Page 24 of The Alpha's Stolen Mate

Now, my Mate stood in the middle of my room and looked down at her white sneakers instead of meeting my eyes. Her long hair was dripping water down her back, still damp from a shower. When she looked up, her eyes were wide with apprehension. She bit her lip and absently rubbed the scar on her arm, something she only did when she was nervous.

“Summer, what's wrong? Did…did Healer Elijah give you bad news at the hospital? Are you…all right?”

My mind didn't even want to consider the possibility of my Mate being sick. She didn't appear to be ill. Sure, her face was a little paler than normal, and her eyes had dark circles under them, but that could just be from lack of sleep. I was pretty sure I had the same purple bruises under my eyes from staying up worrying about her being exiled and trying to find a way to protect my pack that didn’t entail marrying Olivia.

“I have something, um, really important to tell you,” she said and nervously cracked her knuckles. “It's going to be…shocking to hear.”

She really is sick.

My fear spiked, and I had to grasp onto the side of my bed frame to fight my dizziness. I took a deep breath in and let it out slowly.

I had to stay strong for Summer. She needed me more than ever right now.

“Would you…do you want to sit down?” I asked, gesturing to my bed.

“Um, yeah, okay. Thanks.”

She sank down onto the white comforter and clasped her hands together. Her left leg bounced with nerves.

I put a reassuring hand on her leg, gently stroking her thigh, trying to give her a small amount of comfort.

She let out a long deep sigh and laid her head on my shoulder.

I wrapped my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. The Mating bond hummed with happiness that I was finally close to her again. It had been driving me crazy with the need to see my Mate over this past month.

“Before you say anything, I just want to tell you that I’m sorry for not stopping things a month ago,” I said, needing to get this off my chest. “You were in a vulnerable state after what happened, and even though the Mating bond was powerful, I should have fought it harder. It was the best night of my life, but that’s not worth you being confused and upset this past month.”

“Gabriel…” she trailed off and squeezed my hand. “Thank you, that was sweet of you to say. But I don't blame you. I felt the effects of the Mating bond, too. I don't think we could have stopped ourselves if we tried.”

She swallowed nervously, and her leg began to bounce again.

“Whatever you need to tell me, we will figure it out. Together,” I said and squeezed the side of her body against mine.

She pulled away slightly to study my eyes.

“Promise?” she asked.

“Promise.”

I tried to look confident and secure. Summer needed a support system right now. But on the inside, I was beyond terrified. My brain was jumping to the worst-case scenarios, rapidly flipping through the names of the ailments that couldn't be cured by a healer or a witch.

Summer took my hand and faced me.

Whatever it is, I'm going to help her through it.

“Gabriel, I—”

Summer was interrupted by an impatient knock at my door.

“Yo! Dude, open up. It's me.” Axel's loud voice was clear even from the other side of my door.

Summer looked at the door and then back to me. She froze for a moment, looking like an animal caught in a trap.

“Shit,” I muttered.

Why did Axel have to knock on my door now? My Mate needed me.

A pang of guilt hit me in the stomach as I imagined Axel outside my door, waiting for me with his hands in his pockets. Even though Axel had been disrespectful toward Summer by cheating on her, I knew it wasn’t right of me to sleep with Summer the same night it happened. I should have fought the Mating bond for my Mate’s sake and for my brother.

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