***Kelly's POV***
The silence was killing me and the look in his eyes was one of pain and regret.
I gulped and even though his arms felt wonderful around me I sat back and waited.
‘We only told you what the mark meant and you already knew most of it anyway.’ I nodded and waited again, my heart rate picking up.
‘If I…If we do anything to damage your bond with Daniel short of removing the mark, it could…’ I nodded encouraging him to carry on but he shook his head and looked away.
‘Dweight, please…I can handle it.’ His lips pressed into a thin line.
‘If we have intercourse or if I mark you then it could cause irreparable damage… The only case I’ve ever heard of, the femme died.’
I gulped but he wasn’t finished.
‘In most cases your wolf destroys itself and if you survive that then you can no longer shift. No matter how much I want you Kelly, I can’t do that to you and I can’t risk you or your wolf.’
My eyes immediately flooded with tears and as they pooled over I flung myself the few inches into Dweight’s chest and hugged him for all I was worth. He wrapped his arms around me and everything in me yearned to be closer but I knew now why he was holding back.
‘Thank you.’ I whispered through the sobs
‘What for?’ His choked question tickled my ear
‘For everything. You let me onto your land; your pack has been so nice, you gave me clothes and food and you let me sleep in your bed-’
‘Kelly, I did what any man would-’ I shook my head so hard he pulled away to look into my eyes.
‘Not all men are as good as you are and I would know.’ He pursed his lips again and hugged me to his chest again.
It took me a few minutes to run everything through my head but what I found there made my stomach clench and it took me a while before I could hide my shame and ask the question.
‘Dweight, why would it hurt me but Daniel has been…He’s been cheating on me for years.’
I felt his entire body stiffen and then a growl bubbled up in his chest.
‘You didn’t mark him I take it?’ I laughed out loud and then realized he was serious.
‘You have to do that?’
‘Who taught you our ways?’ His voice was rough like he was holding back his wolf
‘My dad didn’t tell me much after my mom died. Daniel didn’t exactly share with the class either.’
‘If you marked him then he would have hurt himself every time he…’ Another growl bubbled from his chest and Dweight actually closed his eyes and panted a few seconds before his breathing slowed and he could look at me again.
‘You do odd things to me Kelly.’ I giggled
‘Oh?’ A small smile played on his lips.
‘You make me feel so out of control and completely wound up like a thrum of a finger could push me over the edge.’ I frowned. That didn’t sound good at all.
‘You also make me feel incredibly happy and free like I don’t have a care in the world.’ He smoothed out the frown line between my brows with his thumb.
‘I wanted to do that since that first night you slept here. I never want to see you upset Kelly. You are…’ My breath caught in my throat
‘You’re important to me.’ My chest hurt a little bit at that statement but I knew what we were even if he didn’t say it out loud. Mate my wolf purred in my head.
Yes. Mate. I snuggled closer to him and smiled feeling more determined in my coming actions than I did earlier this evening.
‘You’re important to me too Dweight.’ He chuckled and rubbed circles on my back.
We sat like that for what felt like hours before I started drifting off. Listening to his heart beat was so peaceful and the last thing I remembered was Dweight kissing my head and whispering something in my ear.
