PREVIOUSLY-

"Stay." He whispered brokenly, looking over at me. He brought his bloodshot eyes to mine. "Please?"

I stood completely still, contemplating his request.

"Why?" I asked, needing to know.

"Because I love you."

Despite the sadness in his eyes as he looked into mine, despite the fact that his wolf had run from me, despite the fact that he probably didn't want me to be there, I knew that it was what we both needed.

I couldn't deny his request. It felt almost like a compulsion, like an alpha order I had to obey. He needed me to stay, so I would stay.

I stepped back inside and shut the door, visibly seeing the tension leave from his shoulders as he walked across the room, directly towards me.

He pulled me into his arms and buried his face into my hair. I felt his tears hit my neck as I held him, too.

We stood there, holding each other for what felt like hours before he reached down, grabbing my thighs, pulling me upwards to wrap my legs around his waist.

He carried me quickly up the stairs, into his room and shut the door, pressing me up against the back of it.

"I could never hate you, Bella. Promise you won't ever try to leave me again." It was a demand, one that I knew came from his inner wolf, and it carried more than one meaning.

"I promise." I replied with complete honesty.

He looked at me for a moment with an unreadable expression before his lips came crashing down against mine.

It was a desperate kiss, both of us taking exactly what we needed.

I knew more than anything that his wolf needed this. It was his reassurance that I was still there, that I wasn't leaving in any way, shape, or form.

It wasn't like before when we had sealed our mating bond or any time after that. Those times had been all Seth until the very end, sweet and gentle.

This was his wolf. It was frenzied and primal, so unlike Seth's normal demeaner, but exactly what we both needed in the moment.

He bit down over my mark again as if needing that extra bit of reassurance.

We crashed down into his bed after we finished, neither of us able to stand any longer. I rolled onto my side, turning to look at him. He was watching me, tracing the planes of my face with his finger, down to my mark.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked cautiously, and I knew my Seth was back. His wolf had retreated.

"No, you didn't hurt me. We both needed that, even if it was a bit… different." I quietly spoke to him. His cheeks turned pink.

"No getting embarrassed on me now, especially not after that." I told him with a small smile, but then I remembered why we were in that position and my smile left. I saw his expression change as well.

"Don't ever do that to me again, Bella." He pleaded.

"I promise, I won't." I responded sincerely. "The pack isn't happy with me right now, are they?"

"They think it was definitely the most stupid, foolish, reckless, death-wish idea you could have possibly had, but they were just more concerned with the fact that they could have lost two members, especially Sam because he's the alpha." Seth told me as I looked away from him, staring at the ceiling.

"We have to go talk to them, don't we?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.

"Oh yeah, most definitely. Though, I'm really glad I kicked Sam out before we talked. I don't think he could have mediated what just happened…" Seth replied with a short chuckle.

"That's probably why he agreed to leave." I told him, feeling my cheeks flush. "Even though I certainly wasn't expecting this outcome, were you?"

"Nope, but I'm not complaining." He retorted. I looked over at him.

"Are we okay?" I asked him seriously.

"We'll be okay, Bella. I'm still not happy with what happened, and I don't think I'll ever be, but I forgive you. I love you. You're my everything. I couldn't hold a grudge before I phased, and I definitely can't hold one against the love of my life." He said, leaning forward to kiss me.

"I love you, too." I told him as I kissed him back.

We dressed, though I ended up having to borrow some of Seth's old sweats because apparently my clothes were a bit ripped… into nothing but shreds. Seth blushed furiously as he picked up my pieces of torn clothing off the floor, throwing it into the trash can with the promise to buy me a new pair of clothes.

He was only wearing his cutoff sweats, which always made me feel weak in the knees. It didn't help that my legs felt like jelly anyways from earlier activities.

My head was aching from crying so much, but as always, Seth knew exactly what I needed, and already had two aspirin waiting for me.

"Are you ready, starshine?" He asked as we walked out of the house. I was really thankful no one else had been home at the time. I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand.

"As ready as I can be." I responded.

A/N- Anyone expect that? 0_0

Sorry for the late update today, I've been setting up my new desk and an external screen for my macbook :)