Page 22 of Rescued By My Mate

“Perfect.”

I get to work on our dinner. Mabel sits at the kitchen counter and watches me.

Ask her!my wolf orders.

I know I have to. I need to know what she wants. Does she have feelings for me? Could she in the future?

I don’t have much time with her to show her that we’re meant to be, so I need to make every second count.

“Mabel, I…”

Fuck this is scary.

“What do you want to do?” I blurt out.

“Um…eat? Take a shower and go to bed?”

“No, I mean, yeah, we can do that. I meant with us. With me.”

She seems caught off guard by the question. I watch as she licks her lips and gathers her thoughts.

“I, um...” She sighs. “Listen, I can’t deny that I’m drawn to you.”

My hopes soar, and I smile.

“But,” she continues, deflating my hopes, “falling in love and settling here wasn’t the plan. We escaped one small town, and I don’t know if I can settle in another.”

“I can leave. I’ll go wherever you want.”

She hesitates, taking a shaky breath. “What happens if something changes and we break up?”

“That won’t happen. There is no breaking up for us.”

“How can you know that?”

“It’s how shifters and fated mates work. We’re destined to be together. I’m meant for you. No one will make you happier. No one will treat you better or love you more.”

“Love?” She looks at me in disbelief. “You just met me. You don’t know anything about me.”

I can smell it then.

Fear.

She’s scared to stray from her plan. She’s scared to trust me.

“It’s how it works for shifters. I know all this is new for you. It’ll take time. I can give you that. But you need to be willing to give me a chance.”

She settles back in her seat and swallows hard.

I finish our sandwiches and set hers down in front of her. “Water?”

She nods.

I pour us each a glass and grab her pain medicine.

“Thanks,” she says, swallowing a pill.

We eat in silence for a few minutes. I watch her, absorbing the play of emotions across her face. She’s thinking hard about what I said. I need to give her time to think it through and process everything.

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