Page 10 of Owning His Mate

I don’t. I examine every inch of her skin for other injuries. There are a few lighter marks that look older than the others, but nothing more serious.

“Did Beck do this? Why are you training with him?”

She pulls again, and fearing she’s going to dislocate her shoulder, I release her, watching as she stumbles back from me. “You’re insane. Of course you are.” She throws her hands up, peering up at the sky. “Why wouldn’t the universe chain me to someone likeyou?”

Those words hurt more than I want to admit, and it takes everything I have not to flinch. I can stand the world looking at me with disgust and disdain, but not her.

“I’m not exactly thrilled about you either,” I fire back. I don’t mean it, not at all, but she cut me open, and my only defense is to fight back.

Eyes narrowed on me, she drops her hands to her hips, and I can’t stop from growling under my breath as I take in those bruises again.

Fuck.

Beck’s dead.

“There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“But there’s something wrong with me?” My words are flat, and she blows out a breath, as if she’s trying to control herself.

“You mean aside from cornering me and insulting me? Not to mention touching me without permission. Consent matters, asshole.”

I growl under my breath at the insinuation. “You and I are mates, Apryle. Touching is kind of necessary.”

“Only according to some stupid magic trick, but I don’t want you, and if you’re being honest with yourself, I doubt you want me, either. You’re just consumed by the bond.”

She’s wrong. I’ve never wanted anything more. But she doesn’t give me the chance to respond.

“This is insane. Fated mates are rare. How the hell did we just stumble upon each other? I don’t want this.” She frees her hair from her ponytail holder and rakes her fingers through thelong strands. I like how it tumbles down her back. Visions of my fingers wrapped in her locks as I pound into her fill my mind.

She blinks and shakes herself. “Oh, no! Take your weird sex dream somewhere else! You’re never getting anywhere near me like that.”

Shit, I forgot about our connection, but I’m done playing games with her.

“When I take you, it’ll be because you’re begging for my cock.”

I smell her arousal, even though her eyes flash with fear. “You don’t want this. It’s a mistake. We’ll find someone to undo it,” she whispers. “Please. I can’t be your mate.”

Her voice breaks, and her fear is replaced with such anguish it makes my chest heavy. What has her feeling this way?

“It’s done,” I tell her. We both know the clock can’t be wound back.

She stares up at me, tears brimming in her eyes as she shakes her head. “I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Kyson, but I go by Kye.”

Her chin wobbles as she tries to control her emotions. “Please, for both of our sakes, stay away from me, Kye.”

My dick twitches at my name on her lips. Fuck, I want her so much. My fingers wrap around her throat in a gentle caress—nothing like what I did to Beck. She freezes beneath my touch, her pulse fluttering wildly as I try to soothe her. I don’t know why she’s unhappy, why she’s rejecting me, but it’s not an option.

“I won’t allow you to push me away,” I say, my words cold.

Her eyes close as her fingers wrap around my wrist. She doesn’t remove my hold on her throat, but I get the impression she’s using it as leverage to keep steady.

“This isn’t happening.”

“I’m not what you pictured?” I snarl. I can’t help it. I’m a proud wolf, and her rejection burns.

Apryle isn’t what I envisaged for myself either, but as I take in her dark hair, her delicate features, those perfectly sculpted eyebrows and crystalline blue eyes, there’s no part of me that is disappointed. She’s beautiful, and she’s mine, no matter how much she denies it.

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