Page 9 of Broken Mate

“Thank you, Beta Ledger,” Ruby said.

His gaze lingered on Anais and he wished he could drive her to the lodge, but he recognized she was still feeling vulnerable around him. He waited until they settled into their car before heading to his truck. Then he led them to their temporary home.

Chapter Three

“Anais, what was that all about?”

Her aunt’s worried tone broke through the shock of what just happened. Her mate. Here. She dreamed her whole life of finding the one man meant to be hers, just as she was meant to be his. Except he was the beta of the Sheridan Pack, and she was broken.

“I think he may be my mate,” she answered softly, achingly, as her heart hurt.

Ruby’s face lit up. “That’s wonderful! It’s a blessing to find your mate. And he’s very handsome. Being mated to a beta means your father will never be able to drag you back. Your loyalty lies with your mate.”

“I never worried about my father wanting me back,” she said. “I no longer matter to him since Gaia has fulfilled the role he wanted from me.”

“I wish I could dispute that, but I can’t.”

Anais nodded. “It’s all right. I’ve already accepted that I’m unwanted.”

Ruby grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. “You arenotunwanted. I want you, and from the look on Beta Ledger’s face, he wants you too.”

Overwhelming sadness punched through her heart, and she had to blink back tears. “He doesn’t understand the extent of my disability.”

“I think he does. His alpha went through the same thing, remember? Besides, you’re going to get better, and you’ll make a fine mate for him.”

“It could take years for me to recover. He needs a mate who’s whole. Who can give him strong sons. Who can run next to him during the full moon.” She shook her head. “And I can’t do any of that.”

Ruby replaced her hand on the wheel. “I won’t listen to you put yourself down. He saw the crutches, Anais. He knows what they mean, and I can guarantee you right now, he doesn’t care because he’s been granted as your moon-fated mate by the High Luna herself.”

Anais turned her head to stare out her side window. “She made a mistake.”

They said nothing further. Thoughts tumbled through Anais’s mind, all having to do with Ledger. Her logical side told her she had to figure out how to set him free. There was no way she was going to saddle him with a mate who wasn’t worth much.

Her heart, however, beat with a different story. It told her to embrace him, body, mind, and soul.

The pack lodge came into view, a beautiful stone and wooden structure built on a hill, with a sweeping view of the valley below. The large, castle-like structure, tucked among the green forest, took her breath away. It was nothing like New Mexico, the cool weather a gift. Nothing existed back home but a blazing sun that baked the ground. Running during the full moon had been hot and somewhat painful on paws. Colorado was everything her old home wasn’t. The lush foliage and the smell of water in the air, called to her soul. Like she was meant to be there.

Perhaps the High Lunahadn’tmade a mistake.

Once Ruby had parked, Ledger hurried to her door to help her out. Anais had thought she couldn’t be any more embarrassed, but that was before he reached into the car and picked her up. Cradling her like she was a bride, he asked her aunt to grab her crutches and follow him.

“You’re tense,” he said. “I’m not going to drop you.”

“I never thought you would.”

“Relax.”

She turned her head.Could I get more pathetic?

“You can put me down,” she said.

“I like carrying you.”

She let out a long-suffering sigh. Once they reached the foyer of the lodge, he waited for her aunt to arrive with the crutches. He watched Anais carefully so he could help quickly if she needed it, but she expertly placed them on her arms to help her walk.

“If you’d like to show us to our room, we won’t keep you for much longer.”

“Not sure how you’re keeping me because I live here, too.”

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