Chapter 23

It appears fortune is with Ivy as she manages to get in one of the girls to cover her allotted times. Sighing Ivy wishes Eli would hurry up. Not having him around, being surrounded in her own company she finds herself gaining increasingly depressed in musings of her mother and that is something she really doesn’t want. Especially since there’s nothing she can do about it. And besides sitting there in despair is something her mother wouldn’t want for her, especially when she’s not even gone yet. Thankfully, Eli arrives before she can throw herself into meaningless tasks of distraction.

Upon his return Ivy knows something’s not quite right. Her Eli looks nervous, deep in thought and jittery as he sits on the couch.
“Eli?” she calls breaking him from his trance. He blinks his blue eyes up at her and smiles a smile which she knows is forced.
“What is it?”
“Nothing for you to worry about Tin-”
“Eli, no lies, no secrets...please,” sighs Ivy sincerely.
Eli exhales a sharp whistle of air before slumping forwards with his elbows on his knees to explain his internal battle to his mate.
“At the end of every month, miles from here there’s a large section of untamed, preserved woodlands, where I go for a fortnight. During those two weeks, I...I live in my wolf form. It...it feeds the wolf spirit in me for the following month and maintains my internal balance.”
“So...what happens if you don’t?”
“I starve the wolf side and like any hungry thing...it will fight. And it will eventually overpower my human spirit, meaning I could shift in my wolf form without my complete knowing consent. If that happens, the wolf spirit may try to take over and suppress the human spirit meaning...I won’t have control over shifts, meaning...I could remain in wolf form for a...very long time. Then of course, the human side will be deprived of human necessities and it will fight and the cycle will continue. There would be an internal war of control inside me. I hear that.. many wolves commit suicide because they can’t bear the years of conflict in them; I don’t know if it’s true and it’s actually that bad or if it’s all just rumours and stories.”
“Eli...if you need to do this, then you should. I don’t want you suffer. Especially not because of me so...go. Spend your 2 weeks in the wilderness as a wolf running and hunting and whatever. I love you but I’m not going to fall apart without you here,” reassures Ivy.  
“Okay...But it doesn’t feel right leaving you with everything going on with your mom. I want you to be able to contact me if something happens with Dawn. You shouldn’t have to-”
“Eli, don’t. Don’t, okay? Don’t worry about me. I know that when my mom...passes on, you will be there for me. Maybe not that moment or that day or the next but, you’ll come back to me, right? Healthy and well and that’s enough.”
“Is it?” he echoes still unsure. Grief and loss aren’t things that Eli knows much about and he even less experience in comforting those that are going through it. But Ivy’s his mate and running away at her time of need isn’t an option that should be there.
“Yes. And as sweet as you wanting to leave me is...you need to. No way can I take a crazy wolf out, so you better go,” she presses.
“Fine, fine..if you insist,” laughs Eli wrapping an arm around her and pulling her towards him, “I’ll leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? What’s wrong with today?”
“Well...I need my farewell, of course.”
“‘Farewell’? You’re not going to battle!” cries Ivy incredulously.
“But Ivy! Every-day without you will be a battle of my heart!” dramatically he pronounces with even a heart clutching gesture for emphasis.
Ivy just rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Then rolling her eyes skywards she mutters, “Of all the men that could have been my soul-mate. Why God, could it not have been Paul Wesley or Alexander Sarskgard or...or that blonde one from the Fast and Furious movies?”
“Hey!” protests Eli before murmuring, “...That guy’s not even that good looking.”
Ivy gives him a side glance and shrugs as she adds, “I’d say he’s an improvement.”
“Ouch! Well, clearly I’m not wanted here anymore so I think I’ll just leave now,” retorts Eli in a teasing manner. He stands up and strides towards the door only to have Ivy tug him back.
“No, don’t leave. Eli, baby, I was just joking. I’m sorry. I love you,” she calls pulling him back by his wrist.
Eli dims the wide smirk to a quirk of his lips as he slumps into the couch with much exasperation.
“Fine! But...”
“But?” asks Ivy.
“You have to first say, ‘Eli, you are the best mate ever. Plus you’re super hot and awesome in bed. Oh and you’re really sweet and sensitive and no guy could ever compare to you’.”
Ivy blinks at him before stating in a deadpan tone, “no.”
“Come on Tinks. Say it, say it. Say it, or...or I’ll tickle you until you do,” he chants, while his fingers jeer forth and start to lightly tickle her. She twists away at the wiggling tentacles as she laughs again in defiance.
“You brought this on yourself, Tinks, I hope you know that,” he says in a mocking sombre tone as he darts his hands forwards. Ivy manages to leap off the couch just in time and as Eli raises too, a squeak parts her lips as she makes a run for it.

