Page 49 of Curvy Alpha Bride
I try to focus on the warmth of his hand on mine, and his soft voice, but my mind is racing, the frantic beating of my heart forcing hot blood through my body, making me ready to fight or run.
“‘No safe passage for a luna…’” I whisper. “That’s what they said. It has something to do with me. And it took your mother!”
“There’s nothing in the books specifically about that,” Xavier says firmly. “So don’t worry. I think the elders were just taking every precaution. Everyone in this town has learned to be completely selfless so they can hold back the creature.”
I frown, examining him for evidence of lies. I don’t know why, but I feel like he’s not telling me the whole truth.
Is anyone going to? Will I get locked up here, waiting to die, not even knowing what this thing is?
A shudder runs through me as I think of my entire life lived out in this cabin, never going beyond its walls. A screaming panic rises in me, powerful enough to drive me from my seat and send me bolting around the cabin, clawing at the walls as I dig for a way out. But I’m frozen in place, numb with shock.
Xavier squeezes my hand, and my terror increases.
To be locked in, preyed upon by a horrific supernatural force, that’s one thing. But to be trapped with Xavier!
It hits me like a physical blow that now that we’ve consummated our union, the contract is binding, and we’re stuck together. Even if we could get out of here, we’re mated for life.
That doesn’t mean I forgive him, or that I want a relationship with him. He’s still the jerk who dumped me themorning after I gave him everything I had! No matter what he was going through, he didn’t have to do that.
Hot tears run down my cheeks, and I sniffle miserably. At this point, my life feels like a succession of shocking mistakes, each one worse than the last.
If I hadn’t given in to him just now, no one could have stopped me from leaving. Now I’m bound here, forever, no matter what.
“Mabel,” Xavier says softly, holding out his arms. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay!” I snap. “Nothing about this is okay! I’m trapped here, with you, and I don’t know what I’m more scared of—the thing outside, the crazy townsfolk, or you!”
“Me?” he asks, blinking with surprise. “What am I going to do?”
“Nothing you haven’t done already,” I say bitterly.
Realization dawns in his eyes, and he nods. “Yeah. I understand.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Okay, I don’t. I can’t possibly. It was a shock to get matched with you—I really thought I’d never see you again.”
“And you didn’t want to see me, did you?”
“No, I didn’t,” he replies, not realizing how devastating those words are to me. “I felt I could never apologize properly for what I did, and it was better to go our separate ways.”
I stare at him in disbelief, realizing that these words are supposed to be comforting.
Can he hear himself talk right now?
“It wasn’t any fun for me, either, seeing you in that rose garden.”
“I could tell,” he says. “I don’t blame you for being upset. I took out the contract because I thought that way, no one would get hurt.”
“Fucked that right up.”
“Mabel,” he says firmly. “You chose to come here.”
I want to yell at him, but he’s absolutely right. I decided that one week with him was better than inconvenient legal requirements and a hefty bill from my attorney.
How ridiculous that sounds now!
“False pretenses,” I answer. “I didn’t know I’d be food for some ravenous ancient evil.”
