Pain of separation

1.       Pain of Separation

BELLE

Grayson’s eyes darkened the second the words left my tongue, and I immediately moved back, worried that he would turn into a wolf again. 

He watched me closely. When he saw me moving away from him he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When his eyes opened again, they were back to their normal color.  “Belle,” he breathed out. “You don’t know it now because I’m with you, but if I were to, for some odd reason, let you go, you would somehow find your way back to me.”  I shook my head, ready to disagree and argue, but he kept talking. 

“Do you remember how it felt when I was away from you yesterday? How you almost fainted and were in immense pain?” 

I winced at the memory, but I nodded my head glumly. 

“Now imagine that pain intensified by ten. You were only downstairs, a floor away from me, when that happened. I don’t even want to think about what would happen if you were even farther away. Plus, your instincts would tell you to come back to me if I didn’t get to you first. Eventually you would. The mate bond would force you to.”  My heart started beating faster. 

“Will I always feel that pain when I’m away from you?” 

I saw Grayson clench and unclench his fists. I wasn’t sure if it was anger or something else.  “No. It will eventually stop. Our bodies will slowly adapt to being away from each other. But we will always crave each other’s presence.” 

My shoulders slumped. “So I will never go home?” Tears pooled in my eyes. 

Grayson swore under his breath as he watched me. His expression told me all that I needed to know. He would not let me go. He intended on keeping me close to him forever. I cried harder at this realization. 

Grayson glared down at the pillows between us. “Screw this,” he said. 

He came toward me, knocking away the pillows in his path. 

I held up my hand, stopping him in his tracks. “No! No, stop, please, I just—I just, I can’t,” I sobbed. 

Grayson groaned. “Belle, please let me touch you. Please, it is killing my wolf to see you like this. It is my job as your mate to take care of you.”  I looked at him. I had finally reached my breaking point. 

“Don’t call me that! I am not your…your mate! It is not your job to do anything for me!” I screamed. I was hysterical. I couldn’t control it anymore. It was all too much for me.  “Belle,” I heard Grayson growl. He stood, running a hand through his hair with a look of agony on his face. “I just…fuck!” he yelled and threw a punch at the wall. 

The entire room shook; his fist left behind a giant hole. 

I jumped back and sobbed harder. How had I gotten myself into this mess? I hugged my knees to myself, letting all of my emotions free.  My stomach churned, and I felt like I was about to puke. 

I tried to ignore it, but the throbbing right where Grayson had bitten me was getting to be almost unbearable. Grayson crouched down by the bed next to me. He seemed to be calmer, but his eyes were still pitch black, which scared me even more. 

“It’s your mark isn’t it, baby? I know you must be in a lot of pain. Please, please let me make you feel better.” 

I watched him closely as tears continued to rush down my face. 

He lifted his hand slowly and brought it close to my face so it was almost touching my cheek. 

I wanted so badly to just let it happen, to let him touch me and to feel the sparks running through my body. I leaned toward him a bit. I wanted to jump into his arms and hold on to him for dear life. 

The truth was that I didn’t only want him to touch me because I wanted the pain to stop.  

I wanted to touch him, too, because I wanted the look of agony to leave his face. 

I wanted to comfort him...because I liked him.  I liked my kidnapper. ~How is this even possible?~  I snapped back. 

No, I couldn’t let this happen. I wasn’t going to lie down and give up because he’d told me some crazy story. 

That might have been his world, but it wasn’t mine. I couldn’t give in to this ‘mate bond.’ I hurried to the other side of the bed. 

“Please just leave, Grayson,” I sobbed. “I just want to be alone.” Small hiccups left my mouth. 

He didn’t move. “No,” he snapped. “I am not leaving you.” 

I felt defeated. I covered my face with my hands and sobbed as I whispered, 

“Please, just leave. Please, just leave. Please, just leave.” I repeated it over and over again.  I heard more swear words leave his mouth, and, a few seconds later, I heard footsteps leave the room. 

And that’s when the pain really started.