Hey guys!

Just want to let you know that I won't be posting Mara on Wattpad anymore.

Instead, it's going to be available on Inkitt, and app you can download from the App Store.

You can search up Mara and will be able to read it for free, with no ads or extra costs!

This is also my publishing company, which is part of the reason I'm writing for them.

I will be continuing to post my other work like Faye and Fate onto Wattpad (:

Here's Chapter One for you guys so you can get an idea of the story!

***

~Mara

I have no idea where Kaden is meant to be.

The spot he requested me to go is burned into my memory forever. It's special, in a way, so it makes sense that he wants to meet here. However, I'm standing exactly where I assumed I would see him. Instead, I'm here alone, the gentle sounds of nature and leaves caressing each other above my head is all I can hear. A part of me wants to turn around and go back before Kaden comes.

Even though, I'm fully prepared for the Kaden I know too. Whenever I look in his eyes, I almost melt. Something about him, whether it be the mate bond, or just my blatant attraction for him, but he sweeps me off his feet with just a smile and a slight glance.

That's why I need to leave. Right now. This was a stupid mistake.

"How do you do it?"

I jump, my heart nearly failing right there. With my hand against my chest, I turn to face the direction of the voice. He stands there, naturally looking at ease. He tends to be able to achieve this in any situation, as he leans back against the tree, managing to get there without me noticing.

"How do you sneak up on people so easily?" I question, taking a few moments to regain my breath back. Does he enjoy finding new ways to take my breath away? I don't think this is my favourite way compared to what he has expressed in the past.

"How do you always look so effortlessly beautiful?" he continues, taking a slow, deliberate step toward me. "How do you make me fall in love with you all over again, from a single glance?"

I fold my arms over my chest, like a barrier against his advances. "This isn't what I'm here to talk about."

I'm firm in my words, which he seems to understand, not taking any further steps toward me. I breathe in deeply, as he motions behind him. Hopefully he doesn't realise how much I'm regarding him.

He hasn't changed. Much. His eyes are still the same. Dark, piercing and unrelenting, as it gives so room to escape his gaze. However, there are shadows under them, relating to a lack of sleep or perhaps even stress. His shoulders seem tense, and his hair a little too long. It reaches to his eyelashes, all shaggy and unbrushed. Still, he's my mate.

He speaks to get my attention. "Shall we walk, then?"

"Where?" I ask, as he turns, making his way between the two trees behind him. I follow tentatively, wondering where he is going to lead me.

"I have something set up for you, that I think you might like."

He turns slightly, holding his hand out to me. I stare at it for a few moments. Kaden and I haven't touched in ten months, and for whatever reason, the idea of it seems so daunting. He smirks slightly at my hesitation, keeping his hand outstretched.

"What? You're not going to hold my hand?" he questions, making me scowl "Have you forgotten I'm your mate?"

With a clenched jaw, I slide my hand into his, but mainly out of spite and embarrassment for my initial hesitation. Feeling his warmth and the subtle sparks is unexplainably satisfying. This is what I'm afraid of. I didn't want to touch him like this again because now, I suddenly don't want to let go. And I don't, until we make is to a small clearing. A blanket had been laid out.

"This is beautiful," I say softly, glancing up at him. "And you set this up just for me?"

"Have you forgotten I'm your mate?" he says again, that smirk on his face not looking as if it's about to go anywhere.

"You can stop saying that," I mutter. "I can assure you I haven't forgotten."

Kaden motions to the blanket, so I sink down onto it, feeling the softness from the long grass underneath it. This is such a beautiful setting, which I should have expected from Kaden. He's chosen a place that I love, under the canopy of the trees. Here, the breeze comes in at a perfect pace, the sun only just hitting my shoulders. I could live out here.

By the looks of Kaden, that's what he has been doing.

"Good. Because I haven't forgotten about you," he murmurs, sitting beside me on the blanket. I sit cross legged, trying not to look too comfortable. I don't want him to get the wrong idea about why I am here, which I assume is going to be the case regardless.

"Is that what you think has happened over these ten months? That I've forgotten about you?" I question, trying to fathom. How could he ever think that he would leave my mind? He hasn't.

Not even for a second.

He swallows, his gaze trained on his hand, that smoothes over a crease in the blanket. "You haven't contacted me. I miss you, I miss my daughter."

"I didn't know where you were," I argue, thinking of all the hours I spent telling people to hunt him down. Not just to speak to him again, but to have peace of mind that he was okay. Even though, I knew I would find him, then recluse back into fear of having to look at him again. I'm surprised I'm even here today to see him.

I decide to add, "nor did I know whether I could ever forgive you for what I did."

"Have you?"

"I still need time to think," I say, shifting uncomfortably.

Kaden has raised his gaze, staring directly at me. As much as I love his eyes, his gaze is always so pressing. A part of me thinks he looks at me this way on purpose, to drain all the truth from me. I'm not here to lie though. I'm here to help him understand my intentions.

"I gave you this time, Mara. Because I know what I did was wrong, but I'm here to ask if you will forgive me. That you will continue to love me like a mate, and allow to me love you back," He murmurs.

I stay still, unsure of how to answer him. Selecting my next few words was easy as I divert my gaze from him, training it up to the sky, that I can hardly see through the leaves.

"Kaden, I still love you," I breathe.

"But you don't want to be with me anymore?" he asks. "She's alive Mara. I misunderstood my own strength, and I'm willing to work to control myself."

