ENDURING {Sequel to Everlasting}

Chapter 85

What if we're moving too fast?

Are we rushing into this like fools?

Just a month ago I would have blatantly refused to live on pack land again, not just because it's not my home anymore but because Lucifer is a risk. And Apollo and Aurora are at risk here.

Did we make a mistake?

We've disagreed before, many times in the last few months. Today felt different, and no matter how stupid it sounds, a single call has changed everything. Hardin's little show with that she-wolf, Celia, has gone beyond that. She's transferring packs, against Maddox's wishes, she'll be coming here for a whole month to begin training. If she passes the tournament at the end of the month she'll be joining for good.

Hardin is convinced she won't succeed, that it won't matter if she's only here for a month because she doesn't mean anything to him.

Yet that night replays in my head, it's all I can think about. Her lips against his throat, her hands on his chest, the way she snuggled into him and held his hand. The way he let her.

And now he's allowing her to come here? Disrespecting me as his mate, knowing how I feel about her?

"Are you okay?" Tessa's gentle voice breaks me from my obsessive thoughts.

As if I'm sucked back into reality, I glance down at the fries on the table, no longer hungry.

"Yeah, I'm okay don't worry about me." I smile convincingly. Tessa buys it, the same way Phoebe did, and Beck.

"I've got everything I need, where is it that you wanted to go?" Tessa asks, glancing around the mall packed out with humans.

"Ann summers, I'll literally be two minutes. Do you mind waiting? I promise I'll only be gone a minute." I say, offering her a hopeful smile. I don't want her to see what I'm buying.

Tessa nods. "Yeah of course." She smiles.

"Thanks." I smile warmly, getting up and quickly heading through the mall.

Ann summers isn't too far, so I rush into the store, breathing off my embarrassment as I duck my head and walk down the isles. I'd been sort of excited, and a little curious to see what the fuss is about. Hardin thinks it'll be interesting to experiment with something different.

Yet as I stare at the huge wall of options, I feel small, and completely out of my comfort zone.

Is he bored with me? Or the sex? Is it not satisfying his urges? I knew it would become a problem, as a human I get tired a lot faster than him. And considering I haven't yet had contraceptive implant, we've been trying to be careful. Maybe he's tired of the whole sexual intimacy with me?

That thought stings.

Shaking off the intrusive worries, I grab the smallest one on the shelf and head to the counter. I don't even meet the cashiers eyes as I pay, shoving it into my shoulder bag. Hardin bought one in the past but we never used it, the idea of him wanting to use toys even whilst I had a wolf, it somewhat puts me at ease.

I reach Tessa not two minutes later, grabbing a load of her bags as we head to my Range.

"Is it true that you worked for the Elders?" Tessa asks curiously, just as we get into my car.