Page 42 of Rust the Rejected
I pause and turn to him.
“I overheard your conversation by the pool. It upset me you would claim me without my consent. Rather than telling you the reason for me rejecting you again, I ran away. From now on, I promise to communicate better and to work on my trust issues.”
Rust pulls me to him and lifts my chin.
“I apologize. I said the words out of frustration. Know I would never break a promise to you. However, I understand it from your viewpoint. As for communication and trust, I know just what you need.”
A shudder runs through me as he ends with a seductive, low timbre to his voice. I stare into his hooded eyes—
“All right, hold that thought,” Jagger says, breaking the sexual thrall Rust cast upon me. “Sage and I accept your apologies. Since your actions were because of madness from the loss of your fated mate, your apology to Captain and to the crew will suffice. Now, why don’t you spend the last week aboardMoonbeamfor your seclusion, then meet the pack in the Everglades? You can complete your mate bonding ceremony, and we’ll celebrate with a pack run.”
Rust glances at me, and I grin. He kisses my forehead and turns to Jagger to agree.
“I do have a question,” I start, then continue when the others turn to me. “I know Sage as a powerful witch can speak to us through our minds. But how was I able to hear the howls of Rust’s wolf and him call my name?”
“Our fated mate bond. Even though you rejected me, each time we were intimate, the bond strengthened. My wolf’s anger, along with my distress, coursed through the fledgling tether we share. Now that I claimed you, the bond seals our connection. Reach out through it to gauge my emotions.”
I close my eyes and cast about until I detect a steady thrum from my heart to his. My wounded heart swells with the love he sends to me. With a joyful smile, I open my eyes and beam at my fated mate. He kisses me softly. We part, laughing at a cough.
“Well, I take it crisis averted?”
A handsome, brawny male wolf shifter an inch taller than Rust stands in the doorway. The newcomer’s emerald green eyes flick to each of our faces as he cocks a sable brown eyebrow. Just as with Rust and Jagger, the evidence of their Viking heritage appears in his imposing size.
“Mr. Grumpy! I didn’t realize you were here. Allow me to introduce you to my fated mate, Dr. Natalie Moore, now Ingolf. Natalie meet Tag Dahl, our pack’s beta and COO of Larson Enterprises, Inc. One of my best friends.”
Tag growls at Rust but smiles at me.
“Problem solved, I’m heading back to the office. Jagger?”
He smirks at Sage.
“I have important business to attend to with my naughty fated mate. I trust you can hold down the fort in my absence.”
A grin plays at the corners of Tag’s full mouth. He nods and leaves the office with a backward wave.
Jagger and Sage bid us congratulations before they disappear. Her giggles fill the room, then fade with them.
“Ready to be ravaged, my fated mate?”
I loop my arms around Rust’s neck to pull him down for a passionate kiss. When we part for breath, I respond with a purr.
“Yes, as long as you promise to give me what I need for communication and trust.”
He smirks.
“Oh, Little Girl, we have a special place for that lesson. I will take you when we return to Miami after you meet my parents and the pack in the Everglades. For now, we will make do with what we have available.”
An unexpected spank to my ass makes me yelp and jump even as my pussy warms at the thought. I cannot wait for what my fated mate has planned for me.
CHAPTER15
Natalie
“How beautiful!I’ve heard of the Everglades from nature shows I used to watch with my sister Amanda as pups. But to see it in person and from this height reveals its magnitude and natural splendor. And your pack—”
“Ourpack, my fated mate.”
I giggle at Rust’s correction.
