Just before our lips brush he goes rigid, grip tightening until I wince. His gaze hardens when he pulls back, the bond turning hot, too hot, jolting my heart with a vicious lightning strike.
For a moment, the pain in my heart reflects in his expression before he shakes his head. His features contort to the hatred I forgot when our bond connected us as True Mates.
“No,” Caden snarls through clenched teeth. “I reject you.”
It’s difficult to breathe as I’m lanced through at those words. Shocked murmurs break out around us.
He shoves me away when I cling to him in confusion. The whiplash from new bond-high to the first tear in the connection between us leaves me dizzy and unable to process what’s happening.
“W-what?” I choke out as I reach for him. “Caden—”
He bats my hand aside. “Fate is wrong. I could never have a mate like you.”
Something inside me shatters.
Oh.
My heart, I realize amidst the soul-deep pain of his rejection.
Distantly, I’m aware of more intense murmuring from the crowd surrounding us. Fate-blessed bonds are a gift from the moon goddess. It’s taboo to refuse them, almost unheard of.
The fledgling mate bond frays, unable to complete fate’s design. The incandescent glow that filled me with warmth and love dims to nothing but the shredded remains of what could’ve been. I clutch at my chest, a wounded sound escaping me.
Caden does nothing to help me, leaving me to fend for myself. I’m sure I’m dying. Does he not feel the same? I can’t tell because his face is set in a stony mask.
My body aches with the throb of the mangled bond. My legs threaten to give out. Breathing is painful. Thinking hurts.
Through it all, one thing rings clear in my mind.
Fate chose the worst possible mate for me. My enemy.
Finding Caden Blackburn is my mate after everything I’ve been through has to be some cruel joke. The moon goddess must be laughing at me.
I shake my head, but the grating sound of snickering doesn’t clear. It surrounds me, raking across my frayed nerves. I swing my blurred gaze around the circle of packmates that look on with open hunger and derision for this spectacle. Their wolves are close to the surface, poised to jump on my weakness and tear me apart.
My lip curls and I bare my teeth at them. I might not have the ability to shift into a wolf, but I’m still as fierce and will fight to survive anything. Even rejection from my fated mate.
Lorne smirks at the display and sweeps his gaze over me. He prowls into the circle, attention sliding to Caden over my head.
“Look at the little witchling playing at being a wolf. She’s hardly worthy of a True Mate bond with you, is she, Alpha Blackburn?” he drawls the title with an open hint of mockery. “You’re right to refuse her, cousin. The pack wouldn’t follow you if you mated her. A Morgan in the Alpha lodge again?”
Lorne clicks his tongue in dismay. Caden’s shoulders tense. He swipes a hand over his mouth, avoiding looking at me.
I want to get away from here, but I also want to crawl on my hands and knees to him. I fucking hate myself for it, battling the urge until it’s suppressed.
Lorne blocks my view of Caden. My teeth ache as I sidestep him. He delights in my misery, toying with me by getting in my way repeatedly. I shove at him, too wound up to remember that I shouldn’t.
He grins, leaning into me while speaking to Caden. “It’s best not to leave a female like her unmated. Not to bear my pups, of course. To keep her under control. She might be Wolfless, but she’s still pretty. I’m sure the bitch still knows how to present to be mounted all the same. I’d bet she’ll look even prettier when I have her on all fours.”
Lorne’s disgusting remark is met with more laughter. He reaches for me. I veer away, his scent growing so offensive I nearly gag. His touch is wrong, too.
“No!” Caden roars.
The wild growl that tears from him is forbidding and possessive. It sends half of the pack crashing to their knees.
Lorne remains on his feet with some effort, fingers digging into my arm. “What’s wrong, cousin? You rejected her. I’m glad to have your scraps, as always.”
I whimper.
And Caden’s composure snaps.
7CADEN
The sight of another male touching Avery drives my wolf wild. Lorne’s boasting of taking her for himself because I don’t want her breaks the fragile restraint I managed to gain to refuse this bond.
My vision goes red.
I act without thinking. One minute I’m putting some needed distance between us, the next I’m wrenching Lorne away from her.
He grunts, struggling with me. My muscles bulge with the power of my wolf. He’s pressed close, moments from taking my skin.
Threat. That’s what’s driven me to the breaking point. I sense that this male is a threat. He’s trying to take from me.
Bloodlust pumps through my veins. It’s not enough to get Lorne off her. The things he said loop through my mind and my fangs descend so fast they cut my lip. He fucking laughs.
“What are you losing control over?” he taunts. “Over that pathetic Wolfless who’s nothing more than a cunt to use? The one you refused?”
I want to rip his tongue out and chew it up.
Then the sinews of his vocal chords.
I want his blood soaking the lawn for days so everyone knows not to go near her.
My body isn’t my own. Reason has left me, along with my carefully maintained control.
Lorne’s arrogant grin, his suggestion to use Avery, his hands all over her—I growl fiercely, my wolf making himself known. His shoulder pops from its socket when I twist his arm behind his back. He grits his teeth, aiming an elbow at my gut. I crush his arm in my powerful grip and the bones snap beneath the full strength I put into it.
He screams in fury, shoving at me. “You attack your packmate—your own blood? Over her? She’s not one of us. Probably lying about being your fated, too. Your father should’ve killed every Morgan left after he won that challenge. Wipe out the whole rotten bloodline.”
“Shut up,” I snarl, my voice all wolf.
I lose him for a second when he breaks away, then I’m back on him immediately, harshly grabbing him by the injured part above his elbow to keep his accelerated healing from knitting the broken bones together. I’m not finished yet.
It’s not enough. I could tear his damn arm off and burn it in front of her, and it would never be enough to erase his touch on what’s mine.
My attention moves to Avery. She’s breathing heavily, arms wrapped around herself. Her focus is locked on me. Tears fill her eyes, but there’s an intent gleam to them when I drive my fist into Lorne’s gut.
She likes this. My chest puffs out and fur sprouts down my arms. The material of my shirt strains over my body as it expands to contain the beast within. It tears at the seams, hanging from me in scraps of fabric when I punch him again and again until he doubles over.
Yes. See how strong we are? How we protect you?
I shake my head, ripping my gaze from her. Gripping Lorne’s throat and a fistful of his shirt, I take him to the ground, pinning him on his back.
He’s not laughing now, staring up at me with outrage. With challenge. Still meeting my fucking eyes when he should be submitting to his alpha.