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“You’re not supposed to be having fun,” he snaps, but I can hear the smile in his voice.
This. This is what I always wanted. The banter. The fun. The fire. I curse the fates for their timing, but we’ll make it work. He’s a beta. He must understand what it’s like to be busy. I just have to convince him it’s better to wait a while, and then I can be all his.
5
ETHAN
I’m awake long before she stirs, her body exhausted after a night of exploring every inch of each other. Stroking my fingers through her long, glossy hair, I admire her beautiful features and commit every cute little noise she makes to memory.
I know what comes next: I can’t stay. I have no idea what that’s going to mean for us, but I already know I’m going to need these memories to get me through.
“Are you going to keep staring at me like a creeper or tell me what’s wrong?” Rolling onto her side, she draws the crisp white sheet higher, covering her breasts.
Glaring at the thin material hiding her from my hungry view, I scowl. Already, I don’t like the distance between us, and we’re only a few feet apart.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I reassure, but her expression remains blank. She is a pack warrior after all, and seems to have been very well trained in how not to reveal anything under interrogation. This lady is no pushover. Sighing, I reach over and tangle my fingers with hers, sliding closer so I can pull them to my lips. “But… I need to go. Even though I really don’t want to.”
Hoping she can feel how sincere I am, I try to get a read on her reaction.
“Today?” Her tone is calm and I stiffen, feeling it as she shutters her emotions from me.
Nodding slowly, I wait, afraid to breathe in case I do anything to make this worse. Anxiety already fills me at the thought of being away from her, and when she looks away, my heart hurts.
“Anything - I would give absolutely anything to stay here with you. I promise, I will make this up to you. When we see each other next, it’s going to be forever. I’ll never leave your side again.”
Belle looks at me, eyes narrowed. She finally relents, stretching her free hand to stroke down my bare chest.
“How long?” Her voice is tight and I feel like the biggest asshole in the world.
Am I really doing this? Hurting my mate just after meeting her? Swallowing hard, I run through some calculations and scenarios in my head. I need enough time to complete my mission.
“Three weeks.” I wince when she jerks her hand from mine and her fingers pull away from my chest as though I’ve burned her.
“I have to go back to work too, so I knew we’d be apart, but three weeks…” Standing, she clutches the sheet as though she needs it to protect herself from me. Her hurt face crushes me, and I move from the bed, trying to get closer to her.
“Belle, I swear, if I could think of any way out of it, I would. But you must know the shit that’s been going on in our pack, and it’s not over. I need to do this to make sure everyone’s safe.”
Doubt flashes behind her eyes. Even a few nights apart feel like a lifetime for a newly mated couple, let alone two wolves that aren’t marked.
“I’ve been waiting for you my entire life,” I whisper, edging closer and cheering internally when she doesn’t move away from me again. “You’re my everything. I hate this. I want to start our life right now.”
Something about how pathetic I look begging her to understand must reach Belle, and she nods.
“Three weeks, Ethan.” She repeats, blowing out a deep breath. “It’s going to be tough.”
Teary, she lets me haul her tight against me, and I sway our bodies together.
“I’m so sorry. This isn’t what I wanted, but please know that I’m yours. You’re mine, Belle. I’ll never let you go. Trust me.”
She nods against me, and I feel the moment she accepts it; she shakes her arms out at her sides to free her tension and release the emotions flooding through her.
“I’ll be busy with work. That will keep me distracted. But you’re going to be making this up to me for the rest of our lives,” she warns cheekily, turning rosy as she talks of our future. It makes my insides melt to see how kind she is, despite the less-than-ideal start I’m inflicting upon us.
“Gladly.” Pressing a kiss to her temple, I breathe in her delicious scent. “Thank you.”
Stroking my hands up and down her back, I smile against her shoulder, the temptation to bite down overwhelmingly strong. I drag my teeth over the spot where I’ll place my mating mark, my pointed canine scoring the site gently, and I growl as she shivers in my arms.
“How about you let me adore you until our time is up? I’ll kiss and clean every inch of this perfect body.”
