Page 17 of Rejected Sold Mate
There were a thousand things I could have said to her that would have been better, maybe made her feel welcome, but what I said instead was, “It’s beenfour fucking hours, Rhie.”
“And?”
I still should have thought about what I was about to say first, but I was too on edge to rein myself in. Her scent was everywhere, sweet and sharp, and every instinct in me wanted to grab her and crush her to me. To claim her. “You couldn’t have called? Sent me a message? I was this close to tracking you down—”
“Save it,” she snapped, pulling open the back hatch and grabbing an old duffel bag that looked older than the two of us combined. “Sorry, I wasn’t able to uproot my entire life on the schedule you’d decided on in your head.”
The urge to shake some sense into her was strong, but instead, I walked around the car, meaning to help her. Rhie held up a hand when I got too close, holding me back by pressing itinto the center of my chest. The physical touch was like a balm to the angry tangle that had taken up residence inside me, but there wasn’t any affection in the touch. There was something in that car that she was hesitant for me to see.
“What is it?”
Rhie took a deep breath before she spoke, “You’re about to be the only person on earth that knows this, so don’t repeat it. I brought a lot of painting supplies. I…well. I make my living by painting commissions for people. All of the orders are placed online, and I sell them under a fake name. No one else knows, and I don’t want anyone to know, because I’m obviously not the most well—liked wolf around, and I like my privacy.”
She was rambling, her eyes large. I took her hand from my chest, holding it gently as I pulled it down. “Rhie. Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell anyone. Now let me help you get your things.” She was a live wire of anxiety and anger, and I couldn’t stop myself from needling her, just a little bit. “I hope you don’t mind, I only have one bedroom, though.”
“Oh, shut up. I can see from here that there’s plenty of space.”
“Hm,” I hefted a bag onto my shoulder. “We’ll see.”
There were a million questions I wanted to ask her, and a healthy dose of curiosity about her art, but it was clear she didn’t want to acknowledge it any more than she already had, and I was trying my best not to push her. Together, we unloaded a stack of canvases, a tattered bag filled with boxes of oil paints, and a carrying case with a ridiculous number of brushes. The amount of art stuff she’d brought far eclipsed the three bags of clothes and personal belongings she’d packed, and it only made me want to pick at that side of her more. What kind of art did my Omega make? It had to be good if she made her living on it. Maybe she’dtrust me enough to share later, but it wasn’t happening right at that moment, so I let it go.
I hadn’t expected her to need a fucking studio, but there was an empty attic loft that we hauled everything up to when she refused to use the carpeted office. Something told me that she wasn't actually worried about getting paint on the carpet, but was instead concerned with her privacy, which I could allow her.
We barely spoke, but I was fiending for her by the time we were done getting her things. When we shut the front door for the final time, she turned to me with crossed arms and a stormy expression, defiance in every line of her body.
I grinned at her, relieved now that she was finally there. “Ready to seeourroom?”
Rhie’s frown deepened. “Knock it off, I know you have somewhere else for me to go.”
“Trust me, you’ll love it. The bed is way bigger than the one in the cabin—”
Her little hands clenched into fists. “I’mnotsleeping with you!”
I leaned against the kitchen island, raising an eyebrow. I liked that Rhie worked up. It was such a change from the somewhat meek, shy Omega she’d presented herself as around her pack—heroldpack now—and it made my blood run hot to see how feisty she could become. It wasn’t wise. I should have been trying to make her comfortable with the new situation, but there was a simmering tension between us that I was sure needed to reach a full-blown boil before either of us would be able to truly relax.
“Don’t worry,” I drawled, “I don’t have any plans on extending our one-night stand.”
Rhie stomped forward, pressing one finger into my chest, her cheeks red. My wolf rumbled in pleasure at the sudden proximity. “You know that isn’t what I meant, you asshole! I’dnever—”
“Never?” I leaned in, forcing her to pull her hand away. I was so close that I could feel her rapid, angry breaths fanning against my face. “We both know that’s a lie. There’s a reason I know what you look like when you—”
“Shut up!” She didn’t let me finish the sentence, but she didn’t move away, either. I wasn’t sure if she wanted to be close to me or if she was just too stubborn to be the first one to back down. “Stop talking about that. Us hooking up is what got us into this situation in the first place, and now we’re stuck here with each other after you’ve made it very clear you don’t want to be around me.”
“We’ve been over this. I fucked up. But you’re my mate, Rhie. We would have always ended up here eventually, you in my house, in my pack…”
Something shifted, and I wasn’t just trying to get a rise out of her anymore. I was feeding off the energy rolling off her. She was so passionate, her anger skirting the edge of desire, and I was unconsciously pushing her to see if she’d make the first move. But I didn’t want to wait.
I wanted to stop her argument by kissing her, pressing my mouth to hers and swallowing down, and other complaints until she was purring with pleasure beneath me. I could almost feel the press of her body against mine, her hands in my hair—
No. That wasn’t going to happen. Rhie was with me to make sure we were all safe from the rogues and to ease the pain of our mating bond. Having her close would make me a better Alpha, less distracted by the Omega that I was supposedto claim, being in some other wolf’s territory. Rekindling the lust between us would only complicate things.
I forced myself to take a step back and exhaled slowly. Rhie looked surprised that I’d backed off, and there was a flash in her eyes that almost looked like disappointment. Like she’d wanted the fight to continue.
“Fuck, Rhie, I’m—” I was ready to put my pride aside and apologize, but we were interrupted by my phone buzzing on the marble counter. We both jumped like we’d been caught doing something we shouldn’t have, but I quickly grabbed the device and saw that it was my Beta, Josh. I looked at the clock on the stove and cursed. I’d lost track of time, and I was late for my weekly meeting with my Beta and other leaders within the pack. “Shit. Rhie, I’ve got to go. Pack business. Lock the door behind me, okay?”
The call was a reprieve from how intense things were already getting between us, but I couldn’t help being disappointed, especially when Rhie seemed thrown off by my leaving. “Wait, what am I supposed to do when you’re gone?”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Make yourself at home. Get your painting stuff set up.” I was already at the door, grabbing my keys, and the temptation to look back at her was strong. But I knew if I did, and she asked it of me, I’d stay. Just to be close to her. The bond felt like an addiction, and Rhie was my drug of choice, the only relief, even if I wanted her more with each dose. “Just…lock the door.”
