Page 50 of Fated to the Warrior Wolf

He knew.

“Then why were you so angry? Why go through with the whole challengeif you knewit was true!”

The fury consumed me between one heartbeat and the next. “What was it, to save face? Were you ashamed and didn’t want anyone else to know? Some trumped-up plan to cover yourself when it eventually came out?”

“Are you fucking kidding me? If you thinkthatlittle of me, you must really hate me.”

His hands fell away as if I’d burned him.

“I challenged them because they were archaic assholes who don’t know that we don’t denigrate people because of their bloodline or talk about women like pieces of meat. And I protected you because I care about you, not because of my reputation. If I gave a shit what people thought about me, I wouldn’t even be in Pack Blackwater. But if that’s what you think, I’ll walk you back to your room.”

He stood as if to walk off, and everything inside me screamed.

“Stop! Please, wait,” I leapt to my feet and grabbed his arm, the full sum of my stupidity hitting me like a ton of bricks.

He froze, but didn’t turn back toward me. I didn’t know what to do, how to make it better, so I did the only thing I could think of.

I threw my arms around him, pressing my chest to his back. I willed him to feel the force of what I did, the sheer magnitude of my relief. Well, shock too. But the longer it had to sink in, the more I felt bone-deep relief. He wasn’t angry that I was a half wolf.

He was angry I’d calledmyselfa mutt.

And that broke something inside me. Or maybe it fixed it. Who the hell knew?

“Please sit back down, Gael,” I asked, hands plastered to his chest in a death grip.

He turned around, cupping the back of my neck in that way that made me instantly get wet for him. “Don’t fucking call me that.”

“What?” I asked with a laugh. “Your name?”

“Yes, my name. You never call me Gael unless you’re angry.”

I paused. Was that true?

It kind of was.

“Well, you didn’t like BD, so…” I trailed off, not sure what to call him.

“It’s fine.” He stroked his thumb over my neck, but I could tell he was holding back. I’d hurt him after he stood up for me, so I couldn’t blame him.

“My last boyfriend was ashamed of my bloodline,” I blurted, and then winced.

His thumb froze. “What?” He seemed incredulous.

I nodded, forcing myself to power through. “He knew what I was, but he was all about his image and standing in the community. He thought… He thought if people knew, they’d think less of him for dating a mutt. His words!” I added hastily when Gael’s deep-brown eyes darkened with anger.

“That’s why you thought I’d be upset?”

“Yes. I thought you didn’t know and you’d be humiliated and furious when I told you what they said was true.”

He sighed, dropping his forehead down to rest against mine. “Princess, I’m not him. I kind of want to fly back to Texas and eviscerate the fucker?—”

“You can’t. His mate is pregnant,” I interjected. “Well, she might have had the baby by now.”

He chuckled. “I love that that’s your only objection.” He shook his head lightly and led me back to the bench, but this time, he turned us sideways and sat me between his legs so he could wrap both arms around me and hold me against his chest.

“Well, I’m not exactly his biggest fan after how he left me for her without a backward glance, but… I also don’t want to leave his baby orphaned.”

“Because you’re the better person.” He growled, the sound vibrating against my back sort of ticklish. “That’s the thing, princess. You can’t change where you come from, but that doesn’t define who you are. I don’t give a shit who your parents were. I wantyou. I want this baby.”

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