AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I am.” He starts typing again and I know he’s trying to ignore me. Anger gets the best of me as I rise out of my seat.
“That’s not what I meant.” I rip the keyboard out of his hands and throw it on the ground. It shatters and I can tell it pisses him the fuck off, but I don’t give a shit. “You’re just going to give up on your mate?”
“It’s not giving up.” His eyes find mine and I can tell he’s only holding on by a thread. “I’m giving her what she wants.”
It fucking kills me to see him like this. Even if he weren’t my brother, knowing what we went through, what he went through… “Fuck, Luke.”
“What the fuck do you want from me?” He screams at me, pounding on his chest. The action rouses his wolf. It’s the first time my wolf has felt his all day.
I stress my answer although it should be obvious. “Not to give up on her.”
He looks at me like I’m his enemy and a cold chill runs through me. “She wants you, not me. She’s made that clear.”
I spear my fingers through my hair and watch Luke as he stands to leave. “You have to stay.” My words keep him from leaving. It takes a moment for him to face me again. He looks like the shell of the man he was just yesterday. “You look like shit and your wolf is silent. You’ll look weak to them.” My words hurt me just as much as they hurt him. A sickness churns in my gut watching my once strong and proud brother turn inward. “I don’t think she realizes what she’s doing. She’s just scared of what she feels or something. Heat can be hard on the best of us, and she’s only just come into this world.”
Luke nods his head and tries to speak but doesn’t. His eyes fall and I can see his inner war. “It’s not over Luke.” His sad eyes find mine and I feel guilty as fuck. “You stay with her. Try. Just try.”
“It fucking hurts, Owen.” Luke’s hand rubs against his chest. I’ve never seen my brother so disheveled and wretched. I pull him in for a quick hug and pound on his back.
“You can’t just let her go.” I can’t believe he would even consider leaving our mate.
“I’m not. She’s with you.” Luke pulls away from me and stares down the hallway. “At first, I thought I’d kill you.” He looks back at me with no remorse although his eyes rolling indicates he’s aware of how ridiculous the thought is. “I literally thought, for the smallest of moments, I should kill you.” His words should chill my blood but they don’t. “Then I thought, I can’t do that to you, you’re my brother, and she would only hate me more because she loves you.” He slams his fist on the door frame. “But then I realized the truth”—he swallows thickly—“I couldn’t do it, because it would hurt her.” His tortured eyes find mine. “It would hurt her to take away someone she loved.”
I stare back at my twin with nothing to say. I wish I could take this pain away from him, but I can’t. Only Emma can.
“I haven’t given up.” Hearing him admit he still has hope relaxes me, but only slightly. He clears his throat. “I won’t ever stop trying. Just trying to get my wolf on board.” Knowing his wolf is leaving him fucking kills my own animal. “You tell her. I’m going on a short run; I don’t want to hear what she thinks about it.” He slams a hand on my back. “Let me know what they say and make sure you take the Betas.”
I watch my brother leave and I can’t get over the feeling of sickness in my chest. I need to talk to Emma and tell her just how torn up he is. But then she may think he’s weak. Shit. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want her to think of him as any less of a man, a wolf, an Alpha. He’s my equal. Different, yeah. But he’d be just as good a mate to her as I would. Together we can give her everything. Just as we have our pack. I lean against the wall on my forearms and let out a tortured sigh. He’s going to have to win her over on his own. At least now I have a reason to give them time alone together.
I gather my thoughts and push off the wall, I need to tell my mate I’m leaving. I should be leaving right now, but I at least need to tell her that I’m going. There’s a small chance that I’ll get into some shit heading out there. It’s small, but still, I need to tell her.
Heading to the bedroom, I don’t make it more than a few steps before taking another scent of the air. My brows furrow and I look down the hall with confusion. I walk over to the window and lift it up, staring down into the dirt. I see where she landed. What the fuck is my mate doing jumping out the window? Then reality slams into my chest. She’s sneaking out. My mate fucking snuck out. She left us. While in heat!
It doesn’t take long to scent her in the woods up to the abandoned estate. What the fuck is she doing up here? I hear the clang of the gate and tick my jaw. It won’t open for her. It hasn’t opened in nearly a hundred years. Only the magic that left the forest once the spell of the beast was broken will open the gate. I stalk to my mate and watch as her tiny fingers trace the intricate detail. She flashes a camera before putting it in her bag and looking behind her. Checking to see if anyone is following her. I huff and press my lips together. She takes a phone out of her rather stuffed backpack. A look of disappointment crosses her face before she holds the phone up into the air checking for a signal.
Anger consumes me. She asked about contacting people, I told her she couldn’t. The Authority would be on her in minutes, and I’m not prepared to take on their fucking army with this small pack.
“What are you doing, sweetness?” My harsh voice startles her and she drops the phone. She looks back at me with wide eyes. Frozen in place. The weight of the moment hits me. She’s really trying to leave me. Leave us. My fingers go numb, but I stalk my way to her, and she stays perfectly still.
She doesn’t answer, she only looks up at me with wide eyes as I close the distance between us.
She denies my brother, confesses her love for me, and then tries to leave us both? My arm wraps around her lower back and I lean down to kiss her. Showing her affection allows her guard to come down. Even as I kiss her, I scent the air and I’m all too aware her heat is waning. I hold her lips with mine, savoring this moment. Knowing it could be our last. My wolf claws my chest, whining, refusing to allow it to happen. But if she truly wants to leave. I can’t stop her. I won’t do that to her. I won’t let her think she has to stay with us. I need her to want to stay with us. I won’t make her a prisoner.
“I was just going to tell you I had to leave for a day or two. I have to go to a meeting and it can’t be put off.” I speak into her hair, smelling her vanilla scent and memorizing it. I’ll never stop watching over her and keeping her out of harm’s way. And killing any fucker that tries to lay a hand on her. I shake my head. I can’t think like that right now. I can still convince her to stay. If it doesn’t work, I’ll just have to keep trying. My wolf howls in agony and I ignore him.
I finally pull away from her and run my fingers down her jaw, down her throat. I rub a soothing circle in the crook of her neck where I imagined my claiming mark would be. “I see you were planning on leaving me first.” Guilt flashes in her eyes. “You didn’t even say goodbye.” My voice is calm and steady; like she didn’t just rip my heart out of my chest.
“I—” I put a finger over her lips before she can lie to me.
“Why are you leaving us?” I let my voice go cold. At least she looks just as fucking tore up as I feel.
“I can’t stay here.”
“Why the fuck not?” My voice comes out harder than I want it to, but I can’t change that.
“I can’t stay here.” Her eyes cast down and she whispers, “with him.”
I stare at her, unable to truly believe what she’s saying. I’ve heard of mates being denied, but it’s rare. While I’m concerned about Luke, I also can’t help the feeling of hope that lingers in my tight chest. Maybe she’ll only leave him; maybe she’ll stay with me. I close my eyes and curse myself for being such a selfish prick, but she is my mate.
