Page 4 of Undesired Mate

But something tells me I can’t run forever.

2

CLARA

I thoughtI’d experienced hunger before. My mom was more than a little neglectful and often didn’t feed me, but nothing could prepare me for the pain of not eating for three whole days. I feel like there is a gaping hole in my stomach and the only way to fill it is a fucking sandwich. I’m so hungry, I would do almost anything for a little bit of food right now, but he is asking me one of the only questions I can’t answer. I’ll starve to death before I tell.

“Why does your pack not want you back?” he asks again, receiving the same answer as before. My silence.

When he realizes I’m not going to tell him, he continues, “Let’s start with an easy question. What’s your name?”

“Clara,” I answer. “What’s yours?”

“Levi,” he tells me. “Why were you in our territory?”

“I didn’t know I was,” I explain truthfully.

After a moment, he sighs, letting me sit on the couch. He walks over to the kitchenette and opens the small fridge. “I’m guessing you are hungry.”

“Starving,” I answer with one word, followed by my stomach growling so loudly, he would have heard it even without shifter hearing.

“Why didn’t you shift and hunt while you were in the woods?” His question something else I can’t answer. He can never know the real reason why I didn’t shift, because if he knew, he would kill me on the spot. I’m an abomination, a freak that no one wants.

Levi digs through the fridge until he pulls out a jug of milk and sets it on the counter. Then he grabs a bowl and a box of cereal from the cabinet. He pours the cereal and milk in the bowl and brings it to me along with a spoon.

My stomach growls again. I don’t even care what kind it is; all I care about is not being hungry anymore. I take the bowl from him and start eating so fast I can barely taste anything besides the sweetness on my tongue. The sugary cereal lands heavy in my empty stomach, but I can’t stop stuffing my face with it, scared that he might change his mind and take it away from me.

He sits down next to me on the couch, but leaves a healthy amount of space between us. His scent invades my nose and, for a moment, I’m so overcome with lust, I almost forget to eat. Shaking my head, I push my sinful thoughts away and continue eating.

I finish the bowl in record time, drinking the now pink-colored leftover milk too because every calorie counts. Who knows whenI’ll get fed next? I almost ask for a refill, but I figure I don’t want to push it.

“Now that you are not starving anymore, are you any more keen on answering my questions?”

I shake my head and set the empty bowl on the side table next to the couch. Anger radiates off Levi. He is pissed, and that makes my fear rise. I still don’t know if I can trust him. He might be my fated mate, but he clearly has no interest in completing the mating bond.

Now that my stomach is full and the pain of hunger is gone, a different kind of pain rises. Rejection. My mate rejected me. Sadness and disappointment swirl around in my gut. My pack didn’t want me, my mother definitely never did, and now, even my mate has rejected me.

Tears threaten to well up, but I blink them away. I won’t cry in front of him.

“I’ll leave you alone for tonight, but I want answers tomorrow. You can sleep in my bed.” He points at the door to what I assume is his bedroom. “I’ll sleep out here on the couch.”

As soon as he mentions the bed, I become painfully aware of how tired I actually am and the thought of sleeping on a mattress has me yearning to lie down right away. I barely slept while I was out in the woods. Only a few times did I doze off propped up against a tree, but the fear, cold, and hunger would not let me sleep for long.

“I’m exhausted,” I say, glad he is done questioning me for today.

He gives me a once over, staring at my dirty jeans and oversized shirt. “I’ll give you something clean you can change into,” he finally says, before getting up and walking to the bedroom.

“Come on,” he calls when I don’t follow him right away.

I get up and walk behind him into his room, noticing how his muscles move under his shirt. Levi is a handsome man, tall, lean, and muscular. If he hadn’t rejected me, I would be overjoyed to be his mate.

Shaking the sad thought away, I tear my gaze off Levi and check out the room instead. There is nothing besides a bed and a dresser inside, no decoration. Typical guy’s room, I think to myself.

Levi opens his dresser and pulls out a shirt and a pair of sweatpants, which he hands to me. “Here, put this on and give me your clothes. I’ll have them washed.”

I nod and start peeling off my filthy clothes. I’m not surprised when he doesn’t leave while I get undressed. Shifters are used to being naked around each other and usually don’t think twice about it. He doesn’t know that I can’t shift and have never been naked in front of a man.

My hands shake as I reach around to unhook my bra. I let it fall off my shoulders and down onto the floor. My nipples stand up at attention and not just because of the cool air in the room. It’s the way Levi is looking at me with hungry eyes. His pupils dilate, and he licks his lip absentmindedly. It seems that my nudeness affects him. Knowing that at least part of him wants me is a huge relief. Maybe there is hope after all.

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