Page 46 of Wolf Bitten

Raffe moved forward, attempting to edge me out of the way again, but I moved with him. I wouldn’t hide.

“You just accused me of being untrained and volatile, and now you’re claiming I’m skilled enough to entrance him?” My voice rose higher than I wanted, but dammit, this whole visit had gone worse than I could’ve imagined. What if I hadn’t been here to support Raffe when his dad had tried to alpha-will him? He might not have been able to push through on his own. “Is it even possible to entrance someone?”

“Centuries ago, witches had potions that could give them control over humans and supernaturals.” King Jovian wrinkled his nose.

I didn’t like what he was insinuating, and my blood neared a hum again. “From what Slade says, wolf shifters banned those documents, so please tell me, how would I get a hold of one to even know what to do? And don’t forget, I’m not a witch. I’m a merehuman.” I threw what he considered a slur back at him.

King Jovian lifted his head. “I should’ve run you off campus on that first day. Raffe and Aldric talked me out of it, saying it would make the witches pay more attention to you. I’m not sure that’s possible, given how close you are to them. Your mere presence—”

“If you finish that sentence, it will ruin our relationshipforever.” Raffe’s hands tightened, and his jaw twitched. “You demanded that I come here, which I did even though it was the last thing I wantedto do. I knew you wouldn’t be thrilled about Skylar and me and our relationship, but I never dreamed you would try to force me to leave my fated mate, especially in such a disrespectful way.”

My heart ached for him, and I hated that I hadn’t been more understanding about his situation and why he had been so hesitant to come out about our relationship. Now I understood where he’d been coming from. His dad was determined to get his way even if he had to force his son to do what he wanted.

“You’re aprince.” King Jovian huffed, enhancing the sound of his lungs filling and emptying. “You don’t get the luxury of choosing the way other shifters do. There are certain expectations—”

“Maybe I should leave the pack.” Raffe inhaled so deeply that his chest puffed out. “Then none of this will be an issue.”

“None of it will be anissuefor me?” King Jovian yanked on the ends of his hair. “You’re myonlyheir. Something I used to be proud of.”

“For doing what you told him to instead of following his heart and fighting for his happiness?” I asked, wanting the man to wake up and realize how selfish he sounded. “He wants to be with me.”

King Jovian cut the air with his arm. “A royal doesn’t get to do what hedesires. He does what is required of him to keep his people strong and in line. Marrying the Atlanta alpha’s daughter is the best way to do this.” He stared Raffe down. “A year ago, you wouldn’t have hesitated.”

“I have chosen my mate.” Raffe intertwined our fingers and walked backward, guiding us to the doorway leading outside. “I won’t marry anyone but Skylar, and if leaving the pack is what it takes for you to listen to me, so be it.” He turned on his heels and opened the door.

I swallowed. I hated leaving like this, but staying would only escalate the matter. The king would likely try to alpha-will his son again. I couldn’t live with myself if I tried to get Raffe to stay and it worked.

Still, wolves were pack animals. They weren’t meant to be on their own, and I wasn’t sure what the consequences of Raffe leaving his pack would be.

Outside, the cool afternoon air circled us, and the misty rain hit my face, cooling my blood. Luckily, that presence in my chest eased too, and I breathed a little easier.

“Raffe, come back.” King Jovian’s heavy footsteps followed us. He said louder, “We aren’t done here.”

“We are. I havenothingleft to say. You can figure out another way to get the Eastern wolves back in line.” Raffe opened the passenger door of the SUV. “In fact, why don’t you alpha-will them into remaining in the pack? You seem to bereallygood at that.”

I mashed my lips together to hide my smile as I slid into the vehicle. Raffe made a good point. Why hadn’t King Jovian done that?

When Raffe opened the driver’s side door, King Jovian said, “If you leave, things will change between us.”

“That already happened in your study.” Raffe shook his head and frowned. “I hope losing me is worth it.” He climbed in and slammed the door, then started the car and backed out.

I glanced in the rearview mirror and watched King Jovian’s face turn bloodred. I could only hope his anger was mixed with regret.

Raffe placed a hand on my thigh, and for the next several miles, we rode in silence. I didn’t want to push him. He needed to process everything that had happened. What his dad had done was shitty, but that didn’t make it easier. I couldn’t imagine having biological parents who wanted me, and I’d always tried to keep my adoptive ones happy.

“Babe, I’m so sorry about that.” Raffe hung his head slightly while keeping his eyes on the road. “The stuff my dad did and said—”

“Hey.” I placed a hand over his and squeezed gently. “You have nothing to apologize for. You did nothing wrong. Your father’s actions aren’t your fault. He’s his own person, and you stood up for us and our relationship. I’m sorry you had to go through that. And I’m sorry that I wasn’t understanding before when you didn’t jump all in to be with me immediately.”

He cut his gaze to me, the warm cobalt that made me feel like mush returning to his eyes.

“You had every right to be upset over that.” He licked his bottom lip. “You’re worth the risk, and I was foolish to hesitate. Don’t feel bad about that. I needed a good kick in the nuts.”

I snorted. “Nuts? Most would go with the ass.”

“Maybe.” He tilted his head with a half shrug. “But watching you walk out that door was worse than that. It felt like I’d been neutered.”

“When an animal is neutered, they’re under anesthesia, so the pain is minimal when combined with medication and rest.” I rolled my eyes. “A kick in the ass would hurt worse.”

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