Page 24 of Unbreakable Bond
Chapter 11
Zoey flinched backas if he’d slapped her when his words landed. They stung and not just because they were a shock. They hurt because she could feel the bond stretching between them, feel the worry and fear that must have been simmering inside of Rafe. The heat, the intense longing, had settled some since they mated but now she could feel everything else he was feeling. Like remorse, and God did thathurt.
She hadn’t wanted this. Just a few hours ago she hadn’t wanted Rafe. She hadn’t wanted a bond to him. Even when she’d felt the need to move towards him at the lodge she hadn’t truly wanted to do it. But the heat had taken over, had made the decision for her and now it was toolate.
He was a part of her. Inside of her. In her heart. She could feel him and it hurt… It hurt to think that now that the heat had wanedhedidn’t wanther.
He hadn’t bit her. The words made her head spin. Made everything she thought she knew turn upside down. Because he hadn’t bither.
No. That wasn’t right. He had. He must have. The heat demanded they bond and it wouldn’t be sated if they hadn’t. But then the little voice in the back of her mind asked how much she really knew about the mating bond ofwerewolves.
She wasn’t one of them even if she’d grown up around them. And bonds were intimate. Special. They were between the two mates. Not many talked about the magical experience so everything Zoey knew was going off of lore, small-talk and gossipreally.
It didn’t matter. She shook off the knowledge that she was in way over her head in this. Rafe had bit her. She knew he had. He’d said that she was his and he was hers. So he must have bither…
But she raised her hand to her neck and found nothing but smooth, scarless, untouchedskin.
Her memory of them in the woods played in a loop. The way he’d laid her down on the soft green grass. The way his eyes had blazed gold as he stripped her naked and followed her down. The heat of his kisses. The softness of his touch. The way he felt moving inside of her. The way her body had stretched to fit him as though it were made for him and himalone.
And yet, her eyes flashed back to his, “You…”
“Didn’t bite you.” Rafe confirmedsoftly.
She felt her bottom lip tremble, the rush of emotions from the half-formed bond was overwhelming. She couldn’t discern her emotions from Rafe’s. She felt so many different things all at once and she couldn’t seem to hold any of it back. She felt tears well in her eyes and her visionblurred.
“Oh, baby, no… no. Please don’t cry.” Rafe was there instantly, his big, warm hands cupping her face, smoothing her hair back and swiping the lone tear that escaped from her cheek, “Please?”
His touch was soothing yet electric. It sent a surge of need through her but at the same time, it made her want to curl into his arms for comfort. She knew letting him touch her right now would only confuse her emotions more but she couldn’t bring herself to pull away fromhim.
She wasn’t strongenough.
“I.. I…I don’t understand.” She met his worried gaze and shook her head, “Why?”
“Whywhat?”
“Why?” She demanded more forcefully when he seemed confused, “Why didn’t you bite me? You were supposed to and you didn’t. Do you… do you not want me as your mate? Is it because of the Michael thingor…”
Zoey could feel the panic beginning to clog her throat. He didn’t want her. He’d sated the heat but he didn’t want a mate. He’d given in to it because there was no fighting the magic when it called but he didn’t intend to seal it. Notfully.
This way, he could leave again. Leave Noir. Leave the pack. Leaveher.
“Hey. Hey. Shhh.” He cut her off, “No. It’s none of that. No. Don’t even think like that, Zoey. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything. You’re mine. You’re mymate.”
“But…”
“But there are two parts to a claiming. My human half is yours, Zo. That’s why you can feel my emotions. You must feel how much I want you.Right?”
She swallowed hard but managed anod.
He was right. She could feel him. She was almost certain that it was the rush of his emotions that had woken her up. The conflicting feelings of what he wanted versus what he thought he could have. She could feel him and it felt…right.
Or at least it had until he told her he didn’t bite her. He’d held back and mates weren’t supposed to be able to hold back, not in the midst of a mating bond. It was magic and moonlight. It was strong. Stronger than any other force. But somehow, he’d resisted it and she didn’t, couldn’t, understandwhy.
“The second half of the bond is the wolf’s claim.” Rafe met her eyes, making sure she was with him, “It’s a big deal to take a wolf’s bite, Zoey and I didn’t want to do it in the heat of the moment because there’s no going back from it. Not for either ofus.”
“Is there any going back from… this?” She motioned between them, stillconfused.
Rafe sighed and released her to run a hand over his face, “If you wantedout…”
