Chapter 27
SHANE
The man’s face buried in my neck, his warm breath prickling my skin. He whispered in my ear:
-Next time you’re told to wait for me somewhere, you must be there when I come back for you, no matter what. And when I call you, you must answer.
A spark of defiance flickered within me, so I replied, trying to mask the mixture of fear and excitement:
-What if I don’t? What would happen?
Hearing my challenging response, Liam pressed his hips against her backside even tighter, answering in a low, seductive tone:
-There will be consequences.
I tensed at his words, although a fascinating warmth ignited within me. Consequences? That could mean a lot of sex. Or maybe not. Who knows, I thought.
Suddenly, I remembered Marc, and a shiver ran down my spine. I sat up abruptly, my heart pounding. This time, Liam didn’t stop me.
-How did you get into my apartment?-I asked, disbelief in my voice.
-Marc let me in-he replied with casual calmness.
I glanced at the clock and asked:
-What time is it?
-Two o’clock in the morning-he told me.
I was surprised that Liam had come to my house, but I didn’t say so. Instead, I asked about Marc.
-He’s in his room with Gigit-he replied.
A choked gasp escaped my lips.
-Gigit in my apartment?-I asked him, disbelief bubbling inside me. I never thought this would be possible.
He nodded, taking my hand to make me lie down again.
-Shane, I’ve had a pretty long and exhausting day.
-When did they arrive?
-Twenty minutes ago. I’m tired, irritated, and upset because a little she-wolf wasn’t where I left her. And tomorrow awaits an even longer day because King Hassel is coming for our annual meeting.-His voice tried to distract me with our own problems, so I could forget about Gigit and Marc.
-Your dad…
-Shhh, she-wolf, I know what happened. Next time, you wait where I tell you.-I was left with my mouth open in the dark, looking at the wall, as I had turned on my side with Liam pressed against my back, his cock pressing against my ass.
-I’m not a dog to take orders.-He moved closer to me, I felt tiny between his arms.
-Ujum! You are the she-wolf I love and care for.-I stopped breathing. My heart accelerated at such a dizzying pace that I could barely process his words. Those four words echoed in my mind like a repeating echo, a melody wrapped in the vulnerability of the night: “I love you, she-wolf.”
Liam, half-asleep, had confessed his love in the dim light, and a whirlwind of emotions erupted within me. A mixture of joy and anxiety flooded me, each beat of my heart seemed to question me: How can I tell him that I love him too? I felt my chest suffocating under the weight of a secret I couldn’t reveal, a constant anxiety pump that kept me awake, even as his warm body clung to mine. These moments of intimacy, his laughter, his deep, resonant voice, the soft touch of his skin against mine… Everything ensnared me in a whirlwind of contradictions.
“I love you,” I repeated in my thoughts, terrified that saying it aloud would be an event that would change our lives forever. Because what terrified me more than anything else was the truth I had been keeping, the fact that within me there was already something that united him with me in a way he couldn’t yet imagine. That little being growing inside me was the reason behind my fear, but at the same time, my deepest desire to protect it and to be with Liam… confusions that kept me awake on this night of revelation.
I unconsciously caressed Liam’s arm, feeling his warmth through his shirt. The gentle movement awoke him a little more, and I heard him mutter in his sleep. His breathing was calm, and that peace radiating from him gave me a minimum of comfort amidst my emotional turmoil.
-Shane…-he whispered again, his voice still tinged with sleep, dragging his tone a little more, as if drawing closer to me. He didn’t know what was inside me, what was holding me back. The desire to shout that I loved him mingled with the terror of being the one who drove him away by telling him the truth.
I closed my eyes, letting tears well up in my eyelids, feeling guilt and sadness overwhelm me. I felt his body against mine, so real, so tangible, and the contrast with what I was truly facing left me drowning in those confused feelings. I trembled, and part of me longed to confide, to tell him everything, to shout that I was pregnant, that things would never be the same… but all of that remained trapped in my throat like a knot.
Silence settled between us, except for the soft murmur of rain hitting the windowpanes. I clung to the idea that this moment would be eternal, that I could hold everything in my heart a little longer.
Finally, exhaustion caught up with me; I closed my eyes one more time and surrendered to sleep. In that almost unconscious moment, I hoped that the morning would bring clarity, like the first ray of sun after a storm.