Page 82 of The Alpha’s Heir

His lips were gentle as they touched my forehead. “Thank you,” he said. “Is there anything else you need?”

“Oh you big, stupid oaf.” I pressed against his chest, forcing myself to leave the comfort of his arms. “Can’t you see what happened? I screwed up.”

“How?” His brow creased.

I slapped his heart and then mine. “The mate bond. I… We’re… Mated.”

I wished I could read his mind. To see his memories and thoughts like the other mated wolves were able to do, but all I could feel was the intensity of his swirling emotions that threatened to drown me, all while his face remained still, hiding the tumultuous journey beneath.

“I thought you said this was just sex,” he said.

“It was supposed to be!” I cried.

Get a grip. It was always going to happen.

This is all your fault!

Roman peered at me curiously. “What is that?”

My wolf wagged her tail. Can he hear me?

His frown deepened. “I can’t tell if you’re excited or pissed off.”

“Both,” I said. This was the least romantic mating in the history of mating, and leave it to me—the one who lived for romance novels—to have messed it all up.

Thunder clapped outside the cave, and Roman tensed as he held me close like he’d save me from whatever was out there.

Out there…

Oh gods. I scrambled off my bed of furs. “You need to leave.”

Roman nodded as he dragged his hand over his face, looking for his pants. “Okay.”

The disappointment. The hurt. His feelings. It all slammed into me, bringing me to my knees beside him.

“I’m going to fix this,” I promised. “I’m going to find a way for us to be together.”

“I don’t need your pity.” He smiled as he pulled on his pants. The contradiction was maddening. That easy look on his face while his emotions raged.

Was this him the whole time?

“I want you,” I growled, pressing his palm against my heart. “Feel this. Feel me. You were the whole reason I stayed in Ethica. I thought you were the councilwoman’s son. My mate. The only man I wanted to ever marry or be with.”

“That’s not…” He shook his head. “We can’t. This is… impossible.”

“Just trust me, okay?” I pressed my lips to his, forcing myself to believe so that I didn’t drown in the despair I could feel swirling just below his surface. “Forget the gods. I’ll figure out a way to make this work.”

29

Roman

I was in love with her.

And I was ready to lose everything because of it. Something fundamental had shifted in the last few hours, but Meg made me promise not to do or say anything until she came back to the cabin.

“Why is it raining again?” Justus groaned, rocking in the chair on the porch. His greasy hair hung limply around his ears as he swatted a fly from his face. I’d never seen him look so rough.

Fresh air hadn’t done him any favors.