He’s so white, he might be sick, I’ve never seen him like this. Why is he so uncomfortable with being the person who saved me?
“Okay,” I turn to Jeremy, “thank you for saving me. Why do you all seem like this is the worst part?”
No one answers me, all waiting on Jeremy. When he doesn’t say anything, I wait for Nic to explain but he’s just giving Jeremy a cutting look.
“Uh,” Jeremy starts, “Aly, the things is, we may all be your mates but we have to mate you for it to be official.”
That actually makes me relax some, it felt like a lot to suddenly be mated to five guys and this means we have more time to get to know each other and decide.
I relax back in my seat some at that news and Jeremy winces. Okay, clearly there is more. I wish he would just spit it out. These mood swings are going to give me a headache.
He sits up a little, straightening his shoulders, before saying, “and each species has different ways of mating. The way that demons mate is by,” and he pauses, staring into my eyes as he says, “by sharing blood.”
And it all clicks. Jeremy and I are mated. By saving my life, he sacrificed our choice. Something I can’t be mad about considering I would be dead, but he’s clearly unhappy about it.
He didn’t want this, he was never perusing me like the other four. He was actively avoiding me and now he doesn’t have that choice. That’s why everyone keeps checking on him.
A day ago, I had no idea mates existed and now the idea that I’m mated to someone who doesn’t want me, breaks my heart.
I look up at Jeremy again and he’s downright miserable, clearly unhappy with things. And now it makes sense why.
I gaze around at the other guys who look ready to crawl out of their skin, they’re so uncomfortable. They know Jeremy doesn’t want me, that he’s unhappy and they hate having to watch this play out.
Why couldn’t it have been one of these four who had the blood to save me. Why did fate force Jeremy’s hand. Now, we’re both destined to be miserable.
I stand up, slowly and carefully until I’m sure I’ve got my feet under me and the guys all shoot up around me.
“Where are you going, Aly?” Jay asks.
I start slowly backing away from them all and closer to the door.
“Wait, don’t go, we can help you through this,” Kiran adds.
“Stay Aly, it’ll all be okay,” Jax says.
“We can answer any questions you have,” Nic offers.
I peer at Jeremy, to see if he’s going to ask me to stay and for a second it almost seems like he might. He lifts his arm, reaching out to me but drops it at the last second.
And that’s the final straw, it feels like my heart cracks.
“I’ve got to go,” I say.
Then, I turn around and run out the front door, hoping they don’t follow me.
Five
Jeremy
“What the fuck was that?!” Jay asks turning on me and getting in my face.
What the fuck is he yelling at me about? I’m the one who just had to feel her pain, disappointment and heartbreak through the bond while my mate discovered we are mated.
I’m the idiot who thought I had a chance to win her over, but based on the emotions I just felt, I’ve got no chance.
I’m the one who just watched her run away from me, right out the door. I’m the one who had no idea what the right thing to say, to make her stay was. Everyone else tried and I couldn’t come up with something. Everything that ran through my head was stupid and wrong and wouldn’t be enough.
“She wanted you to say something! To tell her to stay or that you want her! You idiot, instead you just stood there as she left,” Kiran adds joining Jay in facing off against me. He goes shoulder to shoulder with Jay, clearly trying to intimidate me.
