Page 39 of Heart of the Rebel Mate

Because I couldn't stand watching them break her. Because every time I closed my eyes, I saw the moment she was taken, and I hated myself for not stopping it.

Because she matters more than I should ever admit.

I shake my head."It doesn't matter."

Her gaze hardens."It does."

I exhale and massage my temples as the silence passes between us like a noisy ping-pong ball."I don't know, Elara. Maybe because I started asking questions I shouldn't have. Maybe because I realized the Council isn't what I thought it was."

She watches me, searching for lies.

And then, something shifts.

The mate bond hums between us, electric in the silence.

She feels it. So do I.

I should step back.

But I don't.

Instead, I reach out and my fingertips brush against her wrist. The gesture is a test...a question.

She doesn't pull away.

And then?—

Her lips meet mine.

The kiss is sharp and sudden, filled with something neither of us can name. Her hands grip the front of my shirt and twist the fabric as she leans into me, embracing my warmth. I feel the tremor in her touch. She's still hesitating– fighting against the very clear pull between us. I know this isn't simple or easy in the slightest. But for the first time in weeks, nothing else exists.

I slide a hand up her back and my fingers gently caress the curve of her spine. She exhales against my lips, a trembling breath, and then she's pushing me back—not roughly, but enough to create space. Enough to remind me that she still doesn't trust me.

Not completely.

She steps away, folding her arms."This doesn't change anything."

I nod to show I understand, and I do, even though the bond between us doesn't agree with her.

Silence stretches between us.

Then she speaks, voice quiet."Did you know?"

I blink."Know what?"

Her throat bobs."That they were coming for me."

The question slams into me. I don't answer right away because the truth is ugly, and she'll see it the moment I speak it aloud.

"Not at first."

Her fingers tighten around her arms."But you knew before they took me."

I swallow hard."Yes."

The word lands between us, a confession carved into stone.

Elara turns away, pacing toward the window. The thin curtains do nothing to hide the night beyond; the darkness stretches endlessly through the industrial ruins. When she speaks again, her voice is almost too soft to hear.

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