Page 97 of Rejecting his Mate

I glance at Hester, wondering if she knows what is happening. Her hand is locked around her throat as ifshe’s choking on the air itself, but she doesn’t move to stop whatever is happening.

I turn my attention back to Sawyer, or Sawyer’s wolf. Cade’s brother is no longer here, and his emotions flare to life through the pack link.

I can’t figure out what he’s trying to tell us, but what comes through the bond is need.

The animal bows low as if stretching the knots out of his body, and no one moves. “Sawyer?” Cade says his name carefully.

The wolf rounds on us, its red eyes locking on me as it snaps its teeth. Cade remains between us, a force field of protection, but I don’t need him to save me. I don’t want him to, either. I trust Sawyer, even if his wolf is looking at me like I’m his next meal.

The door of the cabin opens, and a woman with black hair streaked with white steps out. She looks so similar to Tessa that I almost mistake her for her, but she’s a little older, maybe in her late twenties, or early thirties. She’s pretty, with a full mouth and soft eyes that seem kind.

Sawyer’s wolf swings his head in her direction, and as soon as they lock eyes, I feel a ripple go through the air. I have no idea what it means and glance at Hester for an explanation. She is focused on what is happening in front of us, though.

Sawyer’s wolf whines, a high-pitched whimper, and the woman on the porch widens her eyes in fear. She stumbles back, her spine hitting the wall of the cabin, her hand going to her heart even as she shakes her head.

“No… No… This isn’t happening.”

She drops to her knees as if her legs have given out, and her body jolts and jerks the same way Sawyer’s did before his shift.

“What’s happening?” I demand, my voice shrill. I’m scared for Sawyer but also for the terrified woman in front of him.

Her back arches, her gaze going to the sky as her wolf swims to the surface. I can sense her magic, meaning she must be tau, but unlike my first shift, her wolf is breaking free. Her clothes tear as her body changes. Skin becomes fur, feet turn into paws, and her face elongates.

Her wolf is smaller than his. She raises her head and looks at Sawyer’s wolf, who moves up the steps, his nose snuffling the side of her neck as if he recognizes her before letting out a high-pitched whine.

She changes back first as if she can’t hold the shift. Sawyer’s wolf seems to fight against returning to his human form, his head swinging back and forth as if he is warring with himself.

Then I sense the magic in the air. It swells around us as both wolves turn human again, completely naked, Sawyer on his haunches.

He stands, unfurling from his crouch, his eyes magnetized to her before backing her up against the wall behind her and seizing her wrists in his hand, pinning them above her head.

“Mine,” Sawyer growls in a voice I have never heard before. The woman shivers and shakes her head.

“No, I can’t do this.”

Sawyer grabs her chin, forcing her eyes to him. Ihave never seen him so possessive. He is nothing like the Sawyer I have got to know over the past few days. I want him to smile and crack a joke.

But there is no humor in the tight lines of his body as he presses against her. “Mine,” he repeats.

The woman shoves him away, and to my surprise, he goes back a foot. I’m not sure if he allowed her to do that or if she took him by surprise, but she shakes her head. “This is impossible.” Her eyes shift to Hester, and there is panic there. “You told me this couldn’t happen.”

Sawyer steps back into her space, and I move toward them, uncertain if I want to protect her or him. Cade snags my arm, stopping me from intervening.

“You can fight this all you want,” Sawyer’s voice is low and deep as he says these words, “but we both know what we’re feeling. You’re mine, and I’m yours.”

Mates.

And with a connection this strong, fated mates.

The woman glances at us and then back to him. “I will never take a mate, and certainly not you.”

With those crushing words, she darts into the cabin, locking the door behind her. I’m not sure a lock would keep Sawyer out if he chose to force his way in, but instead, he sags against the door, placing his fist against the wood and letting out a groan.

Then he turns and makes a beeline for Hester. His expression scares me. What is he going to do to her? Before I respond, Cade steps in front of him, grabbing his brother by the throat. “Calm down.”

Sawyer doesn’t. His eyes shift to Hester. “What did she mean you told her this would never happen?” Hismouth pulls into a snarl, and I sense the anger radiating from him. “What did you do to her?”

If Hester is scared of facing down a man his size, she doesn’t show it. She barely flinches at the accusation in his voice. “I did what she asked me to do.”

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