I felt ill when we left the vacation cabin. I didn't know what to even think anymore. All I wanted was a clear path, a line of actions that would bring me to the goal that seemed so far out of reach.

But what was my goal anymore?

I had been molded into the perfect werewolf hunter. I had dedicated my adult years to serving those who could help me slay the demons that sucked the life out of my parents and countless other innocent souls. And when I had tossed away my life to the cause, they had tossed away the only people I cared about. Even though it was most likely a simple miscommunication, it stung to no end and the bitterness that seeped into me would not leave so easily.

The werewolves had been generous enough not to kill me, though that was not enough for me to turn my back on everything I knew. But there was a reason to stay. And that reason was back behind the wheel of his car once more. I cast him a glance out of the corner of my eye. His attention didn't flicker from the road and his mouth was pressed into a firm line. Just looking at him shouldn't have had the effect on me that it did. The damn mate bond. As bizarre as it was, I was helpless against the pull. Even if I wanted to, even if I had every reason to flee, I knew I wouldn't be able to. It had sounded so crazy back then when he told me that we would always find each other, but I knew that if I packed a bag and started a new life in Slovakia, he would find me. The world would bring us right back together.

"So, this wolf-drain thing, are you feeling any of the symptoms?" Ryder asked. I couldn't read his tone or his features. He had slipped right back into that unfeeling mask that he wore so well.

Christ, this was the last thing I wanted to talk about, the last thing I even wanted to think about. "It's hard to say."

"Oh?"

"I mean, if your brain was no longer functioning the way it was supposed to, how do you know? With some diseases and illnesses, you can sense it, but I don't know if wolf drain is one of them. Are you conscious that your brain is slipping away or not?" Which raised a terrifying thought about my parents. Did they want to talk to me? Did they hear all my ramblings? Was there a part of my dad that was screaming silently, begging his useless mouth to get the words out? I shook the idea out of my mind. "So, part of me thinks that I am fine. Another part of me wonders often if I'm sitting in a wheelchair in an assisted living facility reliving something that already happened."

Ryder nodded his head once. His fingers flexed around the steering wheel. "Right, well, I don't think that I'm losing my mind and this is very much real, if that makes you feel any better," he assured, but his smile was a little squeamish now. "You aren't showing signs of wolf drain, but it's based on proximity and time. I think we've spent a fair amount of time together, more than a werewolf hunter should be spending with a werewolf."

"Then we assume that the mate bond is keeping me safe," I sighed. "With all the other mythical, magical shit, is it really so hard to believe that I might be immune because of that?"

Ryder nodded again. I thought I would be gifted a few moments of silence, but he said, "If you can, you should get ahold of Milo. I think he's going to be our best lead on this."

It wasn't his fault, but it was the last thing I wanted to hear. Wolf drain had already raised my hackles and now this. "Because we need to show your beloved king and queen a living example of the disease that they cause," I spat.

"Georgia, I don't want to fight," he said. though his voice was calm, I noticed his grip tighten on the steering wheel ever so slightly. At what point did it simply break? "You don't have to like what is going on, neither do I. But Hades already spared you and I have gone against my king and queen's orders too many times. We need to find this girl and bring her in."

"At the very least, she's going to be subjected to more werewolves which will cause her state to deteriorate even further. She's going to be a vegetable by the time they are done with all their poking and prodding." I shot back.

"If what you believe it correct, then there is that risk."

"Are you implying that this isn't real? You know, there could be a chance that Ajax and Keiko have known all along and are just playing stupid to keep the werewolves on their side." It took everything in me to keep from exploding in that moment. Did he think my parents were faking it? Did he think that we would find Cassey and she would be perfectly fine or that we had come up with some botched reason to risk our lives targeting werewolves?

Ryder's hand fell gently to my knee. The fire raging within was extinguished. "Georgia, I would never say that. I believe that something is happening. You can say and think whatever you want about Keiko and Ajax, but I know them. They wouldn't put a community at risk for no reason. In a place like Canada, there is so much remote land that we could live a life entirely separate from humans if we needed to. And, even if that wasn't the case, there's still so many questions that need to be answered. How does this actually happen? How does it affect different people? Is it treatable? Ajax and Keiko have the resources to research this. Doctors that are well versed with werewolves might have a better chance with this any human doctors. I know that these people are important to you, but making sure this doesn't happen to more people is our priority, even if it means a couple people might have to suffer a little more."

