The Mating

  Of course, that was all a dream. Nothing had happened as he’d planned. Instead of an intimate afternoon of bonding, they’d spent the time arguing. He’d crossed all the lines, leaving her frightened and confused. Now, he wondered if she’d ever forgive him. The temptation to go poking about in her mind to discover how she was feeling was strong, but he knew he had no right. In ordinary circumstances, blood bonded mates would think nothing of tiptoeing through each other’s thoughts, but he and Elise were hardly ordinary.

  He’d forced the bonding on her, and even though in the end she’d actively participated, he still felt as if he’d almost raped her. Self-loathing and disgust consumed him. How could he have done that? Losing control was never an option for him. His father’s tainted blood ran through his veins and he knew what he was capable of, if he didn’t keep constant guard over his emotions. But yesterday… Sighing heavily, he acknowledged the truth. Yesterday, he’d let the famed werewolf possessiveness take over. Reason had been lost and he’d brutally forced himself on his mate. What kind of a monster did that?

  Absentmindedly, he noted the fork in his hand was bending under the strength of his grip and his jaw clenched as he carefully set the utensil down on the table. What was happening to him? His behaviour was totally unacceptable, as if the wolf side of him was dominating the human. Indeed, when he’d blood bonded with Elise, his wolf had taken over, driving him to claim his mate so that no one else could ever have her. He’d been too rough, too animalistic; so caught up in the act that by the end he’d dropped exhausted at her side, immediately falling asleep without even checking how she was feeling.

  When he awoke afterward, he’d stared horrified at the mark he’d inflicted on Elise’s neck. She’d moaned in her sleep and it had been like someone stabbing his heart. He’d hurt his mate, marking her in a fit of possessive rage, doubting her word… True, the evidence against her was substantial, but he should have examined it with calm reason, rather than just reacting in anger.

  When she’d finally stirred, he’d sensed that Elise was scared and confused. Then, as the reality of what had occurred sank in, sadness seemed to consume her. He’d reached out to her, but she’d drawn back in fear and that was when he knew he had to block the connection between them. She didn’t want him—well, she desired him physically, he knew that—but she couldn’t really want him in her life anymore. His actions had destroyed the tentative relationship they’d been building.

  It wouldn’t surprise him in the least if she asked to leave, to go back to her original pack. Such an action would break the alliance, and he’d have to fight the Elders on it…

  Once again, he sighed heavily, knowing he could never let her go, even if it was allowed. She was his mate and the possessiveness of their race would never allow him to set her free, but he’d do his best to leave her alone, to give her the space she needed. It went against every instinct he had, but he’d do it. A wry smile drifted over his face. Even now, his wolf was working against his human resolve, trying to convince him that Elise wanted to contact him. The tingle in the back of his mind had him automatically opening up, but he caught himself in time and firmly shut the door. It was just wishful thinking on his part. Elise wouldn’t be calling to him. Giving her privacy was the least he could do.

  Sensing someone beside him, Kane glanced up. Helen was there with a worried frown on her normally pleasant rounded face. Raising his brows, he looked at her questioningly.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, Kane, but the Grey Goose just called. Elise didn’t show up for work today and they were wondering if she was ill. I know she went for a walk this morning, but she never came back. Her car’s still here…” Helen’s voice trailed off and she twisted her hands nervously.

  Kane pushed his chair back and stood up, nodding for Helen to follow him. He didn’t want the rest of the pack overhearing their conversation. Once in the kitchen, he rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Helen out of the corner of his eye. The woman was almost like his mother and he felt like a little kid confessing to her. “You see, Helen, Elise and I… Well, we had a…er…disagreement yesterday and I told her she couldn’t work at the Grey Goose anymore. I guess she thought I meant it.”

  “You what?” Helen looked at him incredulously.

  “Yeah, I know. I’m an idiot. She’s really mad at me, so she’s probably waiting until I’m gone before coming home for lunch. I guess she forgot to call Edward to tell him.”

  Helen seemed to be thinking hard for a moment before speaking. “Kane, it’s really none of my business, but I can’t keep this to myself. Elise told me some of what happened yesterday—about the diary and Bryan, how you fought and then bonded. She was really upset—”

  Kane interrupted. “I know. She’s scared of me now and sad that I took away the chance to blood bond with someone she really loves… Hey! What was that for?” Helen had just slapped him across the back of the head! He bit back the growl that such an action would have earned anyone else.

  “Standard treatment for stupidity.” Her hands were on her hips and she appeared to be shaking her head in despair.

  “Stupidity?” In the back of his mind, he acknowledged that only Helen would dare say that to the Alpha.

