Page 37 of His White Moonlight (Dominant CEO Shifter Romance #1)

I spent the day in my room. Grandma delivered meals and spent time with me when I wanted it but otherwise left me alone. It gave me time to think. And the more I thought, the angrier I got.

Bennett had manipulated every aspect of my life. It didn’t matter how well-intended his actions were; he’d still exercised a control that wasn’t his to exercise. Potential mate or not, my life was my own.

After I’d eaten dinner, Grandma knocked on my door and said that Mom wanted to talk to me. I wasn’t ready to face her yet, though, so I shook my head and lay facing away from the door.

The soft murmur of their conversation in the hallway reached me, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. It didn’t matter. Like I’d already told her, I was done.

* * *

I woke with a gasp and struggled to sit up. The arms caging me from behind didn’t relent, though. They held me against Bennett’s hot chest. His breaths were coming as fast as mine.

“Tell me who hurt you,” he pleaded. “Give me names.”

I knew why he wanted them and what he’d do. But it wasn’t his place to right the wrongs done to me by others. Especially not when he’d put me there in the first place.

“There’s only one name.”

“Tell me.”

“Bennett Wulf.”

He growled and ducked his head so his exhales warmed my neck.

“Please, Wrenly.”

He had no right to think he could make up for what had happened by going after the women in that school. First, he needed to deal with the source of the problem. Himself.

“Bennett Wulf,” I repeated. “Now get out of my room.”

“Why are you protecting them?”

“I’m not. I’m just choosing which of the people who hurt me should pay first. Now, are you leaving or am I?”

He released me and got out of bed. “Tomorrow, I want names.”

“And I want memories of a better childhood than what I got and a family that actually treated me like a human and not a ready-made mate for their son. Looks like neither of us can have what we want.”

The soft snick of the door closing answered me.

* * *

Bennett was waiting in the hallway when I opened the door the next morning, which wasn’t a surprise. Not after what he’d said last night. His gaze traveled the length of me, noting I was showered and dressed for the day.

The bandages were no longer necessary, and I was finally free of bruises. At least, outside ones. I felt battered on the inside.

“Did Grandma leave?” I asked.

“She’s waiting for you at the table. There’s a breakfast burrito for you.”

I’d started walking when he said she was downstairs, but I hurried my pace when he said what was waiting for breakfast. At school, we’d had all sorts of made-to-order options.

Yogurt parfaits, fruit plates, oatmeal with a dozen different add-ins, toast with cream cheese and smoked salmon, and an occasional culinary special.

Never anything fried or anything you’d eat with your hands like a burrito.

My thoughts were on food and not people, which is why I skidded to a stop when I saw Mom and Dad at the table with Grandma.

While I hadn’t anticipated their presence, it wasn’t entirely unwelcome. I’d done a lot of thinking after Bennett left last night and acknowledged a few things to myself.

Yes, my life at school had been hell. However, some of that hell had been self-inflicted.

I’d been angry and had purposely provoked the wrong people.

But most importantly, I hadn’t spoken up about what was happening.

Not to them, and not to the staff. Had I done so, things wouldn’t have gotten out of hand.

Was I taking on all the blame? No. But it was a bit ridiculous for me to think Mom and Dad should know things they hadn’t been told. Their fault in all of this was not listening when I’d said I hated school and telling me to keep trying instead of asking why.

Rather than turning around and walking away from a confrontation I wasn’t yet ready to have, I just stood there and waited.

Mom stood, her eyes watering.

“Wrenly. Please.”

“Please what?” I asked.

“We’re so sorry we didn’t listen. We should have—” Her composure crumpled. Inside, mine wanted to do the same.

Mom finally understood.

And she was giving me space. She didn’t rush at me in her tears but stayed where she was, crying. Dad moved to hug her, watching me with sad eyes.

“We never wanted to hurt you,” he said. “We didn’t realize you felt alone and unwanted. If we thought for even a moment you were being hurt, we never would have left you there. All the reports we received were that you were quiet, but excelling.”

“Do you know why I was excelling?” I asked. “At first, I just wanted to make you happy. Then I realized it was the fastest way to prove to you that I could manage my own life.

“I forgave you for leaving me there a long time ago. My anger now stems from the things you’ve kept from me and the fact that, up until now, you still haven’t been listening to what I want.”

