"I should have you arrested." I push past Aiden and follow Kitty into the kitchen, so not in the mood for whatever this was going to be.

"Brianna-"

"Don't care. Get out."

To make the cat quiet I pour some biscuits into his bowl and going into the fridge, grab a bottle of water. Turning around, Aiden now takes up most of the doorway so I go to slip by him again only this time he won't budge and I can't get through.

"I wasn't kidding. I have had a really, really bad night and do not need to add you to the list of shit thats gone wrong today." I narrow my eyes on him, but he doesn't move a muscle. "Get out!"

"Will you just-" He starts, sounding just as annoyed as me. What the hell gives him that right?

"No. I won't." With a huff, I sit on my kitchen bench and throw my legs over to slide down the other side. "You better be gone by the time I come back out."

I practically run across the living room and down the hall, his growl and footsteps right behind me as I disappear into my bedroom. Never more thankful for the lock that was already there when I moved in, tonight is the first night I've actually used it. Sure he could just break it down, but after waiting a few seconds he didn't and I go to take in the damage to my neck.

"Well, look at that." I mused, inspecting myself in the bathroom mirror.

No bites, no bruises, nothing. It hurts like crazy, but there is no evidence as to why it's so sore. Well, there was no denying it now. Brianna had to have been involved. I hadn't imagined that and Mr. Happy out there was only further proof of her involvement.

"Why me?" I half expect my reflection to answer, but instead I get tired of looking at myself and finally strip off for a shower.

I'm feeling better by the time I emerge from my bedroom. Kitty runs past as I open my door, taking his place on the pillow beside the bed. I'm hoping he did that because there was no one to beg for more food from waiting for me, and peeking around the corner my living room is empty. I'm not entirely sure he's gone though. Aiden's presence is everywhere like a bad smell no amount of scented candles could remove yet I don't see him. My place isn't huge so the fact he isn't taking up the living room gives me hope he's gone.

"Why do you have no food?" Aiden's question instantly ruins that and looking into the kitchen, he takes out a beer and shuts the door so the whole fridge wobbles.

"I haven't been home long enough to do any groceries. Sorry, next time I'll make sure to get a buffet ready." Next time? Unlikely. "So I'm going to call the cops now. What are you? Intruder, stalker, last beer thief, hungry hybrid?"

I get my phone out of my bed and he simply leans back against the counter. "You're not calling the police."

"Are you leaving then?"

"You're being ridiculous." He sighs. "Brianna saved your ass tonight. How about a thank you?"

"I'll thank her later. Like when I go home in a couple of weeks."

"You're not coming back now?"

"No." I hit the call button and hold it up to show him. "Last chance."

My phone is in his hand before I can start to fight back and now he leans on the counter in front of me, reaching over to put it on top of the fridge. The smirk on his face makes me want to murder him and I think I'm cured of what ever was going on between us as I really don't find him attractive at all right now.

"Why are you being so hostile?"

My jaw actually drops on its own and for a second I'm speechless. "Do you have a twin?"

"No?"

"Short term memory loss?" Aiden shakes his head. "Personality disorder? Well, you don't need to answer that one but-"

"What are you on about?"

"You literally left me on the side of the road after that stupid kiss. Do you really-"

"Oh. That." He interrupts, taking the last gulp of beer from the bottle.

"Why are you even here? I am done with your mood swings, and just everything. I left for a reason. That's enough pack life for me for the next two years at least and tell your witch thanks for whatever that was back there, but I'm not interested in what else she can do for me. Now, just go!"

My neck is throbbing. There's a blister on my heel from wearing those stupid stilettos tonight and I have a headache that feels like ten hangovers rolled into one. Disappearing into my bed is all I want to do until at least tomorrow afternoon and I can't do that until he is gone. My eye feels irritated and rubbing at it, I realise I'm about to cry. Oh, just, perfect.

Aiden frowns stepping closer and I move away. "I can't deal with this tonight. Please, leave me alone. I don't even know why you're here."

Then he is everywhere. His arms are over my shoulders as I'm brought in close against him. It doesn't feel awkward at all, in fact it feels like the most natural place to be which I hate, but not enough to move away just yet. Without thinking, mine go around his waist and I rest my cheek against his chest. He's so warm and I can't be bothered thinking about this now. Minutes, maybe hours go by and I know I should probably stop this; kick him out once and for all and go to bed.Why did this have to feel so nice?

Right on cue, he moves first and with a gentle hand, nudges my chin up so I have to look at him. I was wrong. That damn attraction is still hanging around and I think he might be about to kiss me again. If nothing else - that's probably one way to get him out of my house.

"I'm sorry for the other night." He says it so sincerely I instantly believe him.

I am an idiot.

"Ok. I mean it though. Please leave."

"I can't."

If that witch has put some kind of spell on my house I was going to be giving her a huge piece of my mind in our next encounter. Before I can tell him that, his thumb traces over my cheekbone to wipe away some new tears that I just can't get control of. Besides, what did that even mean - i can't. Well I can't do a lot of things, but I know when to leave. Especially after being told to do so a bunch of times.

