Page 27 of Knot Enough

TWENTY-SIX

“Lena,” I growled, widening my stride to catch up to her pace. She’d run out of the room too fast. My cock hardened watching her scamper away from me, her sweet ass inciting a primitive need to hunt her, pin her down, and fuck her.

She needed to know she belonged to me. I gritted my molars, keeping a tight hold on the urge, caught up to her, and grabbed her arm before she disappeared down the hall. She jerked her shoulder out of my grip, but she stopped trying to get away. Fuck, I hated when she pulled away from me.

“He doesn’t mean it.”

She whirled on me. Her eyebrows furrowed down, and although anger glittered in those beautiful brown eyes, so did hurt. And it gutted me.

“Did you not fucking hear him?” Lena hissed, tears glittering in her eyes. She turned on her heel and shoved past me and entered the bedroom, pacing near the window before turning to face me. Oak moved to the edge of the bed and sat stiffly, watching her with as much focus as I.

I moved forward, and she backed up. Nothing else could have hurt me as much as watching her retreat from me. I took a deep breath.

“Rath . . .” I started. She needed to understand the man. He was not good and he’d hurt her, but at his core, he had his reasons, even if I disagreed. “He’s?—”

“Axe!” Her hands balled at her side, and her chest pumped. She looked like a cornered little kitten, and I didn’t want to push her while she was so on edge.

I sighed and scrubbed my scalp with my palm. I fucking hated this. She shouldn’t be in this much pain—pain inflicted by her fucking mates.

Sickness swelled in my throat. I’d hurt my mate, and I’d remained in the same house as my pack mates harmed her too. I was no better than the monsters that hurt my mother. I’d had no power back then, and I’d already failed her.

When neither of us said anything, she started pacing again.

“Stop, Lena,” Oak murmured. He reached her, and she flinched from him. Oak balled his hands at his side.

I fixed my attention on the base of her throat. I couldn’t look her in the eyes. The very words spilling from her mouth were the least I deserved. She confirmed what I believed about my failures. I was no better than them.

“Tell her,” Oak said. I ignored him.

“Lena, you are all that matters to me, please talk to me,” I said desperately. I rocked my weight from one foot to the other.

“Axel struggles with rejection, Len?—”

“Stop,” I interrupted. The fucker better keep his mouth closed.

Oak’s lips thinned. “We understand you’re having a difficult time with Rath; he’s an . . . ass. But Rath’s a complicated man. He thinks about things in black and white?—”

“Stop making excuses for him.” Lena dashed the back of her hand across her face, collecting the tears that spilled.

It physically pained me not to touch her.

“Just hear him out,” Oak begged.

Her face crumpled, and she sniffled. Finally, she looked at me, and I held her gaze. I carefully stepped forward, and this time, she didn’t move.

I couldn’t keep away. Sweeping her into my arms, I held her close to my chest. My frantic pulse immediately calmed.

“Please,” I spat out, binding my arms around her waist. I hated the pitiful way my voice shook, but I couldn’t let her go. Her furrowed eyebrows became smoothed.

“What’s wrong, Axel?” she whispered, her voice warbled.

She deserved to know everything about me. The poorly stitched up wounds were worth ripping open for her.

“My mother starved herself to death.” The words flowed out so fast they almost ran together.

She jolted as if she’d been slapped, but now that I’d started, I couldn’t stop.

“My fathers were at fault. It wasn’t physical; their words cut deeper than anything they could have done.

I can’t see you shut yourself off.” I paused, shuddering. “Now I’ve done the same to my mate.”

I forced my eyes to hers, and they brimmed with agony and sadness.

“Look, I was willing to hear you guys out, but after Rath . . . I just need some space.” Her hand settled on my chest. I exhaled in a gust, my body reacting to her single, gentle touch.

“I am and will always be on your side, but be patient with them. And just talk to us, don’t storm away. Don’t leave me.”

Oak came up behind her and pressed into her back, so she was sandwiched between us.

“Rath cares for you,” he started. “I’ve known him for a long time. While it seems as if he doesn’t care, I know for a fact he wants you.”

Lena’s lip trembled and her eyes dropped.

“I’m sorry, honey.” I whispered into her ear, inhaling the scent of her hair.

“We’re sorry for everything we’ve done to you. You never deserved any of it.” Oak’s voice cracked.

A sob wrenched free from her throat, and she pressed her palm to her mouth to cage it. She should have stomped on my heart instead. Her shoulders moved in a ragged inhale.

“Please, give me space.”

No . I bit back my instinctual growl and slowly nodded.

“Just call and we’ll be back in a flash.” Oak leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

I removed one finger at a time from her, and she slipped away from me.

She’d calmed down and wasn’t leaving. It would be okay; she would not just disappear. I backed away as she curled her legs up and hugged them to her chest. She sat at the end of the bed with a heartbreaking look of sadness.