  “Yes. And if Elise was here, I might slap her too, though she’s young and in a new pack, so I’m more inclined to forgive her, but you! You’re the Alpha, our supposed leader! You, of all people, should be able to read your own mate. Haven’t you used your bond to figure out what she’s really feeling?”

  “I did, right afterwards. She was confused, scared, sad… I blocked her out after that. I’m not a suitable mate for her. Giving her a bit of privacy was the least I could do.”

  Helen snorted. “What you did was convince her that you didn’t care; that you didn’t want her near you.”

  “That’s not true!”

  “Whether it is or not, that’s what she thought. Of course she was confused and scared! All of a sudden she had all your thoughts in her head and she couldn’t sort them out. And you—you were feeling pretty down on yourself for the circumstances surrounding the bonding, right?” Kane tightened his lips, but nodded. “Well, Elise took that to mean you hated her and regretted bonding with her, not just the circumstances surrounding how it happened. She was crying her eyes out this morning because she loves you, but she’s under the impression you don’t love her back.”

  Kane stared at the floor, wincing as an actual pain attacked his heart. He never meant to hurt Elise. It was the last thing he wanted to do, and by trying to make things better, he’d actually made it worse.

  Looking up, he found Helen observing him with a look of pity in her eyes. She reached out and cupped his cheek. “Kane, you did the wrong thing, but for the right reasons. I know you’re worried about becoming your father, but one fight with your mate doesn’t mean you are him.”

  Kane wasn’t so sure of that fact, but didn’t bother to argue the point. Helen had always had a soft spot for him, and her assessment of his character was more favourable than he knew he deserved. “So, what should I do?”

  “Are you looking for another slap on the head?” Helen scolded him. “Hook up that wonderful connection you now have with your mate. Go find her, explain how you feel and then have some great make-up sex!” With that, Helen shoved him out the door.

  *****

  Standing at the edge of the woods, Kane wiped his sweaty palms on his pant legs and then shoved his hands into his back pockets. He’d faced a challenge fight to the death with fewer qualms than he had at this moment. For some reason, he was inexplicably nervous about opening up a connection with Elise. What if Helen was wrong? What if she didn’t love him? What if she actually hated him for the blood bond?

  “Hey Kane!” The sound of Julia’s voice behind him broke into his thoughts. He turned to observe the athletic blonde jogging down the lane way. “Are you waiting for Elise?”

  He cleared his throat before answering. “Yeah, something like that.”

/>   “I’m surprised she isn’t back yet. I ran into her and Rose over an hour ago. Somehow, I got the impression that they were just taking a short walk.” Julia leaned against a tree and stretched her leg muscles while talking.

  “Really? I wonder why they aren’t back yet.” Kane frowned. To the best of his knowledge, Rose wasn’t an exercise fanatic and didn’t go on long walks. Then again, he didn’t know the girl very well—she never drew attention to herself and it was only recently, since she’d been dating Daniel, that he’d taken much notice of her.

  “Yeah, it is sort of strange, isn’t it? And you know what else? Rose was acting sort of odd. I mean, she’s always quiet, but…” Julia paused and then shrugged. “I don’t know. Something was off. When Elise asked me to join them, Rose had this weird look on her face. I think she was relieved that I couldn’t go with them.” She bent down to tighten her shoelaces. “At the time, I didn’t think that much about it, except that maybe Rose wasn’t feeling well, but now that they aren’t back… Well, I suppose Rose could have gotten sick along the way. That would explain why they’re so late.”

  Kane narrowed his eyes as he considered the fact. “Do you know where they were going?”

  “Umm…they were headed towards the lake, but I’m sure they didn’t actually go that far, since it’s still out of bounds.” Julia stood up and bounced up and down a few times, while efficiently readjusting her ponytail that had started to loosen.

  “Thanks, Julia. I think I’ll just head out and meet them. They’re probably on their way back by now, anyway.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you later.” Julia gave a little nod and then continued her daily jog.

  Once she was on her way, Kane leaned his back against a tree and tilted his head towards the sky. He opened his mind, searching for Elise. As his senses expanded—searching and reaching—his instincts were telling him something was off, but he wasn’t sure what. Hoping his inner wolf was wrong, he focussed in on Elise and felt his heart lurch. Waves of pain and fear washed over him. Elise was in danger! Cursing himself for not seeking her out sooner, he phased into wolf form and raced through the woods, following a call that only his heart and soul could hear.

