Werewolf Compilations novel Chapter 95

James leaves my bags on the bed before giving me some time to get settled all over again. The bed still smells of roses, and I feel somewhat at home when laying in it. I place my books back on the shelf along with the diary and find the phone to be still hooked up on the bedside table. The bathroom has my half used hair products still in the shower, and I wonder if anyone has been in here since I left. It seems to be untouched.

Once all of my clothes are put away, I grab my iPod from the side pocket of the bag. It accidentally slips from my hand and falls to the floor, tumbling under the bed. I get on my hands and knees, peering underneath to find it, and I see it resting beside something dark. My hand swipes my iPod out first before grabbing at the piece of fabric. Right when I pull it out, his scent bleeds onto my hands and crawls up my arms. It's James' shirt.

He's been in here.

Without thinking, I make my way towards those taunting doors and knock, hoping he is inside. It takes a few seconds for him to appear, and I hold the shirt out to him. "I found this under the bed," I say, finding my reason to see him.

James takes the shirt from me, not knowing how to explain himself.

"You slept there, didn't you?"

He sighs and leaves the doorway, wandering in. I step inside, not going far enough to fall into the trap. James tosses the shirt onto his bed and turns to me. "It smells like you in there. It helped me sleep."

I nod, satisfied. "I want to be with you, James. I want to sleep in here with you, but you have to understand that your bed smells like her. I'd be sleeping in her place, and I can't do that. What you did to me—it can't be fixed with an apology and explanation. The pain I felt can't go away so easily."

"Then tell me how to make it better," he says genuinely, almost begging for the answer. "All I want is for the past to go away, for your pain to go away. Rae, I want you to trust me. I don't want you to see me as a monster anymore."

"Then you're going to have to show me. That's why I'm here, for you to prove that you've changed. Show me that I can trust you."

James crosses his arms and nods, hopefully understanding. It must be odd for him to hear orders from someone else rather than giving them. I never thought I would be telling an Alpha how to act and what to do. He reels me in and wraps his arms around me, embracing me, and it takes a few moments for me to realize what is going on. My cheek is against his shoulder, and I can almost hear his heart. It is as if I was wired to be able to hear it, to depend on it, the constant thumping. My muscles quickly relax, recovering from the shock.

"I'm sorry. I've never felt this regretful and thankful. I'm going to fix this, Rae, alright? I'm going to make things better," James murmurs by my ear, almost whispering to me, only needing me to hear it. "I just need you to know that I'm sorry. I can't believe I did this to you."