Page 16 of Mated By Midnight

Elijah clenched his fists, his decision solidifying in his mind. “I’ll take the job,” he said, his voice steady, even though his heart felt anything but.

"Really?" Rylan's brows were near his hairline as though Elijah had caught him off guard. "I couldn't stay away from Liza for a day."

"You proved yourself to Liza. You chased her and wouldn't let her go. I let Celine go. She doesn't trust me to hold on to her or catch her if she falls. I need to prove that I will."

Rylan stared at him for a moment. "You're sure?"

Elijah nodded, though the ache in his chest remained. He wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. But he knew it was something he had to do.

12

Celine sat at her desk, staring at the open sketchbook in front of her. The lines and shapes blurred together. She tapped her pencil against the paper absentmindedly, but her thoughts were far from the designs she was supposed to be working on. All she could think about was him.

Elijah.

Well, at first, all she could think about was Rylan and Liza and the affection between the two. But she replaced Rylan's face with Elijah's, and she replaced Liza inside his embrace with herself.

Celine wanted to be kissed by Elijah. She wanted to be held by Elijah. She wanted to be near him.

But he'd left again.

His words from earlier echoed in her mind, over and over;I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.

Did he really think that was the issue? That she didn’t want to be around him? That she couldn’t handle the tension between them?

He had been sitting outside the office all day yesterday, his presence lingering just on the edge of her awareness. Then she'd found him on the porch this morning, sitting indiscomfort solely to make her feel comfortable. Had she misread everything?

Had he been waiting for her this whole time? Trying to give her space because he thought it was what she needed? What she wanted?

A voice pulled her out of her thoughts, but she barely registered it.

“Celine?” Liza’s voice cut through the haze, but Celine only nodded absently, her fingers still tracing the edge of the sketchbook.

The air in the office felt heavy, suffocating. Every time she tried to focus on her designs, her thoughts slipped back to Elijah—his steady gaze, the way he had stood there on the porch earlier, trying to give her space. She hadn’t expected it, and now it left her feeling hollow, like she was missing something vital.

“Celine.” Maize’s voice was sharper this time, a little more insistent. “What do you think about the layout of the garden courtyard? Should we extend the pathways or keep it simple?”

“Uh… simple,” Celine muttered, barely glancing at the blueprint Maize had laid out in front of her.

There was a brief pause. Then a snap of fingers in front of her face. Celine blinked, startled. Her eyes refocused on the two women staring at her with matching expressions of concern.

“Hello? Earth to Celine?” Maize said, her brow arched in amusement, though there was a hint of frustration there. “You’ve been zoning out for the last ten minutes.”

“Sorry,” Celine mumbled, trying to shake herself out of the fog. “I’m just… distracted.”

Maize leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh, I know exactly what you’re distracted by.” Her tone was playful but edged with seriousness. "Or rather, who."

Celine opened her mouth to protest, but Maize cut her off. “He stayed out there all day yesterday. You want to be with him. So why aren’t you?”

Liza, who had been quietly observing, leaned forward. “She’s right, Celine. It’s written all over your face."

"Because I don't understand him," Celine said. "He's a wolf. Shouldn't he be chasing after me? Instead, he keeps giving me space. That's not normal. Right?"

"Elijah doesn’t know how to be in a relationship," said Liza. "He’s never had to figure it out before. Neither have you, if we’re being honest.”

Celine bit her lip at the truth in those words. She looked down at her hands, which were now clasped tightly in her lap. “It’s not that simple. There’s the bond… and I don’t know if that’s all he sees in me.”

Liza shook her head, her gaze softening. “Celine, it’s not just about the bond. The bond is a connection, sure, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Elijah’s trying to be respectful. You're uncertain. And you’re both just dancing around each other.”

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