When they touch me (Shelagh Milano)

Chapter 45 Artemisia

Matthew is working on a sculpture. His stained clothes make him look like he escaped some secret fantasy of mine. I stare drooling a bit too long before his chuckle gets me to finally force out something. "Didn't you want to have breakfast?" I ask as he rubs his hands clean with a rug.

"I'm not that hungry," He answers with a grimace, making me feel guilty.

Something about our interaction feels strange, and I cross my arms wanting to scold him playfully to loosen up the situation. "That isn't healthy. A wolf like you not being hungry is quite a bad sign."

He answers my snicker with a tired smile and steps closer without touching me, which just intensifies my feeling about something being wrong.

As he doesn't say anything, I clear my voice and try not to crumble under his intense gaze. "So, this is your hobby?"

"Yeah, helps me unwind. I guess that Logan is at the gym and Fynn is doing something aggressively right now." He laughs, even if I don't think that he finds it that funny.

Smiling up at him, I push down the urge to just turn around and leave. "It's nice. And if it helps you, even better."

"Ah, I love it," he says dreamily, looking up at the statue he is working on. "Even if they made fun of me because of it."

"Your brothers are idiots. They knew exactly that if you told anyone, you would have gotten all the girls," I say, wanting to cheer him up.

He shakes his head while lowering it, "Wouldn't have mattered anyway because I wanted to wait for my mate at any cost."

"Aw, Matthew." Letting my arms slump, I take a step closer to him but refrain from touching him as his posture keeps me from doing it. "I'm sorry they interrupted us."

Tsking, he throws his rug onto a table. "I'm just tired of Fynn fucking everything up, and us having to bear with it. It's already a pain having to share a mate that is destined for you with egoistic pricks, but Fynn always manages to take everything to the next level."

"I'm so sorry! I promise that I won't ever have them have more of my time than you." I say, desperation expanding in my chest. "It's not easy for me as well... But we can make it work."

He grimaces as he shakes his head. "It's not you that has to apologise. I'm sorry if I made you feel like you should."

"It's alright," I smile up at him, finally getting one back.

I'm just about to say something else as he sighs, "Maybe you should go, Missy."

Fighting hard to not let my smile fall, I try to ignore the fact that he didn't call me Love or another pet name he had used for me the last few days. "Don't you want to eat breakfast with me? We could have them bring it up here, so we could spend some more time together." "I don't think that this is a good idea," he sighs, and I could swear that I can see the pain of it written all over his face.

Getting a little push by the thought, I finally reach out to lay my hands on his toned sides, a light shiver passing through me. "Come on, Matt. It's just breakfast."

Instead of wrapping his arms around me, he grabs my wrists and forces me to let go of him. "Missy, please."

"Sorry, I... I understand. I'll go." I whisper, my heart getting another painful stab.

With a last smile, I free my wrists that he is still clutching, turn around, and walk out of his quarters as fast as I can without running like an idiot.

I sense him moving behind me and I guess he would have wanted to say something but, in the end, decides to keep it to himself.

As I continue to walk through the pack house, instead of running back to my rooms like I would want to, I pass the gym and through the glass doors can see that Logan is indeed working out. And he doesn't look happy.

Concentrated, sweaty, and incredibly hot, but not happy.

With a deep sigh, I decide to not push my luck, and continue to walk down the hallways.

Finally reaching the dining hall, I find it completely empty, which doesn't surprise me at all.

As I start rumbling through the fridges and the cupboards, my hunger increases, even if I don't know what I should eat.

Looks like the fact I was blocked from getting my release as well, got me starving.

Must be my desperation.

I'm practically immersed in my task as I'm leaning into a huge cabinet as someone next to me clears her throat, making me hit my head on a shelf board.

"Ouch," I retreat carefully out of the cabinet and keep myself from rolling my eyes instinctively as I see Daisy glaring at me. "Oh, hello, Daisy. Do you want something to eat as well?" "What are you doing?" She asks in an incredibly high-pitched voice.

Oh, come on. Why can't I just catch a break?

Indecisive about what I might have done wrong, I look around helplessly. "I'm fetching myself breakfast. What does it look like?"

"Breakfast was hours ago. You really have to watch your routines, and stick to the schedules that I gave you." She breathes out the air out of her nose, making me fear for myself for a minute.

"Oh, sorry about that. But in this case, you have to pick that up with my mates, and tell them they should reduce their morning activity to make me eat on time. Would you do that for me, Daisy dear?" I flash her a smile while she blushes terribly.

I know that I am in no position to say something like that, but I'm so hungry, and I should be allowed to eat when I feel like it.

She starts stuttering terribly as she tries to maintain her countenance. "Well, They... You... It is important also for the future of your pups. That will be more difficult to adjust to if we are not keeping you in check from the start."

"Keep me in check?" I ask and she lowers her gaze.

And, oh, my Goddess... Pups?!

As I blush myself at the thought, it gives her time to regain her usual self.

Shaking herself, she loses her cute blush and her stutter. "Also, it doesn't suit the Beta Female to rummage through the cupboards."

"Ah, I don't need to be served, Daisy. I can do everything on my own." I groan, pushing her hands off me as she tries to pull me away from the cupboards. "Also, you can concentrate all of this energy on the future Luna. She will definitely be more important than me." I'm still giggling as she turns pale and starts opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water.

"Is everything alright, Daisy?" I ask and as soon as I have asked her, she falls into herself.

I get closer as she seems to be babbling under her breath and as soon as I'm close enough, she lifts her face to look at me with big eyes. "We will never have a Luna."

Her whisper has goosebumps rising on my skin, and I jerk back.

Just as I'm about to ask her what she meant, the door to the dining hall gets swung open, and Logan appears in the door.

He stands there looking at us with an angered expression, his muscular chest and abs on display as he isn't wearing a shirt. I get distracted shortly by a few sweat pearls that are still glistering on his body as he growls. "Daisy!"

Daisy skyrockets out of her hunched position and runs out of the kitchen. "I'll get the cooks."

"No! Daisy." I shout after her but she doesn't listen to me.

Logan follows her with a disgusted expression before he clicks his tongue. And with a last frown towards me, he gets back out of the door.

Just what the hell is happening!?!