Our car ride is quiet. A deadness taking over the space. He drives smoothly through the cities, only stopping for breaks and snacks.

"It's about a five day drive. We will stop at hotels as needed throughout the trip." He seems nervous, a weird apprehension leaving him.

"Okay. Need me to drive at all?" I scratch at the small rash developing on my neck. Jess assumed it was from stuff the mud in the collar, but no matter how it happened, it's pissing me off.

"I'll take care of it. You should sleep. Best to take care of yourself after trauma." A blinker clicks through the awkwardness of the car, I try to seem normal, but him acting funny sends me into a weird tone.

"Are we going to talk? At all?"

"I suppose." His shoulders slump, "What questions do you have?"

"I need you to start explaining. As much as you can get into one car ride. Because, fuck babe." I catch myself turning to look through a window, "Ares. I can't be kept in the dark."

"How could you just leave with him?"

"What?"

"You just assumed it was perfectly safe to leave with your ex that had a wild obsession for you?" His words seem angry. Rightfully so. I had expected something like this.

"I figured it was safer than pissing him off. He always was rash when I hadn't listened in the past. I didn't want to harm the other humans. Him being a wolf, total surprise to me as well. This fear of him being able to over power me, just like you can, took over." I drop my useless hands in my lap, "I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do."

"Why not call out for me? Our mind link? Tell the servants to call me from my work. Anything but leave with a male that has plans to re-mark and rape you." His fingers turn white on the steering wheel, a crack snapping at the plastic breaks apart. My lungs fill with air and hold it. He cusses at his handy work, "Still drives."

"I didn't know I could just call out for you! This mind link shit is scary, something I have no concept of. You kept me trapped in the house, fucked and fed with no other information. Jess has hung out with the pack, learned much of your customs. How is that fair to be upset with me when I wasn't taught?"

"I kept you safe while I dealt with problems that could have led to your death. But you just take it into your own hands and walk out with a devil. Why would I share shit with you when all you do is hide from this truth between us? You run from the idea of being the Luna, step out when I speak to Josh about pack dynamics. You have chosen to be ignorant, don't put it all on me."

I slap the dash, his anger seeping into my own head much like the display of emotions I experienced weeks ago. If I could rip a building apart I would, "Is that what you think? That I avoid this?"

"You actions prove as such."

"Tighten your head on or something and fucking listen." I shift my entire body to him scratching at the rash once more, "There isn't any avoidance of this. I fucking love you and don't know how to handle that. I don't know how to adapt to your world of chaos or comprehend these info bombs that keep getting tossed on my plate. The only thing I know how to do is take the hit for the other guy because shoot me if someone I care about gets hurt."

"What?" His anger leaves my head. A heavy weight of nothing comes over the car.

"Fuck. I didn't mean to say it like that." I pinch the bridge of my nose trying to figure out the best way to go from here, "I don't know exactly when it happened, or even how with all the bullshit between us. But I've come to terms with the fact I can't leave you and when you fought James for me I was terrified out of my mind. Watching Jess fall into her role helped me as well, I want to learn, be an asset... I just need your help. And I'm sorry. It took being drugged across the US for me to realize it."

The car pulls into an abandoned parking lot. I flatten my lips trying to figure our where we are. Ares turns to me, an amazed look coming over his features, "I love you Veronica."

I roll my eyes grabbing at his shirt, "I didn't like fighting with you."

"I can't say the same. It finally got some truth out of you." He leans in pecking my lips.

"Next time just spank me."

The alpha gave me a growl of approval in return dragging me to the back seat of the suv. And for the first time in a long time, I let myself enjoy his loving touch.