When I woke up I still felt Kayden's body in contact with mine. I still felt tired but it was better than how exhausted I was this morning. His body heat kept me warm and relaxed. No matter how upset I was with Kayden, there was no denying I liked waking up like this.

He seemed so peaceful, so harmless. At this moment in time there was nothing he was doing to hurt me, or make me mad. I seemed to enjoy the comfort he offered me and relaxed my normally tense muscles.

I used a light hand to trace Kayden's face. I dragged my finger gently across his eyebrows, then his cheekbones, underneath his eyes, and to his jawline. My hand made its way tracing light patterns on the skin of his face. I lightly outlined his lips, my mind wondering how they would feel on my own.

I had to mentally reprimand myself for that one. Goddess, I was becoming my wolf. My hand lay still on his cheek, feeling the warmth of it underneath my cool fingers. "You should do that more often," Kayden said. I jerked in surprise, "--felt nice." He murmured.

I blushed crimson, that's so embarrassing. Why didn't he tell me he was awake? He just let me lay there, playing with his face like a bored child with nothing to do. I could feel his chest vibrate lightly as he chuckled.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked quietly, looking me in the eyes.

"I don't know, just the bond I guess..." I trailed off. When I looked back at him he had a strange glint in his eyes. Almost as if he was happy to hear I had been thinking about our bond. I wonder if he was too.

"Mhm," He hummed in reply, burying his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent deeply. "You smell so good," He practically moaned to himself, "like honey and vanilla." I laughed slightly at my effect on him. It's nice to know my scent is just as appealing as his.

"Yours too," I said sleepily, "I like it." And with that I fell back asleep for the second time today, for once calm feeling and unworried about life's problems.

****

"We need to talk, Charlotte." I ignored Kayden for the tenth time today.

There was no way I was gonna tell him, absolutely not; because once I do, they'll all turn on me. No one wants a Luna who isn't pure, who hadn't saved herself for her true mate. I wasn't the innocent leader they wanted, that had been taken from me years ago.

"It's nothing." I replied.

He would reject me, I know he would. Before I would've been fine with that, but I've allowed the bond to develop for too long and now there's no backing out. It'd hurt too much to leave him.

I continued to work on my painting as he prodded and pried for answers. "It isn't just 'nothing' if it's giving you nightmares. You never explained to me why your parents were here."

My palms grew clammy, I knew he'd ask at some point.

"I don't want to talk about that." I gritted out through clenched teeth. Minute by minute I was becoming more agitated with both myself and Kayden.

"They said you were missing for seven years! As your mate, I think I have a right to know about these things." He shouted from my bed, obviously just as frustrated as I was.

Instead of replying, I just continued to paint. I focused on the landscape rather than the headache he was giving me. Soon he became fed up and grabbed my upper arm pulling me away from the canvas. I flinched and became rigid.

Kayden noticed my tenseness and his eyes softened as he looked at my rigid figure and clouded eyes. "I'm sorry Charlotte, I didn't mean to scare you." He said wrapping his arms around me carefully. I stood still, unmoving. I had to stop giving into him, it would only make the rejection harder the closer we became.

"But you have to talk to me." He continued. I shook my head, my eyes beginning to well with angry tears. I held them in though, not wanting to feel weak any longer. I just have to block it all out again, I need to forget it all.

Once he realized I wouldn't be talking anytime soon, he pressed a light kiss in the soft spot in between my collarbone and my neck. I shivered at the touch as he said, "Take your time, I'll wait." He said huskily.

I said nothing. Pushing his body off mine I let him know that I wanted him to leave my room. I really needed to clear my head and that damn scent of his isn't helping.

I want to tell him,

But I can't.