Page 8 of The Silent Mate

Idiot,I internally cursed myself. I barely knew this man! How could I expect him to divulge the details of such a horrific attack tome? Not to mention, he could hardlytellme, anyways.

Malik lowered his chin, concealing the scar from direct view once more. A muscle in his jaw twitched, the only semblance of a reaction to my thoughtless question.

I feared I’d angered him.

His broad chest expanded with a deep inhale, and he suddenly spun away from me. He walked toward one of the nightstands and started rummaging through its top drawer. When he turned back to me, he held a pen and notepad in his hands and scrawled something on the yellow lined paper.

I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until he handed me the notepad, and messy handwriting greeted me on the top page.

I need to get back to my brother.

Do not leave this room until I return.

I frowned at the blunt note. No greeting. No mention of the strange situation we found ourselves in or the bond that now bound our lives together. Nothing. Only a hasty order and vague explanation of brotherly duty.

“But-”

The words caught on my tongue when I looked up, only to realize that my massive mate was already stalking toward the exit. He slammed the door shut behind him, walls rattling, followed by the soft click of a lock slipping into place.

I gaped at the place where he’d stood only moments before, my strength faltering with every beat of silence that settled over me. My fingers trembled, and I dropped the notepad to the floor before staggering toward the bed.

My head pounded, the stresses of the last hour finally crashing over me like waves against a cliff. But, even more poignant, a deep ache thrummed in my chest. I clutched at my breast, just above my heart, where it felt like a small chasm had formed, splintering with every passing second.

I’d never experienced anything like it, but I recognized the ache immediately.My body was protesting his abrupt departure.

It mourned the absence of its mate. The male who had saved me from a life as an alpha’s breeding stock but snatched me away from a father that needed me. The silent warrior who seemingly wanted nothing to do with me.

My so-calledmonster.

4

ARIA

Iperched on the edge of the bed and waited for Malik’s return. And waited. And waited.

One hour passed, then another. Before I knew it, the sky began to darken. Every time I heard footsteps on the other side of the locked door, I sat up a bit straighter, only to slouch again when the soft thuds faded down the hallway again.

Every so often, I stood from the mattress and paced the room, eyes peeled for any small detail that I might’ve missed before. There was nothing. Only the lifeless room that could’ve been mistaken for a hotel advertisement—impersonal and free from any heart.

I stood by the window, observing the entirety of the space and trying to imagine its potential.

If this was going to be my new home, I’d need to make someseriouschanges. Add a picture frame and some color, at least. Hopefully my mate wouldn’t mind adding an assortment of blue pillows to his plain gray quilt. Oryellow!Yellow was the happiestcolor, after all, and, based on first impressions, it seemed like Malik could use a bit of that in his life…

I blinked, putting a stop to my wandering mind.

I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. There was a very real chance that Malik had no intention of sharing this bedroom with me.

My stomach twisted to the point of pain. Sighing, I turned my attention back to the door and hugged my waist with both arms, as if that might mend the ache I felt in my core.

“Where are you?” I whispered to my absent mate.

Another hour passed. The clock read6:30 PM,but it felt like the middle of the night. Exhaustion settled over my bones. I felt mentally and physically fatigued from the events of the day.

I’d started the day angry and nervous, fortifying myself to meet the alpha who’d conquered my beloved pack and forced my father to submit. Then, I’d been hit by a serious case of emotional whiplash when Alpha Roman announced his intent to use my body for the sake of producing an heir, only for the largest, most fearsome looking male I’d ever seen to step forward and claim me as his own. Not to mention, my own father had planned on using me as a bargaining chip with Alpha Roman.Thatbetrayal would take time to sort through…

Even now, conflicting sweeps of elation and fear and grief coursed through my body. It didn’t help that, with every moment that passed, a new worry chewed at my mind.What if Malik doesn’t want me? Will he even come back for me?

It was all so overwhelming. My head spun as I tried to process it all.

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