Page 28 of A Monster’s Future

Should I tell her? How would she react if she found out that I’d known that she was my mate? And if I didn’t tell her, would the guilt eat me up alive from the inside? How long would I last? I already knew the answer. Not long. I could hide nothing from her.

Mates were supposed to have no secrets from each other.

“I was taking a medication that suppressed the mate bond,” I admitted.

The room was suddenly so quiet that I could hear her heart beating.

“Did you know?” She twisted her body so that she was lying on her back. “That I was your mate, I mean.”

“Not at first, no. But I was irrational about you, and only you. I’ve been suspicious for a while. But I’ve known since last spring.”

“What!?” she shrieked. “You let me shake every warrior’s hand looking for my love at first touch, when you knew all year?”

“You hate me, remember,” I said through gritted teeth. The words came out quieter and more strained than I expected.

“I…” There was a pained sound. “But you avoided me during the rut.”

Was she upset? Even though she hated me? Did she hate me more now?

“It was the rut that finally had me believing. It was torture,” I admitted. I did not want her to think I’d enjoyed my time with anyone else but her.

“Good! I hope it hurt you to see me—”

I growled and slammed a palm over her mouth, not wanting to hear her words.

“Do not taunt me unless you wish to see Ashtrr’s brains on the floor and me exiled again, this time from our people.”

There was a spike of fear at my words, and I regretted them. But Julie had never let fear stop her from doing anything.

“You slept with other women too.”

Was that jealousy I heard in her voice?

“It was a necessity, and I did not enjoy any of it. I regret every moment.” I prayed she believed me. “If I had the chance to right my wrongs, I would cease to take the medication the moment we met and claim you then.”

“Words.” She tried to shove me away, but I didn’t let her.

“There is no comparison, my mate. I never wish or need anyone else but you from this day forward. Let me prove it to you.”

Could she hear the desperation in my voice? The regret?

She was quiet for a long moment before she spoke again. “Technically, the mate bond only started when you dropped to your knees. So I forgive you, I guess. But that doesn’t mean I’m accepting this mate bond. And anyway, I know you don’t have a nest picked out. Everyone knows this. And without a nest, I’m not saying yes.”

“And you still hate me, right?”

“Damn straight.”

I frowned at the strange saying. I’d been around humans for years and hadn’t heard that one yet.

“Now, go to sleep, my little mate.” I kissed the top of her head.

She mumbled something about not having accepted the bond yet, but relaxed in my arms. It wasn’t long before she was asleep and snoring in the most adorable way.

Chapter 15: Julie

I sat near the end of the table, my tablet open in front of me, recording the preliminary introductions. The representative from Vossell Industries, a sharp-eyed woman in an emerald-green tailored suit, sat across from Chris. Her posture was perfect and her expression unreadable, but it was clear she wasn’t here to waste time.

Her suit was so crisp it looked like it had been pressed moments before she walked in. The color made her skin glow, and the cut of the jacket hugged her frame in a way that was both professional and subtly intimidating. She’d introduced herself as Tessa Shaw.