Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
“And you have a right to be.”
“I’m not asking for your permission to be pissed at what you did!” She wanted to stamp her foot and growl at him. “Damn it, Mateo, why are you here?”
“You’re my mate.”
“Stop! Just stop saying that. It doesn’t matter if I am your mate or if I’m not your mate. You banished me.” She couldn’t help but feel a slice of pain rush through her body at the memory. “Do you have any idea what that is like? I was eighteen years old. I had just gone through my very first transition, and discovered I had a mate. Lo and behold, that mate of mine couldn’t stand me. I do believe we broke records on being the only couple not to mate and not to be joyous about the whole thing.” She pressed her lips together.
“I was doing the right thing.”
“Get out,” Harper said. “I mean it, get out. You banished me. You … hurt me. Do you think after seven years of that banishment, that distance, you’re going to come here and think all is forgiven?”
“You cannot deny we’re meant to be together.”
“I can deny everything. You gave me that right and I will never trust you. I never want to be with you and you’re wasting your time with me. I need you to leave.”
Mateo didn’t move. Nor did he say a word.
“I’ll leave for tonight, but I’m not going anywhere, Harper. You’re my mate, and this is only going to end with you by my side, and coming back to our pack.”
Mateo spun on his heel and left her shop. She rushed toward it, quickly closing it up and drawing the blinds, giving her the privacy she needed to allow the tears to fall. She thought she had done all her crying. Harper had vowed to herself that no matter what, Mateo wouldn’t cause her to cry another tear, but that must have been a lie, because here she was again, crying over him, and it sucked.
****
Mateo sat up in bed the following morning and listened to the bustle of the house. Silver had more than Franny, he also had two sons, but they tended to go out to work quite early. He heard Franny trying to argue with her father in getting him out of the way. Then he heard Silver, as well as Silver’s mate, Lemon.
Climbing out of bed, he made his way into the bathroom, splashed some water on his face, and then stared at his reflection. He had fucked up big time, and he knew this. He didn’t have the first clue how to fix this. All he could see was Harper’s sadness. She didn’t want him.
He’d driven her to that point last night. The temptation to call his father was strong, but he didn’t need to keep asking him for advice. He knew what he had to do, and he was going to fix this.
Peter and Damon had already headed back to the pack. He told them if he needed them, he’d call. This was something he had to do on his own. He didn’t like it.
He had half a mind to kidnap Harper, take her back to their pack, and then he’d be able to win her trust. It would be a lot easier if he was in his own territory. He’d have the pack for backup. So far, he had nothing. Certainly not her friend on his side.
This was not the best start and he hadn’t even come here with the intention of taking her back. Seeing her in that bar, all grown up, had changed something inside him.
He completed his bathroom break and then proceeded to make his way downstairs, where he found Franny, along with her parents, waiting.
“Good morning, Mateo. Can I interest you in any coffee?” Lemon asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
This was hard, being in another alpha’s territory, but he was learning to deal with it. He didn’t exactly have a choice.
Franny was standing beside the kitchen counter, eating her cereal, firing death stares at him, which he accepted. It was good Harper had gotten close to someone. Her parents had told him, a little too late, that she hadn’t found it easy to make friends with people. Again, he’d felt like a total prick for sending her away, but he hadn’t stopped believing it was the right thing to do.
“Are you plotting and planning on how to ruin Harper’s life even further?” Franny asked.
“Franny!” Her mother’s voice was high-pitched, whereas her father’s was a lot deeper.
“What? You think he deserves our pity?” She snorted. “Do any of you remember what Harper was like when she first arrived?”
There was silence around the table and where Lemon had been offering him a smile just moments ago, now she didn’t. He looked toward Franny, but she wasn’t gloating. She didn’t consider any of this a win. All she did was shake her head.