Forever Taken

Chapter Nine

The day of Mirabelle's departure was extremely long, because I was so ready to leave. Her leaving and giving me an opening to escape was invaluable at this point and I was like a kid on Christmas Eve night.

I couldn't wait to see Ezra. I had never not been able to at least text Ezra during the day. I knew that if I was missing him that he was definitely missing me.

Most of the day I followed Mirabelle around, letting her see that I wasn't doing anything. For a while I sat in the office with her, watching her do computer and paper work about stuff that I didn't bother asking about because I really didn't care. If it was about wolf stuff I wouldn't understand anyway.

I don't know what made me ask, but I asked, "Can I call Ezra?"

Something made me wonder if she would lighten up? Surely I had earned some form of trust.... If this bond was supposed to take over me and make me want to stay, then shouldn't she be loosening up on me? She couldn't smother me forever if she was wanting me to stay forever. She couldn't possibly expect to keep me from talking to my twin brother, could she?

Mirabelle stopped the work she was doing and stared at me, her head propped up on her hand. I thought she was going to ignore my question until she stood and walked around her desk to stand in front of me.

"Asher, I want to say yes, but there's something that I can't trust about this."

Oh CRAP. "What do you mean?"

"I don't want you to talk to your brother and decide to leave me because you miss him more than you want me."

It wasn't hard to make myself look and sound upset about her not thinking that I wanted her, because I was definitely upset. If she didn't believe it then I wasn't doing good enough to escape.

"What makes you think I don't want you?" I asked, lowly. I'm sure I sounded worried. I'd come so far so fast and the idea of being found out right now when I was so close to escaping made me sick to my stomach.

"It's just the way you interact with me," she shrugged. "You haven't really touched me, much less kissed me. I haven't seen many human mates in my lifetime, so I don't know if this is just how long humans take, or if there's something wrong with me...."

She faded off and I just stared at her. This strong mythical creature of a woman was concerned that something was wrong with her because I wasn't all over her. The only thing that was wrong with her was that she was crazy and a kidnapper. She was obviously beautiful and more vulnerable than she let people see her to be. I didn't know what to do.

"There's nothing wrong with you," I started, not sure where I was going. "I don't know much, but I know myself. And I can't let myself be all over someone, no matter the circumstances. I take my time with things. I want to enjoy the journey."

The journey home....

Mirabelle rolled her eyes. "I don't want to hear that crap, Asher."

"It's not crap," I argued. "It's how I am. I'm respectful of your differences, why can't you be to mine?"

She was actually speechless. I smiled, knowing I had a point.

"How about this?" I bartered. "You have been patient with me. When you get home I will make a point to take you out on a date. A real one, away from here, and I'll start sleeping in bed with you. We can add on to what we have going on right now. It's still a little soon for me, but I don't want you worrying yourself. If it makes you happy, I will do more to show affection"

Her face lit up in the biggest smile I had seen yet. "You promise?"

I nodded.

I dodged another kiss that I knew was meant for my mouth, and ignored the heatwaves that came from it. I was too ready to be gone to feel bad for lying. Mirabelle seemed excited as she went back to work.