That quiets her down. Her chin quivers before she asks, “Why did you do it? You mean to say you’ve basically given me a life sentence, and there’s nothing I can do about it.” I guess when she puts it that way, I did kind of ruin shit.
But I’m not about to tell her that she can break the bond just like Forrest did.
“Why did you do it to me? What made you choose me out of all the wolves available?”
Good question. “It was the only way I could think of in the moment to keep from tearing you in two. To make it better.”
“To make what better?”
She still doesn’t get it. I don’t know whether to laugh or to feel sorry for her.
“Because if you’re talking about when I stabbed you, that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t been here in the first place. You’re the one who started all of this. And now, you’re going to gaslight me into thinking this is all for my benefit?” She touches a palm to her chest, laughing. “I might have shifted for the first time tonight, but I wasn’t born yesterday. Also, I’m not an idiot. So stop treating me like one.”
“You really wanna know why I did it?”
“Yes, for fuck’s sake! Tell me the truth.”
“Because my brother rejected you.”
Her head snaps back, her eyes widening until they practically bulge from her head. I feel her wolf’s torment; I hear it in my head. I know she’s wrestling with it, trying to make sense of what’s happening inside her.
“I know you felt it,” I continue while she reels. “He broke the bond. He rejected you. When you exploded down there, that was a reaction to the break. And if our packs found out about it, we’d be going to war with each other and the witches.”
I advance on her, and she backs away until she has no choice but to plop down on the bed. “Have you ever heard of what happens to rejected mates? You thought you had it tough before you shifted? That’s nothing compared to how you’d be treated if word got out. That you’d be responsible for the decimation of the packs.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” she whispers.
Finally, it seems like I’m getting through to her. There’s no more fight left in her voice. Only fear, which is exactly how she should react because it is something to be fearful of, something every single one of our kind prays will never happen to them.
It must not occur to her that my brother is at fault here, that his rejection would send a ripple through the packs and lead us to war. Either she doesn’t know it, or she simply hasn’t been able to get her thoughts together yet. I can’t blame her for feeling overwhelmed, so long as she doesn’t act like a hard-headed child anymore.
“This is the best for all of us,” I continue. “Now, I’ve marked you, and there’s nothing anyone can say even if they were to find out about the rejection.”
I know what she’s thinking before she says a word, and I know it from the way her eyes light up and the commotion her wolf is making in her head. “You can take it back, can’t you? I’ve heard that’s possible. If it’s not a fated bond, you can take it back. Right?”
It’s a ripple moving through me. One of rage. Who is she to refuse me? Who does she think she is? Who does she think she’s dealing with? It’s obvious I haven’t made myself clear enough to her.
I lower myself over her, forcing her back into the bed. In an effort to escape me she pressed back against the mattress and I cage her in, moving closer. Call it dominance, or whatever you will. “Who says I want to? No one tells me what to do, little wolf. Not even you. Especially not you.”
“Get off me,” she grits out.
“What did I just say?”
“I don’t care what you said.”
“But you care about this, don’t you?” I slide my body over hers and note how her nipples tighten, thanks to the friction I’m causing. It’s not only that. The smell of her arousal is growing stronger again, calling to me, drawing me in. “Pretend all you want, but I know the truth, just like your wolf knows the truth. You want this. You want me.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” she whispers.
“I don’t need to, not when you make it so obvious.” I slide a hand down the length of her body and wonder how much longer I can be this close to her without giving my wolf everything he wants. Eventually, it won’t be enough to play with her like I have. He’s going to want a full claim, meaning I’ll have no choice but to fuck her hard and deep and convince her to mark me.