I shake my head as my paws collide with the hard ground, hurling me forward through the brush. All I know is I need to be away from the moon, away from my mate, before I hurt her again. The cold air already has my lungs aching, struggling for breath. Good. I want to feel that pain. I push my limbs harder, wanting to feel the aching soreness throughout my body.
This isn’t real. Denial seeps in. It can’t be real. And yet, when she calls out again, commanding me to go back to her, I know damn well it is real.
Commanding me. Because she doesn’t know my wolf is threatening to take control. He doesn’t think. He only acts. A menacing growl erupts from my chest.
At war with myself, I force myself farther away from her. Only to protect her, and yet she cries out that I’m her mate and I can’t leave her.
How could she think I’d leave her? It’s because she thinks she controls me. That if she falters, I’d run. I push faster on the ground. Barreling between trees and ducking under fallen limbs.
She needs to learn. She needs to learn to trust me like I trust her. I thought she did.
The moon threatens to wane as I approach the edge of the forest, breathing heavily and far too aware that the claiming is broken. I did not lick the wound clean. I did not lie with her after the deed, under the light of night.
How could I? With her in pain and our trust broken, that wasn’t ever an option.
I will heal her. I will take away her control and give her true security. I will teach her to trust me. I’ve failed her as a mate until this point. I’ve let her hide her pain under the guise of control. No more. My silver eyes narrow as I sprint back to her. I’ll take her away from the moon, away from any danger and I’ll fix this. I’ll make it right.
Veronica, my mate, I promise I’ll make it right.
My conviction is firm: I won’t rest until I’ve truly claimed my mate. Every bit of her. Her past and her future.
Only when I get there … she’s already gone.
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This world has only just begun to unveil its stories. Fate has been set in motion. Primal Lust, book 3 of the To Be Claimed Saga, is up next.
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