Page 148 of Tainted Romance

What was with the change? Had I missed something? Clearly, I had missed something because he wanted nothing to do with me when I said I wasn’t fighting our bond anymore. I told him I was ready. He ignored me to the point I was leaving, and now he suddenly changes his mind?

No, not possible.

Just like everything, Zane will change his mind again. He doesn’t want me. History tells the truth. One minute Zane will speak to me, and the next he won’t even acknowledge me.

He said he loved me. If he really loved me, he wouldn’t treat me like that.

He was just panicking because I was in an accident.

‘No, I’m not.’

“Out!” I snapped. “Out of my head!”

“You know you could always reach into mine. Answer your own questions. You think I’m not serious, and then read my mind.” His hands went around my back, and he pulled me into his chest. His arms wrapping around me protectively.

I closed my eyes. He made it sound easy. It wasn’t easy. My hands gripped his shoulders. I could feel him, literally, so I should be able to reach into his mind. I listened to his heart beating, and loving the rhythm.

She’s not going to believe me. I could say it over and over, but her mind is set. Well, what can I do to change it? God, if only she knew how crazy she made me. How much I needed her. Didn’t she know my one fear was her leaving? Had I not made that clear to her?

Her leaving had been what our first fight was over, accepting the fact she would one day just disappear from my life.

My eyes jolted open. I could hear him.

She really thought I was going to change my mind? The only mind changing was hers.

“I can hear you,” I mumbled, shocked. His head snapped down.

“You were listening?”

I nodded my head and looked up. “Our first fight, I don’t remember it.” I wanted him to remind me.

“Taylor had just told me you were leaving. His mom knew from yours. You said your mate was a jerk to Blake, and you were still leaving. We went to the same place for tea. I was on a date. I was furious with you. It was the one time you reached into my mind, and I had felt it coming, so I knew what to think.” His hands cupped my face. “And we had our first fight. Over you leaving.”

I recalled the night now. It was when Dianne and mom thought Taylor was my mate. They were testing me for a reaction. I had given them a reaction but not over Taylor, over Zane.

I nodded. “I was outside when you were yelling in my mind. It is the one time I wished we were face to face so I could read your reaction.”

“Well, you heard my reaction,” he scoffed.

“We’ve had a lot of fights since then,” I pointed out. “Like the one where you accused me of locking you out and planning an attack on your family. I didn’t know my wolf was dying then. That was the reason you couldn’t reach me.”

He cringed. “I was hoping you had forgotten about that.”

It was my turn to scoff. “You really hurt me that night. Ryder said you wouldn’t have meant what you said, but I knew you did.”

“I was angry.” He lifted my head up. “When did you speak to Ryder?”

“I ran into him on the way out. I told him you were my mate.”

He rolled his eyes. “Explains why he wasn’t surprised when I told him.”

I shrugged.

Everything we had gone through had led me to this point. All the fights we have had. All the conversations we did and didn’t have. Him ignoring me. Me declaring I wasn’t fighting the pull to him anymore. All of that led me to this point.

Did I go with him or not? I looked him in the eye. Should I trust him? He had proven one thing to me, and that was he wasn’t trustworthy. If you really loved someone, you wouldn’t put them through all that heartache.

Wiping my wolf.

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