Page 15 of Rescued

His gaze flickers down to my groin briefly before returning to my face, and the interest I catch there makes my cock throb painfully. I force myself to focus.

He arches an impatient brow, and I almost laugh despite myself.

All right, Gabriel. Let’s get this over with.

“Ah, so,” I begin, my voice shaking just slightly, “I’m a…shape shifter. A wolf.”

Gabe tenses immediately, his body stiffening as the words sink in. I watch him carefully, my heart pounding as I wait for his reaction. At first, there’s nothing—no words, no movement, just silence as he stares at me.

It’s not rejection.Not yet.

The absence of outright disbelief gives me the smallest sliver of encouragement. At least he hasn’t jumped up and called me crazy.Yet.

“That has to be pretty out there, I guess,” I continue, my tone as careful as my words. “I mean, hard to believe. This might surprise you, but we aren’t exactly uncommon. Just a well-kept secret—for obvious reasons.” I pause, gauging his expression. “Okay so far?”

Oh, no. There it is.

The look.

The one that says my mate thinks I’ve completely lost my mind.

Gabe blinks, his incredulous stare pinning me in place. “I don’t know aboutokay, Mika. I mean, seriously? Okay?”

I wince, my heart racing as I realize how badly I’m screwing this up. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, trying not to panic.

“Gabe, I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I don’t know the right words for this, how to explain it in a way that makes sense. All I can do is tell you the truth. I thought—” I halt, swallowing hard. “I thought the dreams might help you accept it, but I—”

The words barely leave my mouth before Gabe jerks his hand free, scrambling off the bed. He’s on his feet in an instant, glaring down at me like I’ve betrayed him.

“So you can read my mind too? Mess around in my head?” he demands, his voice sharp and angry.

I jump up, my chest throbbing with emotion as his words hit me like a slap.

This is it.

I’ve ruined everything, and I don’t know how to fix it.

Guilt twists in my gut as I struggle to find the right thing to say. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. Maybe I should have stayed gone when I slipped out the window this morning, sparing him the confusion and myself the pain.

I look toward the window, my thoughts spinning wildly.

What do I do now?

“Mika.”

Myname comes softly, a whisper that pulls me from my frantic thoughts. Gabe’s fingers brush my cheek, tentative and gentle, and I freeze at the unexpected touch.

“Mika, you look so lost,” he says, his voice trembling with something I can’t name.

His words hit me harder than anything else he’s said. My heart clenches painfully, and I instinctively reach for the window, the need to escape surging through me.

The wolf rises within me, desperate to run. Thick, coarse fur begins to spring from my arm, and I feel the shift pulling me toward freedom.

“No!”

Gabe’s voice cracks like a whip, sharp and commanding, but I can’t stop. The wolf pushes forward, determined to escape before I can be hurt again.

Then Gabe moves.

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