Page 4 of Bear the Burden

Why won’t my mate look at me?

Cyrus helped Wesley to his feet, giving Hyett an apologetic look. Even the wolf shifter felt the rejection and knew that was the worst thing a preternatural could experience when they found their mate.

A mate was the most precious person to a nonhuman. Wesley was Hyett’s one shot at true happiness, his future, the one person who would make him feel whole.

And the guy wants nothing to do with me.

Wesley limped toward the entrance to the dining area, shaking off Cyrus’s hand when his boss tried to help.

When Wesley was out of sight, Hyett turned to the wolf. “What’s wrong with his leg?”

The guy shrugged. “When I interviewed him, he gave me a letter from his doctor, but all it said was that he had a leg injury and was restricted to limited duties. I didn’t hire him because he’s disabled. I did it because he had this determined look in his eye.”

The same look Hyett had just seen. “Thanks,” he said before he hurried away to stop his mate from getting into his car.

He had hurried for nothing. Wesley was already outside, but he simply stood there staring at a black sedan with his mouth dropped open slightly. When Hyett joined him on the sidewalk, he saw the driver’s side front tire was flat.

Glancing around, he spotted his brother inside the shop, gazing at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world to him.

“You did this, didn’t you?” Wesley scowled at him.

“Me?” Hyett stared disbelievingly at the guy. “I was with you inside. How could I have done this?”

Turning, Wesley looked through the pizza shop window. Killian rubbed the back of his neck, gazing at the large pizza artwork on the wall. Hyett groaned. His brother was about as subtle as a bank robber holding a bag of cash while telling the cops he was innocent.

“Is this some kind of sick game you two play?” Wesley snarled. “Pick an injured guy and fuck with him?”

“What in the hell is your problem?” Hyett snapped, finally having enough of his mate’s snide attitude. “I’ve been nothing but nice to you, Wesley. It’s not rude to ask a handsome guy for his phone number or try to help him when he falls. You act as if I’m your enemy. Why?”

“I just…” Wesley pivoted, like he was about to walk away, but his leg buckled and he stumbled. Hyett shot forward and grabbed the guy before he hit the ground.

“I gotcha,” he murmured, and damn if it didn’t feel good to hold his mate. Wesley instantly relaxed, although he wasn’t sure the guy even realized it. “I’m not your enemy. It’s okay to lean on someone if you need to.”

“I’m not helpless,” Wesley said in a calmer tone, but he still refused to look at Hyett.

“Nobody said you were,” he replied. “You seem pretty independent to me. Stubborn, but making it on your own.” Hyett saw how important independence was to his mate, and he had no intention of taking that away from him. But he would be damned if he saw Wesley struggling and not step in to help.

“Can you let me go?” Wesley asked.

Hyett didn’t want to. He liked having his mate in his arms. “Only if you’ll look at me.”

He sensed that Wesley had to use concentrated effort to turn his head and glance at him. Then Hyett saw it in his mate’s beautiful eyes. The flare of desire. He wasn’t sure why Wesley was fighting the attraction between them, but Hyett had no doubt it was there.

Thank fuck.

But just because Wesley desired him didn’t mean the guy wasn’t still rejecting him. “Why are you fighting it, hon?”

There was a vulnerable look in the human’s eyes, echoing his fears and pain, but then it vanished to be replaced once again by stubborn determination. “I looked at you. Can you please let me go now?”

Hyett had an uphill battle with his mate, but luckily, he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

Chapter Two

It had to be the pain making Wesley act this way. He wasn’t a mean guy. In fact, he was the opposite. But it was also fear that had him pushing Hyett away when all he wanted to do was pull the gorgeous man toward him.

Wesley was even avoiding looking at Hyett because, why should he gaze at someone he could never be with? The way that rando had crushed Wesley’s self-esteem when he’d already felt at his lowest point wasn’t something he could recover from.

“You’re still holding me,” he pointed out, even though it felt so damn good to have someone’s, anyone’s, arms around him. It was just him and his dad, and his father sure as hell didn’t hug him. Not since before…

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