Chapter 8 — You rejected me

Austin looked exactly as Hallie remembered him.

That was the first problem.

The second was the way the mate bond reacted to having him close again.

It tightened under her ribs, warm and immediate, as if the days apart had been nothing. Her body knew him before thought could intervene.

Austin took one step toward her.

“Hallie.”

She stopped where she was.

Behind her, Cedar Draw remained quiet in the particular way a place became quiet when everyone was pretending not to watch.

Grant stood several yards away.

He had followed only after she asked him to be there.

He had not moved closer.

Austin noticed him anyway.

His face hardened.

“You brought him.”

“I asked him to stay.”

Austin’s gaze snapped back to hers. “Why?”

Because Grant had offered her marriage without pretending it could erase Austin.

Because he had given her the choice to come here alone.

Because Hallie knew exactly how easily this conversation could become about two Alphas measuring territory around her.

She refused to let it.

“I wanted him here,” she said.

Austin stared at her.

The bond pulled harder.

Hallie hated that part of herself responded to the hurt on his face before she could stop it.

He felt familiar.

That was not the same as safe.

“You don’t have to do this,” Austin said.

“Yes, I do.”

“No. You’re angry.”

Hallie almost laughed.

He sounded so certain.

“You drove here to tell me what I feel?”

“I drove here because I heard you were going to marry Grant.”

“That’s true.”

“You’ve known him for days.”

“That’s also true.”

Austin dragged a hand through his hair. “Hallie, the rejection didn’t erase what we are.”

“I know.”

He went still.

Maybe he had expected denial.

Maybe he had hoped she would claim the bond meant nothing so he could argue with something simpler.

Hallie continued.

“I feel it right now.”

Austin’s expression changed.

The bond answered before either of them moved.

A sharp warmth crossed her chest.

Her fingers curled at her sides.

Grant saw it.

She knew because his attention shifted to her hands and then back to her face.

Grant stayed silent.

His attention remained on Hallie. Austin would have to deal with her answer.

He simply watched.

Austin moved closer.

“Then you understand.”

Hallie held her ground.

“I understand that you are my mate.”

Relief flashed across his face.

She let him have it for one second.

Then she said, “And you rejected me.”

The relief vanished.

“I rejected the future we planned. I didn’t reject what the bond makes us.”

“No,” Hallie said. “You rejected building a life with me.”

His jaw tightened. “That isn’t fair.”

“It is exactly what happened.”

“I made a decision as Alpha.”

“I know.”

“You know why.”

“Yes.”

The answer seemed to unsettle him more than anger would have.

Hallie stepped closer because she wanted him to hear every word. The bond had nothing to do with that step.

“You chose the alliance.”

“For Bellamy Creek.”

“I know.”

“You know I love you.”

“I know that too.”

Austin looked almost desperate.

“Then how can you marry him?”

Hallie felt Grant’s presence behind her.

Steady.

Silent.

She did not turn.

“Because love didn’t make you choose a life with me.”

Austin’s face closed.

“That doesn’t mean fate changed.”

“No.”

“Then why are you acting like it did?”

“I’m not.”

Hallie’s voice came out calmer than she felt.

“The bond is still here. I’m not pretending otherwise. But the bond didn’t stop you from choosing someone else for your future.”

Austin flinched.

Hallie continued.

“And it doesn’t stop me from choosing mine.”

His eyes shifted to Grant again.

Grant remained exactly where he was.

He had not spoken once, keeping the confrontation exactly where Hallie wanted it: between her and Austin.

Austin saw it too.

“You really think this is a choice?” he asked. “You came here hurt. He offered you a way to make the rejection look like it didn’t matter.”

Grant’s expression changed at that.

Not anger.

Something harder to name.

Hallie cut in before he could answer.

“You don’t get to define why I said yes.”

Austin looked at her.

She stepped fully between his gaze and Grant.

“This conversation is with me.”

His mouth tightened.

“Hallie, you can still come home.”

“Bellamy Creek stopped being home when staying there meant waiting for you to decide whether love outweighed politics.”

“That isn’t what I asked you to do.”

“You didn’t have to.”

The bond and Austin’s nearness still pulled at her.

The old instinct to protect the connection simply because it existed still lived in her.

None of it had vanished.

But none of it had made her agree to marry Grant.

Austin exhaled through his nose.

“How long until this happens?”

Hallie paused.

He noticed.

“So there isn’t a date yet.”

“There is.”

Austin’s face changed.

“When?”

“Soon.”

“How soon?”

Hallie glanced back at Grant for the first time.

He met her eyes and left the answer to her.

She turned back to Austin.

The choice suddenly felt much more concrete than it had in Grant’s proposal.

This was not theory anymore.

It had a day.

A public act.

A consequence Austin would have to witness from the outside.

Hallie felt the bond pull once more.

Pain traveled the bond. Hallie recognized it as pain and kept the decision separate.

“Tomorrow night,” she said.

Austin went completely still.

Hallie heard someone behind her shift their weight in the dirt.

Grant stayed exactly where Hallie had left him.

Austin stared at her as if he were waiting for the correction.

Hallie gave him the same answer with her silence.

“You’re serious.”

“Yes.”

“Delay it.”

“No.”

“Hallie—”

“I’m not postponing my marriage so you have more time to believe I’ll change my mind.”