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“It’s so fucked up that you even have to think that way. We should be celebrating that we have a mate. This is not how it’s supposed to be.”
“It’s not, Warren, but there’s something going on with her. She’s been hurt before. She mentioned some trauma with alphas, and then she also said her dad used to arrange dates with prospective alphas from his circle, forcing her on them.”
“He what?” I demanded, white-hot fury lancing through me. I was ready to hunt this man down and force him to pay for every wrong he’d ever done to my mate.
“Take a breath,” Felix cut him off. “As far as I know, he has no idea where she is.”
“Are we sure about that? Because we just had some strange men in here asking me where I was last night. Somebody’s after our omega.”
His words were cut off as a customer came in to pick up her order. We packaged it up for her before sending her on her way, putting our best customer-service smiles on, though I doubted they seemed real at any point.
The next time Felix ran to the back to stock some flowers, I couldn’t help myself. I pulled out my phone.
Warren: Some men came by asking where I was. They mentioned someone is messing with you. What’s going on, Tori?
Warren: For the record, it wasn’t me.
For the first time in far too long, three dots appeared and disappeared several times, like she was trying to figure out what to say.
Tori: My siblings hired a security team. I’m safe.
Warren: Tori. If you just tell me why I need to back off…
I didn’t need to explain more. She knew exactly what I was talking about. Now that she was talking to me, I couldn’t keep myself from asking. There was nothing I needed in this world more than her, and she was pushing me away at every turn. The least I deserved was a fucking answer.
Tori: Because no alpha has ever shown me that they can be trusted.
Warren: I’m your mate, Tori. I’m matched to you for a reason. I’m not some asshole out here trying to ruin your life.
Tori: How can I know that, though?
My heart shattered, and I sat down heavily on the chair behind the counter, taking a deep breath and trying to figure out what to say next.
Felix was right, our mate was traumatized. It seemed that all that she was used to were not the good kind. They were the ones who called themselves true alphas, but they were simply using their designation to push around those ‘lower’ than them. They were master manipulators at best… monsters at their worst.
Warren: How can I prove it if you don’t let me try?
Warren: Why Felix and not me?
Tori: He’s different. Felix is kind and wears his heart on his sleeve. He doesn’t make me afraid.
Warren: I do?
Tori: Yes.
Ouch. Hearing my mate tell me that she was afraid of me had my heart fracturing even further.
There was no way to win this battle, was there?
I hadn’t even realized Felix had walked up behind me, and I jumped when he put a hand on my shoulder.
“Maybe ask her if you guys can text. That she gets to know you first.”
Warren: What if we text? You can ask me anything, get to know me first.
Warren: Felix will tell you anything about me, I give him my permission to answer. He knows me better than anyone else.
After several minutes, she still hadn’t replied. In fact, Felix and I finished out the workday, picked up dinner, and headed back upstairs, and my phone still stayed silent in my pocket.
