Page 26 of The Alpha's Stolen Mate

I had to get Summer out of my room before Axel discovered her here. When we found out we were Fated Mates, I researched the term more thoroughly. One of the articles I found explained that when a Mating bond was broken, the two people were overcome with the need to distance themselves. The pain from a broken bond was increased through nearness.

My entire being shied away from what I was about to do, but it was the only way to protect her from being exiled and made to live with the same kind of wolves who attacked her.

Also, how could Summer and I even be together without putting WaterLock in mortal danger?

For the sake of my Mates and WaterLock’s safety, I had to shatter both of our hearts.

“Summer Golding, I reject you as my Mate.”

Pain ripped through my heart. My entire body was burning with agony. Someone must have lit my soul on fire. I blacked out for a moment and when I came to I registered Axel saying “Two”.

No!

Immediately, I regretted what I'd done.

Summer clutched her chest, and her face crumpled with agony. Before I could stop her, she rushed across my room and swung her leg over the windowsill.

The sound of my door swinging open distracted me, and when Axel strolled into my room, I was alone.

Chapter Nine: Rise and Shine

Summer POV

Six years later

The early morning sun rose over our wide green field that was dotted with red and yellow flowers. My Aunt Mia's farm was surrounded by a wooden fence to keep the cows and horses from running away. In the distance, large mountains peeked over the rolling hills. September was drawing to a close, and the oak trees’ leaves were turning bright orange, burgundy, and dark brown. The colors of fall. This was a beautiful, peaceful place to live.

It's the only home my son had ever known.

As I fed the chickens, Grayson played with his dog, Goose, a black lab that almost had as much energy as my five-year-old boy. Grayson's light-brown hair flopped against his forehead as he ran around his dog, his hazel eyes bright with excitement. Grayson and Goose always joined me for my early morning chores around the farm. It was a good way to get their energy out.

My son let out a high-pitched giggle as Goose licked his rosy cheeks, and my heart burst with love for my son. Sometimes, I would go into his room at night just to watch him sleep, marveling at the fact that I helped create this perfect boy.

Then, I was reminded that I didn't create this little miracle alone. Every day, I noticed something new about Grayson that reminded me of Gabriel. There were the physical things, like how my son’s hair was the exact shade of tawny brown as his father’s and they both had a smattering of freckles on their faces.

They were also small things, too. Like whenever Grayson smiled, he squinted slightly, just like Gabriel did. And Grayson walked the exact same way as his father, with his shoulders back, his chin lifted, his pale, freckled arms by his side. Which was odd since Grayson had never met his father. Gabriel didn’t even know that he had a son.

Right after Gabriel rejected me that night in his room, I ran home, stumbling and sobbing. It felt like a bomb had gone off in my body. When Gabriel broke our Mating bond, my heart and soul seemed ruined beyond repair.

I carried that pain with me wherever I went. Whenever I heard Gabriel’s name, my heart broke all over again.

For months, I was in a zombie-like state, moving mechanically, allowing my parents to pack my things and sneak me out of our pack's territory. During my pregnancy, I did everything my mom and Aunt Mia said to keep the baby that was growing in my stomach healthy.

The first time I held Grayson in my arms, it was like waking up after sleepwalking for nine months. I realized that in order to be the best mother for my son, I needed to be actively present in his life. So, for my boy, I tried to compartmentalize the anger and resentment I felt for his father.

Slowly, I began to find myself again as I adapted to my new role as a mother. I enrolled in the only college that would still take me after I took a gap year to have Grayson. Through online classes, I earned a Bachelor's degree in Military Studies.

When Grayson turned three, I had the sudden epiphany that I didn't have to stay at my Aunt Mia's farm. I could go anywhere with my son and start a new life. But even though he was young, this farm was Grayson’s home. If I left, I would be taking him away from his grandma and his Aunt Mia, who had helped me raise him. And where would we go? I couldn't go back to WaterLock. What if someone were to discover Grayson was Gabriel's baby? I could still be exiled. Technically, I was still part of the WaterLock Pack. If I were to be exiled, no other pack would allow me to join them. I’d be thrown to the Rogues.

Also, there hadn't been any Rogue wolf attacks in my aunt's small village. The town of Shadow Pass was hidden in between large mountains and wasn’t affiliated with any pack. Essentially, it was a no man’s land. Most people in our kingdom didn't even know it existed. So, for right now, my aunt's farm was the safest place for my son to be.

I ran the trail in the woods behind the farm late at night in my wolf form. With the mountains looming above me and with nothing but my thoughts for company, sometimes it seemed like the mountains were slowly moving, trapping me inside. The feeling lessened when I got back to the farm, but it was always there in the back of my mind. When I fell asleep, I was reminded of what I'd been trying to run away from.

Dreams of Gabriel plagued me, his intense green eyes, his insistent mouth on mine, his hands caressing my body and giving me the kind of pleasure I knew I'd never feel again. My former Mate and I had only spent one night together and I'd been dreaming about it ever since.

“Mom, when is Grandpa coming to visit again?” Grayson asked from behind me, interrupting my internal musing.

My son was sitting in the grass next to Goose, patting him on the belly. Both of them were panting from taking turns chasing each other.

---