Page 19 of Dante
I nodded. “I would have taken you and run if I’d been able to find a way out. I tried.” I shook my head, thinking about the time we were stuck in that compound. “For so long, I tried to find the exit. I couldn’t scale the wall. They’d used magic to make it impossible to get in and out. I now know they’d used that same magic to close the wall around us, and we were all stuck without the use of magic ourselves.”
“That’s what I was told too.” Banner looked out at the windows, which were just a wall of white already. “The storm sure moved in fast.”
“It really wasn’t supposed to be here this quick,” I said as I pulled out my phone to check the weather app. It chimed before I could unlock it though.
“Do you need me to go?”
I looked up at Banner and tried not to glare. “Why? It’s just a message from the council, letting us know that all of us should stay in for the next twelve hours unless we are transported by magic.” I held out my phone to show Banner. I had nothing to hide from him. If he were to go through my messages, he would see appointments, my packmates chewing me out about him, and that’s basically it. I didn’t really have much of a lifeoutside of work and assignments. Banner glanced at the phone before he nodded. I took it back and opened the weather app like I’d originally intended. Once the radar loaded, I held it out to Banner again. This time, he actually took the phone from me.
“Wow. Okay. Yeah, so I’m stuck here. I mean, my bear can probably make it home, but you said you’d take me home.”
“I will. Just as soon as you want to go. I know where you live, and I’ll make sure you are there safely. I promise you that.” I would too. I wanted nothing but what Banner desired. I sighed. “I read your letter.” I thought about all of the emotions it gave me the first time. “I don’t know how many times, actually. Many though.”
Banner looked surprised. “I didn’t know if you would read it. I had so much to say, and not all of it made it into the letter, but I can’t tell you how many times I rewrote it. I finally gave up around three in the morning and called it good. I gave it to Augustus. He’d found me when I was going to look for you to basically say what I did in the letter.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. I shook my head again as I reached out and touched Banner on the knee. When I did, I felt a tingle go through me. Even if I was dumb and was willing to deny our connection, my body recognized it. “I put us both through a whole lot of pain for dumb reasons, and I’m sorry.” I took a deep breath and gave Banner what I hoped was a sincere look. “I know that those two words aren’t enough. But they need to be said for starters.”
“Can I ask something else?”
I nodded. “You can ask me anything. Always. I won’t ever ignore you or us or our connection again if I’m given the chance to be with you.”
“What made you change your mind?” Banner’s eyes widened. “You have, right? That’s what this is?”
I nodded. “I mentioned how my pack has been on me. Atticus had some good advice. Probably better than anyone else to include Dr. Bennett. He told me he wasted ten years with Brice because he ignored the connection. Those were ten years of pain, both emotional and physical, for both of them. I’ve already caused you pain, and I don’t want to be the reason for more. It took a lot of discussions with Dr. Bennett for me to realize that no matter what I did or didn’t do while we were in the jungle, there was nothing I could have done to change what was happening in that compound. I finally accept that.”
Banner nodded slowly. He looked around the room for a moment before looking directly at me. “So what is it you want? To talk? To say you’re sorry? More?”
“Anything you are willing to give. If I only ever get this chance to apologize, I accept that. I would like to have the chance for us. We’re mates, and I’m not asking to claim you anytime soon, but I’d like to spend time together.”
Banner’s eyebrows rose. “So what? Like dating?”
I shrugged. “If that’s what it’s called. I’ve never been in a relationship before. I have never dated someone before. This is all new to me, and I know I’m going to mess it all up, but I’m willing to try.” I shook my head. “At least until you’re tired of me and come to the conclusion that I’m not worth it and kick me to the curb.”
Banner scowled. “I wouldn’t do that. Besides, we’re supposed to somehow be these perfectly matched people. I can’t see myself kicking you to the curb or anything. That would also imply that we’re living together.”
I smiled while nodding. “We can. There are houses in mated enforcer housing that we can look at. I’ve already discussed things with Master Edison. Although he said both of us were more than welcome to stay over at each other’s current places, the goddess has a way of being a bit fickle, and this will lead toother things, and you’ll go into heat eventually. The more time we spend together, the quicker that will happen.”
Banner’s face, although always adorable, looked both shocked as well as something else that I couldn’t quite pinpoint. He cleared his throat and looked away. “Is that something you want? Something you’d be willing to help with?”
I touched Banner’s knee again. “I would help. But I also know that my beast wouldn’t be able to not claim you if put in that position. He would take over, and I’d be biting you before I could stop myself.”
Banner snorted. “If you think that any omega in heat with their fated mate helping them through it is able to stop from biting their alpha, think again.”
That had been mentioned as well. “I still think you deserve a better alpha. I understand that we were paired for a reason, and I’m not sure what that is, but I’m happy to accept whatever it is that you are willing to offer.”
“Do you want to claim me?”
This was where I was fighting with myself and my beast. The short answer was yes. My beast very much wanted our scent all over Banner. He wanted him wearing our mark and to protect him at all costs. But there was still a part of me that felt that I had failed Banner and the others. I’d seen his pain and the terrors he was going through with my own eyes. I’d been forced to watch while unable to do anything to help.
“I guess that’s answer enough,” Banner said, pulling me from the dark thoughts I’d spiraled into.
“I do,” I said. “But it’s complicated, as you said earlier. I want you. I will admit that. I’ll shout it to everyone on the mountaintop as soon as I can. But even though I understand we are supposed to be together, I can’t help but wonder why you weren’t paired with someone else. Augustus or Warwick wouldhave been better choices. They rescued you. I had to be rescued with you.”
A scowl reappeared. “It’s a simple question, Dante. Do you want to claim me or not?”
I nodded. “I do. I know nothing about being a mate though. I have been given pointers, but I’m terrified you’re going to spend our lives together upset with me.”
Banner sighed. “How old do you think I am? Or do you already know?”
