"You don't seem to get it, sunshine. I might sound like a selfish bastard, but I've waited all my life for you. Over three hundred lonely years. You're my erasthai. Mine! I'm never letting you go."

"What about Milan?" I suddenly spit out. I can't keep it in any longer. He will not have us both. I did not escape from almost being Logan's side woman/mate to become Constantine's second choice. It was painful to hear it from Logan. It would kill me if I had to go through the same thing with Constantine.

His eyebrows rise in surprise. Then he frowns in confusion. It's like that was the last thing he expected me to say. "What about her?"

"Aren't you in love with her? Aren't you going to keep her too?"

"What???" he utters, looking appalled. "What gave you that idea?"

"Milan! You wanted to have fun with her in Russia. That's why you left me here!" I snap. My sadness has turned into rage. "Well, I won't be anyone's woman on the side. Next time you want to spend time alone with her, don't even bother to lie...because..because... I won't be here for you to lie to. Ever! You two can spend all the time alone together. Forever!!!" I yell the last part as loud as I can, with all the fury I feel in me. Then I turn around, intent to make my grand getaway. Gosh! I sounded like a jealous housewife!!! If I had something in front of me now, I would totally bang my head against it...several times!

His powerful arm snakes around my waist faster than I can move. Totally ruined my dramatic escape. Gah!!! This man! Can't I at least keep some of whatever dignity I have left?

"You're jealous," he states in surprise, turning me around to face him. "That's it? All this...all this is because you're jealous?" he sounds almost amazed, and disbelieving...and happy. "There's no other man is there? You're just jealous."

Oh, he'd better not be laughing at me now! Jerk!!! I grit my teeth and glare up at him with my most vicious scowl. Ever.

"You're jealous? Of Milan?" he states again, sounding incredulous.

If he repeated those words again, I'll knee him in his baby maker. I swear it!

"But Sunshine, I have no interest in Milan at all. She's just a friend. You're my erasthai. You're my mate. Don't you understand how important you are to me? There's no one else for me but you!" His silver grey eyes gaze into mine with such intensity as if willing me to understand.

"You took her side when I told you she was hurting me and my friends. You chose to believe her over me. You chose her over me," I cry. I feel the hurt all over again.

"Oh, sweetheart..." he groans, cradling the back of my head with his hands. His thumbs wiping my tears. "I'm so sorry..." he pulls me close and rests his forehead against mine. "I didn't realize I was doing that. The last thing I want to do is hurting you. I would never intentionally hurt you. I certainly never. Ever. Choose anyone over you. Will ever forgive me?"

"What about Russia? Milan told me herself how you two had fun in Russia. She said you went there to be alone with her. Away from me," I pull away from him.

He clenches his jaw. "I see... sounds like she's been very busy telling you things. When did she tell you all this? What else had she been telling you?"

"She came to my house, Thursday. She told me to back off. She said that you love her and that you two are getting back together again. She said you'll believe her over me, that you'll choose her over me anytime."

"I see," his eyes narrow and seem thoughtful.

"She said that you two were lovers and that you two were going to be mates," I can't keep the hurt from my voice. "She said she will make you happy and forget all about me."

I'm throwing her under the bus by telling him all about this, but I don't care. Serena told me to talk to my mate, and that's what I'm doing right now.

"Forget all about you?" he scoffs. Constantine suddenly laughs. It doesn't sound like his usual amused laughter, though. It was brief and harsh. It sounds like he finds the idea absurd. In fact, his laughter sounds like he's furious.

"Sweetheart, I wouldn't even call us a one night stand. It happened only one time a week after Antonia died. That was over a hundred years ago. I wasn't in the right mind. She was there for me when Antonia died. Maybe it's grief...I don't know why I did it. I thought it would make me feel better, but it didn't, and I regretted it right away. It's empty, and it means nothing. It's nothing like what we share, Genesis. Believe me, one touch, one glance from you means a lot more to me than that one time.

I actually felt worse after it happened and I saw that she wanted more. Right away I knew that it was a mistake. I apologized to her. I told her that it'll never happen again and that nothing will come out of it because I was waiting for my erasthai. She seemed okay with it. She said she's waiting for hers too."

"Well, she's not okay with it," I mumble. "She hates me."

"Sweetheart, I've been alive for over three hundred years. It was a lonely existence, but I had no intention of ever making anyone else my mate. I was waiting for you. The moment I saw you..I knew you're worth every second of the wait. My fiery Sunshine, I'll wait another thousand years for you if I had to," he says, looking earnestly into my eyes. His hand tugging a lock of my hair around his fingers. He always seems to have a thing for my hair. 

