by Viola Rivard
After Mila was clean, dry, and bundled up in her bed, Rosie and Gem finally left. Mila immediately took advantage of her alone-time, crying into her pillows for a good hour.
Crying was usually cathartic for her. After having a good sob-fest, everything always seemed clearer to her, and the things that had upset her didn’t seem so awful anymore.
But today, her tears came in waves. Every time she thought she was done crying, she would just think of something else that would sent her spiraling back into despair. It was hard to imagine that just a few hours ago, she’d been thinking about how totally unworried she was.
~~~
Mila ignored Asch as he joined her in bed. Lifting the blankets, he climbed under and settled in beside her. When she still made no move to acknowledge him, Asch gathered her into his arms, molding her back against his body. She smelled like jasmine, and beneath that, she smelled like him. Leaving her wasn’t going to be easy.
After discussing it at length with River and Fern, it was clear that he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. According to River, the new alpha of Blackthorn, Talon, wasn’t the one calling the shots, and it was a rebellious sect of his wolves that was attacking the county.
Asch wasn’t sure how he was going to help Talon restore order to his pack without making the young alpha look weak, but he had a hell of a better chance of doing it than Caim.
If he wasn’t able to teach the alpha how to manage his wolves, Asch would see to it that the dissenters were taken care of. While he didn’t feel that leaving a weak leader in power was the ideal solution, the last thing any of them needed was more dead humans in the area.
He felt the moment Mila finally relaxed in his hold. The tension seeped out of her body and she went boneless against him, soft and pliant in his arms. Asch nuzzled the back of her neck.
“I’m leaving soon.”
She sniffled. “When will you be back?”
“I’m not sure. I shouldn’t be gone more than a few months.”
Mila shot up, staring down at him incredulously. “Months?” she repeated, her mouth hanging open.
Asch grinned, hooking a finger under her chin to push her mouth shut. “I’m joking. I’ll be gone a week, two tops.”
She punched his arm, a little harder than what Asch would consider playful, but it amused him nonetheless. He saw her open her mouth to speak, but he wasn’t keen on wasting time arguing. He pounced on her, pushing her back down onto the bed and covering her mouth with his.
He kissed her slowly, cupping her face in his calloused hands as he slid his tongue between her lips. She opened up for him, and he sank his tongue inside of her without hesitation. He flexed his hips against her, drinking in her gasp as she felt him stiff and aching for her.
No matter how badly he wanted her, Asch knew he couldn’t take things any further. The mating thrall had just ended, and her body was covered in bite marks and bruises. She was doubtlessly very sore and tired. He’d wait, and give himself something to look forward to when he came home.
He pulled back, rubbing his nose against hers affectionately. He was rewarded with her smile. “Are you still upset with me?” she asked.
Asch cocked a brow. “I thought you were upset with me.”
“I am,” she told him, running her hand along the side of his neck. “But I don’t want to be.”
“Then don’t be.” Mila tried to come with him as he sat up, but he placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down. “Stay, get some rest. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Why do you have to go now?” she protested. “Can’t you just wait a few days?”
“The sooner we intervene, the better,” he said, climbing out from under the covers. He tucked the blankets in tightly around her and then rested his hand over her stomach. “Besides, no one’s getting me or Caim away from the den once your scent starts to change.”
Mila shifted uncomfortably, looking away from him. “What if it doesn’t?” She chewed on her bottom lip, blinking rapidly. “What if there’s something wrong with me and I just can’t get pregnant?”
Asch took in her watery eyes and frowned. “And here I thought you were crying because you’d miss me.”
“I wasn’t crying,” she said. He smirked at her, tapping his nose. “Okay, fine, but it wasn’t just that. It’s everything. I was almost eaten by a cat, Caim’s mad at me, you’re leaving, and if I’m not pregnant then everyone’s going to think that there’s something wrong with me.”
Asch reached out and brushed the corner of eyes. “Forget about the cat, Caim will come around, and don’t stress yourself out about being pregnant. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, we try again.”
He said the last part mostly to soothe her, firmly believing that when he returned, Mila would possess the sweet, subtle scent of motherhood.
CLAIMED: PART FIVE
Making up isn’t easy, but with two weeks alone and the days growing colder, Mila and Caim aren’t about to sleep apart. Alone time with Caim is better than Mila could have anticipated, but with each day that passes without a change in her scent, she finds herself dreading Asch’s return, and his inevitable disappointment.
4/19/2014
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