Chapter Fourteen

Roan Her wolf is jealous, Roan’s wolf said. Roan knew she was, and he wouldn’t lie and say he didn’t enjoy it. It was natural for her to react that way. To be jealous of another shewolf that showed interest toward her mate. Although Sullen hated it. Sullen scoffed. “I don’t want anything from you,” she said, waving her hand his way. “I just need to know if I’m stepping on someone else’s territory, that’s all.” “Right, that’s why you attacked her outside?” Roan asked, digging a shirt from the midst of his chest-of-drawers. He turned to look at her, while slipping it back on. “Because you’re worried about hurting her feelings. You weren’t worried about that when she came out of the pack house.” Sullen rolled her eyes. “It was my wolf. Not me. Get it right. So, you’re not sleeping with her? For my wolf’s sake? She’s acting insane right now.” Roan chuckled. “No. Never have and I never will. She’s … persistent. I’ve known her since I was a pup. Her family is well-respected. Her father was the previous alpha’s beta.” Sullen nodded, and folded her arms over her chest. “Your room could use some color,” she mumbled, glancing around at the blues and greys. “Anyway. What do you want to talk about? I need to go knock some sense into my mother before I go back home.” Roan leaned back against the wall opposite of Sullen. “Give me a month.” Sullen glanced over at him. “Sorry?” she asked, tilting her head. “A month for what?” Roan shoved his hands into his pockets. “A month here at the pack, and if you still hate pack life, and me, I’ll let you go.” Sullen laughed and braced her hand on her forehead. “You want me to stay here? For a month? Did you fall and bump your head? I have a life in the city. I have an internship, online classes...” Roan shoved from the wall and stepped closer to her. “You can still take your classes here. Call your internship and ask to work from home for a few weeks. Tell them it’s a family emergency.” Sullen narrowed her eyes at him. “I can’t just abandon my life.” Roan touched her wrist, and watched goosebumps rise on her arm. “And I can’t let my fated mate not give me a chance. I deserve that, Sullen. You deserve that. We deserve to give our relationship a try. I can’t let you go without giving us a chance. Plus,” he whispered, his mouth close to her ear, “I know you feel it. Your wolf is going to go mad if she isn’t around my wolf. She will drive you crazy, Sullen. You won’t be able to concentrate, and you’ll slowly lose interest in your boyfriend.” Sullen pulled her wrist from his grasp. “This is not going to end in your favor. I love my boyfriend. We’ve been together for a long time, and if you think you’re going to bully me into some kind of forced alpha—luna relationship, it’s not going to work. And where do I tell him I’m at for an entire month? He’s human, and won’t understand this.” Roan slid his tongue across his teeth, and attempted to keep his wolf from lashing out. He wasn’t the type of alpha to force her, but he would make sure he had a chance to show her who he was. “I won’t touch you, kiss you, or do anything you don’t want, until you ask me for it. Your boyfriend is gone most of the time, isn’t he? Tell him you’re visiting family. I don’t care what you tell him.” He watched Sullen’s pulse in her neck, and the way her throat moved when she swallowed. “What about the pack? What will they think if I disappear?” He shrugged. “I’ll deal with that when it happens. For right now, I do ask you to be nice to them, and don’t tell them about our … situation. The shewolves are … protective, and I don’t need you getting beat up—” She laughed. “Me? Beat up? Please. I’m not scared of your little shewolf pack, Roan.” “Good,” he said. “Then it’s settled.” Sullen pursed her lips. “I haven’t agreed to any of this. You forced me here … how do I know that you won’t force me to do other things. I’m supposed to take your word for it?” Roan eyed her skeptical face. “Do you want to shake on it?” Sullen sighed. “I want it in writing.” “Seriously?” “Seriously. Can you blame me? Write it down, sign it, and I’ll stay for one month, not a day over.” Roan walked toward his nightstand, and grabbed a small notebook. He scribbled down an agreement, adding that she couldn’t run or leave during the month, and signed it. She glanced over it, then her green gaze lifted to meet his. “This is so you’ll leave me alone. You know that right? I’m doing this so you can see that not all mate bonds are meant to be. I’m not yours, Roan.” The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. “We’ll see about that, Sullen. Sign the paper.” Sullen bent down and used his nightstand to sign. Roan maybe an alpha, but he was definitely male, and couldn’t take his eyes off her thighs as she bent over. When she stood up, she shoved the paper into his chest. “We need to get you some clothes,” Roan said, folding the paper and putting it into the drawer behind her. “I think you and Whitney are the same size.” Sullen’s eyes rounded, and Roan laughed. “Joking. I’ll ask my cousin for some clothes. Can you stay here until I get back? I’ll take you over to my dad’s house to see your mom. Apparently, she’s moved in.” “Of course she has. The traitor,” she mumbled, sitting down on his bed. Roan loved the look of her on it. Wait until she realized that was her bed for the next month. To keep up appearances, of course. Roan walked toward the door to open it. His cousin, Natalie, fell from her knees to her face at his feet. She was only eighteen years old and a pain in the ass. “What are you doing?” he growled. She laughed, and rubbed her nose, as she used Roan’s hand to stand up. “Listening to you bribe your mate into a fake relationship. How sad.” She glanced around Roan to look at Sullen. “I’m Natalie. Our dads are brothers. I’m totally in love with the balls you have on you, Sister. Telling an alpha no...” She laughed out loud. “I love it.” Roan grabbed her gently by the back of the neck. “If you tell anyone about this, I will tell Uncle Scott everything you bribed me not to, including the reason why his car was stuck in the mud that night.” She hissed at him. “You dirty dog,” she said, waggling her finger. “Okay. I won’t tell, but I will secretly cheer for Sullen in the distance. I’ll be back with some clothes.” She smiled at her once more before skipping down the hallway. Great. You know she can’t keep her mouth closed, his wolf growled. “I swear I’ll kick her scrawny tail out of the pack if she makes a peep.” “Peep!” she yelled from the hallway. We’re dead, his wolf whispered.