Page 48 of You're Not My Mate

“You’re my mate, Rose,” Rocco said, and he reached out and cupped her neck. “And I love you.”

This made her gasp. “What?”

“I love you. I know I messed up and you do not have to believe me, but I do love you. I know I made a mistake, but I do love you more than anything.” Rocco pulled her close and kissed her. To prove his love, he took hold of her wrist, and pulling out a blade, he slid it across her wrist, drawing blood from the wound. He spun the blade and handed it to her, so she would do the same for him. She took the knife, and then slid it right across hiswrist.

The club brothers stopped.

“Rocco, what are you doing?”

“Lelah is stable,” he said. “The only thing we hadn’t tried has been tested on a female, and I’m not going to let my friend die.”

With Rose at his side, he looked back at the club pack, each one of them. He couldn’t read the expressions on their faces, and the truth was, he didn’t give a fuck what they thought. He was doing this for Rose, for Graham, and for himself.

And with Rose by his side, they presented their wrists to Graham, joining together, as he started to drink.

****

Several Days Later

It was a frosty morning. Rose had on a sweater, some sweatpants, as well as wrapped in a blanket, while she stared out across her garden, enjoying her morning cup of coffee and taking a deep breath.

She heard Rocco in the kitchen, and she couldn’t help but smile. It had been a tricky three days.

The Poison Wolves MC had been mightily pissed with what they had done. Draco had been there to help them, to guide them in bringing their best friend back from the brink. Graham had made a good recovery. His body was still weak, but his bones had stopped randomly shattering, and the fever had gone down.

It had taken Rose the last couple of days of intense cleaning to get her cabin back to sparkling new, but it was now, and she was grateful for it. She couldn’t deal with mess. She always liked to keep a clean and tidy house. To her, it was the only way to live.

Rocco had told Alpha and the Poison Wolves MC that ifthey didn’t like what he’d done, he would gladly leave the club and the pack, taking her and Graham with him.

Speaking of her mate, he stepped out, wearing his leather cut. The club were not going to kick him out for doing what Draco had already done to a human woman. They were trying to save the humans, not prolong their misery and pain.

“How is he?” Rose asked.

“Making himself some breakfast. He’s hungry a lot right now, but that is his body’s way of healing.”

Rose smiled. “He’s worked through quite a few of my old pickles.”

“Do you need me to head to the store?” Rocco asked, coming to sit beside her on the bench.

She loved how he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.

“Nah, it’s fine. I don’t need any of that. I’ve got plenty. I’ve been canning for years, and you know how much I love it.”

She released a sigh. “This is nice, though. I could get used to this.” She snuggled in close to him. “What about you?”

“Yeah, I could certainly get used to this. Enjoying a nice cup of coffee in the morning, and spending my time with you.” He kissed her temple. “It’s the best feeling in the world.”

Rose tilted her head to smile up at him. “I love you too,” she said.

“Rose?”

“Rocco?”

“You don’t have to say it. I know I don’t deserve it.”

She pressed her fingers against his lips. “Stop, and accept it when I tell you I love you, which I do, and that is never going to stop.” She leaned in close and kissed his lips. “I love you, and thank you.”

“I wasn’t going to let him die. I couldn’t do that to you.”

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