Chapter Thirty-Five: Love

As we kissed, the noise around us deafened and pleasure swept over me.

Reluctant, I pulled away before we could get carried away in public… I looked around hoping no one saw and the coast was clear.

Demetri smirked. “So you want me to want you?”

My cheeks were flushed. “I didn’t say that,” I mumbled, flustered. “The way you were acting and what you were saying all of a sudden just didn’t make sense to me, that’s all.”

“It doesn’t matter how I’m acting or what I say, Freya,” he said, looking down into my eyes. It was impossible to look away. “I’ll always want you to be mine.” His eyes darkened with desire. “You admitted you felt something for me before we had sex the last time. Did that go away?”

No.

I could only pretend that what he did to Sasha killed all my desire for him. it didn’t. If anything it only halted it. I swallowed before answering, “I’m not controlled by my emotions anymore,” I said but if that were true I wouldn’t have confronted him about the way he’s been acting.

Demetri cracked a smile and it stretched into a smirk. “Sure,” he said. “Bella said you called yourself my future Luna.”

I couldn’t feel any more embarrassment than I was already feeling. “I—it was Caroline’s idea because you wouldn’t let her see Rose.” I didn’t mean to rat her out but words were just spilling out of my mouth at this point.

After I looked down Demetri pulled my head back up by my chin gently. “If it were anyone else they’d be punished for that stunt.” He stroked my face before pulling his hand away. “Maybe I still will punish you, unless you tell me what’s been making my Gamma so upset.”

I took a step back and frowned. “It’s personal.”

“So it’s about Cornell?” he asked, I guess it was obvious.

“You went to see him, you know he took a Luna,” I said. “Brandon knows too and he didn’t say anything, maybe that’s why she’s so upset.”

Demetri leaned his shoulder against the tree. “Sounds about right, we didn’t want to upset her. He doesn’t deserve to have any more of an effect on her.”

I scoffed. “That’s rich coming from you. You’re not all that different than him when it comes to this kind of thing.”

Demetri shrugged. “There’s a big difference between me and Cornell. Everything I did in the beginning was misguided but I did it for you, thinking it would do you more good than bad in the long run. Sure I made a selfish inexcusable mistake with the whole Sasha thing but I’m trying to make up for my mistakes, unlike Cornell.” How do you move forward from such a big mistake? “Unlike Cornell, I actually care about and am in love with my fated mate.”

Love…?

A laugh popped out of my mouth.

Demetri scrunched his brows together and I felt a little at fault. A laugh wasn’t appropriate but I was… startled by his words. He’s said he’s wanted me several times and that he had feelings for me but neither of those things were love. Love was a strong emotion and no one no one had ever felt that for me before. No one’s ever told me they were in love with me until now. Why did he have to mention it so casually?? As if it was obvious! Did he even mean it??

My heart took flight in my chest.

Demetri had me questioning if I loved him and I didn’t want to, not now.

I looked behind his head at the moon and said, “It’s almost in position…”

Demetri didn’t say anything, he let me walk from behind the tree back to everyone else. Becca’s eyes were on me the second I came into view. Caroline was next to her.

I didn’t think Caroline would be here since she was still upset about her fated mate. Brandon kept looking over at her but stayed away. She walked to me, feigning a smile. “Hey,” she said. “I wasn’t going to come but then I thought maybe you’d want another friendly face around.”

I smiled. “Thanks, don’t feel like you have to stay too long.”

Caroline nodded and watched as everyone began to circle around me and she joined them.

Rose arrived at the lake last, just in time.

The full moon was in the sky. Everyone’s eyes were on me but since it was only a small group of people I didn’t feel anxious. They cheered as my pack emblem lit up and so did theirs soon after. As usual, the full moon fueled me so I could fuel those around me, my pack. Aside from the physical strength, speed, and agility boost, I always felt a surge of confidence, joy, and energy.

We all shifted into our wolves so we could experience the full benefits of our heightened senses and abilities. Gabriel climbed on my back as his friend Noah climbed on his father’s back. I howled along with everyone else before Demetri’s wolf Caleb nudged me to lead the pack in a run.

During the run, Caleb stayed by my side. I noticed the pack emblem on his shoulder shined not as bright as mine but brighter than the rest of the pack. Must have been a fated mate thing. I could hear the howls of the rest of the pack who weren’t with us all over the territory.

After the run, when we got back to the lake I was ready to leave.

As I walked toward the packhouse in my human form Rose caught up to me. “Leaving already?” She asked, being the only one to question me. She was trying to catch her breath because she pushed herself to her limit trying to keep up with us during the run.

This was gonna be awkward… “My um Dad is in a coma so I’m gonna go see him, my ability might wake him so I want to be there.”

“Oh… your Dad,” Rose said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. “I’ll see you later then.”

I waved and quickly left to the pack house’s infirmary glad the moment ended. Maybe she expected me to disown my adopted family after learning the truth. Or maybe the mention of them just made her uncomfortable.

After opening the door to Dad’s room I was face to face with my mother. “Freya…” she said.

“Mom,” I said and walked past her. My shoulders relaxed when I saw I didn’t miss my Dad waking up. I pulled a chair up to his hospital bed and sat down.

“Freya I—“

“Not now Mom,” I said, interrupting her. “I don’t want him to wake up to that.” He didn’t need to hear us arguing or to find out what my mother did, not like this.

“Maybe you two should be alone for this,” Mom said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. “I’ll check back in a couple of hours.”

I didn’t have anything to say to her, not even to that. The sound of the door closing brought me a little peace. It was just me and my Dad. I told him about my day to pass the time. “You’ll be awake soon and then I can tell you all this all over again,” I said and waited.

I waited.

I was there for hours and was nodding off. When tears started streaming down my face I thought it was time to go.

Halfway down the hallway, I texted Demetri, letting him know I wasn’t going back to the lake. There wasn’t anything to celebrate anymore. Instead, I went to an empty lounge.

The Packhouse was the quietest I’ve heard it, even for being late. It seemed like everyone was out enjoying the power I was giving them, everyone but me.

My head rested on the table I was sitting at. When I opened my eyes after a while I looked up to see Demetri standing over me. “Hi…” I said. “I’m sorry for laughing at you earlier.” I sniffled.

Demetri sat down across from me and shrugged. “I didn’t take it personally. It’s not like I expected you to say it back,” he explained. “Enough about that, did something happen with your Dad?”

I buried my face in my crossed arms that were lying on the table. “No, and that’s the problem. He was supposed to wake up,” my voice cracked. “It was supposed to work this time Trey.”

Instead of offering me meaningless words, Demetri scooped me up from my chair and sat me on his lap. I thought about pushing away but I curled up into him instead.

This didn’t feel like his regular comforting, it felt like love in its purest form.

He meant it.