Page 163 of Bred

She froze mid-bite, her eyes going wide. "Um…" She sank her teeth into the soft bread, chewing slowly. "Nothing."

She was an awful liar.

Even without the dishonesty of her words tumbling through our bond, her expression gave her away. Keeping my tone light, I warned my sensitive mate as gently as I could, "Don't lie to me, Lily. You're mine to care for, and I need to know if someone hurt you."

She set the bread on the tray and placed her hands over her heart. I could hear it thundering in her chest. "He didn't hurt me." Her expression was so earnest, but our bond burned with her fear. "Honestly. Alpha Dage never hurt me. I was just so overwhelmed yesterday. I'm not used to being around so many alphas, and their scents…" one hand fell to her wrist, and she squeezed it, "...the temple was just so small, and there were a lot of alphas in there."

Her blatant lie after my warning both enraged and shocked me.

I wanted to press her further, force her to tell me the truth, then correct her behavior—spank her pretty ass red. But Lily was too delicate for such rough handling. To build a solid bond with her, I needed to tread carefully and be patient.

"Please, Lily."

Her shoulders curled inward, her slight body suddenly teeny. Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper, "Nothing happened to me."

My wolf growled low and slow, and I stood, making her flinch. I might not be able to force her to tell me, but I couldn't leave this be. Even now, Lily's scent flooded with bitter fear. Dage did something to her. Or Luca did. And I was going to find out what the fuck it was.

"I'm going to run into the market." I grabbed the bowl off the side table and took it into the kitchen. The patter of feet told me Lily was right behind me.

"You're leaving me?" Shock made her voice crack.

I placed the bowl in the sink, then leaned against the counter. My mate stood at the end of the hallway, one of the blankets from her parent's home wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

Crossing my arms, I tried to stay calm. The thought of someone hurting my sweet omega had me on the verge of shifting into my wolf and ripping the village to pieces. Instead, I pushed out a slow breath and forced a smile.

"Our home is brand new," I said. "We don't have much food."

"But the kitchens bring meals to newly mated couples," she mumbled, following me into the living room. "I'll be back soon." I kissed the top of her head.

Her voice pitched higher. "Can I come with you?" Her tortured expression pulled at my heart, but my wolf wasn't deterred in the least.

"No," I said firmly, scooping her into my arms. I carried her back into the bedroom and tucked her in. "You're newly mated and freshly bred. Stay here. Stay in bed." I could smell her tears even though I couldn't see them. And as badly as I wanted to stay and comfort her, I needed to know about Dage. It couldn't wait. "I'll be right back," I whispered, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Her fingers wrapped around my forearms, trying to hold me to her. "Please, stay," she whispered.

Not answering, I kissed the top of her head, then without another look, I turned and left. I shut the front door behind me, then stopped, listening. Waiting. There was no sound of footsteps or crying inside the house. I hoped Lily would listen to me and rest.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ivor asked. He stood on the pathway just next to our house. He appeared to be heading toward the packhouse.

"Lily needs a few things from the market," I said, not wanting to admit my mate's willingness to lie to me so soon after bonding. It was a shameful alpha that couldn't earn the trust of their mate.

"Do you want Mina—"

"No," I said quickly, walking in the opposite direction.

Ivor said something, but I couldn't hear him. All I could focus on was the market in the distance. I knew Dage wouldn't be honest with me. That was clear yesterday. But I knew someone that would.

"Rowan!" My sweet grandmother smiled wide at me, flashing her gums. The skin around her eyes crinkled like crepe paper, proof of her long and happy life. "What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be tending to your mate instead of hanging around us old folks?"

"Don't stand," I held out my hands, motioning for her to settle back into her rocker. "I'm sorry we didn't get to speak much yesterday."

"Awh, it's alright. That's how bondings go. Young couples having fun with their friends." She placed her hand behind my neck, pulling me into a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You and your omega looked so sweet at the bonding." She rubbed her thumb over where she kissed me, wiping off a bit of spit. “Her dress was as pretty as she is.”

"I am very lucky. Lily really is beautiful." I smiled wide, sitting in the chair next to her.

"So spit it out then. Why are you chatting with old ladies instead of with your mate?" She leaned back, rocking back and forth.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Lily."