The more I think about it, the more I believe it. It just feels… right. Something I haven’t felt in a very long time blooms in my chest.Hope. Hope that I can escape this nightmare of a life. Hope that I can find happiness, peace, and love.
I unfreeze. My body moving on its own; instinct taking over as I make my way out of my room and through the dark house. Praying that no one is going to wake up, I open and close the front door quietly.
As soon as I step out on the front lawn, I realize I never even put on shoes. All I’m wearing is my old tethered nightgown. My bare feet sink into the grass as a warm summer breeze swipes my long hair over my shoulders.
Without looking back at the house I could never call my home, I run across the lawn and into the forest. The sky is clear, with the moon and the stars shining through the trees. Not that I would need any light at all to find my way.
Guided by the mating pull, I dash through the woods, ignoring sticks and stones digging into my bare feet. I push my legs as fast as I can, desperate to get closer to my mate.
I can feel him deep in my soul. I can feel his presence. He feels warm and safe. I can’t wait to see him… to touch him, to wrap my arms around him and never let go. He is not far now. Anticipation gives me another burst of energy, pushing me to run even faster.
I come to a clearing; the rough forest ground turns into plush grass under my feet. My lungs ache with exhaustion, each ragged breath burning. My heart is racing so fast it’s rivaling the speed of a hummingbird’s wings.
And then I see him. A huge black wolf bursts through the treeline on the other side of the clearing. He is magnificent. His large paws pounce into the grass as he slows down his run until he comes to a halt in the center of the clearing.
I stop a few feet away from him, looking into his glowing green eyes with excitement and wonder. My heart feels full, the bond growing stronger by the second.
Magic hangs heavy in the air as my mate starts to shift back into his human form. Bones crack and realign, fur retreats, leaving smooth skin stretched over muscular limbs. He stands up, his large form towering over me.
My eyes move from his broad chest to his face. That’s when I realize who is standing in front of me.
Cole.
The whole world shifts on its axis. The moment recognition sets in is the same moment my heart breaks, shattering into a million tiny pieces. Excruciating pain slices through my chest as I start to fight the bond with all I have. My wolf whines; she doesn’t care that the guy we’re supposed to be with has been tormenting me for the last six years.
Shaking my head, tears fall down my cheeks as I take a wobbly step back. “No…” I mutter, desperate to wake up from the sudden nightmare. It can’t be him.Not him. He can’t be my mate.
I take another step back, needing to put space between us. Cole takes a step toward me in return, his expression unreadable, his usual hateful glare replaced with something I can’t understand.
“Nora…” His gravelly voice sounds different than ever before. There is an unfamiliar gentleness in his tone.
Closing my eyes, I keep shaking my head, unwilling to accept that this is real. “I can’t be your mate,” I whisper before blinking my teary eyes open once more. He is still standing there, unmoving, while his intense gaze remains on me. Restless energy hums between us.
The mating bond is drawing me toward him. My wolf is desperate to complete the bond. I have never felt her presence as strongly as I do right now. It takes everything inside of me to fight it. I force myself to recall every hurtful word, every nasty look, and every cruel touch. My chest fills with dread, and I use that feeling to drive distance between us. I turn around and force my legs to carry me away from him.
“Nora, wait… please,” Cole calls after me. His request only makes me move faster. “Don’t run from me,” he adds, his tone firm but pleading.
That’s exactly what I do. I start running. I know damn well I have no chance of escaping. If he really wants to catch me, he can do so with ease. Still, I have to try. I pump my legs, my bare feet pounding against the grass.
I don’t hear him move, but I feel his presence behind me, following me to the edge of the clearing. More tears stream down my face as I realize what I have to do. I have to break the bond. I have to reject him.
Just as I’m about to reach the tree line, I force out the words, “I reje?—”
He slams into me before I can finish. His large body wraps around mine as he takes me down to the ground with a grunt. He turns his body midair, taking most of the impact, but it’s still enough to knock the wind out of me. The bruises on my torso ache as his arms pull me close to him. I wince in pain, and to my surprise, Cole releases me.
Freeing myself from his hold, I try to crawl away from him, but he grabs my arm and flips me over so I’m on my back. Before I can push myself up, he is on top of me. His massive body covering mine, pinning me to the ground with his weight.
“Get off me!” I yell, shoving at his chest, but that’s like trying to move a mountain. “I re—” I get even less of the words out this time. Cole’s large hand slaps over my mouth, cutting me off.
“Please stop trying to reject me,” Cole pleads, his voice carrying a hint of desperation.
I glare at him, my chest heaving as his all-consuming scent surrounds me. I hate him, despise him for what he and his sister did to me, but it’s getting harder and harder to hold on to that resentment when my very naked mate is on top of me. Even the hand covering my mouth feels good, his warmth seeping into me through our touch.
Cole stares back at me, his expression torn as his green eyes search for something. Maybe for answers I don’t have. A few moments of silence pass between us as tension only grows.
When he finally speaks, his voice comes out low and rough. “We only have one chance at a soulmate, Nora. I’m sorry… I just can’t let you reject me.”
His words hang heavy between us. I knit my eyebrows together, trying to understand what he is saying when he reaches between my legs and grabs hold of my panties. He rips them off me with one forceful tug.
