Chapter Seven
1337 Words
Bat
Pulling my truck up outside of Sarah’s house I took a deep breath.
“Do you want me to come in?” Staring straight ahead I waited for her to answer. Nerves opening a pit in my stomach. I didn’t even know why I was so nervous.
Feeling her eyes on my face I turned to her. She was frowning. A tiny line appearing between her eyebrows.
“Why are you being so weird?”
Weird? Was I being weird?
“I’m being weird?” I asked?
“Yes, you are. You walk into my house without knocking Bat. You have done for years. Plus, we are engaged now. This is our home.”
I swallowed hard. I wanted to marry her, make her my mate and spend the rest of my life with her. I really did. But as soon as she had said yes to my proposal, I had started to feel uncomfortable.
Like I was trapped.
It was ludicrous. I loved Sarah. I wanted to be with her. So why did I suddenly feel like this was all moving too fast?
“Are you regretting asking me to marry you?” Sarah’s voice wobbled. And my eyes widened as a stricken look swept across her face.
Reaching for her hand I brought it to my lips. “God no. Of course, I don’t.” And I didn’t regret it. I loved her.
It was just.
Jesus, I didn’t even know what it was.
One look at her beautiful face and I knew she didn’t believe me.
“It’s ok Bat, you don’t need to come in.”
She might as well say I didn’t need to marry her.
“Maybe you should go back to the clubhouse tonight.”
Her voice was flat.
“Is that what you want me to do?” Why the hell was this happening? Things were meant to be easier now we didn’t have to sneak around. But for some reason, it just seemed harder.
She stares at me for a second, her face unreadable and then she shrugged.
It was the shrug that did it.
The euphoria I had felt at seeing my cub in that grainy picture evaporated. This was all wrong. We weren’t doing this for the right reasons. We didn’t need to get married because we were having a baby. No one did that anymore. We should just. date for a while. See how we worked as a couple.
“I might just hit the road for a while,” I said softly. “Clear my head.”
“You do that.” The stoniness I knew well was back in her voice. Swinging the door open she didn’t even look at me as she got out “See you... later Bat.” She swung the door closed with so much force it was surprising it didn’t smash.
“Sarah.” Her name died on my lips as I watched her trot up the stairs. She didn’t look back.
Time, that’s what I needed. This was all happening so quickly that I couldn’t even think straight. I just needed a few hours away, with the wind in my face and the road being eaten up by my tyres.
Once I had my head back, we could talk properly. like adults. Following her out of the truck I headed towards my bike which was parked to the side of her own car.
Yeah, that’s all I needed.
Some time to myself.
***
It felt good to feel the slap of the wind against my skin. The sting of it clearing my mind for the first time in days. So much had happened in such a short amount of time and I wasn’t ashamed to admit to myself that it was overwhelming.
Sarah ending up in hospital because of me had just been the cherry on top. It had pushed me over the edge. Making me do and say things that I wouldn’t normally do.
Like, ask her to marry me.
Hell, I didn’t even believe in marriage. I was a sabertoothed cat. We didn’t do things like humans. We did them right and we were always sure before we put our mark on someone. Being tied to creatures like us wasn’t easy. We weren’t exactly normal shifters. Any cubs we had, if they were sabers as well. Would be hunted mercilessly. It wasn’t something any of us I lightly.
Cub.
The image of that kidney bean shaped blob flickered before my eyes. And right behind it was the memory of Sarah’s face as it fell in the car. She knew me, she would have been able to see the uncertainty in my face. She would know that I was having second thoughts.
I had broken her heart without even meaning to.
The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. I never wanted to see her hurt.
An yet I had been the one that had been hurting her for years. Sarah loved me. She always had. she loved me hard. And I loved her right back.
The realisation hit me like a brick to the head.
What the hell was I doing? Driving away from my mate, when for the first time in my miserable life I had everything I had ever wanted in my grasp.
Sarah was my mate, and she was having our baby. And here I was running away from them like the commitment was something to be afraid of.
It wasn’t.
Doing a U-turn in the middle of the road so suddenly that the cars behind me had no alternative but to slam on their brakes, I gunned the bike. I needed to get back to Sarah.
Beg her to forgive me for being such a damn fool. And I needed to do it quickly before she decided I was rejecting her and disappeared on me.
If she decided to go, then I knew deep down that I would lose her forever. Sarah might love me with her whole being, but she was stubborn as hell. When she was done, she was done. If I f****d up again, I would lose her.
The ride back to her house seemed to take forever, although it probably half the time it should have.
Dread filled my chest. What if I was too late? What would I do if she had already packed and left?
If I lost her because I had a moment of doubt, I would never forgive myself.
Taking the steps up to her front door, two at a time I hammered on it with my closed fist. And then again when she didn’t immediately open the door.
It swung open finally, and a furious looking Sarah scowled up at me. “What the hell Bat?”
I didn’t let her say anything else, wrapping her in my arms I forced her backwards. Kicking the door shut with my foot behind us.
“I’m f*****g sorry Sarah.” Picking her up, I found her lips with mine. And her legs wrapped around my waist. The ratty old bathrobe she was wearing rising her thighs.
“I’m an old fool, you should tell me to f**k off.
“Will you just shut up and kiss me Bat.” She growled, her lips hungrily looking for mine.
Laughing I did what she asked.
I was the luckiest man alive that she loved me and put up with my s**t. Most women would have walked away from me years ago.
“Where?” I said against her lips.
“Bedroom.” She whispered back.
I pulled my face away just enough to look her in the eyes. “Is that safe? I don’t want to…”
“Doctor said it was fine. I’m not bleeding anymore. The baby is fine.” She added.
I growled at her. “Thank go for that. Because I need you so bad.”
“Take me then Bat. Take all of me. Make me yours.”
- Writer
