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Lily has been intensely silent today and I have no idea what's going on in her mind. It's been a full week since she moved into my pack house but I've made no progress in attempting to get closer to her or even understand her. Sometimes it's like trying to get blood out of a stone.

But I'm trying to be considerate because I have no idea what has happened in her lifetime, it might be something that she's not comfortable with sharing or even wanting to remember. So I don't want to push her away because we've barely developed our relationship.

She is sitting at the kitchen island and I'm making lunch for the both of us. Her eyes are focusing on a magazine on the counter but she's not reading the words, she's just staring. Blank expression, nothing to observe.

"Lily?"

She barely flinches.

"Lily?"

I step closer and reach her side.

"Lily?"

Her eyes snap up to mine and she runs her tongue along her bottom lip. She seems slightly startled but then settles back into the stool when she realises that it's just me.

"Did you sleep okay?"

Lily shrugs and I chew on the inside of my mouth, I huff out a sigh and turn back to the chopping board.

"Are you hungry?"

Nothing.

I turn around to her and she's looking down at the counter again.

"How can we bond if you don't talk to me?" I raise my voice unexpectedly and finally her blue eyes look at me on purpose. "I'm really trying with you, giving you space but I don't feel like I'm getting anything back."

Lily's lips move from side to side and she tugs at the ends of her hair. "I never said I wanted to be here."

I roll my eyes in response because if she wanted to leave she could. I told her that she is not my prisoner and that she can do as she wishes and yet she's still here. So there is a deeper meaning to her current mood.

"Enough with this bad girl attitude. You're homeless for God's sake. Like that life is any better than this one!" I exclaim as I rest my hand down onto the counter in front of her.

Lily studies my actions and looks away.

Yet no response.

My eyes shut in defeat but I won't give up. If she needs extra attention and extra care then I'll give it to her because I have to understand her. By giving her the benefit of the doubt, I'm pouring my whole trust into her stand-offish behaviour and I pray it pays off.

I plate up our lunch and place it in front of her, sliding into the stool beside her. She picks up her fork and starts eating slowly and I do the same, her hair falls across her face so I can no longer see her features. I resist the urge to lean forward and tuck them behind her ear.

We haven't even touched, our skin has never collided. Not once. And I cannot begin to tell you how much I just want to caress her cheek or hold her hand, feel that bond through our electric spark.

But I get the idea that Lily doesn't want to be touched so I don't. Not without her consent.

My throat clears to get her attention but she doesn't look at me. "I did what you said and I googled kleptomaniac."

Lily's eyes dart to mine in a matter of seconds. "Decided I'm crazy yet?" She lowers her fork.

"No, I haven't." I sit taller on the stool. "It hasn't changed my opinion on you whatsoever."

She stares me down, a little startled and then a clear look of confusion. "Well you should," her face is hidden again. "I'm not sane."

I shrug at her words and drop my elbows onto the table. "Well I guess that's for me to decide."

Lily eats half of her food and then leaves the knife and fork in the centre of the plate. A hand rakes through the top of her hair and she catches my eyes. "Why are you even giving me the time of day?" She scrunches up her face. "I told you I'm not a nice person."

"Because you are my mate and mates are meant to understand each other. I'm not going to give up on you just because you think you're not sane." I fold my arms across my chest and she watches the action, heat rises to her cheeks and she looks directly at the wall.

Her head shakes in response. "That's not a good enough reason." She drops her tone to a quiet one.

I slide a hand closer to her and she doesn't flinch. "Do you have to fight everything I say?"

Lily purses her lips and pulls her body further away from the counter, arms folding around her body like she's trying to protect herself. My lips slip into a frown and my heart aches at her current stance.

"Someone has hurt you, haven't they?" I say quietly. "That's why you have no trust towards me, you don't believe in good things happening. You don't understand why I'm being nice to you."

"No," she snaps. "No one has hurt me."

I lean in closer, a move to show that I'm trying to comfort her without being intrusive. "You don't have to lie to me," my head shakes. "You are safe here, you are completely safe here and I would never let anything happen to you."

She pushes herself away from the island suddenly and stands. "You know nothing about me," her lips tremble and I can see a line of tears coating her eyelid.

"Lily," I stand from the stool but she's already walking away. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I've fucked this. "I just want to understand you, help you with whatever you're going through."

The sound of her feet pattering against the floor echoes in my mind, she heads straight for the stairs and is out of sight.

"Fuck," I slam the counter in response and extend my head up to the ceiling. "Idiot, Everett. You're a fucking idiot."

I grip onto the edge of the counter and contemplate my next move. Lily needs space, that's obvious but I don't know what else to do to gain her trust. Time is what I'm relying on, sooner or later things will get better over the course of a few weeks, even months.

But we will get there, no matter how long it takes.

She might want me to give up on her but she has another thing coming.

I take off to my office and shut myself inside. Deep down I'm angry at myself but I also don't know what else I could have done. If I don't probe her with questions, spark anything between us then nothing will progress.

She cannot slip through my fingers before I even have her.

I've spoken to Fran about our situation but she's not been very helpful considering that she stole some of her items. She won't let it go and she's being annoyingly biased about our relationship and it's something that I don't want to hear. She'd never say that shit about Jesse, she can be such a hypocrite sometimes.

