Page 24 of Rejecting his Mate

“It can take a year for heat cycles to start,” I defend, “but even if I had one, I wouldn’t let you near me.”

His eyes flare so wide that he looks feral. My wolf snaps her teeth as he rushes at me. I scramble to my feet just as he attacks me.

Awkwardly, I manage to punch him in the gut, but it barely seems to register as he grabs a fistful of my hair and drags my head back. The agony that shoots throughmy scalp is like a thousand hot needles poking through my skull.

Dalton growls as his balled-up fist slams into my side hard enough that the bones in my ribs shift beneath the force. The cracking sound I hear doesn’t sound good, and it makes me grunt as pain spreads through my chest.

“I won’t have you as my mate.” The rage in his words scares me, and the blatant threat, too.

I glare at him, letting all my loathing and disgust flow through our mating bond. “I hate you.”

I smack his hands, trying to get him to let go of me. He doesn’t loosen his hold, so I kick out at him, trying to connect with any part of his body I can reach.

He fists his fingers tighter into my hair, making my scalp ache. Cold fills my gut. He’s going to kill me. I see Dalton’s fist coming toward me, but I can’t do anything as he punches me in the face so hard I see stars. I try to pull away, fighting him like the wild animal I am, but my hits don’t seem to register or bother him, which fuels my frustration and panic.

I kick out, making his knee give way, and his hold on my hair loosen. As I pull free, ignoring the pain in my scalp, I punch him in the face as hard as I can.

Dalton’s head snaps to the side, blood spraying from his mouth. I hit him again, driving him to his knees this time. I’m a whirlwind of motion and fury as I lay into him with everything I have.

Absorbing the hits, he stumbles to his feet and grabs my arms, stopping my onslaught. I scream in exasperation, but I can’t fight as he wrestles me onto the ground.Sticks and stones stab into my back and legs as he straddles my hips, his weight crushing me. I try to unseat him, but he’s an immovable mountain.

Instead, I do the only thing I can. I attack what I can reach—his face and torso. There are already scratches down his cheeks, blood dripping off the sharp angles of his jaw. I relish the pain they must be causing him and intend to add more.

Before I can move, he grabs my wrists in one meaty hand, and lifts my arms over my head, pinning me down.

Son of a bitch!

“Get off me!” I struggle against his hold, trying desperately to move him. This is not a fight I’m going to win, and when he wraps one hand around my neck, the other holding my wrists in place, I know I’m screwed.

His grip on my throat is an iron band, one I can’t release. The air I need is lodged above his hand, and I’m unable to pull it into my depleting lungs. My wolf screeches a howl into the air. I know I’m going to die.

Everything is becoming dimmer, and it’s harder to focus. My lungs are on fire, and my brain is sending constant messages to my body to breathe, but I can’t get anything past the hand wrapped around my throat.

I’m sorry.

I say this to my wolf. I failed her on every level, but I take comfort that she’s with me in these last moments. I would hate to be alone.

I smash my hands weakly against his arm, a last-ditch attempt to save my life, but it’s too late.

I’m fading.

Chapter 6

Halle

The pressure on my throat lifts, and reflexively my lungs stutter back into use. I suck in a huge breath, gasping, spluttering, and sobbing.

The dark spots that were invading my vision lift, and I blink frantically to see my aunt. Dalton is on his knees at my side, defending his head as she rains down blow after blow. The last blow hits hard, and he slides bonelessly into the dirt face-first.

Dropping the log she used to hit him with, Adeline rushes over to me. The concern that ripples across her face makes me sob more. The pack might not care about me, and they might hate me, but there’s still one wolf who loves me.

“Oh! Halle, can you sit up?”

I nod, even though I’m not sure I can. Her hand under my back, Adeline helps me up, and my gaze slides in Dalton's direction. He’s not dead. The mating bond is still buzzing beneath the surface, but he’s notconscious either.

Adeline grabs my face, her hands cupping my jaw and bringing my attention back to her. “What happened?”

I swallow past the burn in my throat, but my words are hoarse when they come out. “He wants me… dead… to sever the… mating… bond.”

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