It was all so rational and I hated it. just like I hated that his touch could soothe me so easily. I folded my arms over my chest and stared out of my window until we returned to my home.

It was an awkward night. With no fresh options in the fridge yet again, we bounced back food preferences. It was halfhearted, neither of us feeling particularly hungry, but knowing we needed to eat, and more importantly, pass the time. when the donairs were delivered, we ate them in silence. Then, we watched a movie in silence, curled up on opposing ends of the couch.

"I'm going to bed," I said with an overly dramatic yawn, standing and stretching my arms above my head.

"Well, have a good sleep," Ryder replied, already sliding his body down the couch. His legs dangled off the end pitifully, his head propped on a decorative pillow Cassey had bought me when I moved in. Despite the fact that the dinosaur shaped pillow had made me laugh all that time ago, I wasn't sure it was terribly comfortable to sleep on. And the little plush throw was not going to keep all six feet of him warm.

"Do you want to sleep in the bed with me?" I asked before I could think better of it.

Ryder just rolled his head towards me. "Is that what you want?"

"I mean, if you prefer, we could do the whole thing we did in the hotel where we argue about who sleeps where, or we can just acknowledge that we are adults and sleep together again. It'll be much more comfortable than this," I explained, gesturing to his contorted body.

"Alright. Is it okay if I use your shower beforehand?"

"Of course, you don't have to ask." The words came out of my mouth genuinely and softly. Almost like he really just was a guest in my home, one I wanted to make as comfortable as possible. It was moments like this, brief snippets of our time together, where I considered how lovely it would be if this was all just that simple. A man I had fallen for, staying in my home, in my bed. We could wake up and make breakfast together in my cramped kitchen. He would have to hold my hips to get around me. I would love the sound of any tune he hummed. Instead, we would go see Milo again and attempt to track down a wolf-drain victim.

Even so, as he showered and presumably laughed at all of my scented products and my extensive skin care collection, I prepped like any woman would. I picked the cutest oversized shirt I had in my closet and velvet shorts that were a cozy as they were soft to the touch. my hair was pulled up into a bun that was just messy enough to look careless. It was the balance of looking effortless, but being meticulous. I waffled between leaving my bra on and taking it off and settled for being free of the constriction. We already had sex, what did it really matter?

The way that my heart gave a little leap when I heard the water shut off told me that it mattered. It all really, really mattered.

I was slipping a fresh silk pillow case onto a new pillow when Ryder walked in. Even something as simple as the way he dried his hair with a towel was enough to send me spiraling.

The way that he ran his eyes over me told me that my bare legs and messy hair had the same results for him.

"I hope the pillowcase is okay. Some people don't like them, but they're really good for your skin and for your hair," I explained. Since my bedroom was set up to accommodate a single person with my bed against the wall, I lifted the covers and slipped in, moving until I was at the far end of the bed.

"I'm sure I can handle it," he murmured back.

I held my breath as he climbed in beside me. immediately, I noticed the scent of my shampoo clinging to his damp hair. I switched the light off before he could see the blush on my cheeks. For a moment, the only sound was both of us breathing softly. A mix of giddiness and contentment swirled through me. this is where he was always supposed to be and it was delicious and exhilarating.

"Tell me something about you," he whispered into the dark.

"Like what?"

"Like where you grew up."

"Are you going to tell me about you afterwards?"

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," he promised.

So, I told him about my childhood home and the plush toy collection that I had because my dad could just never say no to me. I told him about my mom always having a vase of fresh flowers on the table in a vase she inherited from her mother. I told him about my childhood best friend that I resented after she told the whole school who my crush was.

At some point, he rolled towards me. A story later, his hand was on my hip. After that, my eyes began to shut. I dreamed we were a normal couple, dancing in the small kitchen while our food burned to a crisp. 

~~~Question of the Day~~~

Would you ever let your parent(s) pick a romantic partner for you?