Page 27 of The Runaway Mate

“I’ve been there!” Wally said. “It’s a nice town, good Pack Alphas if I recall?”

“Kara and Ajak. Yes. They’re good people. Their Beta is a wolf named Korrin, and Korrin has a son, Seth.”

Wally leaned forward. “Uh-huh, I just know we’re getting to the good bit now.”

I nodded slowly, remembering the first time I’d seen him. “I was in a coffee shop, working on a website. He sauntered over and said, ‘Impressive,’ in a deep, growly voice. I thanked him, and he said he was talking about me, not my work. I was flattered, you know?”

Wally nodded. “You hadn’t had much male attention before, had you? And then Ryan’s mishap made you feel that maybe there was something wrong with you?”

I glanced at him, wondering how he knew that from what I’d told him. He must have read the question on my face.

“It’s what I would have thought.”

I blinked. Was it that obvious?

“Go on, what happened with Seth?” Wally urged me to continue.

“Seth made me feel special and appreciated, something I hadn’t ever felt before. We started seeing each other. No red flags. He was attentive, kind, and seemed genuinely interested in my life. But things changed over time. He became controlling—commenting on my clothes, discouraging me from making friends. I put it down to him being tired or stressed with work—he was being trained as an enforcer. His dad wanted him to take the Beta spot one day, but Korrin is a hard man to please. He was always telling Seth he wasn’t good enough, that he had to be better. Seth tried to hide it, but it really got to him. He wanted nothing more than to get his dad’s approval. I thought that was why Seth was so on edge all the time, and I knew exactly what things would annoy him, so I started to avoid doing them, or saying them, or wearing certain clothes.

“It wasn't until Seth started trying to control my work schedule that I realized how toxic our relationship had become. With my business, I can set my own hours. For me, the best time of day is the early morning; I love watching the dawn come up with my laptop and a mug of coffee. But Seth, he began to get angry about it, insisting that I should stay in bed with him until he decided to get up. I finally realized how much of myself I’d changed to fit around Seth, and now he wanted me to change how and when I worked, too. It felt suffocating; I needed to end it."

“I’m guessing that did not go well.”

I shook my head. “He wasn’t angry at first. He just laughed at me. I told him I was serious, and he stared at me with this look of betrayal on his face. Then he punched me. I was so surprised, I didn’t do anything. Just curled up as he started kicking me. He… he…”

Wally squeezed my arm again. “It’s okay.”

I took a deep breath; the room was filled with the scent of my fear and adrenaline.

“After… after he said, ‘You’re never leaving.’ Then he slammed my head against the floor, and I passed out.” I stopped there, unable to go on.

“Here,” Wally said gently as he handed me a tissue.

I frowned, then touched my cheek. It was wet.

When did I start crying?

“You’re safe, Mai. He can’t hurt you here.”

I wiped the tears with the tissue before continuing, “When I came to, Seth wasn’t there. It took me a while to crawl to the couch and get myself up. But I knew what I had to do. I grabbed a few things, then got to my car. I was so scared that he would come back before I could get away.”

“But you did. You escaped him,” Wally said gently.

I nodded. “I drove out of Cocrane and came straight here.”

Chapter nineteen

Mai

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that. But you’re here now, and we’re not going to let anyone hurt you ever again, are we, Thomas?”

Thomas nodded. “You’re safe now, Mai. You’re strong. I have no doubt you’ll find your way. And remember, you’ve got a whole Pack here to support you. The Shaw boys might be a handful, but they’re good at their jobs. They’ll track down Seth and make sure he leaves you alone.”

“No! I don’t want them to know. I’ll handle Seth if he shows up.”

Wally looked at me, a horrified expression on his face. “Girl, what are you talking about? Of course you need to tell them.”

I shook my head. “I can’t. I feel… I feel so stupid. I should have seen the signs. Why didn’t I leave? Why did I stay with him for so long? And when he started hitting me, what the fuck did I do? Nothing. I’m a fucking werewolf. Ryan trained me to fight before I left, and I kept training wherever I went. I even trained with Seth’s best friend, Isaac. Every Thursday, we’d hit the gym, and I’d learn how to beat the shit out of him. Yet when Seth started hitting me, all I did was curl up in a ball.”

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