Page 32 of Awakening

“I have an idea,” Chloe says. “Why don’t you let me spend the day with Olivia tomorrow. I can tell her more about your life together, and then the two of you can go to dinner tomorrow night.” She widens her eyes at Ethan. I’m good at reading Chloe’s cues. I know she’s trying to tell him not to pressure me.

I have to be willing to get to know him again, but I’d also like a little space to process all of these emotions. I look at Ethan and nod with a small smile. “I really like that idea.”

He looks into my eyes for a moment and then returns my smile. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

“Nick, can you bring me some clothes and things?” Chloe asks and then looks at me. “And, I’m sure you’d like some more of your own belongings too, Liv?”

“Not a problem,” Nick says.

“I have some things you can borrow for tonight,” I say to Chloe. “Anthony bought me a few necessities to get me through,” I say, and I see Ethan’s face tense again.

“I’ll go home tomorrow and bring you some of your favorites, and your phone,” Ethan says. “Nick, you and I can just crash over at our apartment tonight.”

“Sounds good,” Nick says.

“Thank you, Ethan,” I say with a small smile.

“What about transportation for you while you’re here?” Nick asks Chloe.

“We can get by with an Uber for a few days,” Chloe says. The look of reassurance she gives Ethan doesn’t go unnoticed. I already know she’s planning to convince me of how wonderful life is with Ethan, so she can get me to go home with him as soon as possible.

Pulling my hand from Ethan’s grasp, I move toward the door, as do Chloe and Nick. Ethan sighs and takes the cue, moving that way as well. Guilt tears at my chest and tears burn in my eyes when I look at the obvious anguish in Ethan’s eyes. He pulls me to him and wraps his arms around me.

“You don’t understand how fucking hard this is for me. I don’t know how I’m going to walk out that door and leave you here. I need you to know how much I love you,” Ethan says. “There is nothing in my life more important than you. You’re everything to me, Olivia.” He pulls back, placing a long kiss to my forehead. “I’ll pick you up at 6:00 tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I blink fast to hold back my tears.

“There are a few things you and I need to discuss in the hall before we leave,” Ethan says to Anthony.

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say.

“It’ll be fine, Liv,” Nick says. “I’ll keep them both in line.”

Ethan reluctantly lets me go with a nod, then follows Nick into the hallway.

Eight

Ethan

“Show me where this unit is that you’re talking about,” I say as Anthony joins us in the hallway.

“It’s the one at the end of the hall. There are only these two units on the top floor. No one else will be up here,” Anthony says.

“Good,” I say, just before I slam him up against the wall, pressing my arm against his throat as Nick stands by. “Now, you listen to me, fucker. I’m going to say all the things I wasn’t able to say in front of Olivia. I know what you are, and you know damn good and well it doesn’t matter if Olivia is my wife, my fiancée, or my fucking cleaning lady. She’s my mate. We’re marked. She is mine in every way that matters, and if you even think about disrespecting that…I’ll fucking kill you.”

Anthony shoves me off of him and steps chest to chest with me, neither of us backing down. “Hey,” Nick says. “Calm this shit down.”

“If Olivia is truly your mate, then why didn’t she know you? The mate bond should have overruled the amnesia,” Anthony says.

“Because Ian is fucked up. It’s impossible to say what he did to her while she was with him, but I can almost be certain he was giving her something to destroy our mate bond. What the fuck would you know about the bond anyway? You aren’t even associated with your pack, and it sounds like you’re into some fucked up shit of your own. Suppressing your werewolf genes? Who does that?”

“Someone who didn’t want to end up in prison for murder. I can’t help it that my father dragged us to the states when I was a kid. I had no one around to help me through the rage.”

“Who suppressed you, then? What did they give you?”

“I’m not telling you that shit. I know someone who can get it done.”

“And, even if you choose not to acknowledge Olivia is my mate, which you know she is, you know she’s sure as hell not yours.”

---