Page 33 of Bullied Wolf Mate

I grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to me. “I’ll keep dictating it as long as you keep making stupid decisions.”

“Would you just listen to me for more than one second?” she asked, jerking her arm out of my grip. She glared at me, and I could smell the rage rolling off her. “This ends now. You’ve forced your will on everything since you shoved your way back into my life. You kidnapped me and kept me locked in your house for days. You keep saying I’m not allowed to do this or that—I’m sick of it. You don’t get to dictate my life. You are the most controlling person I have ever met. This is my life. Not yours.”

“You can’t expect me to sit back and let you put yourself in reckless situations,” I countered. “Especially since you’re pregnant with my child.”

She let out a bitter bark of a laugh. “I’m reading books, Mark, not going undercover behind enemy lines.”

“For now, sure. But you know that’s not everything you’re going to be doing.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me, at the very least?” I demanded. The fact that she had concealed this from me hurt more than I would have expected.

She opened her mouth, then closed it. “I don’t have to tell you everything,” she said, though something that sounded like guilt had entered her voice. “And I knew you would react like this, even if it’s something I have to do.”

I growled, trying to calm my frustration. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to her, cupping her cheek in one handwhile I brushed a strand of hair away from her face with the other.

“Why are you so determined to keep me out?” I asked. “You seem to have a hard time letting anyone in. I’m just trying to keep you safe.”

“You have to learn that controlling me isn’t the way to go about it,” she argued.

“You didn’t answer my question,” I pointed out. “Why are you so determined to keep me out?”

Her jaw worked, but she didn’t speak.

“Is it because of what happened when we were kids?” I asked. When she remained silent, I prodded again. “What is it about me that you hate so much?”

“It’s not just you,” she said. “And I don’t hate you, though all the stuff when we were kids didn’t help. I don’t let anyone in. I’m happy being on my own. And it’s easier that way. The more I let people in and involved in my life, the more options they have to hurt me. Either by walking away later, or by doing something.”

I winced. Because the truth was, I was partly responsible for all of this. Maybe if I hadn’t been so cruel when we were kids, she wouldn’t have turned into such a reserved woman. Maybe she would be an entirely different person if I hadn’t been such an ass. All those times I had picked on her, I hadn’t thought it would affect her like this. I never would have wanted that. And the worst part was that I didn’t even know why I had done it. She had been there, an easy target. That was all.

That part made me feel worse than anything else.

“I fucked up,” I said. “I did a lot of things when I was a kid that, in retrospect, weren’t all right. And, as much as I hateto admit it now, you were an easy target. If I could take away all the things I did to you back then, I would. I’m sorry. I really am.”

The words seemed to take Lorelei by surprise. Her eyes widened, her mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came out. She chewed the inside of her cheek as she glanced away from me.

“I appreciate the apology,” she finally said. “But just because you said sorry doesn’t mean I’m going to instantly open up to you or trust you. It takes time. I’ll admit that you’ve changed since we were kids, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some lingering traits. You can still be controlling, and you still think you’re in the right about me not helping.”

I nodded, then took several steps toward her until she was within arm’s length. She didn’t back away. Something in the air shifted, the same way it had when I caught her sneaking out that first time.

“I understand,” I said. “And trust me when I say I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

I nodded. “Starting right now.”

I gripped her shoulders, holding her tight as I pulled her toward me. Before she could say anything, I slammed my lips against hers.

She stiffened in surprise at first, then leaned into the kiss, her hands wrapping around my neck. I kissed her deeper, trying to convey a dozen emotions at once, fueled by an intensity and passion that I hadn’t even realized I was experiencing. But something about this woman drove me wild in a way no one else had. I needed to keep her safe because I cared about her. Ineeded her to know that, and this was the only way I could think of to do it.

My hands ran down her spine. She moaned against my mouth, arching her back as my fingers caressed her. Her breasts pressed against my chest, driving a new hunger and need as my wolf snarled in pleasure.

Slipping beneath her shirt, my fingers trailed upward as my mouth moved from hers and began trailing down her neck. She groaned again, her eyes fluttering shut even as she pressed her body harder against mine. I knew she could feel my cock already stiffening, knew she could tell just how badly I wanted her in that moment.

Any desire to be gentle or go slowly vanished. I needed her now.

I let out a snarl as I jerked her shirt over her head, spinning her around to unclasp her bra. As the fabric fell to the floor, I held her in place, kissing her neck as I held her against me. She let out a soft sigh, her back arching slightly. She didn’t resist as my hand moved to her breast, squeezing tight. The sound she made nearly drove me and my wolf mad. I wanted to ravage her.

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