Shifting Love

Chapter 29: Breathe For Me

A week passed by and Dante still refused to speak directly to me. We were keeping up the perfect image of the mated Alpha pair in front of our pack members. We didn't want to alarm anyone that there was a ripple between us. The only one who knew what was going on was Teague.

Two days after the fight, Christian's pack doctors deemed the injured wolves fit to move. We were finally able to return to our territory. The Alphas and their mates were safely returned to their territories as well. A pack meeting was called for all the pack affairs to be settled. Now that Tristan had passed away the Hollows no longer had an Alpha to lead them.

I took it upon myself to plan his funeral for tonight. He would be buried in the Alpha mausoleum next to his parents where he belonged. The Alphas were skeptical about allowing this because of his involvement with the hunters. I pled his case. In the end he was on our side.

At night I slept in my own room rather than in the Alpha bedroom. I gave Dante his space. It seemed like he didn't want to share his bed with me. I kept all my belongings and clothes in my room.

I stood in front of the mirror in my room. I just stared at my reflection. I almost didn't recognize myself. My face looked haunted. It was like I lost the will to live. In a way, I guess I had. I was about to bury one mate tonight and the other wouldn't even glance my way unless we were in public.

He hadn't kissed me since the day Tristan died. Some days it felt like he would never kiss me again. My body yearned for his touch. Whenever we were around each other I caught myself leaning into him just to be close to him. But when he realized what I was doing he would walk off in a huff.

I hadn't shifted since that day either. No matter how many times I tried, my wolf refused to come out. It felt like my soul was too badly broken. Only Dante was the one who could put it back together.

I sighed after I slipped the black dress over my feet and up my body. My hands reached behind my back for the zipper but it was just out of my reach.

"Here."

A warm hand steadied my shoulder. Another grasped the zipper at my back. Silence stifled the room while the zipper slowly reached the top of my dress.

"Thanks, Teague."

"How are you holding up?"

"As well as any female whose mate is treating her like crap while she has to bury her other one I suppose," I lashed out harshly.

He set his other hand on the opposite shoulder and pulled me back into his chest. It wasn't the chest I wanted to be embraced in but his hug had the desired effect. My breathing calmed down. I turned around in his arms.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to be so cruel."

"It is okay, Ari. There is no need to apologize. It has already been forgotten," he soothed as he pressed a small kiss on my forehead.

Someone cleared their throat. I immediately jumped out of Teague's arms to see Dante standing in the doorway. His face was an array of emotions. Jealousy and anger were pushing through him but before I could really tell his face was back to his usual mask void of any emotion.

"Is there something I should know about?" his voice was laced in bitterness.

"Oh for the love of god," I mumbled under my breath before addressing him, "He was just giving me a hug, something you can't even seem to give me lately."

"You want a hug? I will give you a hug," he growled in anger.

I didn't like the tone of his voice or the way his eyes blazed in rage at me. He quickly stormed across the room at us. Teague placed an arm in front of me when he noticed the anger radiating from Dante's body.