He pulled away, and the moment he stopped touching her, she missed him.

“Did the screaming help?” she asked.

“It did.”

“I didn’t mean to make you angry.”

He shrugged, and then she cried out as he picked her up. “You should be resting your foot.”

“I needed to set this right with us.”

“And you’ve done that. Now it’s time to rest your foot.”

“Do you forgive me?” she asked.

“There’s nothing to forgive.”

She cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at her. He slowed down as he did. “I mean it, Lucas. I am sorry.”

“Forgiven.”

The temptation to kiss him was so strong, but she held back. Like all things in life, it seemed all she ever had to do was freaking hold back.

****

And so a routine began for the next month. Not that Lucas could complain. Rather than live separately, Mabel sought him out every single day.

They’d go for long walks. It took nearly a week for her foot to be completely healed before she was able to walk again. He didn’t like that. He loved having an excuse to hold her in his arms and carry her everywhere.

At nights, they watched some television or talked about what they’d seen the previous day.

Mabel often cooked breakfast while he handled lunch.

All in all, it was … humble.

“And you’re complaining about that?” Duke asked on one of his calls.

“No, I’m not complaining. It’s good, right? We’re developing a relationship together.”

“It is good progress. You have to be happy with that.”

“I am.”

“You’re impatient?” his father asked.

“No. I’m happy with how things are progressing.”

What he refused to talk to his father about were the touches, the lingering looks. He’d noticed Mabel had started to become highly aroused around him, and he was a little unnerved about what that meant when the full moon was high up in the sky. They were close to a second. The first had ended with them watching each other, and that had happened even when they’d been distant.

He’d gotten closer to her these past few weeks and there was no denying the tension constantly falling between them. It was always there, waiting to burst free.

“Son, I’m getting the sense that something isn’t right.”

He ran fingers through his hair as he glanced through the window to see his woman on the phone as well. She spotted him and gave him a small wave. He lifted his fingers up as well.

“You know the full moon is tonight.”

“Yes.”

“Is it possible to be in the power of the full moon but also to keep control of yourself from biting your mate during it?”

“Lucas, please do not worry.”

“I promised her, Dad. I promised her I wouldn’t bite her until she was ready for it.”