Page 263 of My Unexpected Mate

I looked away from him. How the hell do I tell him? I know he won’t agree with me.

“Aria?” he called my name, and I looked back at him. “Talk to me, baby. What’s wrong?”

Goddess, he was perfect. What the hell did I do to deserve this man? I can’t hurt him. I can’t let anything happen to him.

“I think we should wait just a little bit longer,” I said quietly.

His grip on me tightened and his eyes darkened. “Why? Does this have anything to do with Jacob?”

“No,” I said quickly. “I don’t want Jacob. I want you.”

“Then what?” he asked, his eyes still dark.

I sighed and looked down at his chest. I had to tell him the truth. I couldn’t let him think that this had to do with another man. I loved Jake, but I loved him as my friend and as my brother. Nick was the one I wanted. He was my future. If I even had one.

“I am not sure if I will survive this, Nick,” I said quietly, not looking back up at him. “If you mark me and I die, it will be so much harder for you to move on. You could die as well. I can’t let that happen. I can’t let you die.”

I waited for him to shout or growl, but he didn’t make a sound. I glanced up at him, and he was looking at me with a mixture of anger, sadness, and love.

We spent a few moments in silence. I looked back down because I couldn’t stand to see him angry at me.

He finally moved. He placed a finger under my chin and raised my head.

“First of all, you are not dying. I will kill anyone who tries to touch you or hurt you,” he said sternly. “Second of all, I don’t need to mark you to beg for death if something happens to you. I almost did when he took you. I thought I would die every second you were away from me. I would welcome death because it would be less painful than living without you. I love you. I will always love you and I want others to know. I want them to know that you are mine. I want us to be connected forever.”

When he finished his speech, I started crying. Tears were streaming down my cheeks, and I couldn’t stop them. He wiped them all away with his thumb.

“I love that you are trying to protect me, baby,” he continued. “But with or without my mark on your beautiful body, I don’t plan on living without you. When you leave, I leave.”

I sobbed and wrapped my hands around his neck. He pulled me closer and held me tight.

“I love you, baby,” he whispered into my hair.

“I love you too,” I said, my voice trembling.

We sat like that until my crying stopped. I pulled away from him and wiped my cheeks.

“You are cute when you are puffy,” Nick grinned at me.

I slapped his arm. “Shut up.”

“Never, baby,” he smiled mischievously.

I shook my head and smiled back at him.

“So, now that we’ve established that you won’t be dying anytime soon, can I please mark you?” Nick asked me, tracing his fingers up and down my marking spot.

I shivered and gave him a small smile. “I would love to.”

A huge smile spread across his face. “Tonight?”

“Tonight,” I nodded and smiled.

CHAPTER SEVENTY – Encounter

Gabriel’s POV

I was standing outside, watching Mike and Jack sparring.

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