Unbound (Bound To You sequel)

ONE- Not Quite Happily Ever After

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ONE

"I don't understand why you don't like it when I touch you," I said and then winced. "I mean I kind of do, but... I like touching you."

"I like when you touch me too. Just not..." he trailed off but I got what he was saying. Not when we're making love. That hurt, but it wasn't news.

We were in bed, well I was, James was fresh out of the shower, putting clothes on. He never stayed in bed after, but at least he was still in the same room today. So I was trying to get him to talk to me. Because even though we'd completed our mate bond a week ago, which I figured would fix everything things weren't exactly what I'd hoped. We or more like James still wasn't big on the talking. Or sharing.

But he had had said he'd realized everything was better with me there. He'd opened up about wanting me to be to be part of his life. We'd completed the mate bond. So that was something.

Maybe I was too greedy? Maybe no mate bond meant perfect love and understanding? Building a relationship took time probably. Except... I'd dreamt and wanted to find my mate for so long, it really hurt that it wasn't even close to what I'd hoped for.

He did want me though. But it was still on his terms. No me touching him during sex, no real talking - and not just about emotional stuff, but about anything - and even though our mate bond had been completed, it was still weak. Giving me little insights to him but nothing much. The bond was barely stronger than the pack links I had with Tommy and Robin.

And after we'd made love (and we had been doing that a lot during the past week) and I actually felt close to him - and I think he to me, when the mate bond felt the most open - he always rushed away. He never stayed in bed with me. It made me feel a little like a one night stand rather than a soulmate.

"James," I said, scooting towards the edge of the bed. "Could we talk? Maybe you could tell me about your week?"

Or anything?

"Later," he said, coming over to the bed and giving my forehead a kiss. Not in a sort of romantic swoon-y way but like a brother-sister type of deal.

"Why not now? Are you going hunting?" James was a warrior wolf so he and his pack hunted the horrible monster-like wraiths that prayed on wolves and to a lesser extent humans. But they only hunted at night. It was afternoon, which was morning for most of us in the Cold Hunt Warrior pack.

"No," he said, moving away from me. Not explaining. Never explain anything.

"Then where is the fire?" I asked as he grabbed a dark fleece to complete his outfit and turned towards the door.

"We're having a pack meeting," he said simply. "Tio and Owen think they found a nest."

"You're having a pack meeting? Without me?" I asked, suddenly offended.

He heard and probably felt it too, through the bond. That was one little upside. When he let himself, he could sense my feelings. Which was a start.

"It's about the wraiths. I didn't think it concerned you. Besides, I'm sure you have better things to do."

"Like what?" I said, getting out of bed, not caring that I was naked. "Knitting by the fire? I'm the Alpha female. I might not be doing any fight, but I need to know what's going on."

"Fine. Come," he said with a shrug. If he'd been the age he looked - twenty-five something - he'd have added 'I don't care'. But because he was a hundred-year-old werewolf and had some manners, he didn't.

"I have to shower and get dressed," I said. No way was I hanging out with half a dozen guys who would all smell just what James and I had been up to.

James must have known and I wondered if he'd deliberately not told me. If he really did think knitting by the fire was my place? Not that I could knit...but still. I didn't want it to be so, but James did want to keep me safe. Probably safe in his mind meant far away even from the mention of violence and monsters.

James left our room and I headed for a speed shower.

I wondered if we'd ever be on the same page, then tried to comfort myself with the fact that we hadn't known each other all that long. I'd only been in Canada for little more than a month. We'd only completed the mate bond a week ago. In a year or two, we'd be more in sync for sure.

But only if we actually worked on things. Communicated.

I knew I'd kind of rushed and pushed at the start, desperate for the dream I'd had about myself and my mate to come true. For sweet little gifts, long walks on the beach and slow kisses. Clearly, those weren't in my immediate future. And I understood not everything would go like I'd hoped or thought.

That was alright. It was, I told myself. And my eyes were just wet because I was in the shower. It was alright. I was alright. Not great, but alright.

It didn't mean that I was going to just give up on making the best of what I'd been given. Making mine, James and the pack's lives better. And even though James had claimed they were totally fine, they hadn't been. Now the guys hung out - mostly in my WiFi-room together, we'd had a pack hunt and at least one meal a day was eaten together. Those things were important for a pack, for a family. And I had made them happen for the Cold Hunt pack.

Realizing there was room for improvement was the best way to actually improve things. So even if I was a bit pissed at James about this, yet another thing he had failed to include me in, I was going to keep on trying. And given enough time, things would get better.

They had to.

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