“I amnotyour fated mate,” I ground out slowly, crushing every word between myteeth.
The confusion on his face twisted into anger. “Yes,youare!”
My heart leapt into my throat as Colin came towards me with opened arms, as if inviting me into an embrace that I’d rather jump into lava thanaccept.
“Come on,” he said. “You’re just confused. Didn’t the past few days mean anything to you? Our mission? Me helping you when youcollapsed?”
I could not believe he was pulling this shit with me. I felt disgusted, betrayed,andused.
“Did you really think,” I began in a low growl, “that I had romantic feelingsforyou?”
At this, Colin’s demeanor changed. He became furious. His hands balled into fists and rage distorted his expression. Suddenly, my disgust turned to fear. He was an alpha. I was a pregnantomega.
You couldn’t outrun meanyway.
My blood turned to ice, then fire. Every muscle in my body tensed to spring. Whatever he was planning, he would neverhaveit.
But the moment he took another step towards me, I cried out without thinking, with the first name I pulled frommysoul:
“VIRGIL!”
Colin stopped, for an instant. He became even angrier. “What are you callinghimfor?”
I said nothing. I was totally on the edge with fear. I felt trapped, lost, alone,afraid.
My heart screamed out for someone - for raven-black hair, for his deep voice, for the peace of being held in hisstrongarms-
Suddenly, something shot out of the woods like a black bullet. The following gust whipped up by the movement nearly knocked me to my feet. In front of me stood a massive black wolf, hackles and tail raised, and emitting a deep, loudgrowl.
“Virgil,” I saidbreathlessly.
He cameforme.
“What is the meaning of this!?” Virgil snarled in the thick, feral voice ofhiswolf.
“Virgil?” Colin asked, sounding baffled. “Why areyouhere?”
The wolf’s head turned towards me. Those dark eyes glinted with concern and relief. Then he turned back to Colin, fangs bared, and snarled, “My matesummonedme.”
My heartclenched.
Virgil had called mehismate.
This confused and angered Colin. “What? You’re not mates! I’ve never seen the two of youtogether!”
I nearly winced. That much was true - Virgil and I had barely spent time together since arriving atthecamp.
“We share a tent every night,” Virgil snarled, “and there is much history between us you are not aware about.Now stand down andbackoff.”
Colin’s eyes flitted from Virgil to me, then his face screwed up in an ugly expression. “Fine. Keep your stupid omega. He’s defectiveanyways.”
With that, Colin stormed off into the shadowy woods anddisappeared.
A still, silent moment passed between us. Slowly, Virgil turned around and shifted back to human form. His eyes were dark as heapproachedme.
Without speaking, he kneeled on the ground. I threw myself into his chest, and he immediately wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me close. I didn’t realize I was shaking until Virgil ran his hand down my back in smooth, calming movements and whispered into my ear, “It’s okay.I’mhere.”
“I got so scared,” I admitted, voice muffled andshaking.
