Page 17 of Dark Sold Mate

“I will find out how,” Silas sighed. “I have to.”

Rael eyed him for a couple of minutes. “You have to take care of Elle first. She is traumatized, furious, and stuck in a place that is full of bad memories for her. You must work out things with her if you want this mating bond to work properly.”

Silas knew that his brother was correct. But the guilt gnawed at him, the knowledge that he'd failed his pack when they needed him most.

“I'll fix it. I just need time.”

A couple of minutes later, Silas left the meeting hall, making his way back to his house, where he had left Elle sleeping in the guest room. His wolf wanted her in his bed, in his room, covered in his scent. But Silas had forced himself to leave her alone. She'd been through enough.

When he stepped into the house, Elle was already up. She was standing in the kitchen, wearing one of his shirts, which hugged her figure perfectly, showcasing her voluptuous curves. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her eyes were a bit red. She stiffened when she saw him come in.

“Where were you?” she demanded.

“Pack meeting. They wanted to know some things about you.”

“And what did you tell them? That you kidnapped me? Forced me into a mating bond?”

“I explained to them you are vital to pack safety,” Silas said. “That they need to trust me.”

Elle laughed bitterly, rubbing her face harshly. “Trust you. Right. Because you are so trustworthy.”

Silas bit back a retort. This was going to be a long day.

It turned into a long week.

Elle fought him on all things. She refused to step out of the guest room when he tried to give her a tour of the house. When he came in with food, she would just pick at it, barely eating anything. Even though her stomach would growl so loud that he heard it in the hallway. When he tried to talk, she answered him in one word or stony silence.

The previous Elle, the submissive girl who took whatever he dished out to her, was now entirely absent. This Elle was aggressive, obstinate, and didn't hesitate to let him know what she thought of him.

“You are a controlling bastard,” she told him on the third day when he demanded she have breakfast.

On the fifth day, when she would not have the pack healer examine her wounds sustained at the auction, he growled, “You are impossible.”

She muttered “I hate you” at least ten times a day. And each time she said it, Silas felt as if a knife was lodged in his chest.

When Silas woke up on the seventh day, the guest room was empty.

His wolf sprang into action at once. He trailed her smell all through the house and out the back door, into the woods which bordered his land. She had a head start, perhaps twenty minutes, and she was going towards the confines of the pack.

Silas ran after her. He found her a mile from the border, running through the trees. She had even found some clothes, one of his old t-shirts, and a pair of sweatpants which she had pulled in tight around her waist.

Silas ran past and stopped in front of her, blocking the path.

“Get out of my way,” she panted.

“No.”

“Silas, I swear to God—”

“You're not leaving.”

“You can’t keep me here against my will!”

“I can, and I am.” Silas stepped closer. “You won't make it anyway. The bond won't let you.”

Elle's eyes flashed with fury. “What are you talking about?”

“The mating bond. It ties us together. The farther you are away from me, the more uncomfortable you'll be. After a while, you will be physically sick. Restless. Your wolf—if you had one—would force you to return.”