There was some talking about things Megan wasn’t clued in on. She didn’t get the feeling he was ashamed or being rude but that he didn’t know how to bring her into his world.

Her phone rang. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.” She stood up and moved into a far corner, not wanting to disturb anyone’s meal to takeLex’s call. They might not have manners but she did.

“I’m just checking in on you. How are things?”

She smiled at of her brother’s voice. “It’s warm. Sunny. I’m eating some pretty on a pretty plate with pretty utensils. Did everyone get back on the road safely?”

“They’ll be home tomorrow. The wedding went well apparently. And you’re not telling me anything. I didn’t ask about the weather.”

Lex got her in a way the others didn’t. She took a deep breath as she searched for the words and realized even if she had them, she couldn’t say them without wanting to cry. “I can’t right now. I’m coming home day after tomorrow. We’ll talk then.”

“Okay. Do you need me to do anything to get your house ready for him? Will he move up with a truck or? A service? Will all his stuff fit into that house?” Lex knew even as he asked, damn him.

“I said I can’t right now. I’ll see you Wednesday. My love to everyone.” She hung up and swallowed back tears.

The others had left by the time she came back. Shane eyed her but said nothing as she sat back down across from him. “I’m sorry. It was Lex.”

“Ah.” He must have felt she was upset but said nothing about it.

“Are you coming back with me on Wednesday?” She knew she blurted it out but for heaven’s sake, how long was she supposed to not ask about the future?

“I have to work this week. I’ll come visit soon. Or you can come back here.”

She chewed her food, concentrating on the needed calories and not hitting him with her shoe. “So, you envision this like what? Going steady?”

He looked around. “Not here.”

Yeah she was done. Not here and not now, apparently. Standing up, she tossed her napkin

down and grabbed her bag. “I’m done. I’ll get a cab back to your house.”

He moved to stand and she held a hand out.

“You’re being ridiculous and making a scene.”

“I’m making a scene? I am? You might have a lot more letters after your name than I do but a scene is having a group of people talk around one person no one bothers to even address.” She narrowed her eyes at him when he started to interrupt. “It doesn’t even matter. I got the point at last. I’m waking up to just what this is and what it isn’t.” She took a step back and growled in a low voice when he tried to grab her arm, “If you stand up and get near me they’ll need to call the paramedics. Leave me alone.”

She was proud of the way she stalked out, head held high.

Once she’d gotten back to his house she began to pack. There was no use in pretending.

He wasn’t going to move to Seattle. He wasn’t going to accept who he was, or even who she was. He wanted the glory of f**king a mate but none of the responsibility of belonging to someone. To something.

She was a werewolf. Period. Yes, she was his mate and that tied her to him for the rest of her life. But it didn’t mean she would tie her life to someone and make them both miserable in the offing. She wanted him to be happy. In the days since she’d laid eyes on him, it’d become inescapable that she loved Shane very much. She knew he thought it too soon and she accepted that he didn’t love her the way she did him. She could deal with him needing time to get to know her. But that wasn’t what he was asking for.

Perhaps it made her selfish and unfair but she wasn’t going to give up her life, her Pack, her family and who she was to move to Las Vegas and pretend to be everything she wasn’t so he could continue to pretend he was human what? She didn’t fit into his life.

He wasn’t shallow. They’d had deep conversations, she knew he volunteered several times a year to man the community healthcare clinics that tended to lower income

populations. He had a heart, he made her laugh and she liked him when he was being himself.

But he wasn’t himself as often as he could have been. As he should be. The people at the restaurant she’d met, or rather who patently ignored her, were not what she be like.

Megan loved her life. Loved her connection to who she was and what she did. Trading it for an empty existence far away from her family to be with a man who was afraid of his own identity wasn’t what she wanted and she’d certainly not bring children into a family with a dad who would make them hate themselves.

The front door opened and closed. Steps sounded and got closer until he entered the room and halted. She steeled herself, knowing she’d want to fall into him once she saw his face.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” she asked, tossing her toiletries into the bag.

“You’re not supposed to go back until Wednesday.”

“No I wasn’t.”

He grabbed her arm. “Megan, this is stupid. Why? I thought you get to know me. To take this time together.”

“Don’t!” She yanked her arm away from him. “I have been taking this time. I have been trying to get to know you. I’ve asked to meet your parents but you want to delay it. I’ve asked to meet your friends and see where you work but you delay it. And when we do, well you don’t even bother to introduce me to your ex’s friends. I’ve asked to talk about the future but you put me off. I’m trying and you are not. You like to f**k me. That’s it.