The Prince’s Unwilling mate

143 Ayla

Isabella and Rodrick were waiting for us at the front door. I can suddenly see where Griffin has his careful and worrying nature from. Where Rodrick rushes up to me and gathers me in a bear hug that has me feel like he is breaking my ribs. Isabella smacks her mate telling him to be careful and then fuzzes over me making sure I am alright.

It’s a thirty–minute drive, Griffin surprises me when he suggests we go there in two separate cars. Again Rodrick seems to want to speak up while Isabella stops him from doing so, agreeing with their son. Only when we get to the car I finally get his plan.

“Close your eyes, Darling sleep for thirty minutes it will do you some good,” He tells me as he gets into his truck.

He just gave me an opportunity to rest a little more. A moment I needed so I do as he said and I curl up in the passenger seat. Where the rumbling of the car engine “sings” me to sleep instantly. Attentive as he is Griff wakes me up five minutes before we arrive at the food festival. Giving me the chance to feel less drowsy.

After parking he jumps out to open the door, something he has always done. Tonight it feels like a reminder of how good life can be with him. How special and cherished he makes me feel every day. I ignore the little voice in my head that I should be wearing his mark already. That I have

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1 no idea when I will be able to wear it because the thirty minutes of sleep in the car were far from enough. And a part of me regrets agreeing with this plan.

Maybe Griffin was right, maybe this is all too much, too soon. Still, I can’t help but bask in the light of the setting sun. Enjoy the wind on my skin and the buzz of the night that is alive with happy people. The air is pregnant with the smell of various foods.

I am unsure if Rodrick does because he sees how tired I am. Or if just like his son, he is a gentleman. But he suggests we get a table to sit down on every time we find something to eat. He spotted some tables you can reserve for a little money. While the lawn chairs won’t be very comfortable this table at least gives me a place to sit down when I need to. And pausing in between all rounds being able to sit and take my time eating will help too.

***

Two hours later we were on our way back, of course, I was the one who wanted to go home first. And at the end of the night, I was swaying on my legs with how tired I was. During the car ride home, I could not sleep because Griffin was clearly upset with me. Even if he said no when I asked him about it. The tick in his jaw, and his white knuckles because he was gripping the steering wheel too hard was all I needed to know.

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This time he didn’t just open the door for me and he carried me to the car. Still not saying a word. We had gotten into arguments before, when I was strong, when I felt safe. Now all that had happened to me left me feeling vulnerable and raw.

“Please Griff, I can tell you are upset please tell me how I can make it up to you?” I begged not wanting to be so terrible at communicating again that I would spiral.

Spiral into that dark place where I can’t believe he loves me. Where I am so sure he is going to find fault in who I am and what I do that he will. leave me. The dark place where I want to spare myself from that pain so much that I will find fault in everything he does just so he isn’t the one to find fault in me. The place where I was when we just met. The place he healed me from and the one place where I never want to go back to.

“I’m not upset with you Darling, can we please talk about this in our room when we’re in our bed” He grits out through his teeth.

Leaving me with no choice but to believe him and just wait. Trying to stop myself from spiraling into that dark place.

And I manage to when we reach our chambers and Griffin struggles to open the door because he seems unable or unwilling to let me go. I am still not in that dark place, all I am is anxious about what he will tell me. Being anxious is far better than being there. He eventually manages to open the door and lays me down on the bed.

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143 Ayla

Taking off my sneakers, and getting a clean one of his shirts for me to sleep in. All without saying a word.

“Please, I can’t stand this any longer I am so scared you don’t want to be with me anymore” I cry and he comes to an immediate standstill.

“Darling, all I ever wanted was to be with you, even before I knew you. You were all I ever imagined when I was dreaming about my mate.” He makes his way to the bed and sits down next to me before he continues.

“Remember how I said I loved that you’re so petite. I still do but I loved it because it made me feel like the big strong Alpha wolf that could protect you. It is stupid because you never needed it. It was just a feeling I loved” He falls quiet just staring at his hands like he doesn’t know how

to go on.

The only comfort I can offer him is to put my hand on his thigh. What he just told me is nothing new, but there is more to it, that much is clear. I just don’t know what to tell him either.

After two minutes in this awkward silence, he clears his throat and he

continues.

“And I failed it, when David kidnapped you, when it took me weeks to find out where he was. Then I stood on top of your prison, sensing you but I couldn’t rescue you. I hate myself for it and now I couldn’t keep you safe you from almost collapsing from being so tired. I should have

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143 Ayla

just kept my mouth shut about the food festival.” He starts crying, I have never seen him cry before.

I have seen him on the verge of tears before, the time when he interrupted me rejecting him to get the cookies out of the oven. It was easy to forget that Griffin might have been traumatized too. He went through just as much as I did. Now I am the one who wraps my arms around him. Griffin just slumps down against me sobbing in my arms.

in between.

“Aren’t you mad with me or disappointed at me?” He asks in between sobs.

“I am not Griff, you were the one that made me pull through, with all the love you showed me.” I start and then I tell him all about what happened when I was in the coma.

How I had the choice to die, to just stay in the heavenly valley knowing I deserved to be there with the Moon Goddes and how I had made my way back to him. Hoping it would comfort him so that we could start healing together.

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144 Griffin

144 Griffin