*Omario POV*
Titan immediately rushes to Abi’s side. He whimpers and whines while licking her face until it slowly gets colder in the room and Abi opens her eyes.
Terrence narrows his eyes but keeps quiet and watches Abi and Titan.
“Hey big boy,” Abi says while sitting up and hugging Titan but Titan gets off her grip.
“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I must have tripped on my way to the bathroom,” she explains but Titan continues whining and circles around her as if inspecting her for something.
“Hey, I am okay. I’m okay,” she urges.
Titan eventually stops whining and rests his head on Abi’s lap. I swear I heard a low growl of pleasure when she ran her hand over his fur. I can’t believe this wolf!
Terrence must have heard it too because he starts laughing while shaking his head. Whatever is happening now is just too intimate but either of them are aware of it.
Abi turns her head to see who is laughing.
“Terrence, I had no idea you were in here,” she says but her hand continues massaging my stupid mesmerised wolf.
“I figured,” Terrence responds wittily.
Just great! Now Terrence will be more than convinced that Frode is lying.
Abi blushes, finally realising how the scene looks. “It’s not what…, Titan is ….”
She can’t complete her sentences and Terrence is really amused.
“Is?” Terrence does not let her off the hook.
“He is a friend,” Abi finally finds her words but it’s too late, Terrence does not buy it.
“I am your best friend, I don’t recall any of this ever happening.”
“Then you see why I think Frode has his own agenda,” Abi says with her eyes on Titan, who is enjoying her every touch.
“Yes.”
Shit! Terrence’s admission is putting gasoline on this this. I hoped that he would inform Abi of my thoughts of why we feel like this.
“Sorry I walked out on you earlier. After being tossed across the room by your wolf, I fully understand what you meant,” he adds and Abi’s eyes widen like saucers.
“I am so sorry. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, thanks to Titan.”
My Gamma is an ass!
“Titan?” Abi asks, confusion written all over her face.
Terrence smiles and does not elaborate. He stands up and approaches Abi instead.
“Let me help you to the be…”he hesitates and backs away.
“On second thought, you gonna have to do that yourself. I am never touching you again.”
Abi sighs. “I am so sorry, Terrence. Did I hurt Omario too?”
Terrence grins at her, mischief written all over his face.
This can’t be good!
“Omario?” he asks with his lips curled, making Abi blush some more.
“Terrence, please. He won’t tell me.”
“And you worry about him?” Terrence is really having fun, but making things worse for me.
“Terrence!” Abi exclaims and Terrence finally responds, but I wish he didn’t.
“No, you didn’t, but he was running towards you despite the risk. I offered to get you but I had no idea what your wolf could do, he did and still ran towards you.”
Abi sighs. “Now you know why I begged you to bring me here.”
I thought as much.
“I thought you didn’t want to get between him and Olivia?”
“That and for his safety. I can’t be around him, Terrence. Please help me convince him to stay away.”
Terrence nods. “He knows, but I think you two need to talk.”
Titan starts whining again. “I will miss you too but you know that it’s for the best and we could still talk,” Abi reassures my stupid wolf. You would think he would be more concerned about our life than being with her but clearly not.
“And how would that happen?” Terrence asks.
I shift back before he could get his answer. He grins at me before excusing himself and leaves me with Abi.
“You need to stay away from me,” Abi says firmly.
Only if it was that easy.
“Don’t I know it.”
“Then why are you still here?”
I explain my theory to her and her reaction completely shocks me.
“I understand.”
Her cold, disappointed response leaves me wondering if I said something wrong.
I really wish women would speak their mind straight away because this is frustrating. I take a seat on the floor next to her and hold her jaw, forcing her to look at me. Surprisingly, her blazing eyes don’t bother me as much anymore.
“What is it?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Nothing.”
“I demand an honest answer.”
I hate using my rank but I need to know what she thinks about this.
“You do not want to entertain the idea that we might actually be mates because I am a slave.”
This can’t be happening!
I shake my head and call her softly.
“Abi.”
Surely she knows that can’t be true, not after everything we have been through together.
“I have been talking to your wolf way before you said a word to me. I don’t know how that is even possible, I am pretty sure that you don’t know either. The kiss we shared…”
“Abi…”
I am trying to stop her trail of thought but she won’t stop.
“I have never kissed anyone but I am pretty sure that was..”
“It’s not real, Abi. It’s all Nina trying to lure me,” I interject.
“Why did she not do anything to Titan then? He is you, after all,”
“I don’t know, Abi. I am also just figuring all this out as I go.”
I hope she understands. I am not rejecting her but we are not mates and I can’t let her believe that we are.
She frees her jaw from my grip and looks away.
“I would like to be alone now, Your Majesty.”
Her tone sends chills down my spine and my stupid wolf starts whining inside. Why is she taking this so personal?
“Abi.”
“Please.”
I get up, quietly lift her off the floor and carry her to the bed before leaving.
“Trouble in paradise?” Terrence asks when I close the door and sit on the stoop.
“She does not believe me.”
“I don’t either.”
I glare at Terrence. He is not helping but a part of me is grateful for his honesty.
“She thinks I don’t want her because she is a slave.”
Terrence laughs. “Don’t mind her, she can be difficult and proud.”
“I think she is mad at me,”
“She chased you out?” he asks, amused.
I nod my head.
“Wanna go for a run?”
I look at him. How exactly is that going to help with anything?
“It’s exercise, it’s fun and it will clear your head. It will also give her time to process everything you told her,” Terrence explains as if he read my thoughts. We both shift and dash towards the woods.
Now this is exhilarating, pure bliss.
“Aren’t you supposed to be hurt about her not believing that you are mates?”
Terrence looks too chilled, the opposite of how he was when we met in the woods earlier.
“That was before I knew she was yours.”
“She’s not!”
Maybe I sound more defensive but he is pushing my buttons on purpose.
“Well, I don’t suppose that I would be mated to an inferno wolf I can’t touch. Nature does not work that way. You are steel, like your dad, your wolf seems to be the ice that neutralises her. Do the math,” Terrence just does not stop.
“Let’s just run and not talk.”
I increase my pace and dash past a familiar silver wolf.
“You two running without me?”Loyd asks with a sulking tone.
He’s been complaining about me spending too much time with Terrence lately when he is my best friend and my Beta.
“You are here now, join the club,” I say and don’t bother slowing down. I just want to feel the wind blow through my fur and stop thinking about Abi who is mad at me.