The sound of my phone ringing quickly drew me out of the deep darkness as I jerked myself out of bed to reach to my pants pocket for the obnoxious little device.
“Hello?” I barked into it without even looking to the number flashing on the screen, and Aidan groaned beside me curling tighter into my side nuzzling my chest.
“Jeez. Hi to you to little brother.”
“What’s up Sab?” I asked biting back the hard tone to my voice. I hated that he had disturbed Aidan when he needed all the rest he could get especially with having classes later the next day but it wasn’t his fault considering he didn’t know where I was or even what I was doing.
“Where are you?”
“I’m at a friend’s. What did you need?”
My brother let out a chuckle. “Ah so I apparently interrupted something. I didn’t know that you had one of those friends Zariah.”
“Sabian.” I growled as Aidan rolled onto his back scrubbing his hands over his face telling me that he was getting ready to get out of bed. Aidan had no problems with my brother, he had never held any grudges even though it had been because of Sabian and I that had gotten Trev killed, he had also understood the need for it. It was only Sabian that had a problem with Aidan, so even as big of part of Sabian was in my life, he was a subject I avoided with Aidan and Aidan was one I avoided with Sabian. My parents and my sister knew that I was friends with Aidan even after what had happened and though none of them approved of it, none of them had ever said anything about it. It would be Sabian that would completely lose it if he ever found out I was spending time with the man who in his mind had tried to kidnap me. “What did you need?”
“Yupp. I definitely interrupted.” He said with another deep chuckle. “Anyways, I have a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“I need you to watch Rydon tonight.”
I groaned and scrubbed my own face. I loved my nephew more than anything in this world, but Sundays were the only nights Aidan and I got together and I like to take that opportunity when I had it. “I thought mom was going to watch him?”
“She was, but Arik and Mari are sick and the last thing we need is Rydon catching it to.”
“What about Annalee? Where is she?” I pleaded trying to get out of having to drive all the way over to their condo and staying there for the rest of the night.
“She is with Vane. He came home early to surprise her. Come on Zariah you know I never ask this of you very often. I have no problems staying home with him, but it is our anniversary and Emileah has been hinting for months that she wants to actually go out this year and do something. So if you don’t want to do it for me then at least do it for her.” He pleaded and with that one simple statement he immediately had me. Even though Emileah was older than I was I had always worked with Sabian to take care of her and Annalee both, and he knew just like everyone else that those two girls were one of my main weaknesses. Aidan seemed to know this to because he immediately let out a deep sigh as he rolled from the bed and made his way out of the bedroom.
“All right. All right. What time do you need me?”
“Thank you Zariah. I want to leave around eight, does that work for you?”
“It’s going to have to be isn’t it?” I asked with a smirk. He couldn’t pretend to be catering to what I want now that he already had what he wanted.
“Good. I’ll see you then. I will let you get back to this friend of yours.” He said with humor laced thick in his voice just as he hung up the phone. Laying my phone on Aidan’s bedside table I rolled out of his bed and quickly made my way out into the living room but found that he wasn’t there either. Wondering into the kitchen I found him standing in front of the oven beginning to sauté something there in nothing but his boxers. Chuckling I approached him from behind to lay my chin on his shoulder and my hands on hips so I could peek into the pan where I found onions mushrooms and peppers sizzling there.
“You are going to burn yourself one day cooking like this.”
He scoffed shaking his head. “I do this for a living. I don’t think I am going to hurt myself.”
“You never know. Accidents happen.” I said with a shrug and we fell silent as I stepped back away from him and leaned against the counter on the other side of the kitchen to give him the space he needed to do his thing.
“So I take it that you aren’t staying tonight?” he asked quietly and without looking at me.
“They need me to watch Rydon.” I explained.
“All right.”
“I’m sorry Aidan. You know I wouldn’t if I had another choice.”
“I don’t see how you don’t have another choice Zariah.”
“Because the twins are sick so mom can’t take him and Vane has been gone for weeks now so he and my sister deserve some time alone.”
“And what? Her parents can’t watch him?” he demanded as he turned to me now with his arms crossed over her chest.
“They have a little one to already.”
“Whatever. Its family first as usual.” He grumbled as he turned back to the cooking food on the stove.
Growling I shook my head unable to believe that he would be so touchy over me having to go watch my nephew. “You would understand if you had any family.” I snapped before I could think to stop myself and knew my mistake the moment I watched him stiffen and freeze in front of me. Cursing myself silently I strode forward to catch his arm in an attempt to get him to look at me but he jerked away.
