A/N: and so we are drawing to a close soon, only two more chapters to go after this one. *Le sigh* Also I rarely write while listening to music but this particular bit was cobbled together while listening to It Ain't Over Til It's Over by Lenny Kravitz and then I was sidetracked by Joss Stone's cover of A Man's World. Yeah, I know...anyway, read on and let me know what you think.

As always I thank those who are following along as well as those who have favorited my little story. You still make me smile.

Once the sex hurdle was abolished, Hermione and Draco found themselves drawing closer. Of course, every month there were nine days that there was no physical connection, only notes and flowers which, oddly enough, drove Hermione absolutely crazy. She did not understand his need to keep his change from her. How could he be her Alpha when he hid half of his life from her?

She wanted to meet him on four paws. She wanted to know him when he could not speak to her, only find her by scent alone. She wanted to touch his fur and watch him hunt, yet he still avoided her and it hurt. She hated missing that part of him and knew that he did not trust her to handle it. Did he not have any faith in her? Did he think she was weak?

Did he expect her to only be a part-time mate?

Was her Omega status considered worthy only for the chance to make an heir, when she was ready?

Should she ask him?

The whole idea was depressing. In fact, it made her feel useless, less than. Did he mean to make her feel this way? Should she talk to Tobias? Her boys? Blaise? She wasn't sure but felt that talking to Draco would get her nowhere. Hell, there was a chance that talking to anyone about this would only cause an issue.

But she was tired.

Finally, a week after the latest full moon, she wrote a note to Blaise. Why him? He was not involved, not like Tobias. As for her boys? They knew, sort of, that she was dealing romantically with Draco but knew nothing of his circumstances. Blaise did not either but he was Alpha in his own right. Maybe he could explain why Draco would withdraw from her.

She just didn't get it.

So~

Dearest B,

Do you think you could meet me for lunch? I would like to pick your brain. Honestly, there is no one I would feel more comfortable talking about this with.

H.

As expected, the handsome chocolate-hued male returned a response almost immediately.

Beautiful One~

I've been thinking of you recently so of course, I will meet you for lunch. After all, we are friends, cara. I will always help when I can.

B.

She dropped another note informing her friend of a time and place, choosing Felicitations once more. Of course, things were not going to be easy today. NO. Draco had decided to come down from his high tower and ask her to join him for lunch.

Dammit.

"I can't, handsome. I am meeting Blaise for lunch today. Had I known you would ask, I would have arranged it for tomorrow."

Gray eyes glinted even as the beginnings of a sneer distorted his handsome features. The reaction was not one she'd seen in quite a long while so she paused, stepped forward, and asked him; "What is your problem?"

"You still meet with Blaise?" He sounded angry, not put out or upset. HIs words dripped with disdain, like ice. "I thought you'd given that up or do you like him sniffing around you?"

Hermione stepped back, a flush of color touching her face. Her hair, which was caught up in a high ponytail, crackled with repressed magic as her own temper rose to meet his. "Are you fucking serious right now? I never stopped seeing Blaise. He's my friend and you knew this back in January! What's the issue?"

A low growl met her words even as he took a step forward, his large hands wrapping around her upper arms and squeezing hard enough to bruise. He spoke softly though, his words the merest whisper of sound. "You will not go kitten. You are mine and I do not share."

"You are not sharing, Draco! I am going to meet a friend and have lunch, not take him back to my house to shag! What the hell!"

"No. I forbid it!"

Hermione paused as anger poured through her, enough so that she yanked herself away from him, breaking his grip on her arms. "You are not my father. You are my mate. That does not mean you own me or can control me. It only means that I fucking chose you and unlike some, I can't take it back." She glared at him, honeyed gaze now the darkest brown. "So back off Draco before I do something we will both regret."

With that, the tall blond male turned on one heel and left, his body stiffly held, his head upright and proud. Hermione could feel the tears gathered at the corners of her eyes but she refused to allow them to fall. Instead, a tissue was procured and she dotted them away. She was not going to allow his bad mood to ruin her plans.

She was her own woman.

'Except you are going to hurt him with this.' She sighed to herself. 'And he will think you gave him up.'

Well, she couldn't argue either of those thoughts but it changed nothing. He would either trust her with his whole life or she would force herself to give up and only make herself available for pregnancy. There could be nothing else. She wanted all of him, not just the pieces he deemed acceptable. The sooner she figured out HOW to make this possible, the happier she'd be.

With that, she headed for the main floor and the floo located there. Moments later, she had stepped through to her favorite little restaurant and had been seated after leaving Blaise's name at the Maitre' D's podium. A few minutes later, the man who had caused such an uproar (an uproar he knew nothing about, or so she'd assumed) had appeared at her side, his tall, muscular frame covered by a summer weight suit in a gorgeous tan material bearing a silken sheen.

Blaise leaned down to press a kiss on her cheek before he settled himself across from her, his dark brown gaze glimmering with repressed good humor. "So, I received an owl before I left to join you. Draco is very upset with the pair of us. VERY upset. Do you want to tell me what the issue is?"

Hermione sighed and dipped her head. "He is angry that I am still meeting you for lunches. He should know I love him but I do have friends and a life other than his..." She paused. "I am sorry to get you involved, Blaise."

The dark-skinned male tossed back his head on a laugh, a deep chuckle that drew shivers up her spine. Once he'd calmed, he turned his attention to her once more. "Cara, had you been mine, I would feel the same. There is something about you that engages my need to keep you all to myself. Even Tracey, as much as I adore her, doesn't cause that."

