“What do you want?” she asks as she glares at the ball on the bedpost.
“I wanted to check if you're all settled in,” I respond gently, but my tenderness is met with indifference when she turns back to me with a narrowed glare.
“Don't you know how to knock?” she scoffs as she raises a brow.
Despite her coldness, it's nearly impossible not to become mesmerized by her natural beauty. My eyes rake over her face, and I find myself becoming entranced all over again. Her natural pout when she purses her lips reminds me of the taste of her kisses, like cherry, her cute button nose reminding me of the nose flick I did when I came up from between her thighs for air, and she giggled sweetly.
Gulping to defuse my body's heated reaction to remembering our fateful night behind the pack den, I cross my arms, because this time, I'm the one who needs to protect myself.
From myself.
I focus on the tension evident in her hazel eyes, and clear my throat before saying, “Thisismy house, after all. I can do as I please.”
Arianna scoffs. “You keep reminding me of that as ifyou'rethe one who needs convincing.” She rolls her eyes, shocking me with how much she's changed.
The Arianna I knew in the past would never speak so bluntly. She didn't just cut her hair to make her appearance look sharper; her tongue has sharpened, too.
“I already told you, we would have stayed in my old cottage.”
“We're not arguing about this, Arianna. You're more than welcome to go have a look at your place. It's unlivable. It's been abandoned for four years.”
Arianna huffs and turns her face to the side. “Fine.” She stands up, her shoulders square. “If you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom.”
Her hair flips when she turns, sending a brisk gust that carries her scent toward me, freezing me in place when the deliciously appealing sweetness enters my airways. I'm stunned by how drawn I am to her scent even after all these years, and my inability to move has our arms brushing lightly on her way to the bathroom.
The electric current that passes through me makes me gasp, and I have the sudden urge to reach out and grab her back toward me. I curl my fists to stop myself, not wanting to upset her more than she already is. If I had any doubts that we were true mates, it's confirmed by the slightest touch, even after four years. My body begins to shudder, but I hold myself back when she continues toward the bathroom and doesn't seem to notice what it means.
A bout of irritation surfaces, threatening to spill out if I remain planted where I am. I might just do something I'll regret later, and I can't afford that now. The bathroom door shuts, and it's my cue to leave.
Chapter 7 - Arianna
Shutting the bathroom door behind me, I grab the edges of the sink to steady myself, taking in deep breaths to calm my nerves.
What the hell was that?
I can't believe I agreed to stay in his house! I should have just turned around, grabbed Noah, and run.
But where would I have run to?
It isn't safe for us out there…
It seems my intuition was wrong in guiding me back home when Tyler Whitlock is already back and alpha of Moonshine.
I only let out a sigh of relief when I hear the hinges on the bedroom door squeaking to signal that he's left. Looking up to see my horrified expression reflected in the mirror, it's almost as if I can see the sharp shards of electricity pulsing on my face.
It surges across my arms, bringing awareness to where my arm brushed Tyler's, reminding me of our true mate bond.
A bond that had never been fulfilled when he rejected me. All he left me with is a son—a beautiful boy who radiates the goodness his father never had.
Perhaps, deep down, Tyler is good. He's putting us up in his house, but it doesn't change what happened in the past. His bitter rejection broke me, ripped through me as if he'd used his sharp wolf claws to slice through my heart.
That's why it's better that he doesn't know about Noah and believes that his father is another wolf. It almost killed me,having to lie to him, and I had to remind myself that I hate him and that he doesn’t deserve to know his son.
My body shudders when a shiver courses down my spine, and I take another deep breath to calm myself.
Why is his presence affecting me so much when I was determined to stay hateful of him? The past four years were easy to navigate when he wasn't around, and I didn't realize how weak I still was toward him.
I should be stronger. Ihaveto be stronger, for Noah's sake, to protect my son from the danger that seems to be following us.
