Nya wasn't realizing the level of comfort he was providing as he held onto her. He smelled so good, his own scent, which was becoming familiar, and he felt so warm like an electric blanket snugged tight up against her body. Then there was his hand holding her to his chest, gently caressing the back of her head, and it made all the difference. Everything was right in the world within the space between his arms.

"You should eat." He says softly. "I'll make you something. What would you like?"

She raises from his chest and inspects his features. How all of this drama could be going on and he still could be so benign she didn't know. "What did you do to me last night?" The question rolled off her tongue.

"Excuse me?" He cocks a brow. "You should be asking what did to last night."

Her eyes widened. "You're lying..." She backs out of his hold.

"Am I?" He moves forward making her take another step back.

"I'm not hungry." She spins around to get away only to be grabbed by her wrist and yanked back coming face to face with his sharp glare "Believe it or not Nya, I prefer for you to be awake."

"Are you saying that I came to you in my sleep?"

"For the second time."

Her stomach churched. She didn't even want to know anymore. Saliva was building up in her throat like she was going to vomit. "I wouldn't..."

"You did."

"Don't fight it, Nya..."

"There's nothing to fight..."

"You can deny it on the surface, but on the inside, you know we are fated to be together."

She looks down at his fingers still around her wrist and tries to pull it out. "If that were true then why did you fight it?" She twists and turns and manages to get it free, snatching it away like her purse back from a robber.

"Because I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have, because for the first time I was outmatched. Didn't have a chance."

"Imprinting, right..." How could he want to be with her suddenly? She is everything he hates. Imprinting shouldn't force them to be together when she is clearly the opposite of what he likes. "I am a walking glitch. I am weak. Why would you want that load? Why would the pack want me as their luna?"

He grits his teeth. "You will understand soon enough."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, after a little digging, I found out that birds imprint as well, they just take a little longer is all." He takes a step closing the gap between them. "So it's only a matter of time, my little bird."

"I won't." She swallows and before she could take an inch of space behind her his arm is snaked around her hips. Her breath hitched.

"We'll see about that."

"Le... let me go."

He leans in closer instead. "Why? Because you like it? Because you'll lose yourself? You'll let me do the things I want?"

"Please..." She begs in a low whispery tone.

Abruptly he drops his hands and crosses them behind his back and ugh, it was an icky feeling. Empty and alone, cold and depressing. "Thank you." She hoped he didn't hear the disappointment in her voice.

"Come on, I'll make you breakfast." He walks in the direction of the kitchen but stops and turns back when she doesn't follow.

"I'm not hungry."

"This is your only chance to follow me willingly otherwise..."

She rolls her eyes. "Fine."

Once in the kitchen, he directs her to sit by the island. She puts her head down the second she plants her butt on the stool and listens as he maneuvers around. She hears the fridge open and the stove being lit. She hears him cracking eggs and the sizzling of the frying pan and before long a plate being set in front of her. She lifts her head to see scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, and grits. Nothing looked appetizing. A simple English muffin would have done fine. She looks up at him sitting across with his arms folded waiting for her to take a bite. "I said I'm not hungry. You can't force me."

"Is this a tantrum? Is that what this is?"

"If you leave me alone you don't have to deal with it." She smartly throws back.

The corner of his mouth curls. "Sweetheart, you can throw all the tantrums you want, just be ready to deal with the consequences."

She swallows but doesn't back down. With fury and water filling her eyes she asks "Don't you see that this is tearing me and Lee apart?"

"Both you and Malina have to accept it. I'm your mate."

"I just want things to go back to the way they were"

"The faster you and your sister accept the facts the faster they can."

"Every time you touch me or I even look at you, I'm betraying Malina... you are her's."

He rolls his eyes. "Eat before I lose my patience."

She pushes the plate away. "I'm not hungry I told you."

He clamps his jaw down. "Nya..."

"No!" She stands up and abruptly runs out of the kitchen. She was so angry. Angry at herself but especially at him. She needed to get far away, at least that is what she was thinking. She rushes up the stairs and before reaching her bedroom she is grabbed by her forearm and hauled back.

"Let me go!" She fights back and yanks at her hand but it is no use he takes her other forearm and presses her up against the wall.

"I want to be patient with you Nya, I'll wait however long it takes but if you keep fighting me..."

"I will never accept you."

"More tantrums are welcome then." His mouth comes down, briefly intertwining their lips together.

"No..." She turns her head. Her body was trembling from all the mixed emotions. She was angry, sad, and hurt, but at the same time, warm emotions lingered and anywhere he touched tingled.

He presses his lips softly on her neck. "I'm yours." He whispers. "Say it..." His lips travel downward softly kissing her on her shoulder. "Say it... I'm yours."

She was having a hard time evening her breaths. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she could feel herself entering a dazed state. "I... I'm yours."

He smiles. It wasn't exactly what he was looking for but he would take it. He lets go of her hands and cups her cheeks. "Just admit it to yourself. You feel for me, and that's okay. You're my mate. It doesn't matter who I was with before."

The statement snapped her out of it. She pushes his hand down. "It matters who you were with when it's my sister. What doesn't matter is anything we feel for each other. Can't you just understand?"

He grits his teeth. "Not in the slightest."

He wasn't getting it and the more she pleaded with him the more agitated she was becoming."I need some time alone. Can I have that or is that too much to ask for?"

He touches her cheek before nodding hesitantly. "I'll be in my office if you need anything.

She pushes his hand down again. "I won't."

~~~~

When Vince entered his office his brother was there waiting for him in the chair in front of his desk. He knew he was there of course. He heard him come in. Bent had his head down giving his phone more attention than anything else when he said " So you've made your decision then you're done with Malina?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He goes over to a cabinet and pulls out blueprints of the territory and lays it on his desk. "What do you think about this area as a potential for an extension?" He lays a finger over the curled paper.

"Then... I would like your permission to make Malina my mate."

Vince stills. Did he just hear correctly? He straightens his back and suspiciously eyes his brother trying to read his demeanor and expression. Knowing Bent and seeing the serious determined look in his eyes he could tell that he was dead serious. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You saw her first, brother."

"You grew to like her after she became my mate, didn't you?

"I would have never..."

"I know that, I didn't ask that."

"Yes, I did sir... but."

"I know." Vince cuts him off. Bent would never betray him and his secret would have gone to the grave had his interest not changed. "I have no feelings for Malina. I can say now, she was what I thought I needed in a mate. Nya is what I had no idea existed."

"Is that your blessing?"

"More than that. It's actually to my benefit. If Malina has found a mate, maybe Nya will accept me."

"I have noticed that your stress veins are visible more often than not lately."

"Well Malina has a lot to do with that, so go and find her. She just ran out of here. Stop her before she leaves Dark grounds.

"Gladly." Bents smiles satisfyingly and pops out of the chair. He zips out of there not bothering to look back once.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

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