Page 22 of Forsaking His Mate

“She stays out of my way and I’ll stay out of hers.”

Hester stares at me and I see the defeat in her eyes. “So that’s your plan? You’re just going to pretend she doesn’t exist?”

“Yes.”

“What you’re doing is cruel. At least talk to her and explain why you’re rejecting her.”

I should. I owe her that much, but admitting the truth about me isn’t something I want to do.

“It’s best we don’t speak at all.”

Hester scowls at me. “You can’t ignore her forever.”

I can’t, but I’m going to ignore her for as long as possible.

Her life depends on it.

Chapter 5

Tessa

Ifeel numb. As I sit against the wall, my knees drawn to my chest, a deep ache grows inside me. The tile is cold beneath me, but I barely register it. I found my mate, something I never thought would happen, and he rejected me.

My stomach is in knots and my pulse is fluttering wildly in my throat. I lost my pack, which felt like I was being cleaved in two, and now my mate.

The door opens and I scent Hester before she kneels down in front of me. “Tessa?” She says my name low and soft.

I open my eyes and meet hers. “I can’t stay here.”

“You can’t leave either,” she says. “Those hunters are still looking for you. They’ll find you if you move beyond the wards.”

Helplessness washes through me, my gut hard as a rock as I hug my knees to my chest. “He rejected me.”

“I know.”

“Who is he?”

“His name is Abel. He was a lone wolf before he came here.”

“He’s not tau?”

Hester shakes her head. “No. There may be male tau, but I’ve never seen one.”

He’s here to torment me, to destroy what little hope I have. I swipe at my nose, trying to calm my wolf down. She desperately wants me to go after Abel and make him see sense, but my body is rooted in place. I’ve never been rejected before. My pack loved me, despite my differences. My father made sure I was always welcome in my home.

This… this is new.

“How can he reject me? I didn’t think it was possible for wolves to resist their fated mates.”

Hester brushes my hair from my face, the gesture oddly maternal. “Oh, honey. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but he’s not doing this to hurt you.”

She’s wrong. This feels exactly like he means to destroy me. My insides are in turmoil, my thoughts too. I want to let my wolf free and run, but even if I could do that, I can’t leave the sanctuary without risking my life. I’m not eager to die after fighting so hard to survive.

“Let’s get you off the floor,” Hester says, helping me up.

I sway on my feet as I stand up, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. I want to sleep for a week. I want to crawl under my covers and hide from the world even as I want to seek out Abel.

But I won’t beg.

---