Werewolf Compilations novel Chapter 113

I head upstairs to change, wanting out of these clothes and back into my comfortable ones. Assuming James would come to see me, I'm not surprised when he comes through my bedroom door. I quickly pull on my shirt when I hear him, leaving the bathroom to find him sitting on the bed. I have to know his thoughts on the dinner before I rant about his father's words, so I'm relieved when he says, "I'm sorry about him. I didn't think he'd go so far."

I drift towards him, not feeling fiery anymore. "I didn't think he would, either. I didn't think the entire dinner was going to be a lesson in everything I'm doing wrong."

"We both know he's just comparing you to my mother, trying to make you the anti-her."

James glances up at me as I sit down. "Well, I don't want to worry about it. He's gone anyway."

James looks away. "He's not leaving. He's actually very adamant about staying until he knows that we're doing a good job." He notices my sudden shock and is quick to blow out my flame. "Don't worry, I'm going to talk with him tomorrow and tell him that he can't stay. I'm going to tell him that he needs to go home and let me do my job.”

"You know he meant only me. He needs to make sure I'm doing a good job," I say, completely annoyed. "You need to stand up to him."

"I am," James assures me, placing his hand on my thigh, "he's not going to be a problem, okay?"

"Okay," I say softly, placing my hand on top of his, thinking back to my thoughts earlier. Should I ask him about it, or will I just make a fool out of myself? I'm tired of being embarrassed but I want to be open with him. Just thinking about it makes me restless. Those times when I'd sneak into his bedroom and lay on his bed are fresh in my mind. Back then it took only his scent to send me into a frenzy, and I've learned to control myself, so I wonder if James has done the same. "When your father brought up rushing into having children... Is that why you're so hesitant? You don't want to worry about having children too soon? Because we both know there's an obvious fix to—"

"No, Rae, that's not the reason," he says, giving into the conversation.

"Then will you tell me what is?" I ask gently, carefully so he doesn't feel pressured to hide the truth.

James takes in a breath as if he's preparing to open up. I scoot closer, grabbing his hand and giving him an encouraging look. It feels odd holding an Alphas hand and encouraging him to tell me what he's really thinking, but when I remind myself that he is also my mate, it makes sense again. "You're so good, Rae," he murmurs, gazing into my eyes and bringing me towards some trance. "You're good and pure and caring and forgiving, and I can't bring myself to have you when I don't deserve you. I can't be with you after I've been so unfaithful to our bond."

"You're right. You were unfaithful. You didn't deserve me, not in the slightest. But that's all in the past, James. You're a different person now, someone I know I can trust. You care about me, I see that, I see that you've changed. You need me, you keep me safe, you make sure that I'm okay, you deserve me now. I don't want to hear you say otherwise when I know it's not true. I'm telling you this, and that's all that matters. I forgive you for being unfaithful, okay?" He shifts away. "James, I forgive you."

"You shouldn't."

I grab his arm. "Well, I am. I'm forgiving you and you have to forgive yourself."

He looks at me closely. "What I did is unforgivable."

"Don't say that. What do I have to do? Do I have to be with someone else to make it even? Is that what you want?" He immediately tenses. Inpatient and tired of it, I bring my hand to his face, holding his jaw so he can't look away from me. "I forgive you. Do you forgive me for doing what I did that night?"