Page 9 of Unbreakable Bond
“He’s not himself right now and neither are you. The mating heat… you don’t want to do this. You’ll regret it, when the magic wanes and the heat passes, you’ll regret it and I care about you too much to let thathappen.”
Her chin jutted up, “You care aboutme?”
“You know I do.” Michael lowered his voice, “I love youZo.”
Rafe snarled at the words. No. It was wrong. It was wrong in every way. Michael couldn’t love her. She didn’t belong to him. She was Rafe’s mate.His.
“Mine!”
She glanced at him, her brows furrowing, before she looked back to his brother, “Michael, you don’t get to say that now just because you think it will get you yourway.”
“That’s not why I said it.” Michael moved closer to her again, “You know me better thanthat.”
Rafe growled. The Sherriff kept his hand on his weapon. The older man was getting jumpy. Even still, Rafe couldn’t look away from his mate when she spokeagain.
“You’re right. I do know you and I know when you’re lying so tell me the truth. Am I reallyhis?”
“I don’t know.” Michael hedged, shot him a glance and earned another scowl, “Yeah, yeah I think youare.”
“Jesus…” She sighed, ran a hand down her face, “This is a mess, just like yousaid.”
“Zo…”
She glanced back up quickly, pain clear in her every feature, “Did you know? All this time, did youknow?”
“No. Godno.”
“But you knew before you followed me out of the lodge didn’t you? You knew and that’s why you said all of those things about wanting to run away from your responsibilities and changing fate? You knew and you were keeping me from him? You’restillkeeping me fromhim.”
Rafe could clearly hear the hurt in his mate’s voice and from the way Michael reacted, so could he. His brother winced, his head lowering in a universal sign of apology. It was more than that though. Michael was Pack Alpha, he lowered his head to no one. But he did it, willingly, for thiswoman.
“She’s mine. Let her go Michael.” He snapped, impatient to end the connection his mate had to his brother, wanting to stomp it out now, now, now. “I’m not letting you keep her from me much longerbrother.”
“Don’t let him near her.” Michael didn’t even look at him, only nodded at the Sherriff, “If he gets close to her, you take himdown.”
Rafe growled at the threat but before he could deliver another, or better yet, attack, his mate surprised him by laughing. It wasn’t an amused laugh. It sounded near hysterical. He started to move towards her, noticed the Sherriff reaching for his gun and stopped. Michael started to reach for her as well, thought better of it and dropped his arm back to hisside.
“Zoey?” Michaelfrowned.
“It’s a little funny right?” She threw her hands up in the air, “I mean, for years you’ve told me that our connection was different. You told me that you loved me like a sister.A sister!And now it makes sense doesn’t it? Your need to protect me and look after me? It’s not because I’m yours. It’s because I’mhis.”
Confusion circled him again as he tried to piece together the relationship his brother and his mate shared. Had Michael known she was fated to be with Rafe? She’d said their friendship was based on Michael’s need to protect her, that he thought of her as a sister. He loved her, but was it possible that love was platonic? He hadn’t touched her, not sexually, so Rafe had to hopeso.
He might not like his little brother very much right now but he didn’t want to break his heart. He didn’t want to hurt him. Okay, maybe he did want to hurt him, badly, for daring to come between him and his mate, but he didn’t really want to killhim.
Michael looked just as confused by her words. He also looked annoyed and frustrated. Rafe knew the look. He’d seen it on the face of his little brother only a handful of times. Usually, it had appeared when he realized he had lost. Something that had been rare even when they werepups.
Michael finally sighed, “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Rafe’s little mate scoffed again. “Maybe I’m his. Maybe I’m not. But I’m definitely not yours so get out of my wayMichael.”
His brother winced as if she’d slapped him but kept his head, “No.”
“You can’t stop this!” She raised her voice, “If this is really happening, if this isn’t some twisted nightmare, then there’s nothing you can do to stop it, no matter how much either of us might wish youcould.”
“Zo…”
“No.” She snapped when Michael said her name, “Don’tZome like I’m the one being crazy here! This entire situation is crazy but I’m the only one acting reasonably. I’m the only one that’s not fighting fate like I could possiblywin.”
