Ashleigh felt as though the world had stopped spinning, and the oxygen had been violently sucked from the room.
Rejection.
The thought had never even occurred to her. Not once.
“W..what?” she asked, her voice shaking.
Caleb was right. It would solve everything. Then, all she had to do was let him go. To tell the Goddess that she rejected Caleb as her mate.
‘And choose Granger as my one true mate…’ the thought left a hollow feeling in her, which was quickly filled with guilt.
“Why drag it out any further?” he asked. “You don’t accept or acknowledge me as your mate? Then reject me, so we can both be free of this torture.”
Ashleigh furrowed her brows.
‘Torture?’ she questioned internally, ‘is it torture?’
She swallowed hard. The warmth of Caleb’s palms against her face, his eyes staring back at her with a confusing mixture of hope and resignation. She didn’t want to face him anymore, though that would mean pulling away from him, and she didn’t want that either.
“But... if I do that… there could be side effects. We could both get sick!” she cried out, clinging to the argument like the last life raft of a sinking ship.
As much as she wanted to keep his warmth, Ashleigh couldn’t look him in the eye anymore. She stood quickly and moved across the room.
“The rogue wolves still threaten us all. We’re both important people in this fight,” she said as she walked to her desk, fiddling with whatever papers her hands happened to land on. “It would be selfish. An unnecessary risk.”
“Because our bond is incomplete,” Caleb replied, not moving from his position by her bed. “The risk is significantly lowered for any lasting effects.”
‘Severing our bond, without lasting effects?... Impossible…’ she thought to herself, as her eyes lingered on his back. Her mind was the only place she could be honest with herself.
“It is still a risk,” she replied quickly, turning back to her desk.
“Ashleigh,” Caleb called out quietly. “Please.”
‘Are you that eager?’ she wondered sadly.
“There is no reason to take the risk. Like you said, our ties will be severed when Granger and I–“
“No!” Caleb growled.
Ashleigh flinched. She turned to find Caleb on his feet. He stared at her, his jaw clenched, his eyes glowing again, though somehow darkness swirled within them.
“No…” he repeated. His voice was thick. “Now… or not at all.”
“What?” she asked, swallowing hard as her throat felt suddenly parched.
Caleb took a step towards her.
“Reject me now, or not at all.”
Before she could respond, something changed in the air.
She felt it hit her in a crushing wave of mouthwatering need. Every nerve aching for contact. Their bond. It begged to be completed. A soft moan escaped her lips.
Ashleigh covered her mouth with her hand. Her other hand reached back to steady her body against the desk as her knees grew weak.
“Ashleigh…” he called to her. Her name on his lips made her feel drunk.
Deep within her, she felt something stir. Something waking. Like a cat stretching out in the afternoon sun, her back arched and her voice purred in delight.
Ashleigh bit her lower lip, taking in a deep, almost panting breath. As the heat traveled up and down the length of her body. She looked up at Caleb as though it were the first time.
His eyes, a storm raging within them, held onto her with a predatory gaze. It took her breath away.
She stumbled as her knees gave out, and the desk caught her. Ashleigh looked down as something fell to the floor. A picture. Granger’s nineteenth birthday.
Her mind cleared for just long enough, she moved away from the desk, sensing Caleb’s presence. She hurried towards the door.
She wasn’t scared of him but of how she felt with him.
‘I need to get away…’ she told herself.
But he was faster than she was.
Caleb caught her in his arms. He turned her around to face him, burying his nose against her throat. His arm wrapped around her waist while the other supported her back.
“Why are you always running away from me?” he asked breathily, brushing his nose against her throat gently. “Since the moment I felt you at the Blood Moon, you have always been running from me. And I have always been chasing you.”
Ashleigh fought to keep her senses, he held her so close, and it felt good, so good.
“Do you feel it?” he whispered against her throat. “Our bond?”
His mouth hovered just above the skin, careful not to make contact but close enough to tease her senses.
“I feel it all the time,” Caleb whispered. His hot breath sent shivers all throughout her body. “With you, away from you. Always,”
Caleb rested his forehead against her shoulder.
Ashleigh couldn’t respond. She felt it; it was overwhelming and frighteningly delightful. Barely able to keep her mind, she was about to try to get away once again. When it all just stopped. She was confused, unsure what had happened.
