I know that this is really short but I've been sick and we're doing house renovations so it's kind if hard to concentrate. No excuses though, this is my fault for taking so long to upload
I thought about taking an extra day to make this longer but I read it over and decided this was a good place to stop
I have two questions to ask all of you
1.) Do you guys prefer longer waits but longer chapters or shorter waits but shorter chapters?
2.) Should I make a bonus chapter of Sutton telling Evan about her pregnancy?
I would totally appreciate it if you could comment and answer the above questions because it would make my life so much easier
Thank you to everyone who votes and comments and fans. I also want to thank my silent readers :)
(Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes)
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Chapter 23
James’ POV:
I smirked slightly as she inhaled sharply, her body betraying her as she leaned even further into me. I reveled in the feel of her skin against mine, her body fitting perfectly against my own. My wolf purred in pleasure at having out mate in our grasp. I wasn’t sure why she was resisting me so strongly but I refused to let her go so easily. I was determined to get her to at least give us chance.
“Well?” I questioned after she hadn’t answered my question.
“Hmm?” She murmured, sounding completely at ease.
“Where is it that you thought you were going?” At my question, Paige snapped out of whatever calm trance she was in and leaned forward to escape my hold.
Sorry love, but that’s not happening.
“Nuh uhh uhh,” I chastised, pulling her backwards until her back was flush against my chest. “You aren’t going anywhere.”
“But I have to-” She cut off as I pressed a soft kiss behind her ear. I couldn’t hold back the urge to touch her. I smiled again when she started to talk before trailing off. “I have to…”
“Yes?” She sighed quietly as I pressed another kiss to her head, keeping my face near hers.
“You shouldn’t do that.” She contradicted herself when she leant her head against my shoulder.
“And why’s that?” I whispered, touching my lips to the edge of her jaw. She shuddered slightly before shakily inhaling.
“Because then I’ll get addicted.” She paused as I kissed at her jaw once more.
“That’s the point love.” I clued her in.
“But I can’t get addicted.” Paige’s eyes closed briefly as my hands ran up her arms. “That would be bad. Very bad.”
“And why would that be a bad thing?” I frowned but didn’t stop my slow pursuit.
“Because if I got addicted to your touch, then I’ll start to like you.” Her breathless voice made me smile.
“Another bad thing?” My arms drifted down her arms as she nodded her head. “We’re mates. Why would you liking me be bad?”
“If I like you, it’ll hurt more in the end when you decide you don’t want to be with me.”
I stopped in my tracks and frowned heavily. In my arms was the most beautiful, amazing, strong girl and she thought I was crazy enough to not want to be with her? How could she not see that being with her was all I wanted at the moment. Sure, I hadn’t ever truly desired a mate but the moment I saw her and heard my wolf confirm that she was our mate, I couldn’t imagine not having her. The way she made me feel complete and the sparks that erupted between us every time we touched was quickly becoming an addiction. An addiction that I planned to feed. One look, however, at her still slightly dazed but yet saddened expression had my determination to be with her growing. Her confidence had crumbled away during the years that she’d been taken and left her with sorrow and doubt. In that moment, I vowed to spend the rest of my days making sure she knew I wanted her more than anything else in the world.
“Paige,” I turned her around to look her in the eye. “Listen to me very closely when I say I won’t ever leave you. We’re mates and that means that we’re supposed to be together. I’ll always want to be with you.”
“I wish that were true.” Paige whispered while her eyes filled with tears. I watched helplessly as one escaped and trailed down her cheek. “You might want to be with me right now, but you won’t when you find out. You’ll be disgusted and will want nothing to do with me.”
“No, that’s not true.” I argued. I didn’t bother to ask what she meant when she said I would find out because I already knew she wouldn’t tell me. At least not yet.
“But it is.” She whispered sadly. She pulled herself out of my arms and took a step back, staring at me with teary eyes.
“Paige, don’t leave.” She started to back up before she turned around.
“I’ll see you around.” She mumbled quietly. I sighed deeply before lunging forward with the knowledge that the only thing to do now was tell her the truth.
Ok James, time to let your pride go and get sappy.
“Wait!” I grabbed her elbow and turned her around, pushing her back until she was pressed against the wall with my body flush against hers. “I haven’t known you very long and I don’t know everything about you but I do know a few things. I know that you were raised by two of the weirdest, if not nicest, people I’ve ever met. Because of them you’ve gained a kind heart and a strong sense of what’s right and wrong. I know that you grew up with Taylor, and Lisa, and Claire and even with all of them around you, you learned to be your own person. That tells me that you’re unique and special. I know that you had a lot of friends, a lot of friends that cried for days when you were taken. You were friendly and outgoing and smart and funny. I know that you were taken for years and yet you’re still standing. You’re strong and smart. You’re a survivor Paige. But I also know that you’re wounded and unsure of yourself and whether you’d like to admit it, you’re afraid. You’re afraid that you can’t be that same person that you were.”
“You’re wrong.” She breathed. I ignored her, knowing I was right.
“Somewhere,” I lifted my hand and placed it on her cheek. “Somewhere deep inside you, you’re still there. All those things, all those qualities, are still in you. It will take you time to fully move on from your past but eventually you’ll be confident and happy again. You won’t be the same person you were, you’ve experienced too much to ever be that naïve little girl, but you’ll be better. You’ll have a better understanding of the world and life in general. You’ll be stronger and ready to deal with problems that will arise. I can promise you two things right now. One, you’ll move on and get past this. You’ll be able to smile again.” I brought my face forward and rested my forehead on hers. “Two, with each step that you take I’ll be there. I’ll be right there with you, holding your hand to make sure you know you are never alone. Like I said, I don’t know everything about you but I’m going to change that. I’m your mate and I have every intention of being by your side. I want to know what makes you smile and laugh, what makes you cry. I want to know what your favorite food is, what your favorite color is. I want to know you, everything about you whether it’s good or bad.”
Silence greeted my speech. Paige’s eyes looked up at me in wonderment as if she couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of my mouth. To be truthful, I couldn’t believe what I said. I’m not one to be emotional but I felt like she needed to hear those words, the truth. The way she was looking at me, it was almost like she thought I was a heaven sent angel, here to save her from her helplessness. While I was no angel, I was here to help her find herself again.
“Blue.” She finally said.
“What?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. She chucked and smiled lightly.
“My favorite color. It’s blue.” The way her eyes twinkled had me moving forward before I could stop myself. I placed my mouth over hers and kissed her.
Oh man, I was in heaven.