Page 37 of Rejected Alpha Mate

Her brow lifts skeptically. “You’re not fine, Nick.”

I exhale, rough and humorless. “Of course, I am. I have to be. I’m going with them to Montreal.”

Arianna stills, bandage half-wrapped around my arm. “You’re not serious.”

“I am.”

“Did you forget what happened last night?” she asks, voice low. “You attacked your mate, and she saved you anyway. You think you’re in any state to face Tobias?”

I glance toward the window, where the faint outline of Donna’s shadow moves on the porch. “I owe her. I owe all of you. And I owe him punishment.”

Arianna ties off the bandage, lips pressing into a line as she shakes her head. “You don’t have to be ashamed of what happened. Delilah went through the same thing, and Hunter brought her back. Just like Donna did for you.”

I let out a dry chuckle, one that tastes more bitter than amused. “The difference is, Hunter loves D.”

Arianna’s gaze sharpens with knowing. “You think Donna doesn’t love you?”

“Of course not,” I scoff, shaking my head. “I’ve given her every reason to hate me.”

Arianna sighs, setting aside the bandages. “Maybe she hates you because she still loves you. Hate cannot exist without love.”

“It’s not like that,” I protest, but Arianna sighs.

“I know what happened last summer,” she reveals flatly, and I frown at her.

“That sounds like a movie, Ari,” I say with a nervous chuckle to hide my shame, but Arianna simply rolls her eyes at me.

“I’m a witch, Nick. So is Delilah. We both know.”

Gulping hard, the door to my bedroom creaks, and my heart stutters. Dominic steps in, holding two beers, his usual grin fading when he catches the tension in the air.

“Don’t tell him,” I whisper to Arianna, my throat feeling tight.

She opens her mouth, but before she can say a word, Dominic raises a brow. “Don’t tell me what?”

My pulse spikes, and I scramble for an answer, but Donna beats me to it, appearing from behind her brother.

“Nicholas insists he’s fine to join the Montreal run,” she says smoothly from the doorway, arms crossed.

There’s nothing I can hide from her, I realize.

She’s also a witch.

“Even though he should be resting after everything.”

Dominic’s head swivels toward me, frown deepening. “Yeah…no. That’s not happening. You should be resting, Nick.”

I should be grateful Donna deflected, but I can only stare at her. There’s something unreadable in her expression; not forgiveness, not fondness, just a silent agreement. She doesn’t want Dom to know the truth, either. About us. About what happened last summer.

Maybe she’s protecting both of us.

How did she know that’s what we were speaking about?

Right. She’s a witch.

Dominic claps me on the shoulder, careful of my wound. “We’ll take care of Montreal. You just focus on healing.”

I nod stiffly, watching as he exits the room. Donna follows, pausing only for a second before walking away.