Page 44 of Love Bites Hard

“You said you were hungry.” He clenched his jaw for a moment, then slowly released it. “And I owe you an apology.”

My eyebrows lifted. “I’m listening.”

“You’re right. I haven’t treated you properly. I’ve been a shitty mate. You deserve better, but you have me, and there’s no going back.” Porter moved to the edge of the bed, setting his feet on the floor and standing up. “I shouldn’t have left you the way I did. I was afraid of what was going to happen, and uncertain how I should act, but I shouldn’t have left. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you for apologizing.” I slipped my hands into my pockets.

His forehead creased, and I knew he was waiting for me to tell him that it was okay or something.

“I don’t forgive people immediately,” I said. “If you want me to forgive you, you have to prove that you mean it by changing your behavior. I can’t trust you right now. But I do appreciate your apology.”

His eyes darkened, but he stiffly dipped his head. “You want me to stay here while you fall asleep?”

“I want you to communicate where you are and what you’re doing if you’re not going to be in our room with me at night. Mated men aren’t supposed to be comfortable leaving their mates when they’re asleep. It makes me feel like you’re cheating on me.” The admission made me feel a little vulnerable, and I wrapped my arms around my middle.

“I would never—could never—want another woman. I haven’t been with anyone but you since I lost my family. I just have to run at night. It’s how I’m coping with being back. If I stay here, I won’t be able to sleep at all. Out there, I run until I collapse, and manage an hour or two of rest.”

I didn’t like the admission. It didn’t make me feel any better about spending my nights alone. But I couldn’t force him to do something else. “Do you run with anyone?”

“No. No one can keep up with me.”

At least he wasn’t secretly bonding with some bombshell shifter woman when he was away from me.

Probably.

I didn’t have a real argument anymore, so I agreed with him. “Fine. I need to install a canopy on my bed.”

His forehead creased. “A canopy?”

I nodded. “You know, like a coffin lid? I’m basically an emotional vampire.”

Understanding crossed his face. “You didn’t get much sleep last night?”

“No.”

“I’ll talk to Hale and get one sent over as soon as possible.”

“Thanks.”

He waved me closer. “You need to feed.”

Right.

He wasn’t going to be able to let me drink from him for long when he was already frustrated, but I couldn’t point that out.

Part of me wanted to tell him I wasn’t hungry, but he would’ve realized I was being a chicken.

So, I just kissed him.

I didn’t bother parting his lips with my tongue, and he didn’t either.

I managed a few pulls of his emotions before he pulled away from me with his jaw clenched, and left the room.

There had been no conversations about sex—and I almost wished there were. At least then, he’d show emotion.

The canopy was delivered halfan hour later, while I was still lying in bed. The wolves who brought it to me left it at the door, saying they couldn’t enter the alpha’s rooms, which left me to figure out how to set it up on my own.

Zora and I were the ones who usually put things together, but the canopy’s wiring was far beyond my level of knowledge. I ended up just wrestling with it myself until I managed to slip under it on my own.

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