All the Things Between Us

Chapter 20

  When I told him to prove it, I didn't quite expect this. He started driving back the way towards his house. I'd thought that he was going to force me back into house. He surprised me when he pulled over to the side of the road. He got out of the car then came over to my side to help me out. He then took my hand and started leading me into the forest.
Maybe this is how I die. He's gotten what he wants from me so what's the point? It'd probably be very easy to hide my body out here. There's ample land on which to dump a body. Animals out here could eat me, and no one would ever be the wiser.
He drags me into a clearing and stops. I guess this is it. I wonder what he'll do. He could try strangulation again or he could just beat me to death.
"Please don't be afraid", he says before taking a few steps from me. I'd run at this point if it weren't for me knowing he could easily catch me.
To my surprise he starts stripping. His shirt goes before his pants. He has even more scars that I hadn't known about on his legs. In this lighting I can also more clearly see the three circular scars on his chest. Luckily, he keeps the boxer briefs on.
To my astonishment I hear his bones cracking. Before I know it in his place there's now a wolf standing before me. Looking at it I'm certain it's the same one I ran into last time I was out here.
I fall on my back in shock. I scramble to get away from him. When my back hits a tree I know that I have nowhere to go.
He approaches me slowly and cautiously. If I didn't know any better, I'd assume that it was a normal wolf sneaking up on prey.
"S-stop right there!", I shout. The wolf is only about two feet from me when it stops.
"Change back", I demand. The wolf quickly changes into a very naked Apex. I avert my eyes from him. I hear him shuffle around a bit.
"I'm decent", he says, "you can look". I turn my face back towards him to see that he's in his shirt and pants again.
"Do you believe me?", he asks.
"What are you?".
"I told you I'm a werewolf and your mate", he says.
"How can you say that I'm your soulmate when you've tried to kill me multiple times?", I ask, "and what is heat?". He looks down at his feet, presumably ashamed of himself.
"I know what I did was terrible, but I promise to change. We really are mates and I love you; I just don't know what I'm doing", he says.
"Heat is something similar to ovulation, it's just a lot more potent. Your hormones drive you to um, repopulate. Since you don't have strong instincts to do so like a werewolf does your body finds other ways to convince you. The only way to alleviate it is through intimacy. When you're going through it, you'll naturally start to attract men around you by putting out pheromones. Despite this though, I'm really the only one that can stop the pain".
I take a deep breath and try to take in everything he just said. It feels like he just told me I've contracted some terrible disease.
"This all your fault!", I tell him beginning to cry.
"I know", he's says still looking at his feet.
"I bet you wanted this to happen", I yell, "I bet you planned this and were planning to enslave me!". He looks up at this with a shocked look.
"No of course not", he tells me, "I know what a failure I've been to you, but please believe me".
"You're a liar", I tell him. He deflates further at my words.
"You need to stay away from me", I tell him. He looks even more panicked now.
"You can't leave!", he says.
"Why not?", I say still shouting.
"I'm not a normal werewolf", he says, "I'm an Alpha which means I'm a leader of a pack and there are a lot of people who will try to hurt you".
"Well I'm probably better off with them then I am you", I say. He comes toward me and pulls me into his arms despite my protests.
"I don't want you to get hurt anymore", he says.
"All you ever do is hurt me". He pulls me tighter into him.
"I know", he says, "and I'm sorry".
"I don't want to be around you anymore, if you try to make me, I'll escape somehow or hurt myself". He pulls back enough at this to look me in the face.
"You can't hurt yourself", he says, "please promise me you won't".
"Only if you let me leave", I tell him. He hugs me right again.
"Okay".
We spend the rest of the day moving all my stuff from my old place into an apartment he's renting for me. He insisted on paying for everything, I think he's using it to have more ties to me, but I can't complain because me being gone from my life for so long made me broke. He's paying all my bills directly and gave me a card of my own for everything else.
The apartment I'm in is nice than my old duplex and has good security. However, it's only twenty minutes from Apex.
With how long it we spent in the hospital today it's nightfall before we finish moving me. Before he goes, I know we need to talk so we sit across the same dining room table as our first chat. He looks so heartbroken sitting across from me.
"I don't want to see you again", I tell him, "I get that we're soulmates or whatever, but you didn't care so neither do I". In a flash he's at my side.
"Please don't do this", he says, "I'll do anything, just please don't leave me". He pulls me up into his arms again. He has one arm around my back and the other under my knees. I push away from him.
"I would have done anything to not have been locked under your mattress for a month. Did you know it somehow physically hurt me every time you had a girl over?", I say. He once again looks ashamed. He puts me down and kneels by my feet.
"I didn't realize you would", he says, "I didn't think the bond would be strong enough for you to feel anything".
"I don't care how you did it or if you knew", I tell him, " you hurt me time and time again. You knew I what I was, and you were fucking other girls right over me. Even if I wasn't your supposed soulmate it's still a fucked-up thing to do". He grimaces at my words.
"I want you to get out and never come back", he nods when I say this and stands. I follow him to the door to make sure that he really does leave. Just before he's about to step out the door he turns back to face me.
"I want nothing more than for you to be okay again but, I want you to know that I love you and I always will. I'm going to keep trying to be better for you. I hope you come back to me some day and that I'll be a better man for you. Goodbye", he presses a quick kiss to my forehead and steps out. I close the door behind him immediately. The second the door is closed I fall to the floor in tears. Why does it hurt so bad?