Page 22 of Cuffed By My Mate

“Oh. It’s you,” I say when I see Nori standing there. “Shit! Sorry, that was rude. I just was hoping…”

“That it was Crew?” She guesses, and I nod.

“Yeah,” I choke out, and then it’s like a dam breaks inside of me, and I just break down.

I’m sobbing, and she rushes to wrap her arms around me. My bear whines inside of me and then curls up, tucking her head under her paws. I can feel her grief, and it kills me. I did this to her. To us.

“Oh, it will be okay,” she whispers, rubbing my back.

“No, it won’t! He hates me. I’ve ruined everything,” I cry, and she hugs me tighter.

“He’ll come around.”

I nod, but deep down, I don’t think he will. She didn’t see the look on his face as he was packing up and leaving. He’s done with me.

My bear roars inside of me. She’s been devastated since our mate left. She keeps cycling between emotions. One minute, she’s devastated and curled up inside of me. The next, she’s raging and wants to track him down and force him to listen to us.

Right now, it’s the rage state.

“Thanks for coming over,” I say as I pull back and dry my eyes.

“Yeah, I heard about what happened and wanted to check on you.”

“I’m okay…or I will be okay,” I tell her.

That’s a lie, though. I’m never going to get over Crew.

I stayed up all night, hoping that he would come home. By around three in the morning, I had to come to terms with the fact that he might not. That this might be the end of us. I started packing up my things after that. I can’t go back to the Red Fog Pack, not that I want to, so I’ll have to find somewhere else to settle. That sucks, because Twisted Oak is already starting to feel like home.

“He’ll come around. I’m sure he’ll be home soon,” she says, and I nod.

She steps inside, and I take a deep breath. If this is the last time that I see Nori, then maybe I should tell her about her uncle and the bullet that she dodged.

“I know your uncle,” I tell her, and she stiffens.

“Jim?”

“Yeah. He’s part of the Red Fog Pack. Well, kind of. He’s not a shifter, but he’s a business partner with my dad and brother and is always with the pack.”

“Is he…”

“An asshole?” I finish, and she nods, looking nervous.

“Yeah,” she says softly, and I nod.

“Yeah, a huge one. He’s a creep, and I don’t know too many details, but I know that he’s wrapped up in a bunch of illegal shit. Running drugs. Trafficking people. I think…I think that’s what he had planned for you,” I tell her quietly.

She swallows hard, looking dazed, and I panic.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have told you. You’re safe here. I know that Tucker will keep you safe.”

“No, it’s good that I know. I just—I can’t believe that I almost went there. That…” She trails off, and I nod, reaching over and squeezing her hand.

“Be careful. He’s still pissed that you slipped through his fingers. He must have had a buyer lined up for you. He’s obsessed with you. He wanted me to spy on you while I was here. I didn’t tell him anything about you!” I rush to assure her.

“Thanks. I guess I really lucked out when Tucker arrested me.”

“He what?” I ask in shock, and she giggles.

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