His Destined Mate - PUBLISHED

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

"Are you going to reject me?" Nicole whispered, trying to mask the grief that rose in her heart, and the pain reflected on her face. She needed to know.

She couldn't fathom what she'd feel if he did reject her. All her life, from the moment she could understand her culture and origin, she had been taught about werewolves and mates. She could clearly remember her young mind dreaming about a mate who would come to her riding on a horse, or stop to pick up her glass slipper; and all the other childhood fairytales.

Never had she expected or dreamt her mate would be none other than Jake D'Amore. From the stories she'd heard, the man didn't seem to possess one bone in his body that signified 'romantic'. How life surprises us! She thought. She knew that the word D'Amore meant 'love' or to signify affection.

"Why would I reject you?" She heard him ask and her gaze went up to his. She marveled all over again at the deep grey eyes staring back at her. She'd heard of eyes which could look right into someone's very soul, and he did just that. She instantly looked away.

The man was dangerous, and she knew enough stories about him to make her want to run away from him, and into that rogues' hands- the one that had almost killed her. Yet, the more she looked into his eyes, the more she wanted to believe that he was just misunderstood. What if people have only been spreading rumors all these years? Was everything just a huge lie? She hoped it was...

She shook those thoughts out her mind and concentrated on what he'd just said. Or asked, rather. Why would he reject her? Her answer; "I don't know."

Jake frowned before reaching forward to lift her chin. When their gazes clashed, Jake was lost all over again. What had he done to deserve such a perfect mate? So flawless in his eyes; so innocent. But she had doubts about him accepting her as his mate. Why would he even think about doing such a thing? He'd waited countless years for her, and there was no way he would reject her- not now that he had finally found her. His hands moved of their own accord to hold her much smaller ones gently.

"I'm not letting you go. Ever. You belong to me. You're mine."

Nicole inhaled sharply, enamored by his words, and the emotions she saw reflecting in his eyes, on his face, and how she felt just by his touch. They stood there, in the silence surrounding them, not certain what was in store for them, but aware of one thing; they had found each other.

Yet, that silence didn't last long. "And what is this I heard about a forced mating?"

Nicole bit her bottom lip at the question. She knew Mike would've told him why she ran away. But now he is her mate, and no wolf wanted to hear that their mate was being forced to marry another. She watched as jealousy and anger flashed across his features, telling her exactly how he felt at the moment. His hands tightened around her wrists, and she inhaled sharply. When his eyes turned pitch black, clear that his wolf near the surface, she thought to calm him.

"It's nothing," she replied, deciding it really didn't matter. What mattered now is that she's alive and in his pack, away from all the drama.

"Nothing?" He seethed, almost like the word was foreign to him. "How can you being mated with another wolf mean nothing? Did he touch you? Did he hurt you? What's his name? I wouldn't mind paying him a little visit." Nicole internally groaned in distress. She hoped that this wasn't a daily occurrence. She couldn't stomach the thought of her mate being so possessive. It had to be his male ego, she concluded.

"Hey," she thought to soothe him further. "It's okay. I ran before we could mate."

His wolf seemed to calm down, but his hold on her didn't ease.