Chapter 43

Adrian.

I stand staring at the home of the very person I didn’t want to think about, going back and forth in my head about whether or not I should knock on the door and bother her this early in the morning.

My wolf has a very cruel sense of humor.

As I approach her front door, I search for a valid reason to tell her what I’m doing here, but I come up with nothing.

This is a bad idea.

I should leave before she has a chance to answer the door. But my wolf refuses to let me leave. One of these days this wolf of mine better explain about this fascination he has with Poppy.

“I’m going to regret this,” I mutter under my breath as I knock on her door.

I wait a few minutes and hear nothing from inside. My wolf tells me to be patient and to knock again. I roll my eyes at his insistence and knock on the door again.

“Poppy, are you in there?” I yell out.

I wait anxiously for her to open the door. Just when I’m about to give up and turn to walk away, she opens the door.

Her eyes automatically narrow at me before I even have a chance to say hello to her.

“What do you want?” Poppy says to me. I can sense the attitude in her tone.

My defensive wall immediately goes up, and my Alpha instincts kick in.

“That’s no way to talk to your Alpha,” I growl at her. Reminding her of her place.

Poppy sucks in a deep breath before saying, “Fine! How can I help you, Alpha?”

My anger begins to boil, but I keep it in check as I still try to come up with a reason for me being here so early in the morning. Thoughts of the dream filter through my head, and I quickly shake them off. A thought hits me.

“About last night,”

Poppy’s chest puffs up as her arms cross over her body, and she leans against the door.

I rub the back of my neck before continuing, “I wasn’t expecting anyone to come by the pack house so late in the night.”

Poppy just stands there, not saying a word as I try to make an offer an apology for last night.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her, but I’m not sure what she wants to hear.

Poppy continues to stand there, saying nothing to me but giving me a dirty look.

This isn’t good.

“Are you not going to talk to me?”

“I have no words.”

She doesn’t? That’s a first.

“Oh wait. arrogant, cocky, self-absorbed, dim-witted, scruffy-looking asshole!”

Scruffy-looking? Where did that come from?

Poppy tries to slam the door on me, but I am able to block it before she is successful.

Her silver eyes narrow at me through the tiny slit in the door.

Why is she so upset about this?

It’s almost like she’s jealous.

A smirk crosses my face.

“Why are you so upset? Are you jealous?” I inquire.

Poppy’s eyes widen, and her face contorts into an angry expression as she tries to find the words that are lost on her at this moment.

She presses her lips into a thin line as she attempts to control her rage before telling me, “You went back on your word about staying out in the forest, and the moment that you were able to, you dumped me off on one of your warriors who could care less about me and force me to come back to the one place I needed to get away from all so you could ease your pent up sexual frustrations with some hussy.”

I take in her choice words wisely as I meet her glare with one of my own. I cross my arms over my chest, lean myself to her level, and say, “You seem to be doing just fine this morning. Besides, I’m not the only one who has been deceiving.”

Poppy opens her mouth to give a rebuttal but quickly closes it. Instead, she opens the door and steps back to allow me to come in.

I step inside and head for the living room.

Poppy shuts the door and follows me.

“I’m surprised to see you up and out this early in the morning after a night of your escapades,” she says with disdain.

I roll my eyes at her comment. If only she knew what keeps me awake.

“So, what is it? What brings you here to my house so early this morning?”

I rub the back of my neck anxiously as I try and come up with a reason for my being here besides her being the only reason that keeps popping up in my head.

I look around her place and realize there is one thing I can bring up, but I know it’s not going to end well.

“I’m just coming over and checking on you. Yesterday was a very long and exhausting day. But now that it’s over, we need to talk about your Grandmother’s memorial.”

Poppy’s eyes widen as a breath catches in her throat.

Yep, this is definitely the wrong thing to bring up this early in the morning.

Poppy starts to laugh, but it’s one of those manic laughs that isn’t a good one. She gets up and starts to pace the room.

“You come here at the crack of dawn to see how I’m doing and to talk about my grandmother’s memorial?” She yells out.

This isn’t good.

“I’m sorry, Poppy; I’m not trying to make you upset. But we do need to talk about this and make the arrangements. The longer you put it off, the harder it will be,” I try to explain.

“Fine! Just have the memorial. It doesn’t need to be fancy. It will probably be only me who will be there for it anyway. It’s not like the pack will come to say goodbye,” she cries out.

I move over to Poppy and pull her into my arms. At first, she resists, but not too long after, she gives in and lets me hold her while she cries.

“I’m so tired of all the heartache and pain. I want it all to go away; I need it all to go away,” she lets out.

I stroke her hair in an attempt to calm her down.

“It will; it’s just going to take some time. You have to give yourself time to heal,” I tell her.

Poppy lets out a heavy sigh, and I sense she is beginning to calm down.

She looks up at me with her silver doe eyes, and for a moment, I see that look again in them.

My mind flashes back to her in my dreams. My eyes lower down to her lips, and I’m curious if they are just as juicy and sweet as I imagine them to be.

She licks her lips just as she did in my dream.

One kiss, what’s the harm in one little kiss? I bring my hand up and rub it against her cheek. She closes her eyes as she leans into my touch.

My wolf inside me is begging me to give in and take a chance, but my head knows better. I can’t give in to my temptations; I will ruin her. I don’t even know if my mate will be able to handle me and my needs.

I pull my arms back and step away from Poppy.

I can see the pain in her eyes, and a part of me wants to take that pain away so she never has to experience it ever again.

But that’s not my place.

That’s her mate’s job, whoever that may be.

Which I’m not.

Poppy wraps her arms around herself and rubs her hand on her arm.

“I think you should leave,” she says to me in a quiet voice.

I didn’t fight her request. I knew this wasn’t going to end well, and it didn’t. I made my way to her front door and stopped still, my hand on the door handle.

“You’re going to get through this, Poppy. You are a strong woman who is capable of many things. Remember that.”