By the time we left the studio, I was feeling far better than I had when I came in. That pressure that was pushing back on me had lessened but it wasn’t entirely gone. “We have the next week off the competition,” Craig noted. His voice was low but in the dead of night it rippled through the air like a scream.“Yep.” I pooped the ‘p’ at the end. “I don’t know why they're giving us so much down time. After the first challenge, you would think they would want to get everything rolling.” In the back of my mind, that silent clock that was sent 10 days ago ticked away. I had 20 days left before my 30 days were up and I had to turn myself in to Jason.Dread seeped into my body. I tried to push away the negative emotions and just lived in the moment. Right now, I was with Craig under a beautiful moon. Jason was an ocean away and a problem I would face another day. “I didn’t know you could paint,” I started, changing the topic. I nudged my shoulder with his. “Why didn’t you enter u

I could not believe what I was hearing. “No.” I moved out of his hold. “Don’t do this to me, Craig.”His features softened. “I’m not lying to you, Dawn. You own me in every way a person can own a man. And I know you don’t feel the pull yet, but I’m sure you feel this…pull toward me. This unmistakeable attraction.”“I…” He was right I did feel the attraction. Was that what all those sparks were before? The mate bond?“I don’t know if I can believe you,” I continued. “After all the lies you have told and truths you have hidden, how do I know that this is for real? How do I know that this isn’t just another ploy to keep me at your side?”He surged forward and took hold of my hand in his. Immediately, small little sparks prickled my skin and my body reacted to him in the way it always did.“Trust this, trust this feeling.” He brought my hand over his heart. I could feel the fast, yet steady beating of that thing in the middle of his chest. “My heart beats for you. I breathe

I stared at the dean of the university like I had seen a ghost. Wrinkled face. Potbelly. A face only a mother could love.Edgar. I never liked the man. He thought of himself too highly and enjoyed making others squirm. I oculi break the man with the snap of my finger but I knew I had to play nice. I was not in a place where I could act out. I hated it. But his time would come soon enough. "Rescue me?" I said, tilting my head sideways."But of course." He set his mug down. "She was so worried about you. She thought that you were dead." "What are you talking about, Edgar?" "Who else would have the idiotic inclination to want to care for you? Dawn, clearly. The poor girl was hysterical when she woke up and couldn't find you. We had to sedate her to keep her from harming herself."I growled. "Where is she?"If he had harmed a single hair on her head, treaty or not, I would rip his heart out of his chest and feed it to him. There were few things in this world I

*Craig*I would be lying if I said that it didn't hurt because it did. It had been three days since I had my talk with Dawn, and my heart was still trying to play catch up with my brain. She didn't want to think about us as mates at the moment, and I had to respect that. I had to keep my distance and give her the space she needed to breathe. But all the while, my heart was in shambles over the prospect of possibly losing her. Her birthday was two months away, and the competition was due to finish in 35 days. I was running out of time. Last night, we were given our new assignments. We were meant to present a piece that depicted harmonious conflict but to do it through a different medium from our chosen one, which we entered the competition in. Surprisingly, we both came to an agreement that we should do oil painting. It was something we didn't at all do, but we're quite skilled at. The first session was nothing but pure torture for me. I found myself staring at her more

“You really didn’t have to do all of this,” I noted. The wind from the jet engine blew my hair all over the place. Craig and I stood on the tarmac while the jet waited for me to board. “Nonsense. If I have the money, I should spend it. Besides, you’re my mate and if I don’t spend on you, then who would I spend on?” He laughed it my sideways stare at the word ‘mate’. “It’s fine, Dawn. And I would feel better anyway having some of my men looking out for you. It’s just a shame they can’t take you all the way to your aunt’s house but they will get you as far as they can.”I nodded. “Thank you Craig, for everything.”A boyish grin took over his face. “Come now, why are you acting like this is goodbye? You will be back in a few days.”I nodded but I didn’t know why I was getting so worked up over this. It wasn’t like I was leaving for a long time or maybe it was the fact that I would be seeing my aunt after I had basically told her to get out of my life forever.I bit down o