Page 33 of Wolf Desired

“You mean soyoucan move on,” I said, a new realization hitting me. “Is that what you’re waiting for? Me to bond with Bishop so you can bond with someone else?”

The thought made my chest tight. I didn’t want him to mate with anyone else. He was mine. But if I mated with Bishop it would only be fair. Maybe there was someone he loved and that was why he’d fought so hard against our bond.

Except I could feel the pull of the bond inside my chest, warm and comforting, locked around my heart, and knew even if we did bond with other people we wouldn’t be able to move on from each other.

“Just bond with him,” he snarled, not answering my question.

My chest squeezed tighter. Hedidhave someone. I’d suffered for days feeling like I was going to shatter with all the ice he was shoving into our bond when he could have just said something at the start. I would have understood.

“It’s what’s best for you,” he added.

“What’s best for me?” Shock snapped through me. I couldn’t believe he just said that.

Merrick used to say that as well, particularly when he’d first taken me in and I hadn’t been as obedient and submissive as I should have been. He’d said Sterling hurting and belittling me was good for me. It would make me stronger.

But the second I showed an ounce of strength, I was punished, locked in the basement for a day without food, extra cleaning duties at his betas’ houses on top of cleaning Merrick’s, or forced to kneel in the snow or blazing sun for hours without moving, the alpha’s power crushing me into submission.

It had never been anything that would leave a mark — although I had no idea why. No one in the pack would have challenged him if he had. But in some sick way, I think he actually believed what he was doing was best for me, and that made it even worse.

And now Knox was spewing the same shit. How dare he!

Anger burned in my veins, but instead of swallowing it back like Merrick had always demanded, I embraced it. Submitting had never saved me and I didn’t care if it could save me now. How dare Knox try to crush me through a sacred bond and then tell me it was for my own good. Even if he was in love with someone else, that was no excuse for how he’d treated me.

“This has never been what’s best forme,” I snapped at him. “It’s always been about you.”

“We left our pack responsibilities to walk you to the death god’s temple on the slim chance that we could break the bond. Don’t tell me I didn’t do this for you.”

“Right,” I said, my voice thick with sarcasm. “Because yelling at me that you didn’t want me, rejecting the bond so thoroughly it felt like my soul was shattering, and being reminded every second of every day that I’m weak and worthless and no one wants me was all for me. You’re so self-centered you think doing a favor for yourself is a favor for me. Well, fuck you!”

He tensed and his lips curled back in a snarl.

“What are you going to do? Punish me?” I demanded, opening my arms in invitation.

My frustration and fury screamed through my veins, hot and violent. It was so strong it felt like it was rolling off my body in waves and my pulsethu-thuddedhard in my chest, powerful and ferocious.

“You can take yourbest for meand shove it up your ass, you selfish coward,” I snarled. “If you hadn’t wanted to walk for twenty fucking days you should have tried to figure something out, tried to come up with some kind of arrangement because this bond was permanent before you fucked me without my consent.”

I jerked a step toward him, my body no longer shaking from weakness but from rage, a rage that made me feel powerful for once in my God damned life.

“You go fill the canteens by yourself and keep avoiding me. But this bond will pull us together whether you want it to or not, and I swear to God, now that my fucking heat is over, my strength of will is stronger than yours.”

A low growl rumbled in Knox’s chest and I jerked forward another step, thethu-thudinside me pounded louder, turning my fury into an inferno.

His eyes widened and something flashed across his expression too fast for me to recognize.

Yeah, he didn’t expect me to advance, thought growling at me would scare me and make me retreat.

Well, fuck you!

Then he stomped up to me so close I had to strain my neck to look up at him. Power rolled off him in a crushing wave, stealing my breath, making my knees weak, and snapping electricity across my skin.

But I gritted my teeth and stood my ground. And I was going to stand my ground for as long as possible.

He could have had sweet, submissive Audrey if he’d actually made an effort, but now she was gone. She’d been hurt too deeply for too long and she’d had enough.

“You’ll come begging to me,” I said, my voice strained against the crush of his power. “You, the alpha, begging the weakest shifter in existence, and I’ll make you wait. But don’t worry. It’ll be what’s best for you.”

His chest heaved and his breath rushed across my face in powerful, angry gusts. Our gazes locked — his with only just a hint of his wolf darkening his eyes even though I could see his anger — and I vowed I wouldnotlook away first. I wouldnotsubmit to him.

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