Free First Beginnings by Clare Atling, Steve Armario Page B

me take you home.’
    ‘Ok, and stop calling me
sweetness!’ she giggled.

 
    Chapter Sixteen
    The next two weeks went by very
quickly for Sarah. There were no more sightings of Marcus or Colt, and nothing
was heard from them since the attack on Seth and Brandon. However, she couldn’t
help but feel uneasy still. Seth had been a complete gentleman – well, perhaps
not a complete gentleman, but he had tried. Every night she slept in his
arms and every morning she woke to find one hand on her breast and the other on
her arse –cheek. He kissed her every night before they fell asleep and every
morning before they showered.
    He showed her round the island.
She, Hope, and Callie walked every day along the shoreline, spending many hours
gossiping about the brothers and island life. However, every time the subject
of Logan was brought up, Callie would become quiet and withdrawn. Sarah had
asked Callie about it a few times, but she had just said that sometimes life
didn’t work out as it was supposed to and, as soon as it was safe, she was
going home.
    Sarah felt her stomach flip at
the thought of going home without Seth and his family. She had come to love it
here and, even more importantly, she had come to love Seth and all the little
things he would do for her. He had bought her an iPad so she could surf the
net, but they just ended up playing games against each other. He let her choose
the films to watch of an evening after he had cooked her dinner, yet not once
had he tried to have sex with her or push her into the mating she knew he
wanted so much.
    If she was completely honest with
herself, she wanted to stay here and make Penn Lake Island her home, but could
she leave Callie and their dreams behind? Callie was like a sister to her and
she would never choose a man over her best friend; but she loved Seth and the
thought of leaving him left her feeling lonely and sad. Callie looked over at
her when she stopped walking.
    ‘Sarah, are you ok?’ Callie asked
worriedly.
    ‘Fuck, Callie, I think I'm in
love with Seth,’ she replied. ‘Oh god. What am I going to do?’ Tears burnt her
eyes. Hope, overhearing, stepped up beside Callie.
    ‘I would say you go home and shag
him senseless,’ said Hope. ‘But that’s my brother we’re talking about, so
urgh!’ She shuddered, but smiled at them both.
    Callie, however, remained
serious. ‘Sarah, go to Seth. He must be going out of his mind at not being able
to touch you. I'm surprised his wolf has lasted this long without a mate. I
love you and will be here for you; nothing will change that. But I can’t stay
on the island knowing I have a mate who hates me.’ Sarah felt Callie’s pain
but, before she could reassure her, Hope took her hand and kissed the back of
it.
    ‘He doesn’t hate you, Callie,’
said Hope. ‘My brother is the most egotistical man alive and has always had
women fall at his feet. I think giving up his freedom is making him act out and
you’re his punching bag, so to speak. He will come round and, if he doesn’t…
well, I’ll chop his dick off and feed it to him.’ She smiled benignly.
    ‘Remind me not to upset you,’
Sarah laughed. ‘But Callie, I just don't think I can let you leave this island
without me. We have worked our arses off for our dream and I can’t give it all
up just because some wolfy sense tells him we’re fated to be together. Can’t
you just stay for a while? Please, Callie? I understand if you can’t, but I promise
I’ll come with you.’ Sarah was now crying openly as Callie hugged her. They
stood like that for several seconds before Hope leapt on both of them.
    ‘You two are like the sisters I
never had,’ she cried. ‘I never thought I would feel such a close connection to
any women like this. It’ll all work out. It has to. I couldn’t bear to
lose you both, especially now you have become part of our family.’ Hope
squeezed them both before letting go.
    ‘Sarah,’ said Callie, ‘you have
to stay and