Five Years as His Backup,My Mate Was Rejected

bone marrow? Th

olf in me trembling at the

all you here

ut his wolf has

teeth in a

ws demand a bonded ma

low rumble vibrating

ts the consent f

per crumpling under

werewolf hearing picks

eleases

the operating room, I how

yes cold as the

icks shut, my wolf's ho

ream down

ce Smith is deep eno

f infatuation? Just

the corridor to the ragged rhythm of my

twigs, while she sits across from me, eyes swollen raw,

mere thread: "Miss Luis, I'm

s lift

window, turning her tear int

ver th

e years, Alex st

my palm-the very one I'd mentioned in passing. Can you believe he remembered? Bu

nts into my palms, blo

e diamond-studded ring inside. I'd hidapartment it in the safe, too te

bout my boyfriend, and Alex materialized that night. He stood outside my apartment until dawn

my heart, cracking

t was passion, but when I woke to an empty bed, I'd made excuses for the scent of snow on

ars," Alice croons,

How many nights did I see the study light burning, carrying in coffee only to find hi

trongest werewolves cowered indoors. But he? He waited downstairs for 8 hours,

tmas. He'd come home drenched, his eyes wild with despair. And I'd foolishly thought

o me through the pack bond, his emotions a maelstrom of longing and pain. It

have to lean against th

ers. "He faced down a rival pack, fought tooth and nail to claim it. But wha

a box, his eyes shining with a

nt away, afraid to even look at it too o

e'd thrown away, a rejected offering

eash another memory

go." I flee