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“I don’t want you to be alone with him,” Nick growled and looked at me.
“Don’t you trust me?” I asked and cupped his face.
“I do,” he growled. “It’s him I don’t trust.”
“It will be okay,” I smiled. “Go upstairs. I will come soon.”
Nick looked at Jacob and growled loudly. “You touch her, I will rip you apart.”
Jake smiled and motioned for me to follow him. I let go of Nick’s hand and walked behind Jake. Gabriel was looking at us with a worried expression on his face. Goddess, Gabriel, and Nick will never trust Jake, will they?
Jake walked inside the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge.
“Want one?” he asked me.
“No,” I shook my head and smiled.
I sat down at the table, and Jake leaned on the kitchen counter. I smiled at him and waited for him to start talking.
“Aria, I love you,” he said. “I want to be with you. I want to continue our relationship.”
My eyes widened, and my heart started beating faster. Why was he doing this again? We had talked about this. He knew Nick was my mate.
“I know that Nick is your mate,” he continued. “But I think you should have a choice, Minnie. You shouldn’t be with him just because of the bond. You should be with someone you love.”
He thought I was with Nick just because of the mate bond?
“I love him,” I said quietly.
“I know you do,” he said and started walking toward me. “But you love me too.”
He sat down beside me and took my hands in his.
“We never got the chance to continue what we had,” he said. “I want to try, Aria. I love you so much. We deserve a chance.”
I stared at him, not knowing how to respond.
“I know you love Nick,” he said and caressed my cheek. “I am not asking you to hurt him. I am asking you to give me a chance. I am asking you to continue our love. You were taken away from me, and if that hadn’t happened you and I would be together now.”
He was right. If they didn’t take me away, I would be back in our village, and we would be together. But I wouldn’t have found my brother. I wouldn’t have found Nick.
I knew Jake thought I loved Nick because of the bond, but that was not true. I would love him even if we weren’t mates. He was kind and he cared about the people he loved. I always felt safe around him. He never pressured me into anything, and he was always understanding. He earned my love.
“You know I love you, Jake,” I said as I looked at him. “But I can’t leave Nick. I know you think it is the bond, but it isn’t. He earned my love, and the bond didn’t have anything to do with that.”
He sighed and lowered his head.
“You are right,” I continued. “If my grandma didn’t take me away, we would be together. I loved being with you, Jake. I wouldn’t change that for anything. And I do love you. But I can’t be with you, Jake.”
He didn’t respond, but his grip on my hands tightened.
“You are important to me,” I said quietly. “I don’t want to lose you again. I will always be here for you, and I will always love you.”
He raised his head to look at me. I could see the agony and pain in his eyes, and it made my heart clench painfully. I pulled him into a hug and rested my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his hands around me and nuzzled his nose into my hair.
“I understand, love,” he said quietly. “I will always be here for you, and I will always love you.”
“Thank you, Jake,” I said quietly.
