Page 89 of Roaring Flames

The smile falls from Emery’s face—disappears as if it was never there to begin with. His eyes turn solemn, the verdant green almost resembling molten emeralds in the artificial lighting.

“Do you know what a…” He glances in both directions, ensuring the hallway is still empty, before lowering his voice. “Do you know what a mate means for a shifter?”

I purse my lips. “Obviously not because you haven’t told me.”

“It means that you complement me. Complement my pack brothers.” He takes a single step forward.

Heat emits from his body in a way that envelops me in warmth. I feel…safe.

I fucking hate that.

“You’re meant for us—” Emery continues, but I cut him off before he can finish.

“I’m not meant for anyone, Emery,” I snap. “I’m my own person.”

I thought he’d be frustrated or even angry at my outburst, but instead, he just appears sad, his lips pinching and the skin around his eyes turning tight.

“I’m saying this all wrong, aren’t I?” He forks his fingers through his tousled blond hair. “Maybe I shouldn’t say that you’re meant for us. Maybe I should say thatwe’remeant foryou.”

My breath hitches, and a shiver steals up my spine. “I don’t want that either.”

“You’re staring at me with pity.” Emery cants his head to the side. “There’s no reason to pity me, Izzy. The mating bond doesn’t supersede free will or our own desires. I’ve heard stories of shifters rejecting their mates all the time.”

His words don’t fill me with the confidence I’m sure he was expecting. An uneasy feeling unfurls inside of me at the thought of any of these men rejecting me.

How hypocritical is that?

God, what iswrongwith me?

“So you want to reject the bond?” I ask, trying to understand his point.

I keep my expression perfectly blank, not allowing him to see the turmoil percolating just beneath the surface.

“Fuck. No!” He throws his hands up in the air. “I’m shit at this type of thing. Ethan is better at explaining things than I am.”

He absently scratches at a spot on his wrist where his pack mark resides, the shade slightly darker than the rest of his fair skin. “What I’m saying is…the mate bond doesn’t mean we’re suddenly in love with you or anything like that. But it means that if we give each other a chance, we could be something fucking fantastic. And I want that, Izzy. I want to give us a chance. I know you’re furious at me—and rightly so. I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am. We should’ve told you the truth, but we were scared it would drive you away. Or that you’ll think we’re insane.”

He huffs out a humorless chuckle.

“I probably would’ve contacted the mental institution if you started spouting such nonsense,” I confess, my lips twitching upwards before I force them to straighten out. To become a solemn, straight line.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have blamed you. This seems like the start of a fucked-upWizard of Oz. Shifters, witches, and vampires, oh my.” He adopts a high-pitched country accent that’s so horribly bad I can’t help but laugh.

Damn him.

The noise only lasts a second—and I quickly get myself under control—but Emery’s eyes gleam as if he was just handed a present the day before Christmas. A wide smile splits his face in two. Almost immediately, it fades yet again.

“And I’m sorry about Grayson. I never should’ve done what I did without all the information first. I thought…” He blows out another breath, the sound rife with tension. “I thought he was going to hurt you, you know? I panicked.”

I haven’t really talked to Grayson since the confrontation with Hale and Gerry. I texted him a few times to tell him I’m staying with my foster parents, and all I got in return was a thumbs-up. A fucking thumbs-up.

I can’t help but wonder if he’s still upset about…everything. Does he regret sleeping with me? He’s certainly acting like it.

Maybe that’s why I’m being such a coward and refusing to see him in person.

“And there is nothing—absolutely nothing—going on with Desiree,” Emery insists, then he pauses. Winces. “Okay, that’s not entirely true?—”

“Are you kidding me right now?” I snap as hurt arrows through my chest.

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