26 Questions with no answers (2/2)

The pain of her own words was too much to bear.With her face buried in her palms, she slowly backed toward her bed and crashed down onto it.She curled into a ball, pulling her favorite pillow up against her body.She pressed her face into the pillow to muffle the sobs that wouldn't stop.

A heavy weight pressed down across Joslyn's chest waking her up from a sound sleep. {…Sleep? When did I fall asleep?} Joslyn fought the grogginess away as she tried to focus her eyes in the light of the early morning light streaming in from her window. About the time she realized the weight across her chest was an arm, it tightened around her and pulled her closer.She turned her head to gaze into the beautiful face of the sleeping werewolf beside her.She thought over what had happened last night and what had been said.She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.She wiggled onto her side and gently stroked his cheek, brushing thick strands of burnt blonde hair back from his face.{He asked if I would marry him…. To see his beautiful sleeping face first thing every morning for the rest of his life… There is only one answer that keeps coming to my mind…} ”Yes…” The words slipped out of her lips without her realizing they had been more than just a thought. She watched as the corners of his lips turned up into a smile.{Was he awake…}Bright blue eyes met her gaze as a lazy smile overtook his face.

”Is that a yes to what I asked you last night?” He snuggled closer to her, breathing in the smell of her hair as it tickled his nose.

Joslyn could feel her face redden, ”I… I… didn't… When did you… how?...” She pulled away and sat up in the bed.She looked around. The pillow she had been holding last night when she must have fallen asleep was now across the room on the small armchair by the window. She looked back down at the bed, then over to Russ. They were now at the head of the bed wrapped snuggly into the soft cotton sheets of her bed.

Russ laughed lightly, ”When you didn't come back through the apartment last night, I came in to find you.You were already asleep, so I pulled back the covers, then moved you up to the head of the bed…. and of course, I got in with you.” He stretched his large body out, making her full-size bed look like a child's bed with his hulking mass.He reached up, running his fingers softly over the bare skin of her arm.

”Oh? Thank you.” Joslyn said quietly as she racked her brain for any memories of him coming into her room. She looked over at him, furrowed her brow and asked, ”That's all? YOU just got into bed and slept?” She looked at him doubtfully.

Russ chuckled, ”You looked tired.” His face fell into a frown, ”Plus after your reaction in the tub, I figured it was best to let you sleep.” He rolled over onto his side and stroked her thigh with his free hand idly, all the while never taking his eyes off her face.

Joslyn watched his hand move lightly over her lap, unable to meet his gaze. ”You have no right to ask that of me.” She pulled away from his hand and stood up beside the bed.she took a step toward the dresser but stopped and turned back toward the bed and looked straight into his eyes, bitter anger coloring her words, ”you should consider the facts before you go around saying pointless things.” Her anger built as her innermost thoughts and concerns of the last two months began pouring out. ”You have been so hell-bent on this…” she pointed back and forth between the two of them, ”That you haven't stopped to think past the bedroom…”

Russ interrupted her with a joke, hoping to lighten her mood. ”Not true, I put a lot of thought into the garage, the tub, the closet, the sofa, the kitchen counter as well...”

His joke only made Joslyn madder. She yelled, ”Don't! You know damn good and well what I'm saying! You haven't thought of the future at all.You are only, selfishly, thinking of yourself.You have less than a year to return, back to your pack, back to your home.What the fuck are we supposed to do then?” Joslyn glared down at him, ”Am I supposed to move to an island with nearly nothing but werewolves on it? How do you think your people are going to respond to me being with you?” She threw her arms up in the air to emphasize her point, ”They would send a freaking lynch mob for my head!”

Russ had the good graces to blush as he shot back at her, ”It's my life, it should be my choice who I spend it with.If they wanted me to abide by their laws and traditions they should have kept me on the damn island instead of sending me away!” He pushed the sheets away and flung himself over the edge of the bed in front of where she was standing.He stood to his full height in front of her, his hands clenched into tight balls by his side. ”You think I'm a selfish child? That I haven't thought past sleeping with you? Joslyn, I have thought of nothing but our future together for the biggest majority of my life!” He grabbed her arms tightly leaving an arm's length between them, ”I would rather give up that entire island and everyone on it that spend one minute without you by my side.” He pulled her against him, ”I'm not saying this as a boy trying to have a fling with a girl, I'm saying this as a man who is openly and mindfully choosing his mate for life.”When she only continued to stare silently at his chest, he laced his fingers into her hair and tugged gently, pulling her face up to look him in the eyes. ”Jos, look at me, I LOVE YOU! And only you!”

Tears poured down her cheeks as she gazed up into his brilliant eyes ablazed with the sparks of passion, ”I wish it was that easy, but it's not.You don't understand; you were too young when we took you away. There are strict customs and rules.Your people would never allow you to be with someone like me.”She used his temporary dismay to her advantage and pulled away from his loosened grip and ran for the door.She could feel him following close behind her.

He slammed his hand against the door as she fought to open it, ”Joslyn, stop trying to run away from me and talk to me!”

She continued pulling on the door, her vision blurred by all the tears streaming down her face. {I can't let him see how much this pains me.If he realizes the depth of my true feelings, he would surely turn away from his responsibilities and obligations... landing us all in trouble...} ”Please stop, just let me out of here.”