Page 100 of Rejecting his Mate

He pulls his shirt collar down, showing me his shoulder. There isn’t a mark on him. “Good as new, thanks to you.”

His fingers trail over my cheeks where blood spilleddown my face. I cleaned up as much as I could in the truck, using a bottle of water that Jackson had and some gauze from the first aid kit, but from the look on Cade’s face, he is still seeing those crimson trails on my skin.

“You pushed yourself too far today. I know you want to protect everyone around you, but not at the expense of yourself. I can’t bear to lose you.”

His words choke me. Cade has the power to tear me open and destroy me, and I’m not sure if he realizes that.

His fingers move to the claiming mark on my neck, skimming over it. “This seems fainter.”

I haven’t looked at it, so I don’t know, but I’m relieved to hear it.

“Is it too much to hope that it’ll just be gone in the morning?” I grumble. It has already lasted longer than I expected. Most claiming marks only stay around for a week or so, much like a bruise, if they're not renewed. “He only gave it to me to show others that he had control of me.”

“A real alpha wolf wouldn’t need to assert that.”

He nuzzles his nose against the other side of my neck, and I freeze, not sure what game we’re playing here. The last time he and I were intimate, he left.

He pulls back, and I see the question in his eyes. “I don’t want to get my hopes up if you’re going to walk away again.”

I don’t like the ripple of regret that crosses his face. “I thought I’d made it clear by now that I’m not going anywhere.”

The possessive note to his voice makes heat pool inmy belly. Fuck, I want him. I was drawn to him the moment I saw him, but the more time I’ve been away from Dalton, the clearer my thoughts have been. Cade feels like home and safety and love to me. I’ve never had that before. I didn’t know it was even possible to feel this way.

“If you say that, you’d better mean it,” I tell him, my voice raw.

“I mean it, Halle. I wish you’d never mated with that asshole because I want you to be mine. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. That’s why I was in those woods every fucking day, just watching you, protecting you. I didn’t understand it at the time, but you’ve always been mine, whether you were marked by someone else or not.”

The rawness of his admission makes my breath catch in my throat, and suddenly I hate past me for being weak and for doing what was expected. I should have fought harder against something I didn’t want.

“As soon as I’ve rested and replenished my magic, I’m going to ask Hester to help me remove it and the mating bond.”

The flash of need in his eyes tells me my words are what he wants to hear. He leans into my neck, nuzzling his nose along the column of my throat.

“I hate that he is a part of you. He never deserved you, Halle.”

If only it were that simple, but relationships rarely are. Dalton didn’t want an equal; he wanted a name and a legacy. I knew that going into it, but I’d been weak. I was so focused on making my aunt happy that I didn’t stop to consider if it would make me happy.

“I think I drove him to act the way he did,” I say the words quietly, my heart squeezing as I do.

It is not the right thing to say. Cade grabs my chin, forcing my eyes to his. His grip isn’t hard enough to hurt, but certainly enough to get my attention. “No one forced him to hit you, to hurt you, or try to end your life. He did that himself. A true wolf would die before seeing harm come to his mate.”

The vehemence in his voice surprises me. I’m not entirely certain I am blameless for the failure of our mating.

Fiddling with the hem of my shirt, I struggle to keep eye contact with Cade. It’s hard to admit my failings. “I think he knew I never really loved him or wanted him. That kind of rejection isn’t good for a wolf as proud as Dalton.”

All Dalton has is his pride and a big pair of shoes to fill. He can never live up to his father’s strength and reputation. Dalton is, at heart, weak and a coward.

However, considering what I know about Klaus now, I’m thinking Dalton is exactly the son he would have wanted. He was probably angry he didn’t make his first kill as a pup.

“And his hurt pride gave him the right to put those bruises on your throat? To hurt you? He beat you because he’s got that hate within him, just like his father. Klaus couldn’t stand his sister being different. Dalton couldn’t stand you being all that you are, either. Weak wolves produce weak offspring. I don’t want to talk about that asshole, not when I have you here.”

Tears prick my eyes. “I think my mom would have liked you.”

She definitely would not have liked Dalton.

Cade strokes my face, wiping my tears away as I lean into his touch.

“I’m going to run you a bath, and you can tell me what you’ve remembered about your mom.”

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