Page 8 of Forgotten Mate

He frowned. “That doesn’t give a person alot of wiggle room to voodoo my ass.”

“You’re right. And I can’t believe you saidvoodoo your ass.”

“Seemed appropriate.”

“What if we can’t remove the spell?” It wasthe question lingering in the back of her mind. A question thatcould shatter her very fragile heart. “Do you go back to yourmate?”

“Seems like she’s the one that might havedone this to me,” he muttered. “And if that’s the case, how canI?”

“Then I’ll keep my fingers crossed.” Sherose to her feet. “We should get back.”

He stood up, but before she could move toofar away, he took hold of her arm.

“Zenia, I want to be completely clear thatno matter what happens with this spell removal, I’m not keeping heras my mate.”

She searched his eyes, looking for any typeof deception. “I wish I could believe that, but history has a wayof repeating itself. Let’s not promise anything. Okay?”

He hesitated for a moment, searching forsomething she wasn’t sure she could give. “Yeah. Sure.”

Zenia pulled her arm away, unable to standhis touch when he had no idea who she was. Who they were. She’dbeen through too much to ever trust again.

When they made it back to town, they headedto the diner. Payton ushered them to a booth and brought coffeeover. Zenia didn’t know what to say to him, so she just fixed herdrink like she liked and stared out the window.

“Do you have any family?”

She turned back to him. “Not anymore. Thelast alpha tried a coup, and brainwashed my parents into fightingfor him. Alpha Jericho stopped them.”

“Why didn’t he kill you?”

“First, I would never be part of a coup,”she replied. “Second, I was away at a … a care home.”

He cocked his head. “A care home?”

She sighed, hating this part. He had a rightto know, and if this sent him packing then at least it was now,when he had the chance to still walk away. “A mental health rehabhome.”

He was silent for a few long minutes as hestudied her.

“Why were you in there?”

“Depression and anxiety. Thoughts of…”

She trailed off, not wanting to say the nextpart of the sentence. She should’ve known he wouldn’t let thatlie.

“Thoughts of what?”

Instead, she slid back the cuff on herblouse to show him instead of voicing it. A long, thin silver lineled from her wrist halfway up her arm. He gently took her arm andran his fingertips over the scar.

“You harmed yourself.”

“Tried to,” she said, pulling her arm backso she could lower her sleeve. “Wolf healing, though, kicked in.Should’ve gone with something quicker.”

“Don’t say that,” he growled. “Was thisbecause of me? Because I seemingly rejected you?”

“It was part of it.”

She didn’t elaborate.

“Whoever did this to me, to us, they willpay. I know you don’t believe me, but I promise I’ll fix it.”

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