually get to know each other or something during this time and make the most of it. I feel like I know less about you now than I did before we got here.”
She was on her feet now, red faced, with clenched fists, pacing as she yelled, and it made her look ridiculously cute, like a little chihuahua pretending to be a guard dog.
I couldn’t help it; I burst out laughing.
Here we were apparently both waiting on the other and only going insane in the process. Stubborn? Patient? I wasn’t sure which, but we certainly made quite the pair.
“Oh forget it. Just watch your stupid movie!” she screamed and stomped off to her room, slamming the door behind her.