I can feel the emotion in this small space, between us, that is only getting more heated. Taking a shuddering breath, I try not to get angry at him. There is no way I'm about to feel the same way as I did when this first happened. When he first killed that young girl. Perhaps it was an accident, but it happened.

"Around our daughter?" I mention, frowning slightly. That's the only amount of frustration he needs to see. "If you came home today, could you handle yourself?"

"Of course. I would never do anything to hurt Shaye. All I want is to protect you both,' he pleads. He manages to do it so brilliantly, not looking desperate, just honest. It makes me want to cave instantly and believe him, but I know I can't do that. Not today.

"There hasn't been enough time for me to figure this out," I exasperate. "This is also not what I came here to talk about."

Kaden frowns slightly, but only looks disheartened for a second. "And what is it that you want to talk about?"

"I want you to come back. Not live with me, but come back. You left me with your Pack, and I'm struggling with it, and raising Shaye," I say carefully, picking my words to not be harsh, just firm.

"Of course, I'll come back," he comments.

I narrow my eyes slightly, unsure if he is understanding the rules that I have put forward. "I want you to continue carrying the Pack in the direction I have brought it in. Crime rates are dropping, and I'm starting to see the place turning into something good."

"You're turning it into the Purity Pack?" He asks.

"Kaden," I say, my fists slightly clenching, filled with all the energy I'm about to send toward his face is he happens to insinuate that again.  "You know how I feel about that place."

He sighs, seeming to change his tact. "If it makes you happy. I'll do anything for you."

I eye him suspiciously, as he leans back, making himself comfortable on the blanket. How long does he think we are going to be lying there? He surely seems as if he isn't taking this as seriously as I would like him to.  My assumption is that he's going to waltz right back into the Vengeance Pack, into my life, and take everything back to the way it was before.

"Why do I feel as though it's not as simple as that."

Kaden watches me for a moment under his fringe of messy hair. I want to run my fingers through it to bring it back to the way it used to be. Even though, this look does suit him. Well, it suits the dark and potentially dangerous manner he used to have. Or perhaps, still does.

He reaches out slightly to where my hand lays. "What's bothering you about that, Mara?"

"I want you to know that this is just a business agreement. This isn't me welcoming you back into my home, into my bed. I just need you to be the Alpha again," I explain, watching him draw soft patterns over the top of my hand. It's only the slightest bit of touch, but it feels delightful.

"Is that right?"

"Yes, and I'm not going to be swayed by you. A lot has changed since you left," I tell him firmly. To make my point more valid, I slowly slip my hand away, protecting it from his touch.

The instant I do that, I regret it.

"I believe you," he says, tilting his head slightly.

"So that's it?" I question, wanting to make sure he is fully understanding me. "You're come back and work?"

He ponders that. "I do have one question."

"And what's that?"

"Have you moved on?" he asks softly.

I pause before answering that, needing some time to think. How do I tell him that every night when I close my eyes, I worry about him? I used to worry about where he was, and what he was doing, and perhaps it had entered my mind that he had been the one to move on. It wouldn't have surprised me that he met a beautiful female willing to accept the way he truly wants to be.

I decide on a casual way of saying it. I don't want to come off too bothered by this.

"Of course not," I say, "that's never going to happen, Kaden."

"Do you want to? Are you going to find a man with perfect morals from the Purity Pack, who will work a nine to five job to come home and give you boring sex until you go insane?" he questions.

I flinch at how crude and direct his question is. "Why does it matter?"

"I'm just curious."

"Well I'm curious too."

"Are you?" he asks, raising a dark eyebrow. I almost don't see it. "About what exactly?"

I stretch out slightly. "I'm curious about where you have been these past months. I know you. You had to be doing something, so what was it?"

"I was giving you space," he tells me, to which I roll my eyes.

"You know that's not the answer I'm looking for."

He sat forward. "I travelled around. Did some work here and there. Mainly I just wanted to get away from everything and calm down, and try not to be angry at myself for what I did. Even though I wanted every day to go back to your door and beg on my knees for your forgiveness, I knew I needed to give you time otherwise you would send me out of your life forever."

I'm stunned into silence for a moment at his admission of honesty. Had this been another situation, I would have leant forward to kiss him, but I stay in my spot.

"What brought you back now?"

"I thought that if I didn't at least try, you would forget about the life we had before any of this happened," he tells me, dropping his gaze.

I lean forward, grabbing his hand before I could even consider what I'm doing. "You know I could never forget."

We stare at each other for a long moment. A part of me misses this; just looking at him, into his eyes. I know, however, that this won't last. The shadows of evening darken his face, cradling his eyes in an almost frightening look. But this is my mate, and I love him no matter what. Even considering our past.

"It's getting late, you should probably get back," Kaden says suddenly, jolting me from my thoughts. I hadn't thought he would be the one to initiate our goodbye.

"So, this is real? You are going to come back and be Alpha?" I ask.

"Absolutely."

We stand, him helping up by my elbows. All the silent moments between us are filled with so much emotion and what I think is love. It takes willpower beyond belief to tear myself away from him, and take a few steps backward.

"Do you know how to get back?" he asks. I nod.

"When will I see you next?"

"Soon Mara."

I back away, wondering if that's what I really want to do. Deep down, in the part of my body I refuse to accept, I know that's not the case. This is my mate, the man I love, and yet still, I doubt everything.

"I love you," I whisper. Without even regretting it too.

"And I love you," he murmurs, before he turns, and disappears into the trees. Into the darkness.

(the link to the rest of the story will be up on my profile (:)