Chapter 7

Ten minutes in and my eyes were still wide open, my nipples overly sensitive that I needed him to touch me before I went crazy. But I held it in and remained on my side of the bed.

“I am Maddie, and I wouldn’t be controlled by my hormones.” I whispered under my breath, but it only got increasingly difficult until I couldn’t take it any longer.

Fuck it.

I couldn’t hold back anymore; I was leaving tomorrow, and I needed the memory of my mate to last me for the journey ahead.

I took a deep breath, asking the goddess to help me, and I crossed the invisible line that had always separated us and hugged him from behind.

Toby stiffened from my touch and slowly turned to look at me, and I could still make out his lips from the darkness. “Maddie, what are you doing?”

“I just want to hold you.”

Toby cuddled me in his arms, holding me tight, and I sighed in bliss as I was completely blanketed by his body. I closed my eyes, ignoring how my body was tingling as I felt him against him.

I wanted to jump him or melt into him, but it was taking all of my strength not to do that.

His touch distracted my wary thoughts as he stroked my hair gently, his chest vibrating as he hummed the tone of a song I had no idea of, and I settled on his chest, the soft thud of his heartbeat luring me to sleep.

“Are you still going tomorrow?” His voice pierced through the still air, and I opened my eyes, but my face was pretty much buried in his chest, so my sigh was muffled.

“Yes.” I whispered in a soft voice, afraid to disrupt the peaceful ambience. He made a low noise at the back of his throat, and we descended into darkness, each of us in their thought.

“Do you have to go?” Toby asked, and I released a small breath, tired of answering this question. My mind was already made up, and I was not going to change it for anyone.

But he needed confirmation, and I was going to give it to him.

“Yes, I have to.”

“Alright.” Another silence; only this time, it was suffocating, making it difficult for me to draw breath, and I was sure there was something in the air as I continued to blink back tears. “Goodbye.” He croaked in a voice I couldn’t recognize, and that was my undoing.

A lone tear escaped my eyes, and I was sure he perceived the salt, but I made no effort to clean it up. Instead, I tightened my hold on him, holding my closer than ever, wishing I was melding into his body.

There was no need pretending again; enough of the hard girl exterior.

This was the real me, and I was going to miss my mate.

I heard the soft smack of his lips as they opened to talk, but I beat him to it because if he said anything now, I was sure I would succumb to it.

“Please don’t ask me to stay.”

“Maddie, I…”

I took a long sniff to control the flow of mucus from my nose, and I continued while I still had my sanity. “Don’t ask me to stay, Toby, because I won’t. If you truly love me, you would let me go.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything.” He replied too sharply, and like a sharp sword, it pierced straight to my heart, but I did nothing to soothe the pain.

I deserved it.

“It is unfair.” Toby whispered in the same hollow voice that tugged at my heartstrings, but I only tightened my hold on him.

“I know.” The words were at the top of my tongue, but I couldn’t bring myself to say them. Instead, we continued basking in the silence that was gripping us in the throat.

It was too quiet, and I hated it because the voices in my head became so loud, drowning out my thoughts.

Right now, there was only one thing I could think of that could silence those voices, and I didn’t want to think; I just did.

I raised my head up, meeting his eyes, and I did what I have always wanted to do.

I kissed his lips, a rather chaste one, with our lips just brushing, but the contact was enough to silence those voices in my head.

I allowed myself this little moment, just feeling his lips moving against mine, and when I had taken my fill of him—the voices, a thing of the past—I slowly left his lips.

But who was I kidding? I was awakened by the demon, and it had no intention of letting me go. Instead, Toby tightened his hold on my waist, pulling me towards him.

And he dipped his head down, connecting his lips to mine and taking charge. His lips moved against mine, claiming me with such passion that made me weep.

The sparks flew from everywhere our bodies met, his touch igniting a passion as deep within me.

And like a switch, the warmth was gone; the blanket that had been shielding me was ripped off, and my eyes flew open, my lips set in a pout, annoyed by his action.

But somehow Toby had maneuvered himself, and he was hovering above me, but I glared at him with a flushed face.

‘What did you do that for?’ My eyes were saying, and the man's lips curled up in a smirk as if he understood, and he leaned down until his lips were just inches away from mine, his eyes fixated on mine.

“I wanted to watch you come undone.” He whispered.