Callous

2

            The mess was cleaned, I sat frozen on the bed, waiting. All of my clothes were repacked nice and neat in the suitcase, I had gone and cleaned the rest of the apartment as well.

I hadn't only cleaned, I had snooped.

And there was nothing.

This place was empty, it was like a hotel that he had moved into. There was no personal touch to anything.

I didn't move from my position as I waited. I wasn't willing to fall asleep and become vulnerable to the man I should have complete trust in.

My wolf had retreated into the back of my mind, showing no signs of coming out any time soon.

I had always been the type of person who trusts my gut and usually, it would keep me safe. But I don't think any choice I make in this decision can keep me safe.

I was on my own.

I could hear the patrolling wolves circling the territory, we must be near the border if I can hear them so clear. Or they were told to patrol the cabin, which didn't make sense seeing as the doors and windows were all locked.

I froze as I heard the distinct sound of shifting, the tearing of skin shredding right by the house, South, near the door. I sat up straight on the bed that was down the hall in the tiny cabin.

He had come back.

I stiffened as the door unlocked and relocked.

Heavy footsteps traveled through the house as I listened intently. The bland sandwich I had made him was sitting on the napkin, there was only so much to make with no food.

I tuned into my hearing more as I heard the dry bread being swallowed, footsteps started again as he walked down the hall. Straight to me.

"You better not be hiding a knife in there with you." I frowned to myself, wondering why I hadn't of done that.

I didn't get a chance to reply as he walked into the room, his feet dirty and bare as he came close to me, stopping in front of me as I was staring at his bare chest. His form only clad in a pair of shorts.

"Thank you," He murmured, a total switch flip from the last time I saw him. I nearly jumped out of my skin as he pressed his lips against my forehead, the heat of his lips warms my entire body.

The mate bond was hitting both of us full force.

He stepped away clearing his throat as he took another bite of the peanut butter sandwich. "Where'd you put your stuff at?" His voice was gruff as he spoke around the food in his mouth.

It took a minute for me to realize that he was talking to me before I started stuttering over my words. "Ah, uh." Clearing my throat, I coughed. "My bag?" I questioned my own wording as he turned to look at me.

"Why." I stuttered as he turned those sharp eyes on me.

"I, I didn't know where else to put them?" Okay, so he wasn't exactly being the nicest person on the block, but at least he wasn't being the douche I had been used to.

He tapped his foot on the bottom three drawers, I nodded as he turned his head away from me.

"What's your name?" I whispered, not wanting to talk too loud in case I spooked him back into being an asshole.

"Alexi Jeffery." His voice was briefly rough before continuing softer. "How old are you?"

I perked up at the change of conversation that was happening. "18, 19 in a month. You?"

"38." I bit my tongue to stay quiet as I stayed on the bed.

"Why do you live here and not in the packhouse?" He tensed at the question, still turned away from me as I watched his back flex.

"It's tradition." He brushed away the crumbs and started grabbing a towel. "Once a warrior meets their mate, they move away from the pack house. I'm taking a shower, sleep."

I watched as he left, feeling weird as I listened as the water ran and his ragged breathing in the shower. I laid under the covered, still in my clothes that I was supposed to get in a plane on as I tried to shut off my mind with no avail.

How long was I going to stay cooped up in this cabin? Was I ever going to see anyone else again?

The questions haunted me in my sleep as the fault of my problems laid beside me, stiff with an arm around my waist as his wet chest and hair soaked me.

His grumbling didn't meet my ear as my wolf was comforted from her mate being beside her as we fell back into a fitful sleep.

What was the Goddess thinking?

I had concluded she wasn't thinking when I woke up the next morning, alone.

I couldn't move from my place as I laid in the bed, trying to decipher how long ago it was that he left, the place next to me was stiff and cold. He had been gone for a long time.

I couldn't say I was surprised, but I was hurt. I had thought that he would be easing into this. Instead, he was gone again.

Leaving the bed, I planned on spending much of my day, the way I had before. Cleaning and trying to settle my racing nerves.

Braiding my hair behind my shoulders, I walked out of the room and down the hall, halting in surprise at the simple plate that held a sausage muffin in the center of it, a glass of milk set off to the side.

Even though he left, he didn't just run off and leave.

He was trying.

Sitting down, I ate the meal and drank the entire glass of milk before setting in on the dishes that seemed to of piled up in the sink overnight.

I was going to clean through the day and when he returned, I wasn't going to let him go without understanding why he didn't accept me the moment we met.

And I was going to get my answers, I wasn't going to sit there and sit on the sidelines. If I was going to stay here, I was going to stay here as a mate.

My wolf provided comfort to me, purring in my mind as she was on my side, and always would be.

Let's just hope that he didn't frost over and leave.