Page 67 of His Wild Mate

Paige blanched. I knew she felt badly for all that, but I also knew it was not within her control.

“She was only protecting herself.”

Mom gasped dramatically. “Brady attacked you? I hadn't heard that.”

“No? Did you notice the siding pulled off my house, and the broken windows taped up? Replacements should be arriving this week. It was a lot more than just Brady and a couple of the boys trying to attack her.”

Fury rumbled through me like waves in a storm.

“She's the siren they're talking about, Mom. She lures men to her and then kills them.”

Paige looked like she was going to be sick.

“She didn't kill anyone. She only protected herself,” I said, coming to her defense.

She looked down at the floor, unable to meet my eyes. I hated seeing her like that. I went to wrap my arm around her and hit the invisible barrier of the Alpha order.

A growl ripped through me.

“Emmett!” Mom admonished.

“Sorry. I'm seriously going to kick Thomas's ass if he doesn't lift his order soon.”

Esme smirked. “You're going to challenge an Alpha?”

“If he doesn't fix this soon, I might.”

“I don't care if he's your friend, that's one of the stupidest things you've ever said.”

“Esme, that's enough. He doesn't mean it,” Mom said.

But I did. My patience had been exceeded and I was sick and tired of not being able to touch and comfort my mate.

Paige remained quiet. She seemed to do that around new people, but thankfully not with me. There was still so much more I wanted to know about her, but conversation mostly came easy for us.

“So, Paige. Where are you from?”

“I don't have a Pack,” she told Mom. “I haven't for a very long time.”

Mom frowned. “What Pack were you born into?”

“It doesn't matter. I left there when I was thirteen. I've been on my own since.”

It angered me to hear, and I could tell my parents were taken back by the news too. Dad even put his paper down to turn and look at us. That wasn't something that happened often.

“Where were your parents?”

Paige deflated before my eyes. I hated to see her like that.

“Are you okay, Paige?” Esme asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

“I'm fine. It was a long time ago. I haven't seen my parents since my thirteenth birthday. As far as I know, they are still alive and well.”

“So you just left?” my sister asked.

“Yeah. I did.”

Mom walked over and surprised us all by wrapping her up in her arms and holding my mate the way I longed to do myself.

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