Page 95 of Destined Mate

Hurrying toward the bedroom door, I heard him set down the guitar. When I reached the door, his rough hand caught mine. He gently turned me toward him, his forehead creased as he murmured, “Do you not feel the same way about me anymore? I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.”

I inhaled and snorted at the same time, making myself cough.

His head tilted back, and he dropped his hand.

Great, now he thought I was covering up laughing at him. How much less smooth could I be? I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, the seriousness of the situation weighing down my limbs. “Of course I do. I’ve been miserable the entire time I’ve been away from you.” I hadn’t meant to be that honest, but I was overcorrecting.

His indigo eyes lightened to cobalt as he moved just shy of our chests touching. He lowered his forehead to mine. “Then why are you leaving?”

My eyes closed, and my heart constricted. “You’ve made it clear where we stand with each other.”

“Exactly.” His minty breath fanned my face. “I have. So why are you leaving me out here alone on this deck?” His fingertips brushed my cheek.

His touch was like a drug, but his words were dangerous. Hope flared inside me, and I feared what would be left when it was squashed. I had to shut this down fast, even if I didn’t want to. “Your fated mate is out there.” I moved back, breaking our contact, my back now pressed fully against the door. The sharp ache became unbearable. Icouldn’trisk falling even more for him, only for his fated to show up. If I thought I was destroyed now, I’d be obliterated if that happened.

His body sagged like the weight of my words had crushed him. He hung his head and said, “I’m so damn sorry.”

His apology reinforced that nothing had changed between us. “It’s all right. I get it.” The scent of my lie swirled around us.

He laughed and wrinkled his nose. “It’s not all right. Clearly.”

My face burned. I should’ve known better than to lie. I turned around, my hand on the doorknob. “Good night, Bodey.” I needed to disappear and regretted ever coming out here with him. I’d hoped for closure, but instead, I’d ripped out another piece of my heart and handed it to him.

“Callie,wait.”

I paused, keeping my back to him.

“Face me, please,” he said as he removed my hand from the doorknob. “I didn’t get a chance to finish what I wanted to say.”

Spinning around, I lifted my hands. The words were like knives to my throat. “Bodey, I can’t do this. I can’t hold on to hope that one day you will change your mind, and if you do, you’ll be settling for me. You made it clear you’re looking for your fated mate, that this is thepersonyou want to be with. I can’t compete with that. It’s not fair for me to even entertain competing with Fate. I want you to be happy, just know I’ll be okay. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Here’s the thing,” Bodey said as he stepped closer. “Ididsay all that, and I’m sofuckingsorry. It took you walking away and seeing you withhimtonight to realize how badly I messed up.”

My lungs seized.

“I realized it as soon as you walked away, and I was a dumbass for not chasing after you and bringing you back.” He cupped my face with both hands and growled, “I don’t give a fuck if my fated is out there. Whoever it iscan’tbe more perfect for me than you.”

Eyes burning, I blinked back the tears. I wanted to take in his face and listen to his words. “What are you saying?” I needed to hear him say the words to ensure I didn’t misunderstand him.

He lowered his head so we were eye to eye and rasped, “I choose you. Screw Fate. But that’s only if you still want me. You could have a fated out there, too.”

The world tilted. His hands on my cheeks were the only things keeping me centered. “What if my wolf never gets free? What if I’ll always be this weak? You’re a royal adviser.”

“I don’t give a shit that you can’t shift.” He moved closer, our chests now touching, the heat of him searing me. “You’re not weak. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known—supernatural or human. I don’t care if we can’t pack link or you can’t shift and run in the woods with me. I won’t lie, it would be fun if we could, but I don’t need that. All I need is you. Dammit, Callie, Iloveyou.”

The wall I’d placed around my heart crumbled. Here was the man I loved, standing before me, telling me he felt the same way. Despite having a fated out there, he wantedme. My chest expanded so much that it hurt in the best possible way. “I love you, too, but I can’t risk being with you and you finding her. That would destroy me.” I had to keep my head on straight and not run straight into a dumpster fire.

His lips touched mine, the kiss so brief and tender. He pulled his mouth away and peppered kisses down my neck, stopping right where my pulse throbbed. His teeth gently grazed my skin, stirring something wild within me.

“It won’t be a problem,” he whispered across my skin, his tongue licking where his teeth had grazed. “Because I have every intention of making you my mate.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

My pulse thudded,and I held my breath, hoping he would bite me. A substantial part of me wanted to be lost in the moment.

But I cared too much about him to truly want that. I didn’t want him to make a mistake he’d regret. That wouldn’t help either of us.

“Bodey,” I whimpered, tilting my head so he had more access to my neck, my brain telling me to stop.

---