Page 33 of Simon

“B-because of you.”

My mate’s face turned bright red, and I smiled in triumph. She wiggled in her seat after silence hung between us and then stood up.

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but I really need to use the ladies’ room.” Her head darted side to side and then glanced over at the bed.

Ladies’ room? I rubbed my chin, then realized what she was looking for.

She had to piss.

“Cooome?” I bleated and slapped my hand over my mouth.

My mate smiled, and I groaned. I sounded like an idiot to her. I tried to be a good male, but I sounded stupid. She would never see me as more than just an animal.

“Hey, don’t be ashamed.” She ran toward me and hooked her arm in mine.

She was touching me all on her own. My heart skipped and my ears twitched.

When she realized what she did, she pulled away.

“I think it’s cute. And I’m sorry about calling you an animal. It’s just what I saw when I first met you. I didn’t know you yet, and when you didn’t talk, I worried—”

“Dat I was m-more animal than what I am.”

She nodded and looked away from me in shame.

I couldn’t blame her for thinking that. If the positions were reversed, however, I do not think I would think like her. My cock and the bond knew she was meant to be mine.

I just needed her to see that, instead of seeing me as something to record in her book.

I would break her. Just as her friend said. The bond would become stronger until it snapped and she would come to me.

I suppressed a groan in my throat. When she did sleep, all I could think about was rutting her in the bed I had made just for her.

I led her outside when I felt my shaft try to escape my pouch. I would not have her be upset with me. She may still think of me as an animal if it continued to come out.

But I could not help it around her.

We rounded the cave to a small path that passed between the cliff and the rock face. I motioned for her to follow behind me to the tall grasses she could use.

“Nope, not going over there.” She shook her head quickly. “I don’t have to go anymore.”

I huffed out a breath. The path was wide enough for my hoof, and when I saw her bare feet, I realized that she was not equipped with good footing.

Humans were soft. From being around a human before, I knew they could get sick and hurt themselves easily. Why had I not noticed that she had no shoes?

My mate getting hurt in my care sent panic through my body.

“Will carry. Lucy touch?” I held out my hand, but she shook her head again.

“No, we will fall. How the heck did you get us up here? That path isn’t wide enough for the both of us!”

She doubted me.

“N-not let my mate fall.”

Something passed over her face. Was it longing? Did she want me to be her mate? When I’d blinked, the look was gone, and she bit her lip.

“How are you going to do it?”

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