He leaps from the bed and grabs my arm before I’m out the door. I turn around and jerk my arm free from his hold. “Please wait, please let me explain.” Masen holds his hands out like he’s asking to touch me. He’s begging. His face is sad, white blue eyes clouded with worry and fear. His full lips turned down in a frown. I cross my arms over my chest smashing my breasts.

My anger is evaporating. The hurt intensifies. My voice is soft, when I say, “It’s not supposed to be this hard” —I motion between our bodies— “moments of extreme high followed by hurt and confusion. I know I’m kinda in the dark about a lot of this shifter stuff, but I do know my parents were Mates. We have fought more in the last week than they fought my entire life. Maybe,” my voice cracks, “maybe you’re just not ready for this. Because Masen, I can’t accept anything less than full measure from you. I’ve repeatedly given you everything. My trust, my body, my heart, but I just don’t think it’s enough,” I say on a sob. I rein in my tears. I will not be weak.

Masen falls to his knees and lays his head on my arms that cover my breasts. His arms wrap around me. “It’s enough. Please, you are enough. I don’t know why I’m such a fuck up at being a Mate. The last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt you, and I know I have. I can’t stand that I’ve caused this. I feel it, feel every emotion. The bitter anger at her and me, that’s deserved. The anger at yourself, that isn’t. The sadness tightening my throat. And, the hurt searing my chest.” He lifts up my arms and wraps them around his shoulders like he needs me to hold him. Then, he lays his head on my breasts. “She lied, none of it’s true,” he says with conviction then starts shaking his head. “Shit, well almost none of it.” I start to pull away. “She is still my assistant,” he rushes to say, squeezing me. “I was going to tell her yesterday I found her a new position. I was in meetings all morning, then those fuckers got ahold of you at the mall. I just left. So, she is my assistant but only because I didn’t get a chance to tell her she’s not.”

My heart rate has slowed down. The hurt lessened with his disclosure. I feel better just knowing she won’t be working so closely to him. I move my hands up to his hair, running my fingers through the perfect mess. Masen’s hands rove my back, my sides, even down my legs, comforting me with his touch. “The rest, Little One, all lies. I swear. I haven’t told her I loved her in five years. Never in my life have I ever begged her for anything, least of all sex!” He growls indignantly. It still bothers me thinking about them together. I need to get past it, for his sake and mine. I need to trust him. I can’t keep letting her make me doubt him.