CHAPTER 15 — NEEDING MORE

He lay her down on the sheets, then laid beside her. Her eyes were closed, her body only covered by the blanket he'd covered her with.

"Dale." Her voice sounded weak. "How did I look?"

He smiled at her question. Be it ironic as it may be, she was sometimes all about the way she looked, and he felt it was only with him. "You were beautiful, Elsa." He traced his hand down her face. "You still are."

She smiled. "Why don’t you get some rest? That transformation looked really painful."

She propped herself up and drew him to her, then kissed his lips passionately. "What was that for?"

She shrugged. "I just wanted to taste you." She smiled at him, then lay back down and closed her eyes.

"Uhm...don’t you want to wear something?"

She shook her head. "No, not really."

"Why?"

"There is nothing to wear."

Dale smacked his forehead. "Wear something of mine. You can't stay this way."

She laughed. "Bashful much?" He blushed red and swallowed, before leaving the tent. The mess she had made of his things were still there, and he wondered if he would still have clothes until the weekend.

"Here." It was a pink hoodie and sweatpants pair.

She took it. "Pink?"

He shrugged. "It’s unisex."

She nodded and pulled the hoodie over her head. It stopped just above her knee, and she looked up to him. "I don't need this, then."

"Why?"

"It's long enough." She pushed the sweatpants to him and turned around. "How do I look?"

"You look good."

She walked up to where he was standing and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Dale." He held her waist as she started to move rhythmically, her steps creating his, forcing her to move with him. "I want to dance."

He gave a low laugh. "Without music?"

She shrugged. "I'll dance to your heartbeat."

The answer satisfied him, and she leaned in on his chest, resting her head. "Comfy."

He sifted his hands through her hair. "You're a bit different."

She scoffed. "I thought you wouldn't notice."

He held her waist tighter and brought her body closer. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Today's Thursday, isn’t it?" He nodded. "The weekend is a day away, Dale."

He nodded at that, then cupped her face. "You're not ready, Elsa?"

She shook her head. He released her and took a step away. "You don't want to leave just yet?"

She shook her head. "Let's stay here for a week more, Dale. Please?" He takes his hand through his hair and sat on a stool.

She watched him with teary eyes. "If we stay for one more week, you'll come with me, right?" She nodded. He then held her hand and dragged her to him. "Are you sure?" She nodded. His hands were on her waist now, and she was standing in front of him, his face on her stomach. "Okay. Whatever you want."

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

He dragged her hoodie up, then put his head inside, and rested his head on her stomach. "Tell me something." He said from inside the hoodie.

"Yes, what?"

"What exactly do you feel for me?" She could feel his breath on her skin as he rubbed his nose on it, his thumb caressing the sides his hands were holding.

"You are my mate." She answered, holding his shoulder.

"Not that." He started to kiss her stomach and her hold on his shoulder tightened.

"You're mine." She said again as he pushed the hoodie upwards, brought his head out and looked at her.

"Fine," he said. "Get some rest. I will text Seth to postpone my return."

She nodded. He couldn't define the way he felt, and the answers she gave him had upset him. None of them related to her heart, just something some goddess had made up. He rolled his eyes and stepped out into the dark. He couldn’t control the way he felt. His head had suddenly started hurting and he held it between his thumb and index, knowing he couldn’t really hold what was hurting. His heart. His heart hurt like crazy and all he wanted to do was get back inside and ask more. Ask for more. Ask her why she didn’t feel the same. Ask her why she didn't wake up in the middle of the night always to watch him sleep like he did everything night.

Ask her why she didn't lose focus every time he smiled the way he did whenever she smiled. Ask her why she didn't become breathless every time he touched her like he became at the slightest contact. Ask her why she didn't always want to hear his voice like he always wanted to hear hers. Ask her why she didn't feel the same insatiable need he felt for her. Ask her why the mate bond was the only thing that kept her with him when these days the pull that had brought him here seemed almost nonexistent in the face of the mounting feelings he had for her. Ask her why she only thought of him as hers cause of the mate bond, and not for what she gets, for who he was.

He was into it so bad, and it’s only been a couple of weeks. If she had asked for a month, a year…if she had asked him to abandon everything he'd worked so hard all his life for, to stay with her, he would probably do it. He wanted to feel her. In more ways than one. He wanted to feel her loving him. He wanted to see her eyes spark up when she looked at him, in a way it never lit up for anyone else. He wanted to see her want him bad, he wanted her to kiss him when he didn't expect it, hold unto him no matter what, need him the way he needed her and stop likening everything to the damn mate bond. He sighed, his heart shattering the more he replayed her answers. He was undeniably in love with her. She was still hung up on the mate bond.