Page 125 of Tainted Romance

I chewed my bottom lip. "You can't do this to me. It's whiplash, Zane. You fought it. I fought it, and now we are separated, and I think it’s what's best for us now."

He crossed his arms. "You could have been killed last week. You can't fight."

"How do you know I can't fight?"

"You skipped every training session, Allie. I'm not stupid."

"You actually took note of that!"

"You were my mate. You would have a target on your back from the beginning. If people wanted to hurt me, all they’d need to do is hurt you."

I was overwhelmed. He kept saying the word mate. I knew I was still drawn to him, but if I joined the pack, I wouldn't even have the slightest chance of breaking free, and then it hit me.

Do I want to break free from him? Do I really want nothing to do with him? My eyes slowly widened, did I love him?

Chapter Fifty-two

Jace was sitting in the lounge room reading. I was sitting in the opposite armchair. Jace's face was serious, and it still amazed me a girl hadn't put a claim on him yet. Sure, he had admirers, but he never followed up on it. I wondered if he was waiting for his mate. I frowned. That was something I had found.

I remember the teacher coming in and telling Zane and me off for being in the classroom by ourselves. Zane had disappeared down the hallway by the time I walked out. Not that I knew what to say to him. Could I honestly tell him I didn't want a relationship with him when everything in my body tells me otherwise?

I loved him. It wasn't the hormones telling me that or the fact he was drop dead good looking. He could have his pick of the girls, but somehow fate had put us together.

"Stop staring."

I blinked, Jace breaking my thoughts. "Um, sorry," I muttered and redirected my glance at the open fire.

"Come on, out with it, what's up with you?" Jace closed his book and gave me a serious glance. "You have been on another planet since you came here."

"I'm not on another planet."

"Tell me what you're thinking about then."

"Zane." I sighed and rubbed my temples. "I think…well… I know it wasn't the plan, but I'm…"

"In love with him?" Jace said smugly. "Dad and I expected as much."

"What?"

"Come on, Allie, your first change. The thing we have been working on for months, only happened when your mate was threatened. You might be a free wolf, but your wolf has decided she wants her mate. Now you just have to come to terms with it."

"It's not that easy."

"Yes, it is. You love him. He loves you. End of romance story."

"Jace."

"Allie."

"I can't be an Alpha's wife. I don't know anything about leading, and I hated the pack life. How can I just forget all that and seal my fate with the man that won't only be Alpha, but will always have power over me."

"Yes, but you're forgetting something." Jace leaned forward his eyebrows arching. "You will have that power over him too."

I scoffed and crossed my legs. "I doubt his love for me will blind him from his pack."

"No, but it will frame how he leads them. You're everything to him so, Allie, I think it's time you faced the music."

"I don't think I can."

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