38\u2013My Desperate Friend Wants My Mate\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baxter:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ever since I heard the voice call between Madeline and Graham, I had been deeply unsettled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even though I had to stay in her suite because I signed up to check on the kids while they slept, I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about Graham and what he\u2019d told Madeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even when Madeline was feeding her kids or having dinner alone in the room, I kept wondering what was going\u00a0<\/p>\n
on in her mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was she thinking about Graham and what he had said to her? And why would he say those things now?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I remembered our previous conversations, and not once had he ever confessed to having feelings for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe there had been a little jealousy from Graham now and then, but I never thought it was something serious,\u00a0<\/p>\n
at least not until now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I groaned as I rested on the couch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to lie here. If you want, you can sleep in my room. I\u2019ll stay with the kids,\u201d Madeline said as she came out, carrying a big blanket and a pillow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The couch was a big one, but it was still too small for me to get comfortable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, it\u2019s okay. I want you to rest. You haven\u2019t been able to sleep,\u201d I told her, assuring her that I wouldn\u2019t even be sleeping throughout the night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy? You\u2019ve been awake too,\u201d she replied. Her voice was neutral.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted her to show concern, to show some emotion, because I needed to know what she was feeling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry about me. I usually stay awake for days,\u201d I said, glancing at her from the corner of my eye to see if she was listening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, okay then. Wake me up whenever you\u2019re tired. Don\u2019t force yourself to stay awake,\u201d she murmured, placing a cold glass of water on the table for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But that was it. She didn\u2019t ask what I meant by staying awake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It stung more than I wanted to admit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wondered how much we had hurt her for her to be so afraid of showing emotion toward me now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before, if I had told her I hadn\u2019t slept, she would come over, take care of me, and cook all kinds of comfort food.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was distraught watching her walk away to her room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She closed the door, but I didn\u2019t hear a lock click.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course not, she wanted me to be able to wake her if I needed her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sighed, still staring in the direction of her room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you go and tell her that you need her?\u201d my wolf teased, waking up with a hint of mischief.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had always been there for me through my pain and suffering, but when it came to finding a mate, we\u2019d never had any luck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
38\u2013My Desperate friend Wants My Mote\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
We hadn\u2019t talked about it, because we both knew things would get messy with everything involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, that\u2019s not true, no matter how many times you say it,\u201d I told him, cutting him off again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what I did. Even when he was calm with me, I knew the truth\u2013that he would disappoint me after staying awake for more than a few minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So it was better if we didn\u2019t communicate at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cReally? Is it not? Well, I hope you realize soon that she\u2019s our mate and that you need her,\u201d he said before going\u00a0<\/p>\n
silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, I just stared into the distance. I groaned and shifted on the couch, then quickly grabbed my phone to check on Graham.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A whole day had passed, and I had a bad feeling. When his response came, I already knew my intuition had been right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m headed over anyway. We\u2019ll talk there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a voice note from Graham that made the ground drop from under my feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I instantly started calling his number, worried about why he wanted to come here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHello?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as he answered, I hurried away from the couch, moving to the corner of the living room to make sure Madeline couldn\u2019t hear our conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you coming here? You\u2019re not needed. We\u2019re taking care of everything. Don\u2019t worry,\u201d I told him, the urgency clear in my voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDude, it\u2019s not for that. I just need to come there. I\u2019ll speak with you later,\u201d he replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And without explaining anything, he hung up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anxiety was driving me crazy. I kept calling again and again, but he never answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eventually, I gave up. I sat on the couch, getting up every few minutes to check on the kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, I left the door open and stayed awake on the couch, keeping an eye on them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All night, I anxiously tapped my foot or cracked my knuckles, worried that Graham might show up in the morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He must have taken a flight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And just as I feared, when morning came, the door opened to reveal the devil. I was still sitting on the couch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t even had my morning coffee when my friend rushed in, looking anxious and exhausted, like he\u2019d been through hell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, hey!\u201d I said quickly, jumping up and rushing toward him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so sorry. Where\u2019s Madeline?\u201d he asked, his tired eyes showing how sleepless he\u2019d been.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s sleeping. Why don\u2019t you rest a little first?\u201d I said, gesturing toward the couch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He glanced at the couch, then looked at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
38\u2013My Desperate Friend Wants My Mate\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you two been sharing a suite?\u201d he asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I rolled my eyes. He had just arrived, and already he was acting like I was going to answer his questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe kids have been in pain, especially Gina,\u201d I mumbled, glancing down to adjust my shirt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lifted my brow slightly and stared at Graham through my eyelashes, not raising my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The frown on his forehead deepened at the mention of Gina, his daughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? Gina\u2019s been in pain? Why? What happened to her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The anxiety in his voice made me step in front of him like a wall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s sleeping right now. You can\u2019t wake her up. Let her rest. She\u2019s a child, Graham. What\u2019s wrong with you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The defensiveness in my tone came from fear\u2013fear that Graham was here to claim either the child or Madeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I wasn\u2019t going to let that happen. Not while I was still standing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you here for, Graham?\u201d I asked firmly, refusing to dodge the main question.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But instead of avoiding it, he surprised me by being honest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here to tell Madeline how I really feel about her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As soon as he said that, my ears perked up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby\u2019s writing style is bold and irresistible\u2014perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.<\/p>\n
38\u2013My Desperate Friend Wants My Mate\u00a0 Baxter:\u00a0 Ever since I heard the voice call between Madeline and Graham, I had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-no-daddy-novel-by-novelnozi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19034"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19239,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19034\/revisions\/19239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}