Page 12 of Rejected Forced Mate
Infuriatingly, Noah didn't flinch. The only sign that he even felt me was the way his hands flexed on the steering wheel. "It was necessary."
"Necessary? Necessary?!" My voice was shrill enough to break glass. "There's no way kidnapping me and tricking me into marriage was necessary!"
"It was, actually. Would you like to know why?"
"Because you're insane?"
Noah let out a sigh and turned the car on. "You and I are mated, Sage. It doesn't matter if we've been together for years or days; we are a couple bound by fate. It's impossible to change that."
"It doesn't mean anything. It doesn't make you my husband, and it doesn't make you my mate. It just means we're connected somehow."
"We're married now, Sage. What you say doesn't matter. I know what's best, and this is what's best."
"For you maybe," I shot back, and then leaned over, reaching for the handle. "You don't want me. Let me go."
Noah laughed, and the sound was sharp. "You have no idea how wrong you are. There has been very little that I've actually wanted in life, and you are one of those things."
That made my mouth snap shut for a second, but did little to cool my rage. Although I had no response for him, I didn't care that he wanted me. All I cared about was that he had stolen the easy, simple life that I cherished.
Noah had just claimed me and my free will like he owed it.
I was already wishing that I'd fought back in front of the Council, but they all scared me. Heck, the entire pack scared me.So I played the submissive she-wolf, stayed silent as much as I could, and got through it. Noah thought we were married, but I was already planning how to show him what an awful wife I would be. My current silence wasn't the submission he thought it was. It was just a way for me to survive.
My jaw was clenched tightly, and I refused to even look at him. It was petty, but he was the one who had forced me to play the pet, so now he was getting it.
The drive back was tense and silent, and when he pulled up the long driveway that led to his house, he was the first to break the silence. "Home sweet home."
I scoffed. "Maybe for you."
He simply grunted, unbuckling and exiting the car. I had been so deep in my own thoughts that I hadn't paid much attention to where we were going, and there was a cold bolt of fear when I thought for a moment we were at the house Noah grew up in. The house, his father Richard, undoubtedly still resided in. Thankfully, the house was unfamiliar to me. A new build, not flashy like some Alphas were preferred, but understated and well constructed, a reflection of Noah as both a man and a pack leader. It had wide windows, sturdy wooden siding, and a wrap-around porch, also made of wood to blend in with the deep woods around it. Ivy crawled up one side, telling me that he'd lived in the house for a few years at least.
If I weren't so pissed off at him, I'd have begrudgingly told him I liked it. Instead, I kept my mouth shut.
Noah reached into the back seat and grabbed the duffel bag, and I opened my door and slipped out of the car, following him up the porch steps. There were no extra vehicles around that indicated other pack members might be staying there with him, not even his Beta. I was glad.
The last thing I needed was another person watching me.
My eyes roamed over the outside of the house as Noah unlocked the door, and when he stepped inside, he stopped, and the door was left open. He was looking at me expectantly, and I crossed my arms, not willing to move.
"Sage."
"Noah."
He sighed. "Just come inside." "Why should I?"
"Because this is your house now, too." "Not by choice."
He didn't respond, instead holding out a hand. "Come on."
I acquiesced, but in the smallest way possible, ignoring his hand and pushing past him into the house. I was shocked to find the interior of the house was far more welcoming than I expected, given the fact that Noah had essentially abducted me.
I'd imagined the place as some sort of fortress, filled with sharp angles and cold colors. Instead, I was standing in a beautiful, open floor plan that had a warm, earthy feel to it. The front door opened up into a large living room that had a couch, a few chairs, and a large coffee table, all arranged around the massive stone fireplace that took up nearly an entire wall. To the right, in the corner, was the kitchen, with dark, rustic cabinets and a large island.
Noah stepped past me and put the duffel down, and then looked over at me. "It's nice, isn't it?"
I was trying to maintain my anger, but the space was so inviting, and I was so exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster that the day had been, and my guard was slipping.
"It is. Very nice." "And all yours."
