Page 39 of Cruel Mate

“Honestly, what did you put in it?”

“If I tell you that, I’ll have to kill you,” Layla said, jokingly. Zander scowled at her, and she bit her lip, fearing she might have said something upsetting. Of course she had; he had likely heard those words too often in his line of work.

But then, just as she was about to apologize, he started to laugh. “There’s no need to look so scared. That was almost funny.”

“Almost?” Layla said, feigning offense.

“Okay, it was funny, but I couldn’t let you get one over on me that easily,” Zander said, and they both laughed. It was only when she laid a palm on his bare chest that she realized she had closed the distance between them.

Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she took another sip of her drink before she admitted, “The secret ingredient is lavender-infused sugar.”

Zander looked quite impressed, looking down into his empty glass. “I hope there’s more. I’m suddenly thirstier than ever.”

“I make a big batch every time I pick the lemons,” Layla smiled, gesturing to her beloved lemon tree.

“You know, Layla, I have to say,” Zander said, looking around the garden, “this place is truly impressive. Did you do all of this on your own?”

Layla’s throat constricted. “Over the last few years, yes, but before that, my grandma helped.”

“Where is she now?” Zander asked and Layla’s chest tightened.

“She, um…she was a casualty of Karl’s alphaship. I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Shit, Layla, I’m so sorry.” Zander placed his glass on the table and took her into his arms.

For a few seconds, she closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of his arms around her, resting her cheek on his chest.

Then she pulled back and asked, “What about you? Do you have any family besides Jack and the others?”

She felt Zander cringe at that and knew she’d hit a nerve. When he released her from his arms, she wished she hadn’t asked.

“Jack isn’t blood, but he’s really the only family I have. I followed him into the army after my parents died,” he said, shrugging as if it was no big deal.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Layla said, reaching out to rest a hand on his forearm.

Zander shook his head and laid his hand on hers. “Don’t be. My parents were never really that. They were always too caught up in their own business and arguments to care about me. Being fated mates didn’t exactly work out for them.”

Layla gulped at that. “What does that mean?”

Zander cringed and turned away. Layla was sure he wouldn’t answer. She considered changing the subject, but then he looked back at her and explained, “They were free spirits, passionate and close, but they fought like cats and dogs. They couldn’t see past their arguments enough to see anything else, and in the end, it broke them apart. My mother died before they could reconcile, and my father, he…well, he just couldn’t live without her.”

Bile rose in the back of Layla’s throat. We fought like cats and dogs…

Yet they hadn’t really argued since his proposal. Maybe things would be different for them. She could live in hope.

Zander grunted then, an incredulous look on his face.

“What?” Layla asked, furrowing her brow.

“I’ve never told anyone that before,” Zander admitted, and Layla’s heart skipped a beat.

Maybe, just maybe, she could trust him. Maybe their marriage, their mating, their living together could actually work out, after all.

Chapter 15 - Zander

Zander tried his hardest to be respectful of his new wife, not to put all his desire on her. Just because they were married now didn’t give him the right to push himself on her. And hell, she was already pregnant with his child. She didn’t need him pawing all over her.

But with every passing day it grew harder and harder. And the more they got to know each other, the more he wanted her. They had far more in common than it seemed either of them realized. Both coming from rocky backgrounds, both with a love for the simple things in life like nature and simply being at peace in the moment, both just wanting to live as normal a life as possible.

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