Page 17 of Betrayed By the Alpha Wolf

My shoulders slumped, and I looked away, getting up from the bed. I couldn’t be still, and pacing seemed as good an idea as any. I needed to wait for my skin to knit back together before I could pull on my damn shirt, but at least I could sense myself healing.

Steps circling and the gentle thud of my boots on the floor were the only noise in the room, aside from Kenzie’s nearly silent efforts to clean up.

“Would you quit stomping around?”

“I’m not stomping. It’s just the boots. I’d take ‘em off, but then I think you’d be pissed at me for another reason.”

Kenzie scoffed, turning over her shoulder just long enough to glare at me. Still, I stopped, just standing there by the bed and folding my arms over my chest.

“Could you please not just stare at me?” She held my gaze, clearly wanting me to turn around or something.

“Are you planning on changing? Because if you’re not, I don’t really feel like staring at the wall.”

She glowered at me, and I sighed. I knew I was being just as snappy as she usually was this time. It was all just so complicated.

“Look,” I hung my head, dropping my arms and raking a hand through my hair, “I’m sorry. I’m tired and in pain, and I know you’re just trying to help, so…”

I didn’t know how to finish the sentence, so I just let it hang in the air between us—heavy and awkward.

As I closed my eyes, gripping the roots of my hair as I took a deep breath, I noticed something about the room. Kenzie’s scent was perfuming stronger than usual, a deep combination of burnt paper and an ocean storm. Her emotions were still charring her scent, but it was stronger.

Flicking my stare back up to her, I found Kenzie looking down at the ground. She held one arm across her chest, gripping her opposite bicep and sucking in slow breaths.

Something about the energy of the room changed, charged, and I could sense it coming from Kenzie. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, and just as I noted the lack of pain coming from my back, signaling that my healing had been completed, Kenzie looked up at me.

Her eyes glowed faintly.

Umm, what the fuck is happening?

Chapter 7 - Kenzie

I didn’t want to hear any of his excuses.In pain? Yeah, buddy, that’s my entire existence. Especially right now.

My heart crashed against my ribcage, and as much as it infuriated me to admit it, I’d been downright terrified that Grayson was going to die in the fucking maze.Stupid mate bond.

“That’s nice, Grayson. But don’t expect a pity party from the wolf you rejected.” Despite my efforts to sound intimidating, however, my voice came out thready and strained, so I threw up my arms and began pacing. “Gods! It’s hot in here. Just…ugh, your healing is done. Just put on your stupid shirt, and let’s just get some rest.”

Demands to touch him rang through my brain, splintering me into pieces that were jagged and stabbed into the back of my eyes. Being that close to Grayson, touching him to ensure his wounds were clean, the way that was so damn similar to the first time we…

No, stop this. Don’t think like that.

Aches rippled through me, and I knew that the fucking pill I’d taken earlier must be wearing off. I needed to take another, but I didn’t want Grayson to notice and ask about it. Sure, there was nothing illegal or illicit about what I was doing to help myself. These remedies had been used by rejected mates before, but I didn’t want him to know how much it hurt me.

It was my cross to bear, and I wouldn’t be accepting any sympathy from the asshole who caused it.

Worse, the rejection was swirling with the natural call to be with him. Grayson had ignited that mate bond again because of that damn revealing ceremony, and fighting against desireand rejection was taking every ounce of strength I had. I wasexhausted.

And cold and hungry and too hot and itchy from head to toe.

My body was a minefield of random symptoms at this point, and I couldn’t handle this. I needed a break.

Grayson narrowed his eyes on me, and I did my utter best to school my expression, hiding the pain I felt behind a mask of annoyance.

Jeez, why is he just staring like that? Go away, pest. You might not feel like you’re falling apart at the seams, but I do. I don’t need to watch you handle this all in stride.

“Are you—”

“I swear to hell and back if you ask me if I’m all right, I’m going to murder you.”

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