There Will Be Ample Time

Julian’s POV

Mila has shocked me by complying with me, escorting her into the building that made her eyes grow twice their size. She looked at the mall we’re walking into as if she has never seen a place like it before, except I’ve been doing some research on her family.

For one, her stepmother’s body has still not been recovered, which means we have to consider that she is still alive and possibly in hiding. If that’s the case, then there must be a trail leading to where she would run to hide out until she can plan her next move. Something tells me we haven’t seen the last of her, if she’s still alive, anyway.

My research has helped me learn a few things about Mila as well, and one of those things is that her father was a well off man. He wasn’t the most successful businessman, but he was comfortable. Comfortable in the fact that his net worth was two million dollars. Nothing close to myself or my father, but not too bad. What I don’t understand is where all that money went. It’s clear that it didn’t go to Mila. She travels by bus and wears clothes from a common department store. Not what you would expect from an heiress. Her stepmother, on the other hand, has no issue spending money.

According to my research, each of the women where given a trust. One was set aside for Mila and was under the condition of paying for her schooling. The other trust was to be distributed monthly to her stepmother, like an allowance. It doesn’t take much for me to see what had Mila’s stepmother ready to kill for. She wanted the money set aside for Mila, but since she can’t touch it, she stole what little money Mila had earned on her own. Leaving her with nothing.

Mila was brushed off as nothing by both parents, and that pisses me the fuck off. How could anyone treat her like that?

“So where to first?” The sound of Mila’s friend’s voice has me turning to look over my shoulder.

She has her arm wrapped around Steven’s and is nearly bouncing out of her skin in excitement. He gives me a look that says I’m going to be hearing him bitch about this the second we’re alone.

“Mila?” I ask, turning to look down at my mate.

She blinks up at me. “I- “

“How about we pick up her computer first?” Steven suggests.

“No- “

“Hush princess. No one is asking you.” I tell her and lead her in the right direction.

She makes a huff sound but doesn’t object or say anything else.

We stop at the giant Apple Store and I have one of the employees show her the best laptops they offer. She has the guy explain every detail and listens carefully. At first I thought it was because she wanted to waste time, but she seems genuinely interested.

“She likes to make good investments. If she is going to buy something expensive that has real purpose and isn’t clothes she likes to be sure she picks right. You should have been there when we picked out her phone.” Isabella says before chuckling and wandering off.

“That woman is insufferable.” Steven grumbles when he stops next to me.

I glance his way and see him watching Isabella like she’s anything but insufferable.

“You just don’t like a woman so undeterred by your surly personality.” I tease.

He scoffs. “Like you’re so much better? Although your mate seems to warming up to you.”

I look her way just as the employee says something that makes her smile. That smile hits me just like every other time she’s done it. It’s the smile she makes when she feels genuinely happy or entertained by something. Its unfiltered and raw and beautiful. My wolf wines with the urge to be near her and wanting to escape my hold so she can meet him. I can’t ignore his wants any longer and leave Steven and walk toward my mate. Her scent has changed recently and I wonder if it’s because she has accepted me just a little bit more. It’s a dangerous game.

If she grows closer to me, our scents will begin to mingle and it will piss Roman off to have my scent on her. He thinks she is his, but it’s only because I allow it. He’s a placeholder until I can finish what my father sent me to that school for. Some strategic photos popping up in the media will satisfy him, and then I’ll feed him some useless shit about Melody’s father and his next moves. He’ll think I’ve given him the ammunition he needs to rally her father’s investments and by the time he realizes he has nothing, I’ll have claimed my mate.

He won’t be able to do anything once he finds out what Mila is to me. The mate bond is sacred, and he knows that if anything were to happen to her, then he would lose his heir. A mate bond links two lives into one even before a bond has been sealed. That means if anything were to happen to Mila, let's say she’s killed, then I would die too. When he learns about her ability and how it will only grow once she is bonded to me, then he won’t let anyone else touch her.

He will think that he’s gained a tool to put our pack and family far above any other, but he would be wrong. I will lead the strongest pack in this country and he will be…dead. Besides, there can only be one Alpha in a pack, and it will be me.

“What do you think?” Mila asks pulling me out of my plans for us.

I look at the laptop she is pointing at and I can’t see much of a difference from the ones around it.

“You’ll be the one using it, so I think it only matters what you think.” I tell her.

She sighs. “Everything sounds good. The specs are good and it will work well for note taking, although I don’t think the app I wanted to use will work well on it. Apparently, it's better for iPads, so I’ll have to do some research on that.”

I look past her at the guy who has been helping her. “She’ll take this one and add your most recent tablet that’s good for note taking.”

The guy nods and rushes off.

“Julian!” Mila snaps at me and smacks me in the arm.

“What?” I ask.

The fact that she smacked me without an ounce of nerves or fear is telling. She’s becoming more relaxed with me, and that small ting has me smiling down at her. She narrows her eyes at me and crosses her arms over her chest.

I tilt my head slightly so that we’re close enough for our foreheads to touch. “What’s wrong, princess? I told you that you have no say in this. If I want to get it for you, then I will, so stop pouting and enjoy it.”

She glares but doesn’t object. Instead, she says, “Stop calling me princess!”

I breathe in her scent, and it makes my head spin. “Should I call you my queen instead? Sorry princess, I can’t do that…yet.”

Her eyes widen and she searches my eyes for answers, but I don’t let her see the need I have for her. I don’t let her see how much pain it’s causing for me not too close the space between us and kiss the hell out of her. I can’t let her see how she affects me. She lets out a shaky breath and tilts her head back slightly so that our lips are only a few inches away from each other. Her eyes dance down at my lips and then back to my eyes. She wants to kiss me as much as I want to kiss her, but I can’t.

I need her to stay close to Roman, and knowing her, she won’t cheat. If we cross this line again, she’ll break things off with Roman, and want something more from me. More than what I can give right now.

‘These are excuses!’ My wolf growls at me. ‘Take our mate!’

‘No!’ I hiss at him and shut him out of my mind.

“Alright folks, I have everything you wanted packed up for you.” The employee says, interrupting us.

“Thank you.” I say, without moving away from Mila.

“If you’re ready, I can ring you up.” The employee says.

“Thank you.” I say and I finally break the connection with Mila so I can follow the man to the register.

I can feel the heat of Mila’s stare as I walk away, but I don’t turn and storm back to her and kiss her like I want to. No, I pay for her stuff and add a few more items to the bag before I walk back to her and hand the bag over.