Getting Warm

MAX

I felt a laugh bubbling up inside me for so many reasons.

First, the woman’s reaction when Estella came at her with silver eyes and claws was priceless. She didn’t see it coming.

Then there were Estella’s words.

They stirred a different kind of laughter, a different kind of joy, and a different kind of comfort in me. That is, if she meant them, if it was really her and not just the wolf claiming me because she was growing stronger and more stable.

I despised uncertainty.

I needed to know.

So, I took her hand, even with its claws (I can heal, so a few scratches aren’t a big deal), and smiled at her.

“Enough show and tell, sweetheart.” I winked. “I think you’ve made your point.”

She smirked back at me as she returned to her normal self, brown-eyed and without claws.

“I’m not sure,” she said, pretending to ponder. “Maybe I wasn’t clear enough.”

“Oh, I think you were,” I shot back, gesturing towards the shocked doctor. “Let’s head back to our room.”

We left without giving her a second glance. She didn’t matter. Actually, I didn’t even bother to remember her name. Only Estella mattered. Her and whatever was going to happen between us.

But, we didn’t say a word until the door was shut behind us. In fact, we didn’t say anything even after we were inside, because she pushed me against the door and kissed me with a hunger I hadn’t seen before.

That was a surprise. The best kind. Estella taking the lead was something new.

Before all this, she wasn’t exactly shy, but she was more subtle in her advances. Sweet and enticing. Never anything like a predator.

The thought that this behavior was unlike her made me gently push her away, ending our make-out session, albeit reluctantly.

I needed to look into her eyes—to make sure she was still herself.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered.

“That’s my line, sweetheart.”

She sighed and pulled away.

“You just can’t accept it for what it is, can you?” She shook her head.

“What is it, then?”

She sighed again and rolled her eyes as if it was all so obvious. In a way, it was, but we weren’t like other people.

“It’s me accepting you, Max. Forgiving you. Giving us a real chance to be together.”

“Is it really you, though?” I asked. “Just you?”

She tilted her head, confused, but then it clicked, and she smiled.

“Yes, it is. My wolf has forgiven you if you haven’t figured it out already.”

“What made you forgive me?” I stressed the word ~“you.”~

“You’re such a killjoy, Max. You know that, right?”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. But I don’t think I could handle it if something went wrong again. I need to make sure that, this time, nothing will tear us apart.”

“Are you hiding more things from me?” She raised an eyebrow.

“No.”

“Then nothing will tear us apart. Never again.”

ESTELLA

All I wanted was to kiss him (and so much more) and make up. Save the talking for later. Much later. When we would be cuddling in bed after messing it up.

But instead, I sat on the bed alone, while Max stayed leaning against the door.

“I was wrong, too,” I confessed, letting out a sigh.

“What do you mean?” He frowned.

“Exactly what I said. You’re not the only one with insecurities. I have quite a few of my own.”

“Everyone has them, sweetheart. But you’re one of the most confident people I know.”

“We both know that’s not true, Max. I was always insecure when it came to you. I always thought that someone else was meant for you.”

“Estella…,” he began, but I cut him off.

“I’m not saying this because I want you to apologize. It’s just… I always feared that someone would come and take you from me because it was meant to be.

“It didn’t help that your kind is superior in looks and abilities…”

“Even so, you tried to be with me.”

“I did. I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t. But the fear was always there. That a woman of your kind… a beautiful, powerful woman would come and…”

“You are the beautiful, powerful woman I want,” he said, and stepping away from the door, he came and crouched down in front of me.

“I couldn’t tell you that you were my mate, but I thought you didn’t doubt my opinion of you. About the way I saw you.”

“Well, I did, and you weren’t as clear as you thought you were. So, when I saw Delta in your house, acting all comfortable, I was uneasy, and then she told me she was your mate…” I swallowed hard.

“I’m sorry that I fell for her lie so easily. I should have listened to my instinct that told me to talk to you first.”

“I wish you had, but I can’t blame you for not doing so,” he replied, reaching up and cupping my cheek.

“I blame myself, Max. Seeing her and her mark triggered my worst fear.”

“That’s okay, sweetheart.”

“No, it’s not. I realized last night that I’m partly responsible for what happened to me. Not that most of it isn’t your fault…”

He chuckled.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Good for you. But I’m not blameless. I made some wrong decisions, and I had to learn the hard way.”

“If I could take it back, I would. My poor handling caused this. I feel lucky that I get a chance with you now…”

“I sense a but.” I furrowed my brows.

“You’re right,” he agreed. “I need to know that it’s your choice to be with me again. Not your wolf’s.”

“It is mine, and it wasn’t an easy one to make.”

“We’ve been through a lot.”

“Exactly, that’s why I said it was a tough decision. Most couples in love see stars, and in your kind, mates feel tingles and sparkles and all that jazz.

“We don’t have any of that, Max. We never really did.”

His face fell, but I was just as sad. That’s why I wanted us to physically reconnect first. I knew every word I said could lead to a misunderstanding.

We didn’t have tingles, sparkles, or stars. That was true. But that’s for people who meet for the first time or suddenly discover they’re mates.

We’ve known each other too long to experience those things like others do. So, they gave way to something else. Something deeper and more enduring.

As he hung his head in sadness, I slid off the bed and gently pushed him back onto the floor. I crawled on top of him and leaned into his face.

“But we have just as much passion,” I whispered, nipping at his lower lip, “or lust or love or care as they do. I’d even say we have more.”

I felt his hand at the back of my head, pulling me closer.

“Do we?” he asked, his fingers tangling in my hair.

“Absolutely.”

MAX

Kissing, licking, tasting… Being one with her, no secrets left to feed any doubt, was freeing, and she was right; we had just as much as anyone else.

The trials we’d faced could have broken any bond, but ours was stronger than I’d realized.

The only downside to making up, though, was that we had to stay quiet.

I’m not sure if we succeeded or not, and since I hadn’t expected this, I didn’t think to ask if Loukas had soundproofed the pack house.

What mattered was that I could hold her again.

I didn’t fool myself into thinking I had her full trust yet. Knowing she held a tiny bit of blame didn’t change the fact that I was more at fault for everything that happened to us.

But now, I could take her home and start fresh, which was what I did after everything was settled with Loukas.

I told Patrick, who had already figured it out, and he assured me he would spread the word while I spent time with Estella.

There was one more issue to resolve between us: her transformation. Or mine, for that matter.

We hadn’t discussed it at all, and when we did, I found out she was confused and a little scared about it.

She had started to bond with her wolf, but she was far from ready to give up part of her humanity permanently and become one of us.

It was understandable, really, and since I had promised her, I didn’t pressure her at all. It was her decision to make, and that was clear.

As clear as the fact that she would have to deal with the hickeys I gave her every time I tried to keep my wolf in check.

She scolded me about it regularly, but I knew she didn’t mean it.

I’ve seen her looking at herself in the mirror, touching the marks, probably imagining what a mating mark would look like on her.

Sometimes, she just stares at her hair, playing with it absentmindedly, brushing it, styling it…

I stare at it too—the symbol of her struggle.

She’s beautiful regardless. Whether her hair is white or brown, she’s the most incredible creature there is.

I don’t want her to feel insecure about it, so I make sure to show her that I don’t care. I love her too much to focus on that detail.

But between us, I think she’s accepted this change in her appearance. She’s embraced it, and she’s even started training again. With me.

Her only request was that I don’t go easy on her because she’s out of shape. It was hard, I admit, because it went against my natural instinct to protect her.

But I understand her need to be stronger since she’s so independent.

I can’t believe that my life with her is already beginning. Only one decision left to be made, and it’s all hers.