“Don’t touch me.” He snarled as he turned to me with heavy tears pooling in his deep blue eyes.
“Aidan I-“ I began but he cut me off as he shook his head and began to stalk across the room.
“I sacrificed the only family I had in order to keep you safe and alive.” He spat as he stormed from the kitchen and I heard a door slam further down the hall.
Groaning I cursed myself once more, spearing my fingers through my hair I silently debated on just where to go from here. There was no doubt he was pissed as hell at me and he had every right to be considering how low below the belt I had hit. I could understand where he was coming from when it came to the fact that a lot of the time it was my family who got in the way of us spending time with one another but that wasn’t my fault, any time I would bring up actually telling people about our mating he would freak out and refuse saying he didn’t want anyone to outcast me because of my mate and no matter how hard I tried to convince him that that wouldn’t be happening he would never believe me. If people knew about us then our time would never be so limited because we wouldn’t have to sneak around everyone just to see one another.
Slowly I made my way toward the bedroom assuming that that would be the place that he would lock himself up in but to my surprise the bedroom door remain wide open with all of our clothing still scattered around the bedroom floor. Frowning I stepped farther into the room and was surprised to find that it was the bathroom door that was shut with light spilling out from beneath it.
“Aidan.” I called as I approached the door and knocked gently.
“Go home Zariah. They need you there more anyways.”
“Come on Aidan don’t be like that. I didn’t mean to say it.”
“No but it’s what you were thinking wasn’t it?”
“No.” I said shaking my head. “I know what happened and what you have gone through and I don’t think lightly of that.” I explained but there was no response from him as we sat in silence for a long stretch of time. “Baby I’m sorry.” I pleaded.
“Just go home Zariah.” He pleaded now and I could hear the thick emotion in his voice telling me that he was still upset and probably still crying. I sighed and pressed my forehead against the door wishing I had never answered the damn phone to begin with.
“I’m not going anywhere until you come out of there.”
“Zariah please!”
“Dammit Aidan I will break this door down. I want to talk to you face to face not through this.” I growled and I knew that it wasn’t fair because as submissive as he was he would never be able to deny the tone of my voice, and sure enough I heard the lock of the door slide out of place before the door slowly swung open revealing him. Just as I suspect he stood there before me wearing only his black pajama pants with tear tracks staining his pink cheeks and red rimmed, glossy eyes staring back at me even as he was glaring.
“How dare you use that tone on me.” He snapped.
“Don’t put a door in my face and I won’t.” I growled crossing my arms over my chest, growing irritated at his need to avoid an obviously needed conversation. He acted like just pretending that it wasn’t there and it hadn’t happened was just going to make it all better but I knew better than that.
“You egotistical, stubborn, bas-“ he growled as he moved to slam the door shut once more but I quick caught it preventing it from moving as I slid my way into the bathroom with him. He backed away shaking his head, trying to avoid me until his back hit the wall behind him and he found himself caged between the wall and my body. “Dammit Zariah just go!”
“No.” I said quietly shaking my head as I gently cupped his face between my hands tilting it so that he was forced to meet my eyes and he continued to glare up at me as I stroked my thumb over the skin of his cheek gently. “I’m sorry baby. I am. I never meant for it to come out like that. I know what you sacrificed for me and I would never belittle that.”
“I wasn’t trying to be difficult about it Zariah.” He murmured. “I know that they don’t ask a lot of you but these are my only days with you. I’m sorry that I want you to myself.”
“If there were any way out of it I would have taken it.”
“I know that you would have. It’s just that-“he trailed off shaking his head and tearing his eyes from mine once more.
“Just what baby?”
“You are all that I have here Zariah. I don’t have any family and I don’t have any friends. It’s just you. You are the only reason I stay here.” Without a word I pulled him against me and let him melt into my chest as I leaned in to nuzzle his neck soothingly.
“If you would only let me tell people about us baby. It wouldn’t have to be that way.”
“No.” he said firmly shaking his head. “I won’t have the pack punishing you for something you never wanted in the first place. As long as I have you it’s enough.”
“Hey. That isn’t what would happen and don’t ever think that I don’t want you Aidan.” I growled. “You are mine, and I love you. Do you understand me?” I demanded and he nodded slowly before tilting his head in a silent demand that I was more than happy to fulfill as I leaned in to claim his lips with my own.