Crazy Little Thing Called Mate

\TWENTY•TWO/

- Everest -

When the sound of the shower starting hit my ears I let my eyes open, and with it my silent tears fell.

Titus was right about rejecting Caleb like I had.

My rejection did enable me to accept Titus' touch...but he didn't say anything about not being able to think about him.

And that's exactly what was happening right now.

Tonight with Titus was truly fantastic on so many levels. And my wolf was satisfied in every that she had been howling to be with Titus.

Throughout everything, Titus made it a point to give me choices in the impossible situation we found ourselves in, he also unknowingly told me that he was my partner throughout this.

Titus had gone out of his way to make me comfortable.

I had spent the same amount of time with Titus as I had with Caleb, my mate...and yet the one who should have been loving and compassionate was so cold and distant. Even the way we had sex...it was just that, sex.

It was fast, hard, emotionless...my mate fucked me and forgot about me.

But with Titus, my husband...(I couldn't stop the small smile from rising as memories began to flood me) my core began to pulse with want as I remembered the way his fingertips trailed lightly on certain areas and grasped others. The feel of his lips on my skin.

Titus, the cold ruthless prince, he had every right to be heartless and cruel toward me, the girl who was coming in and made to be his wife instead of his beloved mate.

But he was nothing but gentle and warm toward me.

He made me feel as if he genuinely wanted to be with me. He made love to me and put me in the forefront of everything tonight.

That was all I ever wanted from my mate.

I got up and put on the cotton nightgown that I had picked out with Heidi. I walked over to the window and caught my reflection. My hair was a tangled mess so I quickly pulled it all to the side and gave myself a messy side braid.

I looked out the window.

From up here I could see out far enough to see the beginnings of my new packs houses. Some people had lights on, others seemed to be completely dark as the night gently wrapped around the pack land.

"I'm pretty certain you said I had killed your legs." I turned to see Titus approaching me fresh from his shower.

I resigned to looking back out of the window otherwise I would openly stare at his sculpted chest and arms as they were completely bare still. It seems as if my new husband sleeps without a shirt.

His hand snaked around my waist and I smiled.

But it was when his nose trailed from the tip of my left shoulder and into the crook of my neck before he placed a small kiss there, it had me closing my eyes in anticipation of what was to come.

"Can you pull your hair down Everest?"

"My hair is a mess." I protested with a slight chuckle.

"Your hair is beautiful." He complimented. "Plus, the smell...it reminds me that it you."

My heart raced.