She races up the stairs with Eli hot on her heels. Reaching the top first Ivy tries to dash into her room and hopefully slot in the lock but it’s too late! One thick hand has already grasped her slim waist and retracted her into his broad frame. The other devious hand is sets about its mission causing her laughs to flow endlessly. As she gasps breaths of air between the chuckles, Ivy places her hand onto Eli is defeat.
“Okay...okay....stop, please,” she pants.
He presses her against the wall and into her ear breathes, “Now, say it, beautiful. You know what I want to hear.”
Ivy bites her lip not wanting or liking to surrender but she can’t go through more tickling. Already her stomach’s hurting from laughing so hard, any more and it’ll feel like she’s been hit with a football.
“Okay...okay, you win,” she mutters twisting around in his hold and bracing her back against the wall. She tries to figure if she can slip between their bodies but before that idea can blossom, Eli’s already thwarted it by pressing his body snug against hers and clutching an arm around her waist as well.
“Eli...you are...the best mate ever...” she starts watching as his boyish grin grows wider.
“Now the next part,” he encourages.
“I don’t want to lie to you, which is why I can’t say the next part,” taunts Ivy only to have him narrow his eyes in playfulness and wriggle the fingers of the hand that’s holding her.
A few chuckles later he stops tickling allowing her to get her breath back and gaze at him with that incredible dazed, love-struck, happy glaze in her eyes which has his heart strings tightening. Screw everything else, that’s what he wants to see every-day of his life- that look in his mate’s eyes for him.
Seeing Eli’s eyes soften, Ivy can only smile wider. She knows that life will never be dull or boring or plain with the wonderful man holding her and somehow with every passing moment spent with him, her love for the doofus grows tenfold.

“Eli I don’t know much about mates but you’re the best mate I could have hoped for. Inside, you’re sweet and sensitive and you’re there for me when I need you. We both have our faults and yours just makes me love you even more,” confesses Ivy with her arms stretched to his neck and fingers stroking the tendrils of blonde silk.
“I love you too, Tinks,” he softly smiles in return, unable to bring himself to give a short speech like her. For one it would take too long and for another, he knows he’ll probably end up in tears and begging her never to leave him.
But Ivy’s more than pleased with his response. Those few words spoken from the heart mean more to her than some elaborate serenade.
As Eli’s head bends and their lips join in another meeting of old friends, Eli pulls back slightly.
With a smirk on his face he says, “You missed out the parts of me being super hot and a beast in bed.”
 “If I say that will you shut up and kiss me?” she retorts with a mocking roll of her eyes.
“Sure,” shrugs Eli happily.
“Fine....Huh, the things I say in the name of love,” mutters Ivy only to gain a prodding clearing of the throat noise from Eli.
“Eli Carter...you’re so hot you make the sun seem like embers to your fire. You are by far the most gorgeous being to walk this planet...And...”
“And...?” prompts Eli smirking wider at his mate’s clearly sarcastic words.

“You are-you are a sex-God....And now, you’re going to prove me right..."

A/n Yes, that was the last chapter, well, the last real one. The next will be an epilogue, not sure when that will be up but it will be soon and within a month. Only after that shall I start posting Adrian's story. 
xx