Bloodline and Kin (Gifted Werewolf Series: Book 2)

13: Simone

Reed finally left me in the little attic and did not come up again. I regretted very few things but having him as my mate is the biggest. I couldn't believe he lied to me about not hurting me! This wasn't training! This wasn't us sparring with one another to get stronger. This was him being selfish and cruel!

The only reason I panicked in the first place was I had thought I was back in Roniston's pack house and the males were drunken and pissed off because they didn't get the girl that night. I was scared one would come after me...like he always has. I couldn't tell if Reed was one of them, I didn't want to be near him if he was. Reaching for my foot, I had thought he was going to try and hurt me by doing what so many have tried to do. Thankfully, back then, Jerom was always there to get me out of situations like that. Now that he's gone, I thought I was going to be hurt for real.

I hadn't meant to scream in Reed's face, hadn't meant to be terrified of him. I hadn't even meant to stay in the attic if I did. I had just fallen asleep and woke up to hear something crash downstairs. It terrified me, so I didn't go down. I had meant to sleep in Reed's bed again, apologize to him in the morning and explain my actions to him, was willing to forgive him for leaving me alone in the house, was going to curl up in his arms and let him hold me while we slept like he did the night before. I wanted him back...

"Simone?" I hear and look up. Thrain was poking his head up to peer at me. "May I come over?"

"I want to be alone," I whisper.

"I understand that, but it's not safe up there. I don't want you getting hurt by some loose nail or something."

I close my eyes and turn my head away from him. "I don't want to see him."

I heard him climb up and sit down. When I glanced at him, he was sitting on the edge of the hole leading down into the hallway. "It is not Reed's fault for putting a dart in your arm. The doctor asked him to since you wouldn't let him touch you. He never meant to hurt you."

"He did," I say, and my voice cracked, once again feeling tears and a lump in my throat. "Reed lied to me."

Thrain shook his head. "No, he didn't. He was only trying to help you. Reed was worried about you, he thought something bad had happened to you. He panicked when he couldn't find you earlier, had Corey and I search for you. Do you really think he would hurt you on purpose?"

This made me ashamed which made me cry harder. I was ashamed for how I acted and what I said. I was ashamed and heartbroken, disoriented from what Thrain told me. It made my headache, my body shake, and my tears flow faster.

"Let me help you out of here," Thrain whispered.

I shake my head, curling up, not wanting anyone close any longer. "No! You should go!"

"I'm not leaving," he said firmly.

I glare up at him. "Go! It's only a matter of time before you're hating me too! Just leave me alone!"

His eyes widen and his body went still. I wasn't sure if the man was breathing but didn't care anymore. "Simone, Reed doesn't hate you. If anything, he's in love with you. Why do you think he hates you?"

"Because!" I gasp unable to breathe. "He's my mate! Jena was right! My mother was right! Roniston was right! If it wasn't going to be him pushing me away, it was going to be me pushing him away and making him hate me, reject me! It's no wonder why they kept me hidden!"

Thrain crawls forward slowly and carefully pulls me out of the little corner I'm in and into his arms. "Come on, Luna."

"Not to mention he's an alpha and I'm no body!" I hiss. "He must keep the pack safe, do things I can't be involved with, be gone for periods of time. I've just been wasting his time! I'm just a damn burden!"