“Reject me now, right now. I’ll let you go, and I will never chase you again,” Caleb sighed into her shoulder.
His words made her heart ache. She knew she should listen, do precisely what he said. Reject him. Release him. Let him go.
‘I have to…’ she told herself mournfully. She took a deep breath.
“You hate my father,” she whispered back.
Caleb laughed. “What does that matter now?”
“How could you ever accept me if you hate him? How could I accept you?” she replied, her words heavy with emotion. “Your pack hates me, my family, my pack. Us being mates is a betrayal to both our people.”
Honest words, surprising no one more than Ashleigh herself.
Caleb pulled back so they could face each other. He saw the tears renewed in her eyes. He gritted his teeth, hating to see her so sad.
“I don’t care,” he answered. His eyes told her he meant it. “I don’t care who your father is, who accepts it or not. I choose you. I want you.”
He brought his hands back up to her cheeks, once again wiping the tears from her eyes. He waited for her to speak, but she couldn’t, not out loud.
‘I want to believe you….’
“Ashleigh,” he said earnestly, “this is your last chance. Reject me now or face the truth without regret.”
She looked up at him, unsure of what he meant.
“What is the truth?” she asked.
His eyes softened.
“That I love you,” he smiled, leaning forward, “and you love me too.”
He moved slowly, giving her every chance, every opportunity to pull away. To reject him. Ashleigh did not move.
Caleb closed the distance between them in a warm and gentle touch of their lips. Then, when she didn’t pull away, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. His lips were soft. They moved tenderly against her mouth, encouraging but not forcing her to deepen the kiss. And she did.
Ashleigh had never felt this sensation before. His kiss was restrained and delicate, yet it lit the fire deep in her core. Her desire to touch him, feel him, taste him was overwhelming her senses. It wasn’t like before; she didn’t feel drunk. She felt…hungry.
So enraptured in his kiss was Ashleigh that she forgot everything else around her.
Like how her mother had said she would return home soon. Very soon.
“What in the name of the Goddess is happening here!”
Ashleigh felt as though the world had stopped spinning, and the oxygen had been violently sucked from the room.
Rejection.
The thought had never even occurred to her. Not once.
“W..what?” she asked, her voice shaking.
Caleb was right. It would solve everything. Then, all she had to do was let him go. To tell the Goddess that she rejected Caleb as her mate.
‘And choose Granger as my one true mate…’ the thought left a hollow feeling in her, which was quickly filled with guilt.
“Why drag it out any further?” he asked. “You don’t accept or acknowledge me as your mate? Then reject me, so we can both be free of this torture.”
Ashleigh furrowed her brows.
‘Torture?’ she questioned internally, ‘is it torture?’
She swallowed hard. The warmth of Caleb’s palms against her face, his eyes staring back at her with a confusing mixture of hope and resignation. She didn’t want to face him anymore, though that would mean pulling away from him, and she didn’t want that either.
“But... if I do that… there could be side effects. We could both get sick!” she cried out, clinging to the argument like the last life raft of a sinking ship.
As much as she wanted to keep his warmth, Ashleigh couldn’t look him in the eye anymore. She stood quickly and moved across the room.
“The rogue wolves still threaten us all. We’re both important people in this fight,” she said as she walked to her desk, fiddling with whatever papers her hands happened to land on. “It would be selfish. An unnecessary risk.”
“Because our bond is incomplete,” Caleb replied, not moving from his position by her bed. “The risk is significantly lowered for any lasting effects.”
‘Severing our bond, without lasting effects?... Impossible…’ she thought to herself, as her eyes lingered on his back. Her mind was the only place she could be honest with herself.
“It is still a risk,” she replied quickly, turning back to her desk.
“Ashleigh,” Caleb called out quietly. “Please.”
‘Are you that eager?’ she wondered sadly.
“There is no reason to take the risk. Like you said, our ties will be severed when Granger and I–“
“No!” Caleb growled.
Ashleigh flinched. She turned to find Caleb on his feet. He stared at her, his jaw clenched, his eyes glowing again, though somehow darkness swirled within them.
“No…” he repeated. His voice was thick. “Now… or not at all.”