"As for Russia, I didn't take her with me. She decided to come with us. Besides, I didn't talk to her at all back then because I was still very mad at how she interrupted our...err..painting session," his eyes flash briefly with the remembered session, and my cheeks flushed red. "I didn't see her in Russia at all until we boarded the plane to come home.

I didn't bring you along because I had no intention of staying there longer than two days. I thought I'd be okay without you for that short amount of time. I thought you might be a distraction to me because we're there to work. We're there to set borders among a few Southern Packs to create peace. They've been at war for years. We started the peace deal a few years back, but it fell through when one of the packs broke the temporary truce agreement. We needed to start the negotiations right away while all the pack leaders are in the agreement.

Also, we needed to convince King Alexandros to let us stay here a bit longer...I know you're not ready to leave yet.

I drove Lazarus and Caspian crazy by cracking the whip on them to finish everything in less than two days. We left while some of them are still negotiating. Sunshine, I can't be away from you ever again. I'm never leaving you behind. I might have to work day and night, but at least I know you're there, not thousands of miles away. Not worrying if you're safe or if any other males are trying to get close to you. feeling jealous, and thinking of the worst ...driving myself crazy, wanting to get back here even before our plane touched the ground in Moscow.

I think I drove everyone crazy these last couple of days. I wanted to take you, mark you as mine, but I didn't want you to hate me for doing it forcefully. I wanted you to want it as much as I did. Sweetheart, these last couple of days were pure torture...now will you forgive me?"

"You always have Milan hanging on your shoulder. I thought you chose her over me. I thought you're getting back together again,"

"Sweetheart, we were never together to begin with. It's always been you for me."

"But you're always whispering together."

"Yeah, all we did was talking about you. She's always giving me advice about getting you back,"

"How very helpful of her," I respond cattily.

"Might not be the best person for me to listen to, but I was pretty desperate to get you back. You have no idea how crazy you're driving me,"

He presses his forehead to mine. "Please forgive me for making you feel like you're second to somebody else. That was never my intention. You must know, you'll always come first. Always, sweetheart," he vows. "Forgive me?" 

"You never came to see me at night like you always did either," I pout.

"Sunshine, you asked for some space and time. I thought that was because you're not sure about us...but I wasn't ever going to let you go. I stayed away because I was hoping you'd figure out that you can't live without me...only it backfired. It was pure torture. I can't stand it. I saw all the boys around you like vultures, ready to pounce on my girl as soon as they thought I was out of the picture. It drove me crazy. I was ready to snap all the men's head who even dared look at you. Now will you forgive me?" he asks again.

"For the record, I'd never apologized to anyone as much as I'm apologizing to you right now," he adds suddenly.

"Yeah, you're pretty desperate to get into my pants," I return flippantly. I blush right away as soon as the words escaped my lips. Me and my big mouth.

His eyes widen in surprise for a second, then he grins wickedly. "Is it working? Do I get to be in you... I mean, in your pants soon?"

"Nothing happened between me and Logan at the party," I say instead, trying to ignore the buzzing excitement in my tummy and my racing heartbeat at his naughty looks and words. "Nor with Hunter, the Beta. I ran out of there....Hunter drove me home. That's all."

"You're very good at running, my love...though I'm glad you did," he remarks. "I trust none of those guys, though. I'm thankful that the Beta sent you home...but he wants you. I can see it in his eyes every time he looks at you. The same with that human boy. he's smitten with you. Can't take his eyes off you. I could happily snap his head off every time he's staring at you with that sickening lovestruck look on his face,"

"Costa, I don't care about any of them. I only want you. There's no one else for me but you."

In a second I'm in his arms. The look in his eyes takes my breath away. Those beautiful intense silver grey eyes that I missed so much are now staring into mine with so many emotions. How could anyone think they're so cold?

"And there's no one else for me but you," he vows, his fingers gently tracing the curve of my cheek. "Be mine? Will you spend eternity with me?"

"Yes," I whisper back.

His eyes flash as we stare at each other with naked honesty. Telling each other with our eyes what mere words can't deliver. Never have I bared my soul so completely to one person.

"Yes," I whisper again, and his thick sooty eyelashes sweep down as his attention draws to my lips.

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My next chapter (Chapter XLVI) is going to be in "Catching Genesis (Mature Content)" book. Those who are younger than 18 or whatever should stick to this book 😉😜. Those who think they're old enough, can follow me or find the book in my page the next time I update.

Don't forget to vote and comment, my cuddly bunnies! Thank you!!!

XOXOXO
Nicole❤