The Shadow of Stars

Twenty Eight

So I fully missed chapter 25 (not a mathematician AT ALL hahahaha). Just ignore it and maybe one day I'll fix it up lmaoooo

As always, pretty please comment and give me some entertainment from my hectic day! 

Anywayzzz ya'll are gonna die for this one. 

MICAHS POV

"Cool." The mocking tone of James voice draws my attention to him the second we exit the apartment and he pulls a dorky imitation of me.

I swing my fist into his shoulder with an excessive amount of force and he lets out a yelp of pain and clutches onto it, a painful groan leaving his lips.

"What the hell?" He asks and I grab him by the collar and push him against the wall, doing what I'd wanted to a moment ago. But I couldn't, not with her there.

My fits connects with his stomach and I let him drop to the floor, doubling over in pain as Benny slaps me on the shoulder, chuckling. "I'm shocked you didn't just straight up knock him out," he says and I let out a huff of annoyance before extending my hand to James.

He takes it hesitantly and I pull him up. "Don't ever talk like that in front of my mate again. Actually never talk like that about her, ever," I say, shaking my head as disgust and rage overcomes my face.

I try to simmer my anger at the insinuation but it burns and like Ben knows, he laughs even harder, hitting my shoulder once more. "Come on bro, let's just go play some ball. I think James was trying to piss you off."

"Yeah well it worked." I say with venom. We all start walking and I shake my head as James just groans again, still recovering. "If it makes you feel any better, neither of us are going to share that bed tonight," I mummer, irritation gathering in my eyes.

"What do you mean?" Benny asks. "I thought you two were getting along. What happened between your little sleepover and now?"

He sounds almost as exhausted as me and I shake my head, letting out another sigh. "She's just not ready for anything remotely to do with being a mate. In her mind we are not dating—whatever the hell that is even supposed to mean. So she has decided to sleep on the couch."

"Gee," James says, still rubbing his arm. Sympathy lines both of their faces and I want to crack a joke like I usually do or distract them with other news but I can't. I can't help but dwell in this never ending pit of confusion.

It's like she has my heart in her hands and I am left with nothing but the scraps of it she throws back. My mate, not my friend, not my girlfriend or my lover or my wife. My mate.

"Do you think..." Ben starts, his lips forming a serious line. "Do you think she might really be so against it? Like fully."

Its a thought I know he's held since the moment terror filled her eyes as she stood dripping with blue paint in front of me. That she might hate me and this bond so much that she'd do anything to escape it.

I don't hide the pain that etches across my face. I can't.

"I don't know," I admit. "I think she's trying, it's just not easy for her to accept. This life and responsibility—sometimes I think maybe its best she doesn't have it, if it will cause her so much suffering."

"But you are her mate," James says. "How can she suffer with you? It's not uncommon for humans to do this, my dad brought many human mates that had fled back to their homes when he served on the Gamma committee. All of them are together to this day."