“It’s okay,” Caleb finally speaks up. “What happened to your wolf?” She shakes her head violently. Why is she so terrified of us? More importantly, how the hell is she hiding her wolf like that?
“I’m not a werewolf.” The rushed words barely have any sound as they leave her lips.
My eyes narrow at her. “Don’t lie to me, little one.” I try to keep the threat out of my voice, but it’s still there. The moment I hear the admonishment, I regret it. She’s fucking terrified. I shouldn’t be giving her more reasons to fear me.
“She left me,” our scared little mate whimpers. “I’m not latent anymore, she won’t come back.” She gasps for breath as her body shakes. “Please, she won’t come back.” I feel my heart hollow as my wolf whines in distress.
“Please what, little one?”
“Please don’t beat me.” Her sad blue eyes burrow into mine as she begs, “Please don’t hurt me again. I swear she won’t come. She’s dead. I can’t shift. I swear I can’t shift.” Her words are barely coherent, but I’ve heard enough that I understand her terror. I close my anguished eyes. Now I get why she hates me and it shreds my insides.
If I could bring my father back to life, I would.
When I killed him, it was for me but if I could do it again, I’d torture him first for her.
“It wasn’t me.” I choke the pitiful words out. I was just a child, just a pup, but I knew what my family was doing. I knew what my father did to those kids, but it took years for me to gather the courage to fight him. Years of listening to their tormented screams. He recorded everything as proof of their identity when he sold them on the black market. As I grew older, he made me watch. First the videos and then in person. I’ll never forget their haunted eyes as my father and uncles beat them mercilessly, forcing their animals to the surface. His large hand on my shoulder kept me pinned in place as he made me watch. Even as I vomited in revulsion, he insisted I needed to see it to be a man.
The day he handed me a weapon to do as he told me, as my Alpha commanded, was the day I fought back. I bludgeoned him with the bat he used to break his victims’ bones. By the end of our battle, we’d both shifted and he lay in front of me coughing up blood with what little life he still had left. Before he could heal, I ripped out his throat; his hot, sticky blood gushed into my mouth before spilling onto the floor. The only regret I’ve ever had in my entire life was not stopping him sooner. If I hadn’t been so scared of dying, I could’ve saved nearly half a dozen children. I never once had any remorse over killing him. Not until today. I wish he were still alive so I could kill him for her. So she could watch as her tormentor took his last breath.
“It wasn’t me. It was my father.”
“Just stay away,” she cries and I swear my heart breaks.
“It wasn’t me,” is all I can answer, the words only a whisper.
Caleb’s consoling hand on my shoulder brings me back to the present. Back to my sobbing, shattered mate. She’s so fucking damaged. My heart aches for her. I reach out my hand to her unable to stop myself, but she backs herself into the corner like a scared animal. Her rejection is deserved as I drop my head in shame. I take a deep breath and square my shoulders.
Now that I know why she’s been acting the way she has, I can make this right. I’ll fix this.
I meet Caleb’s eyes. “Bring her to the bedroom.”
Part IV
Their Mates
Dom
“What the hell, Dom?” Even though he’s screaming in my head, Caleb looks back at me with a neutral expression.
“She’s scared. I’m going to fix it.”
“By tying her up?” His shocked tone is laced with disapproval. “She’s scared out of her mind, you sick asshole!”
“Knock it the fuck off,” I sneer with disdain before calming myself and adding, “you know I’m not going to cross the line.” He presses his lips into a thin line, his hands clenching into fists before quickly relaxing and then he looks back at our mate. She’s still huddled in a ball shaking uncontrollably, intently focused on ignoring us. As though we don’t exist if she can’t see us. She’s got the blanket cocooned around her like it’s going to protect her. I shake my head at the sight of her. Nothing’s coming in between us, little one.
“Tying her up is crossing the line.” His low growl is fortified with an unspoken threat.