A server interrupted them for their orders and no more than five minutes had passed before they were feasting on Shepherd's Pie with fresh veggies and cups of tea. Silence reigned for a while as bellies were filled and once the table had been cleared of dishes and silverware, Blaise resumed the conversation.

"So, tell me what's happened that has caused you to need my advice, mio dolce. I don't expect secrets to be spilled but I can't help without background."

"Have you ever heard of an Omega, Blaise?"

He smiled. "Yes and that explains the draw you had between myself and Draco. You would be perfect for either of us. It is obvious though that you've chosen him, otherwise, the shoe might well be on the other foot."

She gave a brief nod as her eyes held his. "Yes well, Draco protects me, even from the things I desire to know about him. He has a separate life, you know? One he refuses to give me access to. I don't know how to approach him with my feelings." Her face flushed in embarrassment as she continued onward. "I can't figure him out, Blaise." Her words ended on a sniffle.

"Il mio piccolo, talking to me won't fix things with him. If he chooses to keep himself separate from you, he must have good reasons. For myself, if I had you and chose to act in such a way, I would want you to express yourself concisely and tell me why I should allow any sort of physical or emotional trauma to happen to you from my choices." He gave her a soft smile. "That would be the only reason, you see. Draco and I, being how we are, would never allow our loved ones to take on our burden without them giving us hell and demanding that we change. If you were mine, I would keep you far away from those things that might cause you harm. I assume Draco feels the same."

Hermione nodded, her mind already drifting toward Draco and all that he meant to her. Was that the case? Did he feel that his wolf would harm her or that she would look at him differently if she saw him in his other form? How could she ease his mind? What could she do? The messy haired young woman was only drawn from her thoughts when Blaise reached over to touch the back of her hand.

"Hermione, take my advice and talk to him without getting emotional. He needs to hear your worries and fears so that he can work to fix them. If you do not give him a chance, things will only grow worse between you." With that, the chocolate-hued male rose from his seat. "Now, give me a hug as my lunch is at an end."

Hermione did as directed, a small smile tucked into the corners of her lips. Once he'd gone, she resumed her seat and asked for another pot of tea. She had some thinking to do and going back to work was not an option when she was still upset by their argument. Alas, Draco's owl did not feel that her absence from work was an option.

No. Instead the gorgeous white owl found her as she sat sipping tea and dropped a missive on to the top of her head, minutes after her lunch partner had gone. With fingers that shook, she plucked the rolled-up scroll from its perch and opened it, her eyes immediately dropping to see what he had written. The words were void of stated feeling; in fact, the note read as if he had been deeply offended and demanded answers to unasked questions.

It made her feel awful.

Hermione,

I expect you back in the office as soon as you receive this as I am sure your lunch date is at an end. You will come directly to me and you will explain why you felt going to another man would be acceptable.

We are not playing house. You are mine as I am yours and anything less than that is not only detrimental to my health but also to your own. In fact, it may well be detrimental to any other male who comes to sniff around your robes.

Be here within five minutes.

Draco

Well hell!

With no further ado, Hermione rose from her seat, tossed some galleons onto the table and walked to the large fireplace in the corner by the entrance. A handful of floo powder, a call of "Malfoy's office!" and she was gone, transported by the roaring green flames. Moments later, she stepped out into the luxurious quiet of her mate's office and before she could say a word, he was on her. He picked her up, cradled her against his chest and growled as he caught Blaise's scent on her clothes, on her face, in her hair.

"What did you do, kitten."

'Oh he's pissed,' she thought but she did explain. "I hugged Blaise goodbye when he left. I did nothing else, Draco."

The lithe blond settled upon his couch with her still cradled in his arms, his hands moving possessively over her rump. "Only a hug? You left even after I told you not to do so, Hermione. How would that make things better?"

"As I told you before, Draco, you are not my father. I make my own choices. Loving you, being mated to you, does not negate my own autonomy."

He smiled sweetly and his gray eyes gleamed silver and gold for a second before being swallowed by icy gray. "You love me, kitten? You've never said and that left me unsure as to whether or not I could invite you home during the next full moon."

Hermione's gaze flew to his own, her honeyed orbs wide. " Of course, I love you. Just because I haven't said it does not mean I do not feel it. You've never said those words either but I know you feel the same. I know it like I know your birthday, your favorite meal or favorite color. Words should not be necessary, Draco." She blinked, her lips curving into a small frown. "I did not think you would ever allow me to be with you at that time."

A sweep of pink touched his pointed features even as a muscle jumped in his jaw. "I was waiting for you to acknowledge it out loud. Was that stupid, kitten? Is that why you ran away from me?"

"Maybe," she acknowledged, "Or at least it was the cause of my upset. I felt as if you were keeping your wolf from me as if you did not trust me. This made me feel as if I was not good enough to carry the burden of your true self. You made me feel useless, Draco."

The young man in question pressed a flurry of kisses to the top of her head and the roundness of her cheek, catching the corner of her full lips. "Next cycle then. You will come home to the manor with me after work while I take the wolfsbane so you can judge my moodiness for your self." He paused, his eyes going a soft shade of blue-gray for a brief moment. "Will you stay with me for the duration?"

She nodded.

"Good. We can't get married until you've seen me at my worst." A brief smile as he caught her chin with slender fingers. "And marriage is the goal for me, kitten." He looked entirely too serious.

Hermione smirked, what else could she do, and husked out a simple, "Yes, Sir."