Page 41 of His White Moonlight (Dominant CEO Shifter Romance #1)

I once again debated how much to tell Miranda and decided that, with her nose, I wouldn’t be giving much away by being honest.

“The problem has never been my attraction to Bennett. It’s about leaving the cage they put me in and finding my freedom.”

“That sounds a bit dramatic.”

I paused and looked at her. “Do you remember how I reacted when you pinned me to the door?”

She frowned a little. “You didn’t really react at all. No fear. Just…you. Are you trying to make me feel guilty about that? Because it’s working.”

“Don’t feel guilty. Your response was the reminder I needed. The people around me now aren’t human, and I can’t protect myself in the same way I’d been protecting myself. It was a reminder not to be complacent. If you’d been human, that move would have given me the upper hand.

“Now, start asking yourself the right questions. How did the very human Wulf Princess, who’d been pampered her whole life and sent to one of the best all-girl boarding schools in the country, know that move?

Or better yet, why did she know that move?

Why hadn’t she been afraid when pinned to the door? ”

Miranda’s frown had grown deeper with each question. “What did the little Wulf Princess endure at that school?”

“Hell. Pure and simple. The people who tormented me knew exactly when to let up so I wouldn’t be marked in an unexplainable way or, worse, die. So I got smarter, stronger, and faster to fight back. Obviously, not strong or fast enough to fight one of you.”

“Do the Wulfs know?”

“They know as much as you do now. And they know my time at school is why I want to leave. That’s all, though. I haven’t given specifics or names.”

“Why not?”

“Because revenge won’t absolve them of their role in my hell. It won’t absolve Bennett for putting me there and never once listening to my pleas to come home.”

“Damn.” She looked back at the Wulf building. “What are you going to do then?”

“Leave for college this fall. Bennett plans on forcing me to live in an apartment with him unless I can do three things. Hold his hand. Hug him. Kiss him. Without a hint of fear. And apparently, I have to initiate while awake.”

“He’s smart. Look at how you let your guard down for a foot rub.”

“Not as smart as he thinks. Like I said, rejecting the mate bond is my last resort. I’d rather walk away without sleeping with him. But if that’s what ends up happening…” I shrugged.

“Are you sure you’d be able to?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I know exactly what it’s like to be under his thumb. Why would I want a life like that?”

She started walking again, but slower.

“So you think mated life would be another cage?”

“One with less abuse…unless the sex is rough; then maybe just a different kind of abuse.”

She breathed out another curse and looked off in the distance.

“Have you talked to Bennett about this?”

“Yep. He got me a car to prove I was free. Then he found reasonable explanations for driving me everywhere until he finally just took away the keys. He’s either blind, stupid, or manipulative. I’m going with the latter because I’ve been pretty vocal about how I feel.”

“You might be right, but I think it’s out of desperation to be close to you.”

“His need for me is his problem, not mine.”

“True, I guess.” She sighed and shook her head. “His life would be a lot easier if he’d just fall for one of us.”

“Exactly. One of you would never resist him like I am. You’d smell his lust and be doing a bareback lap dance in his office five times a day. From me, he gets throat punches, nose bleeds, yelling, and ‘Go away, Bennett.’ I’m starting to think he’s got a rejection fetish or something.”

“Maybe. Did you actually give him a bloody nose?”

“Accidentally. Don’t startle me. Some things can’t be unprogrammed. At least, not in a few weeks. And I almost broke my hand hitting him, which just makes me more mad at him. He could have dodged.”

She chuckled.

When we reached the end of the block, we turned around and headed back.

“So what are you going to do?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. You already know what he’s trying to do, so turn the tables.

Hold his hand on the way home, then give him a hug and a kiss goodnight.

There’s no point in avoiding him anymore, now that he’s already smelled that he physically turns you on.

Meet all three of his requirements then tell him he doesn’t need to move with you this fall. ”

“Shouldn’t I wait until the last minute to do that?”

“No. Waiting will give him hope. Doing it now, especially after what happened, will be more of a reality slap. Yes, you’re attracted, but not enough to give up your dreams.”

I thought about what she was saying all the way back to the building.

Bennett was waiting for me by the parking garage elevator. He had my dress draped over one arm and my shopping bag in the other. I glanced at the time. He wanted to leave forty minutes early? Fine by me.

“Thanks for the walk and the talk,” I said to Miranda.

