Chapter 18

While holding the warm coffee in one hand, I switched off the engine and stepped out of the car. The car key dangled between my other bunch of keys, settling perfectly in as it was made for me to ride and use.

Maybe I could take residence here for a bit.

I walked across the driveway to reach the main entrance to the house. In front of the large carved wooden door, I found Wayne standing, idle, his expression stiff and his eyes red in anger.

"Wayne," I stepped up from the stairs and reached him. In order to get inside, I had to get past through him and it was going to be hard. "It's just been a couple of hours more. You really didn't have to budge me with all those calls and messages." I said, my voice exhausted out from the day I had spent.

"I told you something..."

"To be back—I'm back. I didn't run. You should be happy about that rather than all gloomy." I wavered my hand around his face and that only furthered the anger within him.

"I told you to be back by evening," He said, looking at me. "And it's almost going to be midnight."

"Fine. I'm late. What are you going to do about it? Nothing so let me in before I freeze to death." I rolled my eyes and went past him to get through the front door of the house.

As soon as I stepped inside, warmth embraced me and I continued walking over to the family room. The dim golden lights were switched on, creating the perfect atmosphere for a good night. All I wanted to do was now finish my coffee and throw myself over the bed to finish reading up some books.

But someone had other plans.

"Where were you?" Wayne asked, stepping inside the house behind me and closing the door. "Who were you with?" The questions began.

I swallowed the hardness forming in my throat and thought of all the possibilities and lies I could tell him to divert his attention. I didn't want Wayne knowing that I went to the hills, looking for my Mother or any information about her.

"Just around. Caught up with my old friend and that's when I lost track of time." I responded after a few quite minutes.

I knew he was standing behind me. I could feel the heat from his stare on my back.

Shivering, I placed the coffee down on the table and turned around. "I came here but it doesn't mean everything will run at your will. If I want to go anywhere, I will to do so and there is nothing you can do to stop me." I said, turning to him.

"You'll do whatever I say." He stepped closer, down the stairs and over to the open family room.

I took in a sharp breath, "No, I won't."

"You will, Clara. All I did was ask you to return home by evening and you couldn't even do that." We were now only a few inches apart. I could feel his hot body and breath nearly fanning over my small frame. He spoke slow as if he was cautious but his voice was deep, nearly threatening, "I called you and not once you received my call or informed me about your whereabouts. It really pissed me off."

The entire conversation was leading up to an argument and I was more than prepared for it.

I folded my arms across my chest, "I don't care, Wayne. I can do whatever I wish, meet whoever I want to and you can't stop me."

A muscle in his jaw throbbed as he clenched his teeth together and stepped forward, his face now facing mine, "I can. Watch me."

"I'm watching." I stared into his eyes, stirring him. "What are you going to do about it? Threaten me again? Is that all you have? Threats? Words?" I cocked my brow at him before scoffing and turning around to grab my coffee and return to my room.

Just as I turned around, a hand wrapped around my arm, twisting me back around to Wayne. His hold remained tough over me, even when I tried to get rid of it. I took a step back, away from him and he grabbed my neck, pulling me back to him.

"Why are you running? Are you afraid of something?" He asked.

I sneered at him, "Of you? Really?"

"It seems like that." The corner of his mouth curled, turning into a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not afraid of you. Blabber doesn't form fear, Wayne. You should know that by now." My jaw went tight and I frowned as he held me harder when I tried to free myself from his hold.

"You're tongue has a little dirt on it." He said, sourly.

I twisted my arm again and his fingers pressed deeper into my flesh. "What are you going to do about it? Clean it?"

"Might as well."

Instead of freeing me, he pulled away from the family room and toward the stairs where I fought with him with all the energy I had left. I tried everything, even going far as much as flashing my canines and threatening to rip of his head if he hadn't let me be. He was unbothered with anything I did. It seemed like he was willing to play hard and for a minute, I liked that—his enthusiasm.

When he reached his room, he pushed me in and closed it from behind, locking it up with a key and then throwing that key in his pants where he knew I would never reach.

"You could be a little nicer if you wanted me on your bed." I crossed my arms again and said, my voice low as I tried to catch up with my breathing. It felt different, tormenting Wayne, causing trouble for him and teasing him. It was something I was willing to do and enjoy.

"Oh, I don't want you on my bed," A smirk grew over his mouth yet he continued to look like as if he was at the verge of raging out. "I want you on my fucking bed without any of these clothes." His hand reached, finger clasped underneath the collar of my jacket and with a single tug, he pulled me forward.

I pushed his shoulders and retorted, "You are not getting my clothes off so easily."

"So easily? I fucking waited for you, for hours and yet somehow, it seems like you were the one waiting." His eyes were furious and wild, sprinkles of red appearing within them as he yanked the jacket off my body in a single stroke.

"I had things to do. What do you expect me? To wait here, like housewife, cooking something for you while you made your way home? I'm not your wife, Wayne." I closed my brows together, forming a morphed face just to push him toward the edge.

He chuckled before wrapping his hands around my throat and forcing me to stand still. "You're still my mate and I rather hope you'd not forget that." He whispered, below my ears where he knew I would be touched.

Ah, mate.

I hadn't forgotten who he was for me. His mark, his claim over me was the only thing that stopped me for reaching out to other men. I couldn't betray the matebond that had bought us together in the first place.

I couldn't betray him either.

"Why don't you kiss me then?" My neck stretched, face nearly leveling to his while I choked out. His hand remained tight over my neck, forcing every breath out of me to be torn and rough.

Eyes lowered, something glinted in them before the red disappeared. The anger that was ravaging inside him was gone, long gone. He was calm, just as I had always seen him to be.

He leaned inward, his lips meeting with mine for a kiss. My eyes slowly drifted close, accepting it while his hand loosened around my neck. When my lips were against his, I felt as if something had been picked up from my body and replaced with something good.

I breathed through my nose softly while pressing my hand against his face and kissing him back. It wasn't long before it got rough and he got all possessive.

His tongue ravished my mouth, brushing across every inch before his teeth pushed through my lower lip, biting me, roughly.

I moaned at the little pain rising but also at the pleasure coursing through my body. His hands returned over my body, removing every piece of clothing like a wild animal. It was just a few seconds before he had ripped everything and bared me.

I had done the same.

Our naked bodies rubbed against each others, skin to skin and I let out another moan. He growled while raking his fingers across my hair and pushing me over the bed.

This was it.

This was what I wanted for over a year and I was getting it tonight.

Every bit of me was craving to be taken by Wayne. It was hard, forgetting him but harder to forget the way he used to fuck me.

I curled my legs around his torso while he leaned over me. Hands shuffled, the kiss deepened and I lost myself for a second until I realized something tightening around my wrists.

I pulled back immediately, tearing myself apart from while and looked up to find my hands tied to the bed.

Wayne chuckled while moving aside. A wicked smile grew over his lips as he said, "I hope you weren't thinking that I was going to fuck you so easily? Oh, silly little kitten, the only thing you're getting tonight is a punishment."

Read the full book on Patreon; www.patreon.com/miakerr