“We understand,” Dad said. “We promise we won’t interfere anymore. Tell us what you need, and we’ll do our best to provide it.”

“Right now, what I need most is the space and freedom to make my own plans for the future.”

Mom nodded, but Dad glanced at Bennett behind me. The significance of that look wasn’t lost on me. Neither was Bennett’s silence. He didn’t need to say anything, though.

I already knew Mom and Dad weren’t the ones attempting to control my life now. They hadn’t been for a long while. Bennett was the one I needed to put in his place. I just needed them to stop taking his side so that I could do what needed to be done.

I looked at Grandma. She gave me a sad smile, stood, and started for the garage door. Mom and Dad followed her.

Once they were gone, I sat at the table and reached for the burrito.

“I want my bankbook,” I said, knowing Bennett was somewhere behind me.

“I want names.”

Taking a bite, I focused on the food and how I wanted to respond to him. He patiently waited.

“What are you going to do when I give them to you?”

“Make them pay.”

“How?”

“Depends on what they did.”

“What about someone who locks me up for seven years in a place where other people abuse me?”

The back of my chair crackled ominously, and a thread of fear wormed its way down my spine as I imagined him gripping it and leaning over me.

“Tell me what punishment I deserve. Tell me how to make this right.”

Setting down my food, I spun in my chair and met his uncomfortably close gaze.

“Let me go. Forever. Find someone else.”

He closed his eyes. “I can’t do that.”

“Can’t or won’t? There’s a difference.”

“Can’t, Wrenly. I’m barely hanging on. Please give me?—”

“Go to hell, Bennett. I’ve given enough.”

I turned back around and picked up my burrito.

The chair crackled again, but I ignored it and finished my breakfast. He reached around me and took my plate to the kitchen. Once he was gone, I went upstairs to get my things. I didn’t know he’d followed me until I turned around with my wallet in hand.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Going to work.”

“I think we should?—”

“If you don’t want me to hate my life, you need to stop trying to control it.”

“I’m not trying to control it, Wrenly. I’m trying to understand you. To talk to you.”

“You can’t understand me by talking to me, Bennett. To understand me, you need to listen. Now, are you getting out of the way, or is our day going to go downhill really fast?”

He ran his hand through his hair. “I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

“For what?”

He had the grace to look confused. “Aren’t you going into work?”

“I am, but I don’t need you to take me. I have a car of my own, right?”

He closed his eyes for a second, and I watched the tremors rack his body. My satisfaction that I’d won was short-lived because I was against the wall less than a beat later, my hands pinned above my head, and his lips skimming my neck.

“You need time. I know that. But I’m not sure how much more I can give you. I gave you twelve years of what I thought was freedom. It was a mistake. Maybe marking you when you were younger would have been better for both of us.”

Although he wasn’t pressing against me, my breath left in a whoosh, and my eyes went wide in panic. I tugged at his hold.

“I am listening, Wrenly. My mate is miserable. She cries in her sleep but calms when I hold her. She feels alone and abandoned. I can give her the connection she needs. But she’s saying no to all of it.

So I’m waiting and watching her misery and dying inside because of it.

I’m coming undone, baby, and I don’t know how much longer the rational side of me will hold out against the instinct to make you mine. Do you understand?”

And then he was gone, leaving me sagging against the wall and panting in relief that he hadn’t tried anything.

Because a little part of me had wanted him to.

I blamed it on his hands-to-the-wall move. It was both dominating and tender. It made me captive, but I never felt controlled when he did it. Only held still. Protected, which was completely insane.

Dropping my head back against the wall, I waited for my pulse to slow then went downstairs.

He was already there, wearing a suit with one of the ties I’d purchased. My heart skipped a beat.

“We’re not driving together,” I said.

“I know.”

In the garage, he held my door open for me, but he didn’t get into the passenger seat. Instead, he took the car next to mine.

He followed me all the way to the office, which made me feel both nervous and comforted. I parked in his spot in the underground garage and felt a little bit of satisfaction when my phone started ringing.

“What?” I answered.

“Wait for me.”

I rolled my eyes, waited until his car pulled away, and got out. Was I playing with fire again? Yes. But if I didn’t establish some boundaries now, how would things change? Plus, I needed a little alone time to regroup.

Unfortunately, when I reached the main lobby, there was a line for the elevators going up. A few of the office girls were already waiting, including Milena. Her pupils dilated as she stared at me.