Chapter 83 - Rejecting My Contracted Luna

　　Emma's POV

　　After the episode in the kitchen Thomas has been keeping his distance from me. Though, I cannot say that I blame him. It was a little traumatic for everyone involved. Ezra hasn't left my side in two days and every time Thomas comes near me Ezra releases his precious growl. Everyone thinks it is adorable but I can tell that Thomas is embarrassed.

　　Sitting inside of Duncan's office I shuffle the papers on his desk, pretending like I know what I am doing. I finally convinced Ezra that it was safe enough to leave my side, so he could go watch cartoons. Taking a deep sigh, I rest my head on the desk and feel bad for myself.

　　"I don't think Alpha Duncan left you in charge so you could sleep at his desk," I hear Thomas's voice chuckle.

　　Raising my head I look at Thomas and I am suddenly aware of how tired I must look. I haven't slept well since the kitchen incident. I keep having nightmares that I am bleeding and werewolves are chasing me, begging and pleading for my blood. But as I look at Thomas I realize that he also has dark bags under his eyes.

　　"Hey," I say timidly. "What are you doing today?"

　　"I was actually hoping that we could clear the air." Thomas shuffles inside of Duncan's office and shuts the door behind him.

　　"I think I would like that," I say as I offer Thomas a weak smile.

　　Thomas sits down across from me and looks at me with guilty eyes. He opens his mouth to speak but I hold up my hand to stop him.

　　"You don't have to apologize again," I tell him. "I don't know many wolves that can resist the smell of my blood. I thought that maybe Anna could because she is mated to Duncan but I was wrong."

　　"I don't know what came over me," Thomas admits.

　　"When Ethan marked me, he almost drained me of all of my blood because he couldn't resist the taste. Come to think of it, the first night we met he almost attacked me because I was bleeding all over his hotel floor," the words fly out of my mouth before I realize what I have just said.

　　Thomas shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "You were in his hotel room the first night you met?"

　　"It is not what you think..." I take a deep breath.

　　Slowly and carefully I tell Thomas everything. I tell him how my father used to sell me to pay off his gambling debts and how I escaped one night and Ethan found me banging on his hotel door. I tell him about the contract and how Ethan thought I was in love with Daniel. Finally, I tell him about Ethan and I's life together and how Ethan served me with divorce papers the day that I found out I was pregnant with Ezra.

　　"And then I ran away," I tell Thomas quietly. "Instead of facing the truth, I ran."

　　Thomas looks at me in awe. "Wow," is the only thing that he can manage to say.

　　"Sorry," I chuckle. "I didn't mean to unload on you like that." I can feel my face begin to heat with embarrassment because I just spilled my life story to a man that I barely know.

　　"No," Thomas says sweetly. "I said I stayed here to get to know you and I meant it. I want to know everything about you. The good, the bad, and the ugly."

　　"Well," I chuckle, "there has been more ugly and bad than good."

　　"I don't know how you can say that," Thomas says with his eyebrows furrowed. "Every decision that you made. Every hardship that you suffered. Everything that happened to you gave you that little boy... the little boy that won't stop growling at me."

　　I try, unsuccessfully, to stifle the laughter that is coming from my chest. "I am sorry about that," I laugh.

　　"Don't be," Thomas waves his hand in dismissal. "He is just trying to protect his mother from Mean Uncle Tommy."

　　"He will come back around," I say absentmindedly.

　　"I hope so," Thomas says as he stares deeply into my eyes. "I would hate for my step-son to hate me for the rest of his life."

　　"Step-son," I whisper.

　　"Emma," Thomas comes to my side and kneels down in front of me. "I want nothing more than to be your chosen mate. I want to take all of the good with the bad. I want to marry you."

　　"Oh," is all that I can think to say. If I am honest with myself I am still not over Ethan and I thought that I made that pretty obvious when I explained everything.

　　"I can protect you," Thomas pleads with me. "I will keep you and Ezra safe, for the rest of my life."

　　"I... I..." I stutter. "I don't know what to say."

　　Pressing his forehead against my own, Thomas inhales deeply before presses his lips against my own. His hand intertwines in my curl hair as he deepens the kiss. I find myself becoming lost in the kiss while his tongue hesitantly explores the inside of my mouth. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and pull him in closely. Breaking away from the kiss and coming up for air, both of us are panting heavily.

　　"I will wait forever for your answer," Thomas says before pressing his lips against my own once again.

　　"You..." I begin to answer him but a knock on the door stops me from answering.

　　The door swings open and my jaw drops when I see who is standing in the doorway. Ethan is standing with a dozen red roses in his hands and a fading smile on his face. I jump from my seat, accidentally knocking Thomas to the ground in front of me.

　　"Ethan," I gasp out in surprise.

　　But Ethan doesn't answer me. Walking forward he drops the roses on my desk and storms out of the office mumbling and growling to himself.

　　I look at Alpha Thomas who is sitting on the ground in front of me. "Well..." He says with a frown on his face. "That was unexpected."