Franklin shook his head.“I’m not going to hurt him.”He laughed bitterly.“I couldn’t even if I tried.”
“Why?What’s going on?”
Franklin tore his gaze away from Reed to look at Moore.“He’s my mate.That’s what’s going on.”
“He’swhat?”
“My mate, Moore.He’s my mate.”
Franklin turned.He couldn’t stay in this room for one second longer.He didn’t know what he’d do if he did.So instead, he walked out the door, unsure where he was going.He just needed to get away.
He needed to get away from his mate.
* * * *
REED HAD NO IDEA WHATwas going on.He wasn’t surprised that Franklin had attacked him.In fact, he’d expected something like that to happen.He was a little surprised that Moore had seemed about to jump in to help him, although he was probably doing it because he wanted access to the information that Reed had told him about.Reed didn’t blame him, just like he didn’t blame Franklin.What had the two of them been murmuring to each other just now, though?Did it have anything to do with Reed?
“Well, that’s an interesting development,” Rikar murmured.
Reed frowned at him.“What is?”
Rikar didn’t have to answer.He was close enough to Franklin and Moore to hear Franklin’s last words as he walked away.
He’s my mate.
Reed’s brain couldn’t make sense of the words, even though he understood them.He stood there, watching Franklin disappear through the door.He wanted to think he’d heard that wrong, mostly for Franklin’s sake, but he didn’t think he had, and that might be a problem.
When had his lifenotbeen a problem?
“You’re okay?”Moore asked as he turned toward Reed.
Reed was still pressed against the wall, and he could feel everyone around them watching him.It made his body go hot, and he nodded, quickly sliding back into his seat.“I’m perfectly fine,” he whispered.
Moore watched him for a minute before nodding.He seemed to accept Reed’s words easily, but he had to have questions.Franklin had just told him that Reed was his mate.What did that mean?What was Reed going to do about it?
Reed was pretty sure he knew the answer to that question.There was no way that Franklin would ever want him, and he shouldn’t.Whatever the reason why Reed was Franklin’s mate, it wasn’t fair to him.Franklin knew enough about mates to be aware of the fact that there would be no changing it.For the rest of Franklin’s life, he’d feel like something was missing because hewouldreject Reed.
Reed wasn’t sure how he should feel about any of that.He’d been a human before he became a mutant, so he wouldn’t feel the mate bond as keenly as a shifter would, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy.It wasn’t only that he wouldn’t be with his mate, either.It was because he knew why Franklin didn’t want to be with him.He knew that it was a consequence of his own actions and that he was paying for what he’d done.Part of him was eager to do just that, but another part was already mourning what he could’ve had.
But what he felt or wanted didn’t matter.It was Franklin who was suffering the most here.Reed felt sorry for him, and he knew that the less time they spent together, the better it would be for Franklin.He’d been planning to ask to be involved in the raid and everything else these people would do with the information he’d give them, but not anymore.He needed to put as much distance as possible between him and Franklin.
They would never be together, and he was pretty sure that Franklin hated him, but Franklin was still his mate.That meant that Reed would do anything he could to make Franklin’s life easier, even if that meant vanishing from his life.
He cleared his throat.“I’ll give you all the information I gathered,” he told Rikar and Moore.
“How much do you want to be involved?”Moore asked.
“I don’t want to be involved.I don’t think it’s a good idea considering what just happened.”
Reed could feel Moore watching him.He still wasn’t sure what to think of the man, but he wasn’t unpleasant.Reed didn’t feel like he was in danger.He did feel like Moore was trying to read him, though.
What was he seeing?Would he accept that Franklin wouldn’t have to deal with Reed ever again?It would be the smartest thing.All of this would hurt Franklin initially, but what would be worse?The pain of losing his mate, or the pain of realizing that his mate was a monster?Reed didn’t know.He didn’t know much of anything.He just wanted to make this as easy as possible for Franklin.It wouldn’t be, especially initially, but he’d be fine.He might even be happy eventually, especially if they managed to get Garrett out of the lab.
Moore hummed.“You’re right.On the surface, it does seem like it would be a bad idea.”
Reed snorted.“Just on the surface?We both know it would be a disaster.”
Rikar and Moore looked at each other.They did the silent conversation thing again, which pushed Reed to look away.
