Page 14 of Bullied Wolf Mate

“You tormented me,” I said. “For years. And after all these years, you show up and expect me to just believe you suddenly have my best interests at heart?”

He gave me a look so perplexed that it had to be genuine. “What are you talking about?”

“Are you saying you don’t remember bullying me every day I was in school?” I asked, both surprised and not at all surprised.

He scratched his neck. “I mean, I know we picked on you a bit because you weren’t a shifter, but that isn’t the same astormenting you.” He frowned, concern creasing his features. “It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

At least he was genuinely asking instead of gaslighting me and saying I was wrong. But the fact that he didn’t realize how bad it had been still stung in its own way.

“Do you remember the time you chased me into the bog?” I asked.

He blinked, brow furrowing. His struggle to remember told me everything I needed to know.

“You destroyed my notes and backpack, made me fall face-first in the muck, then laughed and walked away,” I said.

Comprehension dawned on his face as the memory came back. “That? It was just a joke. We were having a bit of a laugh.”

“Did I look like I was laughing?”

He didn’t answer.

I changed topics. “Why me?” I asked. “Why, of all people, did you pick on me?”

He continued to stay silent. Just as I decided he wasn’t going to answer, he said. “I’m not sure.”

I wasn’t sure if that was everything, but it sounded like that was all I was going to get from him for now.

“Those years in school were the worst time of my life,” I said. “I was happier alone in the woods than I ever was when you were around.”

“It was years ago,” he argued. “I’m a different person.”

“And how the hell do I know that?” I asked. “All you’ve done since waltzing back into my life is kidnap me. That doesn’t really seem like you’ve changed all that much.”

When he opened his mouth again, I held up a hand. “Let me make this perfectly clear,” I said. “I don’t trust you.”

The hurt on his face took me by surprise. He looked like I had just slapped him across the face. I couldn’t help but hesitate for a moment.

His next words surprised me more than anything else he could have said.

“What can I do to make you trust me?” he asked.

I opened my mouth, then closed it. The silence stretched between us as he waited for my answer.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t know.”

Chapter 6 - Mark

Walking into Jameson’s mansion and being assaulted by the scents of half a dozen virtual strangers caused me to momentarily stiffen, my entire body coiled and ready for a fight, until I forced myself to relax, remembering that the Gold Wolves were crashing at Jameson’s. They were using his house as an impromptu headquarters while they set up the new plan against Inara.

Still, I didn’t relax entirely. I had been trying to avoid Declan for the last few days, ever since I’d taken Lorelei to my house. I knew I couldn’t avoid him forever, and the couple of times I had spoken to him since then, I had waited for him to ask about Lorelei. So far, he hadn’t brought her up, but I had caught him glancing in my direction more than once.

But Jameson wanted a meeting with everyone from both groups, so there was no avoiding him today.

Sure enough, when I moved into the hall, Declan’s head popped out from around the corner. “Mark,” he said. “Come on in.” He jerked his head into the living room.

I followed, my trepidation growing. If he was about to confront me about Lorelei, I wouldn’t back down without a fight.

Instead, when I walked in, I saw all of his crew lounging in the living room.

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