Page 18 of The Runaway Mate

As his warm breath ghosted across my skin, my heart pounded in my chest. All this time, I had thought he’d rejected me. That he’d taken one look and decided that he didn’t want anything to do with me.

“You absolute asshole, Ryan Shaw!” I shoved him away from me. “You and Jem decided, did you? Where was my choice in all this? You humiliated me in front of the whole Pack. In front of all the other Packs. And you knew! For months, you knew that I was your mate! You could have told me. We could have worked it out, kept us both safe. But, no, you and Jem had to know better, didn’t you? Have you any idea what I went through? You tore my heart out!”

“Mai, I—”

“Get out!” I pushed against him with everything I had. He didn’t shift, not even an inch.

“Out!” I yelled again.

He stared at me, seeming to drink in my appearance with such longing in his eyes it made my knees weak. Then he turned and left.

Chapter twelve

Ryan

“Well, you certainly made a right mess of that,” Hayley said. She was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

I was in no mood for her bullshit. “Mai had to know the truth.”

“Your brothers are making bets on how long it will take for her to forgive you, you know.”

“I’ve got two years!” shouted Sam from the dining room.

The thought that she might never forgive me hit me, and I stumbled just as Jem walked toward me.

“Hayley, leave Ryan alone.”

She whirled to him. “Of course, that’s your reason for living these days, isn’t it? To ruin all my fun.”

“Hayley—” Jem took a step toward her, his hand outstretched.

“Don’t bother, I’m not interested,” she said and strode out of the front door.

Jem watched her go, his face full of regret. They really needed to get their shit together. This ongoing feud between them was hurting the whole Pack.

Jem turned to me. “Mai will come around.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure he was right.

“You tightened security around the compound?” I asked.

“Of course. She isn’t going anywhere tonight.”

“Not when you dramatically carted her out of here and forgot her crutches.” Derek appeared, carrying them.

“Fuck!” I yanked a hand through my hair. What if she needed to come downstairs? I had effectively trapped her in her room.

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave them outside her door,” Jem said, watching me carefully. “She needs time, and so do you.”

My wolf was restless, stirring within me. He was eager to escape; the emotional turmoil of today causing him to push against the boundaries of my control.

“I need to run,” I muttered, the urge to Shift growing stronger by the second. Jem nodded, understanding my need for release.

“Go ahead. We’ll keep an eye on things here,” he reassured me, his hand briefly clasping my shoulder.

With a grateful nod, I headed out the door and out of the compound. The cool night air was soothing on my heated skin. But I didn’t want soothing. Mai was right. I should have told her years ago. I should never have hidden it. All of this, all those years that she’d been out there, alone, and it was my fault.

I slipped into the forest behind the compound, feeling the call of the wild grow stronger within me. The need to let my wolf take over was overwhelming, and I could no longer resist the urge. I tore off my clothes, not caring where they fell, and took a deep breath. I felt the power of my wolf coursing through my veins, and I willingly relinquished control. My bones cracked and shifted, rearranging themselves to accommodate the change. The pain was intense, but I welcomed it. My skin prickled as thick fur sprouted from my skin, quickly covering my body in a dense, warm coat.

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