"So," Caleb broke our silence that we sat it while we ate. "Will you ever tell me why you're so afraid of the little prick?" He took a bite of his pizza.

We had settled for a pizza shop a couple blocks from my apartment. I had never eat here before but Caleb had convinced me they had the best pizza. It was authentic he told me.

I nearly chocked on the bite I had just taken when he dropped the question. I thought we were over all this. Forcing the bite of food I had in my mouth down I bit my lip nervously.

"He's a dick end of story." I played with the straw of my soda. Caleb noticed my anxious movements dropping his pizza on his plate and reaching across the table. His hand was open as if asking for my own. I looked long at his huge calluses palm before placing my hand in his. My hand dwarfed in his own like it always did.

"Anyone can guess that. Hey, if you don't wanna tell me that's okay. Move at your own pace." He reassured me with a small smile. I returned my own tiny smile.

He was being sweet and understanding. The more we were around each other the more I grew to talk to him. Caleb was patient not rushing me to open up any faster than felt right for me. Now I felt like I owed him an explanation for my irrational, emotional, chaotic disturbance.

"He didn't use to be so... aggressive." I started feeling my chest getting tighter again, I kept my eyes glued on the straw to keep myself from having to look at him. It made it easier to talk. Caleb ran his thumb over the back of hand like he always did, soothing my intensifying nerves. "We met my sophomore year of college in the tutoring center. He needed help in his social problems class and I was assigned as his tutor. The poor guy was clueless as to how to write a paper." I chuckled thinking back to how he couldn't even put a proper citation together. "Fast forward he asked me out we hit it off well. He was nice, perfect, made sure I felt loved by him. Then one day he loses his temper when he came over to my place. Yelling at my, telling me that I was a whore and I would get tired of him and run off with some other guy. I remember that night so well. I yelled back at him telling him he was stupid to ever think I'd cheat on him. I'm not that kind of person." I looked at Caleb. He was listening intently to ever detail I spilled. "I didn't use to be this quite, this passive so I told him to get his ass out of my place if he was going to be an ass. He lost it throwing a punch at me. I wasn't ready but then again why would I. He never hit me before."

"He hit you?" Caleb's eyes were black and his hold on my hand tightened.

"Yes. Multiple times. Hey, your girl got a few punches in too." I joked hoping it would ease his anger. It didn't much it only made his eyes turn back to blue. The tight hold on my hand never faltered. "Once he had enough he admitted to cheating on me and reminded me I was nothing without him. I thought I saw the last of him, that was until he showed up on my birthday and tried to kill me. That's how I ended up meeting you at the club."

"That's why you stabbed me." The pieces were coming together I could see it in Caleb's eyes.

"I wasn't going down without a fight. I was expecting him to come through the door to finish what he started but it was you." I gave a half innocent smile. "Sorry about that. I thought you were going to kill me after I..."

"You thought I was him. I don't blame you." He assured me. "I would never kill you even if you tried to kill me." I blinked a few times shocked at his revelation. "It's a mate bond thing. It makes it almost impossible to want to hurt you let alone kill you."

Caleb had told me all this before but hearing it from him now made it all the more true.

I nodded my head in understanding before taking a bite of my pizza savoring the delicious taste.

We ate in silence but that didn't mean there wasn't some sort of subliminal message that came every time I caught Caleb staring at me. I'd have to force myself to ignore and act as though he wasn't staring a hole through my soul. It was like I was five course meal that he wanted to devour.

Finishing up my plate I stood up to discard it but Caleb's massive hand gently grabbed my arm. He said nothing as he grabbed the plate from me throwing the last bit of his pizza crust in his mouth.

"I got it." He mumbled covering his full mouth with his hand.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to speak with your mouth full?" I joked sitting back down. I watched as he swallowed his food quickly.

"Yes, but she also taught me to be a gentleman. A lady shouldn't have to throw out their own dish when her man takes them out." Her man. The words had left his mouth before he could even comprehend them. "I mean..." Caleb looked antsy at his affirmation, I was too.

We were both antsy though for different reasons. I was antsy because I wasn't sure if I wanted to affirm his comment. I couldn't tell why he was nervous though. Caleb probably was unsettled due to the fact he said something he wasn't one hundred percent certain of. We were at an epic standstill of uncharted waters and all I wanted to do was tell him he was right. That I did want him but it just still sounded so surreal and sudden.

Trying to dismiss the awkward aura we had now created between us Caleb turned around to throw out the smooth plates. Once he got back to our table he extended his hand for me to take. I took it, the mesmerizing tingles sending a shiver through my body.

"I don't think I'll ever get use to that." I admitted glancing down at our intertwined fingers. If I could have it my way I wouldn't ever let go.

There was a subtle chuckle that came from him that had my heart explode with admiration.

"This is nothing compared to how bonding pairs feel once they accept each other." He explained as we started to walk back the couple blocks to the loft again.

"Oh, and what does that feel like?"

"I don't know. I've never felt it before. I've only ever heard what other people say it feels like." As he spoke he looked off ahead as if imagining what it'd be like. I knew what had to be done ever since Taylor explained it to me but the whole marking thing just felt so... inhuman. I thought of it as some sort of branding and it only made the whole thing that more intimidating.

I touched my neck subconsciously as I thought about it all. My actions didn't go unnoticed as Caleb stopped us and drew us into an empty little alleyway. He gently pressed my back up against the brick wall of the building looking down at my now flush complexion. The intimate position and proximity had me blushing like crazy.

"Who told you?" He asked dropping his hands to my hips. This was the first time he ever allowed his hands to fall on my body the way that he was now.

Trying to sound innocent I uttered the question back. "Tell me what?" Doing so only made me look more like I had gotten caught.

He rolled his lips in his mouth in a tantalizing way that had my eyes glued to his perfect full lips. Damn him, he was a masterpiece.

"What did I say about liars Eve?" His voice came out raspy making me bite my lip. It didn't help that he had lowered his mouth to be next to my ear. "Who told you about a mark?" Ever so lightly he let his finger tips graze over the base of my neck, where it met my shoulder. A shudder radiated from where his fingertips touch my heated skin and an alarming amount of, dare I say it... pleasure, flowed through me.

Closing my eyes I forced myself to focus. "Taylor mentioned it to me." My voice was hoarse from trying to keep back a moan. "She wanted to make sure I knew everything I should about your... kind."

"She shouldn't have told you. I should have been." He sounded annoyed he hadn't been the one to tell me first. Honestly I was confused why he so badly wanted it to have been him. It wouldn't have changed anything. I would have still been terrified of the whole biting thing.

Opening my eyes I gazed up at his sapphire orbs that were studying me. "If it makes you feel any better, it wouldn't have made a huge difference. The whole think still scares me."

"I don't want you to be scared of it."

An involuntary laugh came out of me and I sounded condescending when I hadn't meant to. "Sorry, but I don't think that's possible. You're asking me to be okay with you chomping on my neck. What mentally healthy person would say that's normal?"

Caleb pulled away from me his eyes darkening a shade of blue. His once annoyed expression masked into one of loathing. Had I said something wrong? I spoke the truth, I hadn't lied about how I felt about it.

"You're right. Why would I ever think this would be something you'd want." He pulled his hands away and started towards the street again. His back taught with tight muscles and tension. His voice was dripping with revulsion causing my heart to ache with regret. "Hurry up we have places to be tonight."

I didn't know what he meant but I listened dusting myself off from the debris on the wall. We said nothing more to each other the rest of the way back to the loft. Though I wondered where we would be going later, I kept my mouth shut realizing that was the only time things seemed to ever go smoothly.