To Suffer With

Chapter Sixteen - The City

Roman watches me with an intrigued expression as I shovel the still warm apple pie into my mouth. His intense attention is beginning to make me uncomfortable. He's barely touched his own meal which I thought was odd because I always assumed werewolves had massive appetites.

"Why are you watching me?" I question him between mouthfuls.

Though knowing Roman I probably should have kept my mouth shut.

He leans back in his chair that signature smirk gracing his face, "I've just never seen someone who's able to inhale their food before."

I shrug with his teasing, "Try spending most of your life being starved and then you'll understand."

Roman pushes his own plate away from him leaning forward once more so that his elbows rest on the table as he regards me, "I'm not planning on letting you starve again so you can try savouring your food. How will I ever be able to take you anywhere when you eat like that?"

I pick up the now empty plate in front of me licking the remaining crumbs and melted ice cream off it before placing it back down with a smile. "Guess you'll never be able to take me anywhere," I say.

Roman laughs and the sound is almost jarring in the silent atmosphere of the café we're sitting in. Going out with Roman was an eye-opening experience. Everyone tripped over themselves to accommodate him, and even though the café had been buzzing with noise when we first stepped in as soon as everyone recognized Roman silence reigned. Some of the staff were visibly shaking as they served Roman. As if they were terrified of what he might to do to them if they made the smallest mistake. I wonder what that's like to inspire such a strong reaction just by your mere presence. And while I was beginning to suspect there was more to Roman than his reputation suggested. He had still earned that reputation somehow.

"Why aren't you eating anyway?" I question Roman, drawing my attention back to the man in front of me.

"I had lunch back at the packhouse," Roman says with unapologetic shrug, "I just thought it was a good excuse to force you to spend more time with me."

I narrow my eyes at him before my mind takes another turn, "Is that why you do it then? Hang outside my house all night as a wolf. Cause the mate bond makes you want to be close to me?" I question him.

"Does that bother you?" Roman answers my question with one of his own.

"I think I've been pretty clear that it does," I remind him thinking of all the times I'd tried to yell at the stubborn wolf.

"Well as long as its still bothering you I'll keep doing it," Roman informs me with a teasing smile.

"Somehow I think you get the bad end of that deal," I comment, deciding that it couldn't be that nice to sleep on the ground even as a wolf.

"I thought the EFA and resistance didn't like each other," Roman remarks.

The complete change of subject catches me off guard and I feel my barriers beginning to rise back up at the mention of the resistance. The Equality for All group, better known as the EFA group was, like the resistance, a protest group against the current regime. But that's where the similarities ended. Unlike the resistance, EFA was completely non-violent. They were into peaceful protests and petitions, believing that violence couldn't fix anything. Roman was also right, the two groups didn't like each other. EFA was pretty vocal in their public denunciation of the resistance and the resistance viewed them as a bunch of naïve idealists too afraid to do what had to be done.

"They don't," I reply to Roman in a questioning tone. Uncertain of where this was coming from.

"You chose mercy with a labour camp sentence over execution. That's something one expects from an EFA protester not a resistance member," Roman observes.