  Chapter 33

  Elise stared at the carbon copy of her mate, unsure of what to say. The strength of his muscles was evident by how the material of his clothing stretched tautly over his body. Dark, faintly damp hair hung shaggily over his forehead and there was the faintest curve to his nose as if it had been broken at one point. His mouth was firm and set in a straight, unyielding line. It was somewhat amazing that the man could look so much like Kane at first glance yet exude such a different aura. Kane was strong yet caring, while Ryne was…dangerous? A part of her mind acknowledged that the rocky, uninviting atmosphere of the ravine seemed to suit him and Elise found herself vaguely reassured to know that, by Marla’s admission, he was not the psycho rogue wolf that she’d been led to believe. Still and all, he was an unknown quantity and needed to be treated with caution. Clearing her throat, she gave the lamest greeting possible. “Hi!”

  No response was given. Instead, the man’s gaze seemed to be assessing her, taking in her appearance from head to toe. Elise felt inexplicably self-conscious, aware that she was far from looking her best. Her clothes were dirty and torn, scratches and smeared blood stained her hands and probably her face as well. She resisted the urge to finger comb her hair and straighten her jacket, instead forcing herself to meet his gaze. Showing weakness was not an option, despite her extremely vulnerable position.

  When he spoke, his voice was deep; similar to Kane’s, but harder and lacking the caring quality that she had come to expect from her mate. “Did you kill her?”

  “Kill who?” Elise was startled. It wasn’t what she’d been expecting him to say.

  “Rose.” He gestured with his head towards the dead woman’s body. “Did you kill her?”

  “No! Of course not! I was running and she was chasing me and then she jumped and we sort of rolled down and…” Elise let her voice trail off as his blue eyes narrowed and a growl rumbled in his chest.

  “I don’t know if I should believe you or not. Rose was part of my pack and she wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

  “It was all an accident!” She hastened to reassure him, while thinking that here was another person Rose had managed to fool. “I broke my leg during the fall …”

  He leaned forward and touched her leg as if to check the veracity of her claim. Wincing, Elise bit back a cry of pain. Immediately he withdrew his hand, but instead of moving away, came closer and sniffed her. A puzzled frown appeared. “Kane’s?”

  She nodded. “Kane is my mate.”

  A smirk appeared. “He works fast. He wasn’t even seeing anyone when I left.”

  “We’ve only been together three weeks. It was an arranged mating. My father is Alpha of the territory to the west of here.”

  “I wondered if a political pairing would be needed on that front.” He was silent for a moment, and then stuck out his hand. “I’m Ryne, Kane’s half brother.”

  “Elise.” Her small hand was engulfed in his and comforting warmth came over her. It wasn’t the same tingling awareness that she got from Kane, but still it was…nice.

  “So, care to tell me what happened here?” He sat down and looked at her expectantly.

  “Um… I will, but could you possibly help me first?” Elise wanted to get away before Marla returned.

  “No. Tell me your story and then I’ll decide.” Ryne folded his arms and seemed prepared to wait as long as necessary.

  Elise was in a quandary. She wanted to get away, but didn’t dare push too much. He looked like he was used to getting his own way and right now Ryne was her only hope. Giving an exasperated huff, she launched into a much edited version of what was happening.

  “Do you know about the oil company wanting the land and offering lots of money?” He nodded, so she continued. “Apparently, Marla is trying to force Kane into selling out and she thinks if I’m out of the way, she’ll be able to get Kane to listen to her.” She paused to gauge his reaction.

  Ryne snorted and shook his head. “Typical of the bitch.”

  Silently, Elise agreed, but kept her comments to herself. “Well, Marla and Rose were planning to kill me, so when I got a chance, I ran. Rose tackled me and we rolled down the ravine. She died—I think her neck is broken—and now Marla’s gone off to get some stuff so that she can kill me by herself. I’ve been trying to get away, but, as you can see, I haven’t made it very far.” Elise had carefully avoided mentioning how Marla had been using Ryne as a scapegoat. Remembering that Ryne had been described as hot-headed and impulsive, she thought she’d avoid getting him all worked up.

  “Rose was in on this plan?” He sounded sceptical.

  “I was surprised too, but she had a gun pointed at me.”

  “Humph—it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch.” Ryne rubbed his chin and appeared lost in thought.

  The silence stretched between them and Elise began to wonder if Ryne even remembered she was there. “Umm… Can I ask you a question?” He looked at her with raised brows. “Did you… I mean, a couple of weeks ago, were you over at Marla’s?” She shrank under his gaze, cursing herself for asking the question even as the words left her mouth. Hopeful, it wouldn’t set him off.

  “Yeah. I was there.”

  “Oh.” Elise answered in a small voice, averting her eyes. The man beside her had threatened and attacked Marla. While she had no love for the woman, she wasn’t comfortable around a man who would hit a female. What if she made him mad? Would he strike out at her too?

  “And I hit her…once. I know that’s what you want to ask.” Ryne made the statement blandly as he scanned the woods around them. “Do you want to know why?”