Page 18 of You're Not My Mate

Graham hadn’t made any chance to escape either. He seemed quite content to just … be. He’d never known a wolf to be content when chained up in a cage. It was one of the worst punishments a wolf could endure.

“How are you doing?” Rocco asked.

It had been a long time since Draco had gone off the deep end. With his mate gone, taken from him, Draco would randomly have anger fits that were quite uncontrollable. The MC had to help him work through his pain.

“Fine.”

“You’re making progress,” Rocco said.

Draco stopped and turned toward him. “There is a lot going on. I do not have time to think about everything.”

He nodded and Draco started walking about. Rocco kept up with him. There were so many questions he wanted to ask Draco, but he also didn’t want to ruin the longevity of his control. His thoughts drifted to Rose and their situation. He truly had fucked everything up between them.

Last night, he’d gone to hold her hand, but then froze, thinking about what holding her hand had meant. There had been a lot of people at the bar. He’d not been embarrassed, but he also knew he and Rose had been seen together. People would start to connect the dots, and he didn’t want her to be embarrassed or have gossip directed at her.

“Do you want to talk about you and Rose?” Draco asked.

This time, Rocco stopped but Draco kept moving. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No?”

Rocco frowned. “What is there to talk about?”

“How about you two are mated and yet you act like you cannot stand each other’s company?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rocco said.

“You can play dumb, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has seen it, but then, everyone is consumed with what is going on. I’ve been mated, I know what I’m looking for, and I’ve seen the way you two dance around each other.”

“We don’t dance around each other,” he said, when he knew they did. It started after he rejected her and then had to ask for her help.

Draco snorted. This was strange.

Rocco couldn’t recall the time before Draco lost his mate. This man had been lost for so long, going through each day, trying to survive, and now they were talking.

He knew Wolfe and Boyan tried to keep their love of theirmates away from Draco. None of them wanted to hurt or upset him. The club brother meant the world to them, and they wanted to see him get better.

In that moment, Rocco tried to imagine life without Rose, and his wolf crashed within his mind. His wolf couldn’t handle the thought of anything happening. It took everything not to allow his wolf full control. Just the thought of losing Rose, and his wolf wanted to run to her, rub himself all over her, immerse himself within her scent so he knew she was okay. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this way about anyone. It was so odd, and yet it was comforting.

“Are you okay?” Draco asked.

He looked toward the other brother and nodded his head. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“It will only get worse,” Draco said.

“What will?”

“The feelings you’re trying to hide. By keeping your mate at a distance, your wolf will only bear it so much. If he sees her with other men, you’ll start to lose control.”

“How do you know this?” Rocco asked.

“Because I’ve seen mates, and I’ve seen those that try to deny who they are mated to.” Draco shrugged. “Finding your mate is a blessing for some and a curse for others. Rose is a good woman. She’s kind.”

“She’s a recluse,” Rocco said.

This made Draco laugh. “And does that truly bother you?”

“No.”

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