The next week taught Ian the fine art of patience while Emma practiced the art of evasion. Every time Ian entered the same room as Emma, she was always seen escaping out the back door or slipping covertly behind him as he was distracted conversing with another pack member.
The only time he could catch her a glimpse of the woman that haunted his dreams was at meal times (Jane and Peter were wise to her tactics and refused to let her get out of set mealtimes by being on patrol) and when she was training with the other betas. Her fresh scent permeated the main house and it was causing Ian to lose his grip on his sanity. It all came to a point during a conversation between Peter and Ian in his office.
"God Peter I am this close to going all caveman on her and dragging her to my room to claim her... but then she'll hate me." Ian paced across the room.
"Sit down my friend. That carpet is very expensive and Jane will kill you if you burn a hole in it with all your frantic pacing." Peter responded from behind his desk, trying to hide his amusement at his predicament.
Ian plopped heavily into one of the leather easy chairs. "I don't get it. It seemed like she was willing to work on it a week ago in the gym but then she stands me up in the library and avoids me for the entire week." He ran his hands through his hair, causing a cowlick on the left side of his head "It can't be
just
because I called her baby. I didn't know, surely she understands that."
"Let's recap that day from her standpoint." Ian replied as he held up his hand and ticked off items on his fingers. "She had to escape her own living area, drug one of her friends and instructors, found out Damon was still alive after believing for 6 months he was dead, found out her mate was Damon's uncle, argued with her alphas and was forced to move out of her room into another room and change her lifestyle. Then she was cornered by her mate in an empty gym and kissed mercilessly then asked to meet in the library to 'talk'. Yeah man, I bet she was totally in control of her emotions that day. You basically took advantage of her when she was shaken up by her entire world being turned on its head. It's no surprise she is avoiding you, she's not sure she can trust what she felt that day."
Ian leaned forward in the chair and growled "She should have come talked to me instead of avoiding me."
"That's not her MO."
"I know...still...it annoys me how she pretends she doesn't notice when I enter a room. She acts like the moment I enter the room that she suddenly forgot to do something elsewhere. Like I have no bearing on her actions."
Peter laughed harshly "That's bullshit and you know it. She's just putting up her defensive wall that's she's been using for the past 5 years."
Ian laughed drily "The same walls that you had all but obliterated before I entered the picture."
"Yeah, well she wasn't expecting to find a mate. She didn't think she deserved one." Peter raised his hands defensively when Ian growled "Her words, not mine."
Ian sunk back into the cushions with a groan. "What am I going to do? My wolf is climbing the walls and I'm not far behind. I'm not used to waiting for what I want. She won't even stick around for me to have a civil conversation with her at meals." His expression filled with awe "I have never seen anyone hoover 2 full plates of food in less than 2 minutes."
"Well if it helps your psyche, her wolf is on your side. Apparently she's been having trouble sleeping this week. She's been spotted in her one of her usual haunts every night, the gym or the library."
Ian's expression turned pensive "So I could get uninterrupted time with her?"
Peter nodded "She gives up trying to sleep by about 2:30am."
"Excellent. Thanks for the info." Ian said as he rushed from the room, calculating his plan of attack tonight with his mate. She wasn't getting away this time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Couldn't sleep?"
Instinctively, Emma dove behind the easy chair, drawing the Sig Sauer from her thigh holster wrapped around her plaid pyjama bottoms and pointing it at the shadowed man in the doorway. The book she was absorbed in fell heavily to the ground in the silence that followed.
Ian nodded in approval of her reaction and stepped further into the light shed by the lamp by her chair. Emma straightened abruptly and rolled her eyes, hiding the fact that she was secretly giddy she had earned his approval.
"What do you want?" Emma asked, still holding her gun.
"I noticed you were still up. I thought to keep you company." Ian answered as he took a few steps closer.
"Thanks for the offer but I'm fine." Emma answered shakily. She broke out into a cold sweat when the scent of Ian assailed her senses but she refused to back up. The large easy chair still separated their bodies so she has a physical barrier from his appeal. She mentally cursed the fact that Ian slept in a pair of boxer briefs and nothing else if his current state of dress was anything to judge from.
"Are you sure?" Ian's voice dropped an octave "You're shivering, do you need me to warm you up?"
Emma took a step back, eyes wide with fear, shaking her head slowly. Her hands were shaking so bad, Ian was worried she'd accidentally discharge her gun. Ian took immediate action, moving faster than she could process, grabbing the gun, putting on the safety and placing it gently behind him. He turned back to her and gently rubbed up and down her arms as Emma shivered with a mix of fear and arousal.
"What's wrong Emi?"
Emma let out a huff "Like you don't know. Can you back up or something?"
In response, Ian stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her body "No. I've been patient enough all week. No more running, we talk now."
Emma fought her instinct to soften into his embrace and tried to talk her way out. "It's kind of hard to talk into your chest. Can you at least give me breathing room? I promise I won't run."
Ian growled low and sat down in the vacated chair, settling Emma across his lap but keeping a possessive hold on her hip. "There now you can breathe. And talk."
Emma took a moment to glance at his face. His face was shadowed in the soft lamp light but he looked determined. She sighed. "What do you want to talk about?"
Ian snorted "Like you don't know."
"I can't be your mate Ian." Emma said gently.
"Why? What are you afraid of?"
"I can't look at you without seeing Damon. It's unfair to you to be mated to a woman who flinches every time she looks at you." Before Ian could get a word in, Emma continued on. "And what about your sister? You killed her son because of me; she's going to hate me. And on that matter, what about all the other families who lost their sons to the rogue pack? They're all dead and I'm alive and now one of their alphas? How are they ever going to accept me as their leader? It's ridiculous!" Ian, content to let her ramble on, started to massage the tension out of the back of her neck as she talked. "And what about me? I can't lead a large group of people; I can barely keep myself together in group situations. I can't sleep in beta's dorm because I can't sleep in the same room with other people because I'm afraid they'll attack me in my sleep." She took a deep breath "But I want babies and I don't want you to lose your position with your pack because I rejected you and I don't want to make Peter kill be because I've gone rogue, it'll make Lily so sad..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Ian interrupted "Where did you get the idea that I would lose my position if you rejected me?"
Emma paused before she answered "Well Peter was saying that being a good alpha meant that you had your pack's respect but if they didn't think you were capable of keeping your mate, they would question your ability of leading and protecting your pack, and you would lose their respect."
Ian's laugh shook through Emma's body "You seem to be under the impression I would let you go." He brushed a kiss across the top of her head "I'm not going anywhere Emi. My pack doesn't blame you for the fact that their sons went rogue and I'll stand by you, no matter what."
Emma snorted and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "Great so I can be the cause of tension between the alpha and his pack. And don't think I haven't noticed you've given me a nickname." She pouted.
