Page 79 of His Hungry Wolf

“Well, I’m sorry I’m such a pain in your ass. If you want me to, I’ll go.”

“What the fuck, Claude? I ask you to tell me something about yourself, and you threaten to leave me?”

“I wasn’t threatening to leave you,” Claude insisted.

“Well, it sure sounded like it from here,” I said, shaking from his threat.

Claude paused and looked at me. I was trembling. I wished I was strong enough not to, but I was. Feeling naked in front of him, I was raw. If he had left me there, I would have been destroyed. I knew it. There were only so many blows I could take.

As he wavered, my heart broke. I was about to fall to my knees when his large, strong arms wrapped around me.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered into my ear. “I never did. I never want to again.”

“Then why did you?” I asked with tears soaking his shirt.

“I don’t know. What you said hurt so much.”

“I’m so sorry I said that, Claude.”

“I know you are.”

“Then, why won’t you forgive me?”

Claude remained silent.

“Why won’t you, Claude?”

“I don’t know. But it doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here.”

“I just want you to open up to me.”

“I’m trying, Merri. I really am.”

“I know. I can see it. You just really suck at it.”

Claude laughed. “I do. I really do.”

I pulled away, looking up at him.

“But you don’t always have to suck at it. For example, share one thing with me now.”

“What do you want to know?”

“What is your actual identity? I know you don’t like to think about it. But make me believe that this thing between us isn’t just in my head.”

Claude looked at me painfully.

“Please, Claude. If I mean anything to you…”

“You do,” he said, cutting me off.

“Then what?”

“I thought you could see it. I’m here.”

“But I need to hear it. From you,” I said, touching his chest. “So please, what are you?”

Claude thought about my question. Taking a deep breath, he said,

---