“Anytime. Good luck.”

I walked over to Bennett.

“How can I hold your hand when both of them are full?”

His surprise and the way he quickly switched the bag to the other hand were almost comical. I took his hand, holding it and hating the way my racing heart gave away just how much I liked it.

When we got into the elevator, I pushed the button without releasing him. His thumb began to move against my skin. Little circles that felt good and made my heart skip a beat.

At the car, I checked the time.

“If I let go of your hand now, does that restart the timer, or can we pause while you put that stuff away and continue in the car until the time is up? Did we establish a goal time?”

The circling thumb stilled, and his mask slipped into place as I stared up at him.

“Why are you holding my hand, Wrenly?”

“It’s the first condition to leave for college without you following me. Why else would I be holding your hand?”

He let out a slow, measured breath. “Five minutes and it starts over when you let go. No matter the reason.”

“Okay.” I checked the time. “We’re not in a rush, right? We can wait two minutes.”

He let go of my hand and opened the door for me.

“Get in, Wrenly.”

I’d hurt him. On purpose. And I refused to let myself feel bad about it, even when I wanted to, because then he’d know, and I’d never be free.

Harden your heart, Wren. Life is mean. And you’ll only survive if you’re meaner.

After laying my dress in the back, he got in and kept his hands firmly on the steering wheel all the way home. I tried holding his hand again once we were in the house, but he said he had work to do and wouldn’t eat dinner with me.

His retreat didn’t surprise me. He’d regroup and be back.

However, he left me alone the remainder of the night. I ate dinner by myself and finished all my schoolwork. Bored, I messaged Sophia.

Me: Want to meet up for lunch again next week?

Sophia: How about this Saturday at my uncle’s club? You need to get out and have some fun.

Me: Saturday won’t work. I’m already committed to a charity dinner.

Sophia: That sounds…boring?

Me: It probably will be. But I promised.

Sophia: Okay. Lunch next week it is. Does Tuesday work for you?

Me: Yep!

Sophia: I’ll find somewhere nice and let you know.

I liked her last message and got ready for bed. Bennett still hadn’t shown up by the time I’d started dozing off.

In the morning, I woke up alone, but the spot next to me was warm.

What a chicken.

Breakfast was waiting for me on the table, along with a note saying that I didn’t need to head into the office. Milo would take me into the city in an hour to meet up with Miranda for a spa day.

Me: Why did you leave without me? Don’t I get a say in what I do? What if I don’t want a spa day?

Bennett: Message Miranda to cancel. It was her idea.

I didn’t text her, I called.

“Hey, friend,” she answered. “I’m so excited for today.”

“He’s avoiding me.”

“What?”

“Bennett. He knows that I’m trying to meet his criteria, so he’s avoiding me. Did you instigate this spa day, or did he?”

“He messaged me last night, asking if you needed anything else for Saturday. I said your hair could use a trim and that you might benefit from a makeup tutorial since you never wear any. He told me to make it happen and that we could go during our work hours. I said you seemed stressed and might like a massage. Honestly, I was trying to get away with as much as we could. You seemed like you didn’t mind skipping out of work. ”

“I don’t. But now that I’m committed, I just want to get this part over with.”

She chuckled.

“He’s taking you to the charity auction on Saturday. Let him run while he can. You’ll have four hours with him.”

“I don’t want to hold his hand in a public setting.”

“What about the kissing and hugging?”

“What do you think?”

She laughed again. “Get ready for some relaxation. You need it.”

* * *

I opened the entry door, grateful that the second day with Miranda hadn’t been anything like the first one.

A full spa day had been as relaxing as she’d promised.

First, she’d insisted that I needed a makeup education session beforehand due to my lack of skills.

So, I’d impressed both the cosmetologist and Miranda by artfully transforming my face with an artistically sickly-looking contouring.

The memory of Miranda’s words, “If you go to that auction in that dress, looking like a shipwreck survivor, Bennett won’t be able to save you from me,” made me smile as I closed the entry door behind me.

After promising that I understood how to use makeup, I’d let them pick out what they wanted me to apply tomorrow, and we’d moved on to the facial phase of the treatment.

It had felt a little weird to have someone laying hands on my face, and I’d almost tapped out when she tried to put a hot cloth over me, but she’d been very nice when I’d said I was too claustrophobic to have my face covered like that and had switched up her method.

The scalp massage had helped calm me down again.