Page 49 of Unbreakable Bond
She laughed softly, the most melodic sound he’d ever heard and pushed his hair back gently, “I don’t read your mind, Rafe. I don’t have to. Everything you think is right here on your gorgeousface.”
He let her trace every inch of his face and held still for her. Her fingers were soft and smart, following the lines of his forehead and cheeks. She dipped down along his jaw and the crease of his chin and then, finally, she traced his lips which automatically curled upwards into asmile.
“What am I thinking right now, littlemate?”
Zoey smirked, “You’re thinking how lucky you are that fate gave me to you as amate.”
“I am. I’m so lucky.” He pulled her head slightly until she bent down and he could kiss her again. “Whatelse?”
That earned him another laugh, “Oh, that one’s easy.” Her hips shifted slightly, “Or should I say, hard?” he put his hands on her hips to hold her against his erection, “You want meagain.”
“I always want you.” He nibbled on herearlobe.
“Mmm…” She sighed contentedly and then surprised him by pulling away, “But you’ll have to hold that thought, mate. I need to take a shower and then go check on the bakery. It’s always busy the day of a full moon and….HEY!”
Zoey squealed in protest when he rolled her underneath him andgrowled.
He was hearing things. He must be. Either that or he’d actually managed to fall asleep and this was a dream. A nightmare. Because there was no way in the world he’d actually just heard his new mate tell him that she intended to leave him to go to work on the day of a full moon. The first full moon after she’d become his. The first full moon that she would experience with a wolf of her own. There was no way she honestly thought she was leaving him. Noway.
“Rafe, whatthe…”
“You’re not going anywhere.” He growled and his wolf hissed hisagreement.
“Rafe…” Her voice was a warning but he ignored it with asnarl.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight, Zo. Not today. Not tomorrow. Notever.”
His wolf was already pacing at the very idea. He wouldn’t lose her. He couldn’t. He’d only just foundher.
Zoey frowned, “Rafe… listen tome.”
“Zo…”
“No!” She raised her voice and met his eyes seriously, “You listen to me. You can’t keep me locked up out here. I’m not a prisoner. I’m yourmate.”
“I know that. It’s why I need to protect you.” Rafe winced when his wolf clawed at his insides, “I can’t lose you. Zo, baby, I can’t loseyou.”
Zoey softened underneath him and he breathed a sigh of relief. She was going to see reason. She was going to understand. She was his mate. She had to. On some soul deep level she had to understand that after all he’d lost, the very idea of letting her go and having something happen to her would kill him. He’d lost the last shreds of his sanity and there would be no coming back from it thistime.
“Oh, Rafe…” Zoey softly swiped his hair back again, “You’re not going to lose me. Ipromise.”
“Zo, youcan’t…”
“You can’t keep me as a prisoner. I have a life. I have a bakery that I own and I run. I have a family that is going to want to see me, to hear what happened and see for themselves that I’m okay. You told Michael you wouldn’t take me from my life here but that’s exactly what you’ll be doing if you lock me up outhere.”
Rafe shook his head, “I’m not… Ican’t…”
“I won’t abide it, Rafe. It’s best you get it out of your head right now. I’m not some timid little thing that’s going to let you get away with putting me on a pedestal to keep me safe. I’m going to live my life the same way I always have. I want you to be a part ofit.”
Everything inside of him felt like it was bleeding. His wolf was ripping at his organs and his skin. He hated the thought of losing her but more than that he realized that he hated the idea of hurting her. And he knew that keeping her away from the world would hurt her. She was right. She had a family and a life and he didn’t want to take them from her. He wanted to be a part of that life withher.
But God, just the thought of her going out there in the world alone, even if it was just Noir, the safest place she could possibly be, he could barelybreathe.
“Rafe…” Zoey tilted his chin up and he realized that he’d dropped his head and closed his eyes in agony, “Rafe, honey, look at me.Please?”
“Zo…”
“I know this is hard for you. I understand why.” Zoey was stroking his hair, petting and soothing him and his animal both, “What you went through, losing your parents and Gabe, I know you’ll never get past it. I’m not asking you to. But I am asking that you trust me on this, I won’t put myself in any unnecessary danger. I won’t ever leave you by choice and I know that you’ll never let anything happen to me if you can help it. But you have to let me go and trust that I’ll come back to you. I’ll always come back toyou.”