So I do the only other thing I can think of and ask Cleo to come round and give me some advice on this situation. Cleo has been through hell and back. I know that when she first met Kassian they didn't get along but now they are practically inseparable and I need to know how to get to that state of belonging. And I want that for Lily because she deserves a place of safety. Somewhere she can call her forever home and I want that to be me.

There is a knock at my office door and I sit up in my seat. "Come in," I call and Cleo steps into view.

Her hair has been cut shorter and she's wearing a long blue coat that is soaked. "Hey," she grins and shuts the door behind her.

"Hi," I stand from my chair and walk around my desk.

I embrace her quickly and she chuckles. "Sorry, it's been hammering it down outside." She mumbles before pulling away.

My hands brush down my slightly damp t-shirt and I shrug. "No matter, sit down." I urge and she peels off her coat. "Drink?"

"Hmmm," she glances around my office. "Something non-alcoholic, sure."

"I have an appletizer, think that's about it," I turn to look at my cupboard of drinks.

Cleo laughs. "Yeah sure, it's only two o'clock after all."

I pour us two glasses although I wish that I was drinking whiskey because I am out of ideas and I'm running my mind into the ground by thinking about it every moment of every day.

"So what's the problem?" Cleo glances up at me as I perch in the chair opposite her.

My throat clears and I take a sip of my drink to dampen my throat, Cleo's green eyes remaining focused on mine. "So..." I start. "I found my mate."

Cleo's mouth falls open instantly and she leans forward to place down her cup, she claps her hands once and then twice. "Fuck, Everett! This is amazing, I am so happy for you," she shares with me the brightest grin. "What is she like? Tell me everything, right now!"

I laugh because I wish I could tell her what she's like but really, I know barely anything about her at all.

"It's really not been easy," I push back into the chair and Cleo frowns.

"Why?"

"I met her the night of the committee meeting but she told me that she's bad news and she'll be doing me a favour by not getting involved with me," the words burn to say but I have to get this out or it'll eat me alive. "But I fought and I went to find her the next day, she's been living homeless for three years."

Cleo's brows crease and she shakes her head. "Oh God, is she okay?"

I shake my head. "She has no trust in me or anyone. I have no idea what has happened in her past but she refuses to open up, she barely talks to me. It's like she doesn't want to bond at all. Our matebond is barely there because getting anything out of her is impossible."

"She needs time, Everett."

"I know but she's hurt, she's so hurt and I can't do anything about it."

"Don't give up on her."

"You're already speaking my mind," I smile softly. "I won't, I never will. No matter how difficult she makes it for me, I will never abandon her."

Cleo breathes out through her nose and glances at my bookshelf. "Just try and change things up from day to day. Maybe stop asking questions about her past and start asking questions about what she likes, what she enjoys, things that make her happy. Become her friend first and then work towards a deeper relationship."

"And if that doesn't work?" I sip my drink.

She bites down on her bottom lip and then clicks a finger in my direction. "Why don't you take her out for a run? Just you two. That way it can prove that you trust her, that you are allowing her to be free and whoever she wants to be. It might give her that freedom she needs to open up her heart." Cleo speaks gently and I find myself nodding.

"Yeah," I lean my arms on my knees. "That is a good idea."

"See?" She smiles back at me smugly. "I am pretty great with advice."

I smile back and nod. "You are, thanks."

"I know you, Everett. You're patient and kind, she will learn to trust you sooner or later. And when she does, she'll realise that she had nothing to worry about in the first place." She expresses lightly.

"I hope so. How are you and Kassian?"

"Really good," Cleo flashes me a bright grin. "Finally got used to running the pack together but we're getting through it all. Finding where we fit and how to benefit the pack but I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else."

The smile on my face is imminent. "You guys are really great together," I exhale with joy. "I'm so pleased that I got the chance to meet you all, it's like we've developed our own little family between packs."

Cleo's head nods vigorously. "I was saying this to Kassian the other day, we're lucky to have met an Alpha like you with such a great pack."

"Likewise with you as Luna."

She raises her glass and I clink it with mine.

"Thanks for coming over, I really needed someone to push new thoughts into my mind." I run a hand through my hair and tug at the strands gently.

"No problem," she shakes her head like it's nothing. "What's her name?"

"Lily."

"Lily, that's cute."

"Yeah but something just feels wrong and off."

Cleo offers me a slanty smile. "What's she look like?"

"She's fucking gorgeous," I say instantly and Cleo's eyes widen with a bright grin. "She's blonde with long, long hair. The lightest blue eyes I have ever seen. I bet her smile is breathtaking but I have yet to see it."

"You'll get that smile, Everett. I promise you. Because I know you can make that girl the happiest girl in the world. You're going to treasure her like gold and show her everything that she is missing in life." Her expression speaks truth and listening to her helps my shoulders relax.

And deep down I hope she's right because that's exactly how I want to treat her, with nothing but love and care. Prove to her that she can trust me even when she doesn't want to. Hopefully she will realise that she should have opened up sooner when she understands how soft I really am on the inside.

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Author's Note

Hello my loves. What did you guys think of this chapter?👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼

Any suspicions as to what happened to Lily?🥺

I adore how patient Everett is and that speaking to Cleo has him looking into the mind of a woman. Also who missed Cleo? She's an absolute Queen!👑👑👑

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