Page 34 of Brutal Mate

“You too,” Grandma insisted, gesturing to the glass in front of Kane with a nod of her head.

He did as she instructed and took a deep swig before he turned his attention to Miley again.

She seemed to be growing paler by the minute.

“Maybe you ought to go and rest, dear?” Grandma suggested.

“No, honestly, I'm fine,” Miley protested, but Kane pushed back his chair.

“No, your grandma is right. You need to rest,” he said. “I'll take you to your room…if that is alright with your grandma?”

He looked to the old woman.

“Of course. Be my guest,” Grandma said, gesturing them down the hall. Kane rose to his feet and tried to help Miley up, but she brushed him off.

“I can take myself to my room. You stay and finish your tea.”

Like hell I will, Kane thought, gritting his teeth to stop from saying the words aloud. Instead, he slipped his arm under hers and said, “Don't be so stubborn, love.”

And before she could protest, he swung her up into his arms. Her entire body stiffened immediately before he whispered in her ear, “I thought we were playing along?”

It was then that Miley’s wrapped her arms around his neck, maybe a little tighter than was necessary, and said, “Thank you, but you don't have to carry me. I can walk.”

“What kind of man would I be if I let you walk when you're clearly feeling unwell?” Kane demanded, carrying her down the hall.

“Careful not to lose that one, dear!” Grandma called down the hall after them. “He's a keeper!”

“You hear that, love? I'm a keeper,” Kane scoffed, winking at Miley.

He felt the sting of her pinch on the back of his neck like the bite of a horsefly then. “Ouch, what was that for?”

Miley said nothing, only sticking out her tongue at him until they reached the end of the hall and she said, “This one is me.”

Kicking the door open with his foot, Kane quickly deposited her onto the bed and stepped away to shut the door again.

“What was that all about?” Miley demanded almost the moment it was shut.

Kane stood with his back to her, his shoulders tensed, ready to bash his head against the door. Ever since she walked into his life, she had been nothing but trouble.

“I was just playing along with you,” Kane growled through gritted teeth. “Boyfriend? What the hell was all that about?”

“Well, that's what you are, isn't it?” Miley demanded angrily, and Kane was so surprised he whipped around to face her. Before he could say anything, she hissed at him again, “Oh, wait, you're more than that, aren't you? That's why you're here, isn't it? You're the one I'm being forced to marry!”

The venom in her tone stung Kane more than he would ever care to admit.

“You think I want to force you into this? I'm doing this for your benefit, not my own!” Kane snapped back at her, anger fizzing throughout his entire body.

At that, Miley laughed. It was a haughty, in-your-face kind of laugh, the kind that suggested she didn’t believe him for even one second.

And it only made him angrier—so angry, in fact, that he growled. This wasn't just any old human, grumbling growl, it was a deep-throated, rumbling-in-your-chest wolf growl, one that he had no control over.

Miley's eyes widened at the sound. Her pale pink rosebud lips fell open. They closed and opened again as if she were about to speak, but she appeared quite speechless.

Kane was even angrier now, at her, at himself, at everything.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could face her without doing something utterly stupid. Allowing a wolf growl out in front of her was bad enough.

Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth and pressed his fingers to his temples. “Let's just keep up this pretense for the day so we don't worry your grandma. Then we can tell her we need to get on our way and head home.”

---