Page 8 of The Wolf's Pregnant Rejected Mate

“What if they come and burn the cabin down?” Her blue eyes shone with fear.

“They won’t.” Ryder’s frown deepened. Then, he added, “I’ll keep watch. Sleep, Tess. Let your body heal. We’ll need your strength to get back to town quickly in the morning.”

Chapter 5 - Tess

Tess made sure the blanket covered her as she sat down on the floor. Her muscles ached, and her eyes were still bothered by her tears. But she didn’t lay down. She’d been considering trying to sleep until Ryder told her to. That wasn’t to say it was just spite keeping her awake.

But it was also the fact that she didn’t want to end up talking in her sleep. After the cry she’d had and the emotions still bubbling through her, she knew she wouldn’t sleep soundly. Which meant it was likely she’d end up sleeping shallowly. And if the past were anything to judge, she’d end up talking about Ryder while she dreamed.

“You should sleep,” Ryder said again. His voice was slightly softer this time.

“I don’t want to,” Tess responded.

Ryder glanced at her, but with the moonlight behind his head, she couldn’t see his face. He turned back out the window, and that was it. Tess watched him, the chill of the night stealing over her. Even with the blanket and underclothes covering her, she would be more comfortable in her wolf form. But then they wouldn’t have the chance to talk.

Not that they’d talk anyway. But she wanted to keep the possibility open. That wasn’t too silly, right? Ryder might need a discussion to stay awake as the night wore on. He couldn’t just stand there at the window, not moving, until dawn.

The silver light silhouetted him, turning him into an unmoving statue. Tess wished she could see his face and feel some emotion from him.

The first time she had met him came to mind. She, Ryder, and Mica had all been in Elementary School. It was well before she and Mica had become friends. Before, she was an outcast. At that time, she was a lonely child but more by choice than anything else. Tess didn’t relate to the children her own age and so chose to spend time in her own company rather than trying to make friends.

***

Tess sat at the edge of the schoolyard among a group of daisies. They bowed and swayed in the light wind as though they were sayingHello, how are you?She had her rag doll, Molly, the one that she had made with Grandma last year. Molly sat on the grass next to her, her stitched yarn smile beaming at the beautiful little flowers.

“Should we pick the daisies and make flower crowns, Molly?” Tess asked.

She grabbed Molly and made her shake her head. “No, Tess. The flowers are too pretty. If we pick them, they’ll die. Let’s just leave them here so we can come visit them every day.”

Tess nodded. Molly was very smart. “You’re right. If we leave them, we can see them every day!”

A shadow fell over her, making her flinch. Tess hugged Molly to her chest and looked up. She expected one of the teachers to tell her to get inside for Moon’s sake; lunch was over. Instead, she saw a boy. His hair was short and spiky as if he hadn’t brushed it before coming to school. Tess stared at him, and he stared back at her.

She had seen him at school before. The boy recited a poem at the talent show last year. She couldn’t remember the poem, just that his voice had been light and soothing. Her father, Lenard, said it was a shame, but she wasn’t sure what he’d been talking about. She thought it was a nice poem.

He kept staring at her without uttering a word.

Had she done something wrong? Was he upset with her? Did he want to sit with the flowers?

Tess chewed her lip. He didn’t look angry. He only looked thoughtful, as though he was deciding something. Her shoulders were hunched all the same. She was too used to getting yelled at if someone looked at her for too long. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

“What do you want?” she finally squeaked. Her voice was soft and low. Her mother, Hilda, always said that proper she-wolves were soft and low. They didn’t get loud and rambunctious, which Tess was prone to do when she got too excited about something.

“My name is Ryder,” the boy said. “What’s yours?”

“Tess.”

Ryder nodded as though that decided everything. “Well, Tess. One day, you’re going to be my mate.”

Tess’s jaw dropped. “But we’re only kids!”

“Yeah. But when we’re adults, you’re going to be my mate,” Ryder said with a shrug.

He sounded so certain about it.

Tess didn’t know what to think. It was certainly strange that this boy would announce that they’d be mates when they’d never even spoken before. But then, Hilda said that this was how it worked sometimes. And she was always told that she needed to respect the men of the pack and obey them.

That must mean it was true. She was his mate. She nodded.

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