Page 61 of Coming Home

He kneeled before me and took both of my hands in his. “Shelby, I love you more than anything. I always have. I can see you’re having a hard time trusting that, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“Actually you are, you’re leaving me in just a few days,” I reminded him.

He growled. “That’s not the same. I have an obligation that I have to see through. I’m not renewing my contract, but I do have to go and fill out paperwork and finalize things so I can have an honorable discharge, that’s all. You’ll hear from me so often you’ll probably be sick of me before I even get back home. I’m not leaving you, damn it!”

I stayed quiet and just stared at him. I wanted to believe him, but I was bracing myself for the worst and we both knew it.

“And it’s not that I don’t want to claim you, sport. In my heart, you’re already mine and no mark will change that. I haven’t sealed our bond simply because of everything going on right now. My parents are in the hospital and I’m responsible for my brothers. I sure as hell wasn’t going to claim you last night with them in the next room, dampener or not. And before that there was a houseful of people. I don’t want to worry about possible disruptions or someone barging in on us. I want it to be perfect, for you,” he said, and I knew he was being entirely honest. “I didn’t mark you the first night because we’d just dealt with Annabelle and our emotions were already high. I didn’t think it was fair to you, but it’s not that I didn’t want to.”

“I can’t give you the family you’ve always dreamed of, Ben. Do you know how much that tears me up inside?” I said honestly.

He hugged me close to him as I cried some more.

“All I need is you, sport. If we’re meant to have a family, and that’s still what you really want, well there are other ways to have kids. I’m not worried about that. And if I’m not being clear enough, let me put it this way: I love you. You are already mine and I will mark you as such when we have a second to ourselves where you aren’t this heavily intoxicated.”

In spite of it all, I laughed through my tears.

“I plan to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. I don’t know what that life is going to look like, and I can’t promise it will always be easy, but I’m in for the long haul, sport, if you’ll have me.”

I nodded and smiled, throwing my arms around his neck. “I love you so much it drives me crazy sometimes. I’ve always been yours and I always will be.”

Ben

Chapter 20

I had a bottle of water and some aspirin ready the second Shelby woke up. I knew she was going to have one hell of a hangover. I just hoped she remembered some of our conversation from the night before.

I hated knowing that she had been worried that I didn’t want to bond with her.

I heard her groaning from the other room and she was holding her head when she finally walked in. “What happened?” she asked.

“Good morning,” I said, getting up to hand her the water and medicine. “Here, this will help.”

“I don’t ever remember having a hangover this badly,” she grumbled.

“Well, I’m pretty certain you and your sisters attempted to drink the equivalent of all the contents at Collier Liquor Store,” I teased.

She groaned some more, but I helped her to the couch after opening the bottle and passing it to her. She downed the aspirin and sat back in agony. I couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she looked even in her misery.

“I’ll make breakfast if you’re up for it. I wasn’t sure you would be, though.”

She shook her head, then grunted from the pain that little movement caused.

I felt riddled with guilt, like somehow her getting drunk had all been my fault. “I’m sorry,” I told her.

“For what?” she asked.

“I shouldn’t have left you yesterday. I should have reassured you every second since I returned that I’m not going anywhere this time.”

“No, you have nothing to be sorry about. Just some insecurities on my part,” she said sadly.

“I hate that I gave you those insecurities, sport.” I really did, too. If I hadn’t been such a teenage moron, she wouldn’t have anything to be worried about, and likely we would have been bonded years ago.

“Hey, we can’t erase the past,” she said, pulling me down beside her and wrapping her arms around me.

Something stirred inside me and I looked down at her to smile, showing off my canines that seemed to always appear now when she was close.

Shelby lit up and moved to straddle me. She pulled her hair to one side and exposed the slender column of her neck to me.

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