Mae slept in my arms, I couldn’t help but wonder why she allowed herself to fall in love with me. Not that she had a choice. The heart chose its own path.
My inner Alpha roared with life over the fact that I was able to hurdle Mae’s walls. Some were still in place but at least I was getting somewhere.
Mae stirred, letting out a deep sigh and glanced up at me through sleep-filled eyes. “Hi.” She smiled.
“Hello, beautiful girl,” I said, rubbing her bare back. “How did you sleep?”
“Amazingly.”
I chuckled. “Amazingly?”
“Yeah,” she snuggled into my side. “No nightmares,” she said, stifling a yawn.
My heart began pounding. “Do you have many nightmares?”
“Not as much since spending my nights with you,” she said, brushing her finger in circles around my nipple. “I usually have a recurring nightmare,” she confessed. “It’s pitch black. So black it’s almost impossible. It’s like it’s nothing. I can always feel it. My skin tingles. The darkness washes over me. It’s so thick, I can taste it to the point I can’t breathe.” She sat up, scrubbing a shaky hand down her face. “It crushes me, Matteo, and then I see them.”
Sitting behind her, I wrapped my arms around her trembling body. I wanted to tell her to stop. To say that I didn’t need to hear anymore and that I understood but I knew she needed to get it out. “What do you see?” I asked, even though I didn’t want to know the answer.
“Eyes,” she muttered, grabbing my hands and pulled me tighter around her. “I…it’s more of a memory. All different colored eyes of the men who…who…”
“Stop,” I demanded. “I understand. You don’t need to tell me any more.”
She let out a breath, her shoulders slumping with relief. “I am falling in love with you.” She chewed her bottom lip, looking down at our joined hands. “I promised myself that I wouldn’t. But you,” she cupped my cheek. “You forced your way into my heart. As much as I tried, I couldn’t help these feelings. I was scared. I’m still scared. I don’t want to get hurt.”
“Neither do I,” I admitted. “I don’t love easily. I have my father and that’s it. No other family. Before my mom died, my dad was caring, gentle, kind. He apparently was one of the nicest people around. Always willing to help the less fortunate. But after she died, he changed. Something inside of him snapped. I never knew him when he was loving.” My heart thumped, missing something that I never been allowed to have. “He never gave me the chance to love him.” I didn’t realize how much that hurt until now.
“You should talk to him. I’ll come with you, if you’d like, “Mae suggested, turning in my arms. “I meant what I said.”
“And what did you say?” I needed to hear her say it again.
“Matteo, you already know.”
“Tell me,” I pleaded, desperation coating my words.
Mae slid onto my lap, cupping both of my cheeks and kissed me softly on the mouth. “I love you.”
A sigh escaped me, my eyes fluttering closed. “Again,” I whispered.
“I love you, Matteo. And it’s the smartest decision I’ve ever made.”
To hear those words made me question everything I was ever taught.
“Matteo—”
“I love you,” I blurted.
Mae’s eyes widened.
I hugged her in a tight embrace, brushing my nose into the crook of her neck. “Loving you is easy.” I laid her on the couch, kneeling between her legs.
“I’ve never been in love before,” Mae said, her eyes glittering with unshed tears.
Well didn’t that make me want to pound my chest and grunt like a caveman. “I’ve never been in love before either.”
“What about Morgan?”
“Mae, I don’t want to ruin this moment by talking about her,” I snapped.
“I’m sorry.” Mae pushed me back onto my haunches. “But I need to know what I’m dealing with. I need to know that our love is strong enough to handle the shit our pasts are dragging up.”
“I’ve never loved Morgan. I refused to. I beat her, raped her, abused her in ways that would make your nightmares look like fantasies. I did it all because she made me. She consented to every single fucking thing. I knew it was wrong. I knew it wasn’t normal. But I had no choice. I didn’t consent to any of it. I didn’t want to hurt her even though she was evil. She is evil. She gets off on this sick twisted shit. She…fuck.” I rose from the couch, our romantic