“Not funny.”
Ellis chuckles. “She has no appreciation for my wit, Angel.”
“Angelina,” I repeat.
“And there you go, unable to accept a shifter’s flaws. You gonna hold a nickname against me? Makes me wonder what you’re holding against the guy who dumped you.”
“He didn’t dump me.”
“Ah, you dumped him. Interesting.” Ellis’s bed creaks as she climbs in. “Regardless, Olivia’s right. Honesty goes a long way. And keep in mind,Angel, the males aren’t the ones who expect perfection. The question is, do you?”
No, I don’t, but she’s right. He values honesty, and I haven’t been entirely honest with him. Maybe that’s what’s bothering me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, as I close my eyes and drift off to sleep, thinking of my pack…. and Garrett.
Someone shakes me awake, making me jump with a start. “You’re okay,” Garrett says. “It’s just me. And I’m only here to talk, nothing else.”
He’s leaning over me, naked. He must have shifted and come here in wolf form.
“You can’t be in here. This is the women’s cabin. How’d you get in here without waking anyone?”
“Really, Angel? Are you questioning my infiltration skills, especially in a cabin?”
“Garrett,” I whine, because I’m still on edge. I don’t want to play games, not with him.
“I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t stop thinking about you, us. I’m not sure what I did wrong, what happened between us, but I had to come. Tell you I’m sorry for whatever I did. If this is about Marla, I never loved her. Thought I did at one time, but that’s before I knew what love is. She was a big part of my childhood, and… and, fuck, you’re tired of hearing about her, aren’t you?’”
“A little.”
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’ve been struggling with what happened. Guilt. Betrayal. For two years, I’ve been stuck, if that makes sense.”
“It does. There are times I feel like that too, like being here in your pack. It’s not home. But I’m trying.”
“I know you are, my angel. And I’m sorry I’ve been pushing you to get to know the shifters. I just wanted you to feel like you had a home again.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t apologize for trying to help me.”
He blows out a breath. “I’ve been a jackass to everyone. And now a hypocrite. I lost one friend and have been stuck in the past for two years. You lost your entire world, barely a year ago, and yet you’re at least trying to move on.”
“We make quite a pair, don’t we?” I say, jokingly.
Those teal eyes swirl with an intensity I haven’t seen before. “Don’t ever think less of who you are or what you’ve accomplished just because I’ve been an asshole.”
“I don’t know what to say to that.”
“Don’t say anything. Just listen. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and I’ll probably make a shit-ton more, but I need you to know you’re everything to me, Angel. When you walked away from metonight… Fuck, I couldn’t think, couldn’t see straight, couldn’tbreathe. I’ve never been so scared in my life. And I’ve been in crazy tight situations before. Caught by humans, gun-against-my-head type of situations.”
He’s starting to shiver and I’m not entirely sure why, but it’s damn cold in here. The fire’s died out, but it’s the intensity in his eyes I’m having trouble coping with. I slip out from beneath my blanket, suddenly quite aware I’m still naked, but I don’t dare turn back to face him. I toss two logs onto the fire, then take my time walking back to my bed.
His eyes lock on me, following my every move, as if he can’t look away. And I don’t want him to.
As I climb back under the warm covers, he says, “You could have asked me to do that instead of giving up that cozy bed.”
“I’m not helpless.”
“Never said you were. You’re highly capable, at anything you set your mind to. No one else could have gotten me to go to that celebration tonight, let alone get me up on stage. And that’s something I needed. Would have fought it had I seen it coming, but you see right through me, what I need.”
“What do you need now?” I ask, tucking my hand under my pillow so I don’t reach out for his, which is all I can think about doing. “If you’re here for my forgiveness, there’s nothing to forgive. I’m the one who got overly touchy tonight.”