“What?” she asked, swallowing hard as her throat felt suddenly parched.
Caleb took a step towards her.
“Reject me now, or not at all.”
Before she could respond, something changed in the air.
She felt it hit her in a crushing wave of mouthwatering need. Every nerve aching for contact. Their bond. It begged to be completed. A soft moan escaped her lips.
Ashleigh covered her mouth with her hand. Her other hand reached back to steady her body against the desk as her knees grew weak.
“Ashleigh…” he called to her. Her name on his lips made her feel drunk.
Deep within her, she felt something stir. Something waking. Like a cat stretching out in the afternoon sun, her back arched and her voice purred in delight.
Ashleigh bit her lower lip, taking in a deep, almost panting breath. As the heat traveled up and down the length of her body. She looked up at Caleb as though it were the first time.
His eyes, a storm raging within them, held onto her with a predatory gaze. It took her breath away.
She stumbled as her knees gave out, and the desk caught her. Ashleigh looked down as something fell to the floor. A picture. Granger’s nineteenth birthday.
Her mind cleared for just long enough, she moved away from the desk, sensing Caleb’s presence. She hurried towards the door.
She wasn’t scared of him but of how she felt with him.
‘I need to get away…’ she told herself.
But he was faster than she was.
Caleb caught her in his arms. He turned her around to face him, burying his nose against her throat. His arm wrapped around her waist while the other supported her back.
“Why are you always running away from me?” he asked breathily, brushing his nose against her throat gently. “Since the moment I felt you at the Blood Moon, you have always been running from me. And I have always been chasing you.”
Ashleigh fought to keep her senses, he held her so close, and it felt good, so good.
“Do you feel it?” he whispered against her throat. “Our bond?”
His mouth hovered just above the skin, careful not to make contact but close enough to tease her senses.
“I feel it all the time,” Caleb whispered. His hot breath sent shivers all throughout her body. “With you, away from you. Always,”
Caleb rested his forehead against her shoulder.
Ashleigh couldn’t respond. She felt it; it was overwhelming and frighteningly delightful. Barely able to keep her mind, she was about to try to get away once again. When it all just stopped. She was confused, unsure what had happened.
“Reject me now, right now. I’ll let you go, and I will never chase you again,” Caleb sighed into her shoulder.
His words made her heart ache. She knew she should listen, do precisely what he said. Reject him. Release him. Let him go.
‘I have to…’ she told herself mournfully. She took a deep breath.
“You hate my father,” she whispered back.
Caleb laughed. “What does that matter now?”
“How could you ever accept me if you hate him? How could I accept you?” she replied, her words heavy with emotion. “Your pack hates me, my family, my pack. Us being mates is a betrayal to both our people.”
Honest words, surprising no one more than Ashleigh herself.
Caleb pulled back so they could face each other. He saw the tears renewed in her eyes. He gritted his teeth, hating to see her so sad.
“I don’t care,” he answered. His eyes told her he meant it. “I don’t care who your father is, who accepts it or not. I choose you. I want you.”
He brought his hands back up to her cheeks, once again wiping the tears from her eyes. He waited for her to speak, but she couldn’t, not out loud.
‘I want to believe you….’
“Ashleigh,” he said earnestly, “this is your last chance. Reject me now or face the truth without regret.”
She looked up at him, unsure of what he meant.
“What is the truth?” she asked.
His eyes softened.
“That I love you,” he smiled, leaning forward, “and you love me too.”
He moved slowly, giving her every chance, every opportunity to pull away. To reject him. Ashleigh did not move.
Caleb closed the distance between them in a warm and gentle touch of their lips. Then, when she didn’t pull away, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. His lips were soft. They moved tenderly against her mouth, encouraging but not forcing her to deepen the kiss. And she did.
Ashleigh had never felt this sensation before. His kiss was restrained and delicate, yet it lit the fire deep in her core. Her desire to touch him, feel him, taste him was overwhelming her senses. It wasn’t like before; she didn’t feel drunk. She felt…hungry.
So enraptured in his kiss was Ashleigh that she forgot everything else around her.
Like how her mother had said she would return home soon. Very soon.
“What in the name of the Goddess is happening here!”
