Page 42 of The Silent Mate

Tree limbs clawed at my silver coat. Dirt flew where my claws dug into the damp earth. I allowed instinct to guide me through the forest, tearing through the unknown with abandon. I didn’t care that any number of dangers might be lurking in the shadows. I threw caution to the wind andran.

I ran until my muscles strained and my lungs screamed. My flanks expanded and contracted, and flecks of blood streaked across my fur where the undergrowth cut against my legs.

I ran until I couldn’t any longer, collapsing into an exhausted heap at the first clearing I found. Tall grass surrounded the clearing, damp and vibrant green, indicating a nearby water source, though I did not possess the willpower to quench my thirst.

Curling into a tight ball, I clamped my eyes shut and allowed soft whimpers to rise from my throat. They shifted into silent sobs as I morphed back into my human form, no longer possessing the strength or focus to remain a wolf.

Salty tears plowed paths through the mud caked on my cheeks, the cold ground a shock to my system.

Somewhere behind the frantic pounding at my temple and my shallow, shaking breaths, I heard heavy footsteps. They practically vibrated through the forest floor, becoming louder and more forceful with every heartbeat.

I didn’t have it in me to be frightened. I knew, deep in my core, that Malik had followed me.

He arrived moments later, but I refused to turn to face him and gave him my back. He puffed from the strain of the chase, though the rest of the world went silent and still at his arrival.

Despite the heartbreak ripping through me, every instinct told me to scurry to his side. My shoulders trembled, and I folded further into myself instead.

A subtle crack of bone sounded behind me, and I knew he’d abandoned his wolf body in exchange for his human. Lighter footsteps behind me confirmed it.

He rounded where I lay, coming to crouch in front of me. The moonlight cast a glow on his sorrowful features, and I clamped my eyes shut to avoid witnessing the regret scrawled across his gaze.

The undergrowth crunched, and I felt the heat of Malik’s big body as he lay beside me. My skin burned where he touched my shoulder, and I stiffened against his attempt to pull me into his front.

“Please, don’t,” I whispered, my voice a shell of its former self.

He ceased in an instant, and the world went quiet around us. After several long moments of silence, I dared to open my eyes. A broken man filled my line of sight.

Malik sat on his knees before me, head bowed low over his shoulders. His hands fell limp at his sides. The intensity of his sorrow leaked off of him in waves, and physical pain punctured through my chest at the sight.

In spite of the anger and heartache and humiliation churning inside of me… It killed me to see him hurt.

With a sniffle, I gingerly pushed up. My knees folded neatly beneath me, nearly touching Malik’s own as we faced on another.

I took a moment to inhale deep, searching for the scent ofheron his body. Only Malik—tobacco and mint and musk—filled my lungs, and I nearly sobbed in relief.He hadn’t let her touch him, after all.

His head remained bowed, but I felt the moment his gazeflickered to meet me in the dark. A deep, ragged breath shuddered from his mouth.

Then, he prostrated himself before me. He bent at the hips, lowering himself to the ground like a reverent acolyte submitting to the Moon Goddess. Head bowed to the dirt and mud, he extended a single hand to grasp one of mine, squeezing tight the moment our fingers locked.

He bowed to me.

Though he couldn’t speak the words aloud, I felt his apology more than verbal sentiments could ever convey. I felt the depths of his sorrow, pulsing nearly as steadily as his devotion.

“Malik?” I whispered, leaning forward to stroke his hair.

He didn’t look up. He remained steadfast in his submission, and I squeezed his hand thrice.

“Look at me, Malik,” I requested, swallowing the thick lump of emotion in my throat.

He heeded my wish, muscles rippling beneath scarred, sweat-slicked skin as he rose. We faced one another again, our kneecaps pressed together and our hands united between us. Still, too much space separated our bodies.

My gaze slid down his impressive form. Bathed in the full moon’s light, he appeared every bit the magnificent warrior I’d considered him on the first evening we met. Mountainous muscles covered his chest, dipping into cut ridges on his abdomen. Thick thighs bent in the mud, and his manhood, flaccid now, pulsed beneath my scrutiny.

Even so, Malik’s head stayed bowed in shame.

In that moment, I knew what I needed. Whatheneeded, too.

Taking a shaky breath, I rose onto my knees. Malik’s gaze snapped up the moment I crawled onto his lap, spreading my legs wide to accommodate his thighs between them. I steadied myself with both hands on his chest and met his gaze, my eyes still stinging with tears.

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