Unmarked Mates (Black Moon Book Three)

Chapter 35: "Where there's a will, there's a way"

Jason Blackwood above

Danny POV

"I'm stupid. I was so blind, and you warned me not to trust him so easily," I say as Jason sits in front of me.

"You are not stupid, Danny. You were smitten and full of trust and believed everything would be well because he was your mate. You tried, he didn't, and a relationship takes two to work."

"He tried; he tried too," I say shyly, and Jason sighs heavily.

"Exactly when he tried? When he abused you? When he cheated? When he forced marked you, or when he lied to you?"

"He didn't lie..."

"Yes, he did. He lied when he invited you to come to his pack. He said it would be only to meet his family, and he raped and marked you on your way here." Jason says angrily.

"I don't remember if he..." I say hesitantly.

"Exactly. He took advantage of you and made the decision himself. I can understand that his wolf was pushing to have sex, but he wasn't in a mating rut forced by a bond, so it's not like he couldn't control it. He made the most important choice in the life of both of you by himself. He gave you no choice, Danny; he didn't have your consent, and that is rape."

I blink my tears, tired of crying, and don't want to start again. Telling him everything was already hard enough.

"I care about Brandon and Bruce, I think even now... Why it turned that way? We are true mates, so why?"

"Danny, bond isn't the guarantee of a happy ending. Things between your parents turned out well, but they got through terrible times and had to work hard to make it work. Things turned out well between my uncle and my sister, but they also went through a lot to make it work. Though they were true mates, things didn't turn out well between my father and my mother. She didn't forgive him, my adoptive father was the love of her life, and Hayden respected that. After she made the final decision, he backed away because her happiness was more important than the bond for him. Brandon could make it work, but instead made at least a selfish decision."

"I just don't understand why I let it happen?"

"You didn't find it strange that you didn't like to have sex with him?"

"I thought something was wrong with me, that I just didn't like sex."

"Because of Jordan?" He asks, and I nod. "Well, I think Jordan and your sperm donor are the main reason you tolerated the abuse for so long. But it still wasn't your fault. I'm sorry, but I think marking you was Brandon's initial goal. He didn't just lose control; I think he was already planning to fight for Alpha's position in his pack or at least the Head Warrior's position and got scared that rejecting you would diminish his wolf's strength."

I gulp; I've never thought about it that way, I presume Brandon made a mistake under his wolf's influence, and that's why we ended marked.

"Well, it's good that your father doesn't know about it, or there would be blood by now. But we will find a way to set you free from him." Jason states.

I don't get to answer because there is a ring on the door, so I go downstairs to welcome our guests. But the moment I open the door, I'm met with a slap to my face. I look surprised at the furious Fiona storming inside, for now, the empty bar.

"I knew from the beginning that you are a lying bitch, not worthy of him!" she screams, and I back away, totally frozen; I have no idea what I should do.

"You cheated on him! You've never loved him, so he sought comfort in me, and you couldn't handle that! What happened at the party was your plan; you made it on purpose, didn't you? You set the table so you could badmouth him now."