جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

The dark anticipation lighting his eyes tells me exactly what kind of talking he intends on doing, the physical kind. With his fists, or most likely, with teeth and claws. “You can even judge the winner between us. How does that sound?”Shane is the alpha of one of the most aggressive packs in the country, while Mack is alpha of a pack so tiny it wouldn’t even register to the Dacres. I won’t be judging a fight; I’ll be watching an execution.I don’t say a word, just quietly return to Shane, who grabs my hair again, making me cry out even louder than I did before.He leans into my face. “Try running again, Aerin, and see what I do.”As I stare into his eyes, I realize he hates that I’m his mate, that it’s me and not Bree. He’s always been closed off to me, and in a way, I was relieved he kept his distance. But now I wish I’d known how he really felt.I could’ve saved myself so much pain if I’d run away long ago.When I lower my gaze to the ground, Shane makes a sound of disgust becaus

“It might have something to do with a certain girl tossing his car keys into the forest, and him snarling at the people on a nearby bus who offered to help him look for them. He was still looking when I came after you, and I couldn’t help but notice in completely the wrong place.”My mouth falls open in surprise because I hadn’t thought I’d tossed the keys that far, or that he’d have such difficulties finding them.Before I can ask Mack how he can be so sure Shane was looking for his keys in the wrong place, he steps out of the forest. I take in the blue Sedan parked at the side of the road, which I’m guessing must be his.After helping me into the passenger seat and closing my door, Mack rounds the car and climbs in. Once he’s started the engine, he doesn’t move. Instead, he turns to me and his eyes dip down. “Seatbelt, love.”I smile at him and buckle up as he does the same, and then in no time at all, we’re heading back toward Winter Lake before I can think to ask him about Shane.

I get ready to close my eyes because, despite the Winter Lake Pack’s utter confidence in their alpha, they don’t know Shane the way I do.Before I can close my eyes, Mack steps out of the way of Shane’s attack with time to spare. I inhale sharply because I did not see that coming. As I’m busy coughing and choking because it felt like air went down the wrong way, Mack makes his move.Bennett, or someone—I’m not about to take my eyes away from the fight to see—claps me on my back as I stare, stunned, as Mack, with a speed and a ferocity I’m not expecting, clamps his jaws around Shane’s throat and slams him hard enough to the ground that I flinch.No matter how hard Shane struggles and fights, nothing he can do can get Mack to release his grip.Slowly, Mack’s jaws tighten until it’s clear what’s going to happen if Shane doesn’t stop fighting.To my utter disbelief, with my mouth hanging open, I watch the impossible happen. Shane stills his struggles and concedes the fight.He won. Mack w

I turn to face him when he draws me closer. In my simple white cotton dress, I have some idea where his thoughts have gone.“Mack, it’s our mating party,” I remind him, trying to sound severe.In response, he dips his head and kisses me. “I know. A party. Which means celebration, and what better way to celebrate than—”“Mack?”At the strange note in Adela’s voice, we break our kiss and turn to her, but she isn’t looking at us, and she’s not alone gazing back toward the house. All the rest of the pack are facing in the same direction.When I turn, my smile falls away at the sight of a beautiful young woman with long red hair and bright green eyes.Something about the sight of her fills me with dread, and I don’t know why.It’s only when I realize that she’s not gazing at me as I first thought, but at Mack that the feeling transforms into fear.My eyes dip into her mouth because her lips are moving, and even though no sound emerges, it isn’t hard to read the single word she mouths. Mate

I know that Mack’s silence is him taking his time to think of the words that will convince me. The right words. But I don’t let him. Maybe it will hurt less to let him go now, than it would for him to turn from me later.“I think I should stay with Adela for a few days,” I tell the bed. “She offered. And… well, Faith needs you. She wouldn’t have come here if she didn’t need you.”“And is that what you want?”He leaves unsaid the biggest thing. If it was what I wanted, he’d agree, even if it was the very opposite of what he wanted.After a long pause where I consider lying, I shake my head. “No.”I feel his approach, though I don’t turn. “Stay. Faith knows we’re together. She knows I’m not leaving you. She just needs a friend for a few days, and a place to stay.”Faith may say she needs a friend, but a few days with Mack will convince her she wants something more. I know this from personal experience. He saved me and I fell in love with him. There’s every chance lightning is about to s