< Chapter 181
Chapter 181
Astor jerked his hands away from mine. He took a big step back, putting distance between
Us.
“I don’t know what you are talking about, Faith,” Astor said. His voice was flat again. He was trying to put the cold mask back on. He turned his face away, looking at the trees instead of
- me.
“Stop it,” I demanded. I stepped into his line of sight. “Do not lie to me. Not here. Not now.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. “There is no black magic around you,” I told him. “I have been trying to convince myself that somebody did something to you but that’s been you all along.”
Astor ran a hand through his hair. He looked frustrated and the he finally looked at me. His eyes were not empty anymore.
“Faith,” he said, his voice serious. “You should concentrate on winning back the love of the Pack members who feel by a Luna who chose another pack over them and stop trying to poke your nose where it doesn’t belong.” He said trying to patronize me but I’m not stupid.
“I don’t care about anybody’s love or approval” I yelled. “I want my mate back. I don’t want this guy who looks at me like he wants me gone. I want the man I love. I want the father of my children.”
Astor’s face softened just a tiny bit. He took a step closer to me.
“I’m angry, Faith,” he admitted. “Yes, I am very angry with you for leaving. That part is real. But I don’t hate you.”
He sighed heavily. He looked around the woods as if checking for spies, even though my shield was up.
“Listen to me,” he said, lowering his voice. “For now, I need you to do me a favor. Just stay out of this.”
“What?” I asked.
“Annabella,” he said. “Her family. The Shadow Moon Pack. Just leave it alone. I will fix everything. I have a plan. If you just let me handle it, everything will go back to normal soon.”
I shook my head. I was confused and scared.
“What has to be fixed?” I asked desperately. “What has Annabella done to the pack? What has
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she done to you? Why is everyone acting so strange?”
Astor pressed his lips together in a thin line. “I can’t explain it right now.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s dangerous,” he said. “The less you know, the safer you are. When the time comes, I will tell you everything. I promise. But not today.”
I stared at him. He was asking me to trust him blindly and if I didn’t trust him as much as I do then I probably would have left the first day with how he treated me but I’m certainly not good at following orders.
“So” I said slowly. “You want me to do what? You want me to live in the same house with you, with you being so close yet so far away?”
My heart hurt just thinking about it.
I felt my wolf growl inside my chest.
“I won’t do it,” I hissed. ‘I won’t let Annabella anywhere near you. I won’t stand it.”
Astor rolled his eyes. He looked annoyed.
“Stop being jealous, Faith,” he said.
“I am not jealous!‘ I lied. ‘I am protective!”
“You are jealous,‘ he corrected me. “And you need to calm your wolf down. Think about it logically.
He stepped closer until he was standing right in front of me. He looked into my eyes.
“If I wanted to do something with Annabella,” he said bluntly, “I would have done it while you were away. You were gone for six months. II could have slept with her but I didn’t.”
His words were harsh, but they were also true. It didn’t make me feel better, though. It just made me feel foolish.
‘I still need answers, I insisted. “I can’t just sit around and wait.”
“You have to be patient, Astor said firmly. “You have to trust me to play this game. Can you do that?‘
I looked at his handsome face. I looked at his lips. I missed him so much it felt like a physical pain. He was asking for a lot.
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< Chapter 181
“I don’t know if I can be patient,” I whispered.
“Try,” he said.
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I thought about it. If I fought him now, he would shut down again. If I pushed too hard, he would put the mask back on. I needed to play along, at least for a little while.
But I wasn’t going to do it for free.
“Okay,” I said slowly. “I will try to be patient. I will try to follow your lead.”
Astor looked relieved. His shoulders relaxed. “Good. Thank you.”
“But,” I added quickly. “I want something in return.”
Astor looked suspicious. “What?”
I stepped forward and grabbed the collar of his t–shirt. I pulled him down toward me. Before he could protest, I smashed my lips against his.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss. It wasn’t a sweet, hello kiss. It was hard. It was passionate. It was desperate.
I kissed him with all the frustration and love I had been holding inside for six months. I poured all my anger and my longing into that kiss.
For a split second, Astor stood still, frozen in shock. But then, he broke.
He groaned low in his throat. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me hard against his body. He kissed me back just as fiercely. His mouth was hot and demanding.
My wolf howled with joy inside my head.
Mate! she screamed. Finally!
Astor’s hands moved up my back, tangling in my hair. He deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. It felt like fire. It felt like coming home.
My body was yearning for more. Every inch of skin that touched him felt electrified. I wanted to stay in this clearing forever. I wanted to rip his shirt off and claim him right here.
But unfortunately I had to let go. I don’t know why we continuously attract trouble because I didn’t expect all these problems when I decided to come back home.
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