Page 84 of Rogue Games

Finally, the truth bursts out of me. The lid pops off Pandora's box, revealing the secrets I’ve been hiding from myself and everybody else.

“I'm angry I saw my father ruin everything over a woman and I won’t be him. I don’t want to need her like this,” I roar the words I've been thinking but was too afraid to speak out loud. “I should be able to walk away from her. Because what if she’s right? And I hurt her.”

I laugh at myself, shaking my head at the ridiculousness of it and throw my hands up in the air. I feel like I’m coming apart at the seams.

“This is not how matings are supposed to go.”

It doesn't make any fucking sense, and it's making me think I've lost my fucking mind.

Callum stares at me in silence, then plops down onto the stool with a serious, yet unsurprised, look on his face. “Do you want her to be yours or not?”

I sigh and stare at the ceiling. “My wolf didn't tell me a thing, but I suspected when we… when I couldn’t stay away from her. Then when she shifted and ran from here, I could feel her wolf, right here.” I thump my chest hard. “But it doesn’t matter. I can’t be with someone who thinks I’m like him.”

“Of course it matters, Dean. If you love her, it matters.”

I stare at him, gobsmacked. Maybe he's losing his mind as well.

“Just forget about everyone else for a second. What do you want?”

Her, my wolf roars, without hesitation.

“Neither of you have exactly had the best example set for how mates should act. She hasn’t lived in a pack for years. She was confused and hurting. She did something stupid while she was upset. And the truth had to come out anyway.”

I hesitate. It’s true. Did I really think she’d sit on her hands and wait for my return?

“Before any of this, you were saying you didn’t want a mate. Maybe you’re just using this as an excuse to turn her away. When really, it was just one ill-thought-out swipe, made after you’d already hurt her feelings.”

I growl at him, but he holds still, delivering the harsh truth as only my beta could.

My father killed his mate or drove her to kill herself. I’m not sure I trust myself to be able to handle this kind of intense connection without going mad. Maybe that’s why I reacted so strongly to Jamie’s jab.

“But is letting her go going to be any easier? Letting one of these other alphas sweep her off her feet?”

My wolf snarls at the idea of someone else. Panic grips me and I grip the counter so hard my knuckles turn white. Everything about my feelings for Jamie is overwhelming. I don’t like feeling so out of control.

“Trust your instincts. You're not your father. But you’re going to be alone forever, if you can’t get past this. Don’t reject her just because you’re afraid you’ll end up like him.”

I stare at Callum, about to deny his words, but then I think back to the cabin. I had Jamie in my arms, I could scent her reaction to me, and yet I pushed her away as soon as she asked what we were going to do about the bond. I was the one who went cold.

“Talk to her. Even if it's just to clear the air, so you can both move on. Because at the end of the day, she's Maggie's daughter. She's going to be here for a while.”

I groan, acknowledging that I’ve already conceded to let her stay. Whatever problems I have with Jamie, I would never take the chance to get to know her daughter away from Maggie. And I know she’s not ready to leave the territory just yet. If Maggie wants Jamie here, she can stay.

“You need to find a way to be civil, at the very least, because I can’t deal with any more drama.” He stares around at the empty bottle of whiskey, and the food cooking away on the stove. “Most wolves dream of finding their mate. You owe it to the rest of us to at least try and make this work.”

38

JAMIE

Dean hasn’t surfaced all day, or at least, he hasn’t come anywhere near me.

Wyatt and I have spent the day with Maggie and Jax as she does her rounds, visiting the sick and elderly members of the pack. We deliver food and medicine, while fielding their questions about why the alpha hates me so much.

Jax seems to be taking all of this in his stride, happy to find out he has more siblings. When he found out we’re mates, he seemed to find that particularly entertaining.

Good news travels fast. Everyone seems to know that we’re her children now, but thankfully, they don’t seem to know Dean’s my mate. They know something’s up though. I’ve gone from teacher’s pet to pariah.

Those who don't hate me on sight for doing something to upset Dean are deeply suspicious. If it weren't for how much they adore Maggie, I'd have had a lot of doors slammed in my face.

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