"I don't understand what's happening anymore than you do, but when Brianna felt you were in trouble I had to come too. I thought you knowing about what I am would keep you away, but then there was that kiss and I..."

"You what?"

"I'm not someone you should be around."

"Then go away. We're different. You're this big, strong hybrid and I'm well, me. I get it. You don't owe me anything, I don't expect anything from you and we can just go our separate ways like nothing has even happened."

I just gave him an easy way out. I get it. I'm not exactly girlfriend material, not that I'd care about any of that anyway and he's right. Knowing what he is definitely gives me a reason to stay away. All he has to do now is walk out my front door and that's that. Simple. Easy. Why doesn't he look like he's leaving?

"That's not possible for me to do Samara, and I really don't care about our, differences."

"You say you feel this, I dunno, attraction, too so why ditch me like that only to turn up now worried I was in trouble?" Feelings talk, guaranteed to scare most guys away and if our past together has shown me anything, I really should just kiss him to get it over and done with.

"It's complicated."

"It's complicated." I mimic before rolling my eyes and for testing purposes only, I reach over to pull him closer to my level and kiss him.

He tenses, his hands on mine as if he is about to push me away - only he doesn't. Instead he moves my hands so I loop them around his neck as his slide lower, stopping at my hips. In one swift movement, he lifts me and turns around so I'm now sitting on the counter. For the first time since getting home I'm thankful I haven't actually been here. Usually this space is a mess with empty cans, bottles and the odd pizza box. We pause, and he's breathing as hard as I am. More. I want more and I silently beg him now not to leave as I had initially intended him to do.

Our eyes meet, each of us searching the other for something. What that is, we don't know. Aidens brow creases as he frowns, and my stomach sinks. He is. He is going to do it again and abandon me. Instinctively my legs squeeze around him tighter, pulling him closer as his hands grip my thighs.

"Stay." I whisper, leaning up to kiss him again. Our tongues meet, I can't hold back a moan and as he drops his head so our foreheads are resting against each other, I try to take back the many get outs of the night. "Please. Stay."

His body says yes. I can feel it between my legs and I'm feeling dizzy at the prospect of what could happen now. Weeks of dreams, tension and need flood my brain, taking over whatever pieces of common sense I had left. In response I get his mouth on my neck; gentle, tiny kisses that trail down over my shoulder, across my collarbone and my head drops back, exposing my neck to him. His tongue runs up my throat before he kisses my mouth again, drawing me in until I'm positive I have to be melting against him.

"You don't know what you're asking." His voice is like gravel, rough and raw. "It's better if I stay away."

"No." It's an order.

Aiden's mouth is back on my neck, no longer gentle and teasing as he presses against my flesh. Pain I'd managed to ignore reignites and this gasp isn't a good one. As if proving his point, he looks at me now yet it isn't the face I know staring back at me. His eyes are darker, the pupils wide and consuming. The look he gives me makes me feel two inches tall which doesn't improve as he smiles to reveal his fangs, sharp and ready.

"I told you it's complicated."

"I don't care." I'm impressed that I sounded so sure of my decision.

"I do!" Aiden snaps. "You could have died tonight if she hadn't got there in time. What were you thinking, taking on a vampire like that? Do you simply look for the most dangerous situation and throw yourself into it? Like this, here and now? Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to be around you, to be this close and not-"

He shut up then and I realised he wasn't angry with me at all; I wasn't the one he ran away from. Slowly I made it back to my feet and with that little revelation, I didn't know whether to keep pushing or leave it be.

"I'm sorry Aiden."

"It's not your fault."

"It's not yours either." I take his hand and reluctantly he follows me into my room. "Stay. Please."

I leave him in the doorway and shut off the light, getting into bed. His shadow doesn't move and I'm nearly asleep when I feel him lay beside me. With his bulk behind me, I've never felt so tiny and linking my fingers with his, Aiden slides even closer. As he sleeps, I wake up and just lie there enjoying the peace that has settled between us. I think about the vampire that attacked me, how he didn't know what I was. Surely I would still be like any other shifter; my parents blood was my blood, so if not a wolf, why wasn't my blood simply more human? What was I?

As tortured as he was as a hybrid, I kind of envied Aiden now. At least he knew who he was, yet we kind of had something in common because of it too. Neither of us fit in with the pack. I can't imagine him blending in with a coven of white witches either or living as a vampire. Where did he belong, apart from with me?

Ignoring that last thought, I roll over and snugly in against him. His chin rests on the top of my head and his arm drops over me like a chain, anchoring me in place. Maybe I should speak to Brianna. Maybe we each had enough wolf in us to find our mates, and maybe, just maybe he was truly mine. I almost laugh at that. Things didn't work out that way for me, so for now I'll simply enjoy whatever this was and leave it at that.

________

I don't really go for the instalove, and I'm not sure they are... insta-attraction maybe? I like my couples to be believable, so is Sam and Aiden a good thing? I think they'll be a little more solid now he's got out what's bothering him though so who knows!

what do you think?