AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maybe he broke down and has no battery. No network coverage.
Closing my eyes, I try to shove my wolf back. She’s frantic, convinced the only possible reason for not contacting us is that he’s hurt; that by sitting here instead of tracking him down, I’m putting him at even more risk.
Oh god. What if he really is hurt and I haven’t tried to find him because I’m afraid of making a fool of myself?
He shouldn’t care if I look too keen or like a stalker, he’s my mate.
Scrambling to my feet, I start to strip, needing to do something. If I shift, my wolf might be able to point me in the right direction. I’ve heard that mates can do that, even if we’re not marked. It’s certainly better than sitting here and doing nothing.
Gripping the doorknob, my heart jumps when I hear my phone ringing. I race back to the sitting room and skid to a halt beside the coffee table.
ETHAN
It’s a video call. Does that mean it’s really Ethan or some captor calling to show me proof they have him? He was very evasive when I asked what he would be up to for the next three weeks; I’m assuming he’s on a mission.
With trembling hands, I accept the call and wait. Relief floods my body when I see his handsome face.
“Ethan!” I gasp, on the verge of tears at seeing him whole. He’s okay. My mate is safe. Smiling, I take in his messy blonde hair and those twinkling eyes, thanking the moon goddess for creating this gorgeous man just for me.
“Belle, I’m so sorry.” He sounds tortured and his face looks drawn. “I just…” I wait for an explanation but when it doesn't come, I switch from mate to detective in an instant. He’s perfectly fine, if a little tired looking. It’s the middle of the night. He should have a good reason for not calling, and yet he looks like he’s struggling to come up with something.
“You’re safe?” I ask, looking past him to the sumptuous bed with throw pillows and silk sheets. He’s not slumming it, wherever he is. It’s still freshly made. He hasn’t been asleep.
Nodding, he doesn’t offer me anything else and silence hangs between us.
So, he left me to tell his hopefully now-ex that he found his mate, before disappearing on some mysterious mission. He didn’t call me on our first night apart, and he doesn’t seem inclined to tell me why.
My wolf’s worry has turned into rage and I’m not far behind her.
“Did you tell her?” My words are barely more than a whisper, but when he winces, I have my answer. He hasn’t told her.
“Belle… I can’t…”
I don’t give him the chance to answer and hit the hang-up button. He might be my mate, but I don’t have to listen to his excuses. He hasn’t been intimate with her, I’d know that, but it still feels like a massive betrayal. All day I’ve been waiting by the phone, pining for my mate, while he’s been with her. Hanging out, but not telling her that he’s found his one true love or that they’re over.
My phone immediately starts to ring again, but I put it on silent, throwing it down like it burned me. A notification pops up on the screen. A text message. I don’t open it, but I can see enough.
ETHAN: I can’t risk upsetting her…
Maybe I’m in shock, but I don’t feel heartbroken. Just numb.
He can’t risk upsetting her? Yet it’s okay to abandon me, unmarked and uncertain, just after meeting.
He can’t risk upsetting her? Yet it’s okay to withhold from me where he is, to not contact me and let me know he’s alive.
Deciding a run is definitely what I need, I step outside and shift, darting into the trees. I’m exhausted. Last night’s lack of sleep was much more fun than tonight’s, but I need to rest. Running as hard as I can, I push my wolf until we can barely stand.
Slowly, I creep back into the cabin at first light and crawl into bed. After spending far too long tossing and turning, I give up and curl into a ball on the sofa, reluctantly accepting that being surrounded by his scent will help me sleep.
And I do. I fall into a deep sleep, mercifully free of dreams of my mate. Because, I know, if he had come to me at all in my sleep, it would have been closer to reality, which is a complete nightmare.
11
BELLE
“You sound terrible. Are you sure you’re up for visiting? I won’t be upset if you want to go home and rest.” Concern laces her voice; she has known me since we were five years old.
“No, no. Just some man trouble. I could use the distraction, to be honest.” Some time with a good friend, and the distraction of my mission is exactly what I need right now.
