Chapter 25

The heavy door creaked open, its weight and thick metal construction making it a noisy entrance. Colette stirred, her body aching from the uncomfortable bed and the lack of sleep. She was so disoriented that she could barely process what was happening. She just blinked sleepily, watching as a tall figure moved across the room.

He knelt in front of the bars, reaching through to touch her.

“Sorin?” she rasped, her throat parched and scratchy.

“Yes, my love. Just come here,” he pleaded, his need to touch her palpable.

Colette slid off the bed onto the cold cement floor and slowly crawled toward him. When she reached the bars, he wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could. The metal bit into him, but he didn’t let go. He just wanted to smell her, to feel her.

His wolf calmed instantly, retreating to the back of his mind. He stroked her hair, rubbed her back. He could feel her fear.

“I’m going to give you guys a moment. Just let me know when you want me to come back in, Sorin,” Ylenia called from the doorway before stepping back out.

They held each other for a long time before Sorin reluctantly pulled back. He needed to see if she was okay. “Colette, let me look at you,” he implored, his voice strained.

Colette looked up at him, and his heart shattered at the sight of her. “I’m okay,” she whispered.

There were so many things she wanted to discuss. She didn’t understand. He still hadn’t told her personally that she was his mate. She knew, but he hadn’t said it.

Sorin couldn’t reach or touch her as thoroughly as he wanted with the bars in the way. “I’m so sorry, my love.”

Tears streamed down his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried, and he felt no shame.

“I’m scared,” she admitted quietly after a while.

He caressed her cheek, tilting her chin up until their eyes met. “What scares you, my love?” he asked gently.

She bit her lip, her gaze shifting away from his until she found the courage to respond. “I’m not sure if I can turn into a wolf like you,” she confessed, unsure of his reaction.

“I am almost certain that you will.” He paused before adding, “But…if you don’t, I will find a way to get you out. You can return to your human life, and you’ll never have to see me again, just like you promised before,” he said, his jaw clenched.

Colette felt her heart shatter. She’d said it many times in the cabin. That she intended to leave him at the first opportunity and never look back. But hearing him say the same thing to her hurt more than anything she’d ever felt.

Colette didn’t want him to leave her, and she didn’t want to leave him. “No, Sorin. I don’t—”

“If you don’t turn, you will be killed, Colette,” he interrupted sternly.

She knew that, someone else had told her, but with everything going on, she couldn’t remember who. So many new faces and names.

She knew it, but the thought of leaving, returning to her small house and her mundane life, she didn’t want it anymore. Not without him.

Colette held back tears but nodded. He would argue with her, but Colette was determined to turn, no matter what it took. She would talk to anyone who came and find out how they became a werewolf.

Sorin wouldn’t let her be killed. He would do anything but let her be sentenced because of him. His eyes drifted to the dark markings on her arm, and he scowled.

“Who did this to you? Was it Ionut?” he asked, his voice steady but his intentions clear.

“I don’t want to talk about that, Sorin,” Colette said, her voice breaking.

She knew what she wanted to discuss but was unsure how to approach it. She wanted to ask if they were fated the way Ylenia and Shemika suggested. What did that mean for them?

Sorin nodded solemnly. “What can I do for you, Colette? How can I make these three weeks go by easier?” he asked, his heartbreak evident in his voice.

Colette didn’t know what possessed her to say it, but the only thing that came out was “kiss me.”

He hadn’t kissed her in days. Not since his bedroom where she refused to join him back to his pack. She was beginning to feel deprived.

Sorin looked shocked, his eyes wide at her words.

When he didn’t respond, Colette flinched, suddenly feeling rejected. He must think less of her. She wasn’t desirable anymore because his feelings were becoming reciprocated. She feared he only wanted her due to unrequited passion.

“No, it’s fine. Never mind,” she mumbled quickly, turning away so he wouldn’t see her embarrassed blush.

“Colette,” he called. “Come here.”

“No, I get it.” She laughed awkwardly. She must’ve smelled from sleeping down there. Perhaps she’d lost her appeal in his eyes.

“Colette,” he said sternly, his voice heavy with authority.

She turned around slowly. “I guess a change of clothes or a blanket. No one came last night for any meals,” she answered his earlier question differently. She hadn’t eaten since yesterday’s breakfast.

“Come here,” he commanded.

Colette returned to the bars, looking up at Sorin’s handsome face. He was all dark and alluring. His scent reached her slowly, a mix of lemon and orange citrus. It stirred something deep within her.

“I’m sorry I got you in so much trouble,” she blurted out, worried he was angry with her.

“Colette,” he tried.

“I messed up. I’m really sorry. I just wanted to get a picture for my nephew. He wanted it so bad, and I didn’t even manage to get it,” she confessed, her voice filled with regret.

Despite everything that had transpired, she still didn’t have the photo. The realization was a fresh wave of humiliation.

Sorin started to lean in, and it dawned on her that he was about to kiss her.

The bars of her confinement were so close together that Colette could only squeeze her head through. “Sorin,” she started, her voice barely above a whisper.

Unlike their previous kisses, Sorin moved in slowly this time, his eyes gently closing, the epitome of sensuality. Colette felt her heart pounding in her chest as she stretched up on her toes to meet his lips with hers.

She was sure that if she hadn’t been trapped, she wouldn’t have been able to keep herself in check. She felt a sudden surge of desire for him.

But no matter how hard she tried, her body wouldn’t fit through the bars. She attempted to press her hips against him, hoping to alleviate the burning desire.

Sorin gripped her hair tightly, his actions mirroring her desperation. He reached through the bars to pull her waist closer, until she was pressed hard against the cold metal.

She gasped as the bars dug into her skin, causing a sharp pain. But she didn’t want to stop. She craved him more than this, but the bars were a cruel barrier between them.

Suddenly, Sorin pulled away, retreating quickly to the far wall. He was panting heavily, visibly shaking with desire. The evidence of his arousal was clear, straining against the front of his pants.

“Sorin,” she whimpered, feeling as if her heart had been torn out of her chest.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to say, his voice filled with self-loathing for losing control. He’d been too rough with her. She was just a fragile human.

She yearned for more but let him retreat to the other side of the room to regain his composure.