Page 15 of His Protective Bear

I waved him off, “Trust me, it’s not your fault.” It was all on me.

“Don’t look so defeated,” Austin chimed in, “sometimes you have to be patient and keep showing up. Prove to your mate you’re not going anywhere.” Austin shared an intimate look with his mate that had me looking away. “This is just one battle. The war’s not lost. You’ve learned something about your mate, so you have to adapt. Go with subtle now. Woo him in a way that makes him feel good.”

Austin was right. Maybe Sage needed reassurance that this was real. I needed to earn him.

Chapter 7

Sage

It was definitely the coward’s way out, but I didn’t care. I hadn’t been to work the last two days, not that it’d help me forget what happened.

I’d gone over it in my head, and it just made no sense.

“Grrr! Stop thinking about it,” I muttered, covering my face with my pillow to muffle my scream.

There was no way it was possible. It couldn’t be. I’d even stupidly checked to see if something had happened to Warren, but no such luck. So Hunter was wrong or mistaken or whatever.

It just made no sense why an alpha like him would even bother to play a joke on me. He didn’t know me, so what did he gain.

I rubbed my temples. Yeah, this was giving me a migraine. But I also knew I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it until it made sense to my brain.

And two days under the covers hadn’t helped it make sense.

The only thing I knew was one alpha… one I did my best not to think about had already told me I was his mate. And I’d believed him stupidly… because, of course, why would anyone lie about that? It had been the worst two years of my life. And he’d kicked me out. I was defective and useless.

I’d lived with that shame all this time. A mate that didn’t love me or want me, and now Hunter was saying I was his mate.

Gods, I hated this. Why was I broken? If I was normal, I could tell by myself. If I couldn’t trust myself to know what the truth even was…

Warren could have lied. That voice that had been whispering this over and over reminded me. Not for the first time because why was it so easy for him to lose me.

I shook my head. I was done with all of them. And I was done hiding out in bed. My stomach rumbled, telling me it was definitely not happy about its treatment the last couple of days.

I made my way downstairs and froze when I heard voices coming from the kitchen. I could swear I’d heard my parents leave. But they must have come back when I had my headphones on to drown out my thoughts.

I would have doubled back to my room, but my Dad’s voice called out, “We know you’re there, Sage. Please come in.”

I sighed. Yeah, there was no getting out of this. I’d known it was coming anyway. That day, the drive home with Papa had been absolutely silent, and I’d felt his disapproval. But he didn’t know the whole story. So how could he know Hunter was being a jerk.

Sighing, I walked into the kitchen and saw my parents sitting in the breakfast nook beside each other. The other side opposite them was clearly meant for me.

I slid in and clasped my fingers together in my lap. I wasn’t sure how long we sat there silently until Papa finally spoke up, “Your father and I have been talking, and we think you owe Hunter an apology.”

My head snapped up at that, “What! Why? I didn’t ask to be made a public spectacle. Hunter did that all on his own….” I shrugged and folded my arms, “It’s not my fault. If anyone had asked what I wanted, or if he even knew anything about me, he would know I was a private person. Hunter tried to make me look like a fool, it backfired on him—” on both of us, but I didn’t add that. “I don’t even know him. Why would he try to ridicule me?” I muttered, and I hated myself for the thread of hurt in my voice.

Papa’s hand covered mine where they now lay on the table. He didn’t speak until I looked up at him. “Baby boy,” he sighed, and I swallowed, but stubbornly, the lump in my throat remained.

“Have you ever considered that maybe he’s not lying? He’s got no reason to,” Papa said.

“He’s a good man. He wouldn’t do something that dishonorable,” Dad chimed in.

I shrugged Papa’s hand off mine and slid out of the booth, “I, please, no more. I’m done with alphas. I don’t need this. I’m fine. My life is just fine without an alpha in it.”

Dad jumped to his feet, “We never pried because we thought,” he glanced at Papa, “we figured you would talk to us when you were ready. A selfish alpha hurt you—”

“No,” I shook my head and backed away, “I don’t want to hear this. I can’t. I’m going to work… please just don’t.” I backed out of the kitchen and hurried up the stairs.

You’re just fine. You don’t need an alpha. You don’t need anyone.

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