Page 207 of His White Moonlight
Me: Thank you.I’ll see you in the morning.
He didn’t answer.I looked up the stairs again, feeling nervous.Was he waiting for me?Would he pounce?Would I survive if he did?
I glanced at my bandaged arm and made a face at the white gauze, my only protection against the big, horny shifter who wanted me to be his mate.
Me: He’s still upstairs, and I’m tired.Will he leave me alone if I go to bed, or will I wake up pregnant?
Grandma: He’ll leave you alone, but I’m happy to come over and sit outside your door if you have any doubts.
I bit my lip and debated between my fears and my guilt over interrupting Grandma’s sleep.Guilt won.
Me: No need.I’ll stop being a baby and go to bed.
Grandma: You’re not a baby, and I understand why you don’t trust him.My phone is right next to me.Call or text anytime.I love you, my little Wren.
Her unwavering support helped bolster my courage.If I hadn’t been wearing just a T-shirt, I would have felt less nervous.Not that underwear would have been much protection in his current mood.
I quietly crept up the stairs and saw his door was closed when I turned down the hall—a good sign, since I hadn’t closed it.My bedroom door was open, but my closet door wasn’t.What did that mean?Was he still in the closet, or his room?
Unsure how safe I was, I quickly got under the covers and turned off the bedside light.With my stitched forearm prominently displayed on top of the covers, over my chest, I closed my eyes.I thought it would take me forever to fall asleep.It should have with my suspicion that Bennett was still in my closet.But between the two runs and the trauma, I was out before I even knew I was going under.
* * *
The rhythmic sensationof someone petting my hair roused me out of sleep at some point before dawn.
“I’m not going to survive,” Bennett said softly.
His mouth brushed my forehead, and I realized I was using him as a body pillow with my stitched arm on his chest.
“I’m losing my mind thinking about you possibly wanting me like I want you.I should leave, but I can’t.”
His words brought me further out of sleep.
“Shh.Sleep,” I murmured.
“Sorry, baby.I’ll go to sleep.”
I nodded against his chest and sank right back under.
* * *
The spacebeside me was empty when I woke up.I started to reach out to feel his spot and winced at the feel of my heartbeat in my arm.
“I have an ice pack if you want it,” Bennett said.
Turning my head, I saw him standing next to the bed.
I flushed and nodded, wondering if he knew what I’d been reaching for.
Instead of handing over the ice pack, he carefully placed it on my arm as he sat beside me.He looked tired, his hair wasn’t styled like he usually did, and he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants that didn’t match.
“I’m sorry about last night.The cut.The stitches.Losing control.All of it.”
He kept his gaze on my arm instead of looking at me like he usually did as he continued speaking.
“Grandma says true mates rarely wait.Like humans, we sometimes date first—but the deeper the bond, the faster we claim each other.If we delay, it's usually because we’re unsure or hoping for someone better.
“For me, it’s always been you.From the moment I saw you, I knew.My certainty has never wavered.
