Page 15 of Rejected Sold Mate (Crystal Creek Wolves #4)

Rhie flushed, her cheeks red, but she cooly pulled her hand away and busied herself making something to eat in the kitchen.

I, on the other hand, was swamped with thoughts of our bond.

I hadn’t meant to kiss her hand, but it was like second nature.

The close proximity to her made it difficult to think, and made me act before I considered what I was doing.

When she brushed by me, her scent hit me like a ton of bricks, and a sobering thought caught up to me.

If she had me this tangled up in knots already, what would happen during her next heat cycle?

Our bond made me acutely aware of her and everything she did. Her moods, when she was hungry, when she slept, all of it. I’d been able to keep a grip on it, because I’d had no more intention of taking a mate than she had, but it was wearing me down slowly like water over stone.

I had to keep a tight grip on myself and push the idea of her next heat from my mind. Thinking about it too much would drive me insane.

I was vaguely aware that she was talking to me as she cooked, and I was answering simply, but my head was somewhere else.

She’d accepted my idea of a truce, but if she knew all the images in my mind, how often I thought about that single night we’d spent together, she’d probably have tried to slap me instead of shaking my hand.

When she placed a plate with a ham sandwich and a handful of potato chips in front of me, I took it for what it was—her offer of a truce in return. So I shared a meal with her and pretended like I wasn’t drowning in how badly I wanted to touch her.

I just needed to adjust. I’d have to get over it eventually…right?

***

Two nights later, Rhie sought me out in my garage, where I had just finished changing the brakes on my 4-Runner. I heard and sensed her approaching, and slid out from under the vehicle, standing to grab a clean towel for my hands off the work bench.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see her, but I’d been using the time alone to parse through everything that had changed since I made the mate announcement.

It had gone over smoothly in the moment, mostly because everyone was in shock, but the following day, when I sat down with the leaders within the pack, the tempers had flared.

Most of my wolves would never question me outright, but I knew that simply bringing a new wolf into the fold without talking to anyone else would have been complicated, let alone taking a mate.

Because of the upheaval that had plagued the Blacktide pack, it had become expected that I would consult with my Beta and other higher-ranking wolves before we took on new members.

It was a rare occurrence anyway, but I’d ignored that precedent when I welcomed Rhie in.

No one was happy, but they managed to keep their complaints under control, at least for the moment. My Beta accepted the change easily enough, and those below him had to follow suit unless they wanted to issue a formal challenge against either of us.

It was my fault; I should have moved more slowly, but at the time, I hadn’t known what else to do to keep Rhie safe.

There were selfish reasons, too, but I wasn’t about to admit them in front of my men.

All I knew was that Rhie wasn’t going to be treated like an outcast, and if anyone had an issue with that, it was between me and them. She was to have nothing to do with it.

When Rhie opened the door, she smiled almost shyly and waited for me to wave her forward.

“What did you need?”

Her smile faltered, and she examined her fingernails. “I, ah…I’ve had something on my mind that I just can’t shake. I want to ask you a question, but you have to promise not to get mad.”

My curiosity spiked. “Go ahead.”

“What did you promise them?” The words tumbled out of her mouth like she had been fighting to hold them back.

I blinked, not following. “Who?”

“The rogues,” Rhie crossed her arms, “I know you traded something for me, and now that I’m officially part of the pack, I think I deserve to know what it is.”

I sighed, leaning against the workbench.

There was no way I was going to tell her the sum I’d given them, or the ridiculously dangerous promise of an open-ended favor.

Even if Rhie knew nothing about pack politics, any wolf would know how problematic something like that could be. “It’s handled, Rhie.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“As your Alpha, I’m telling you that you don’t need the details. Can we leave it at that?”

She frowned, hurt. “You don’t trust me.”

“That’s not true. It’s just my burden to carry, and I’d be a shit leader if I put that weight on you. I’ll handle it.”

She studied me for some time, her head tilted sideways just a touch, her eyes searching. “If they come for you because of me—”

“They won’t,” I insisted, cutting in. “I gave them enough to be satisfied, and then some. You’re safe here with me.”

Her lips thinned, and I could tell she wanted to argue, but her shoulders sagged after a beat. “Fine,” the word was reluctant. “But if you get yourself killed, plan on me haunting you for eternity.”

I smiled, liking the thought more than she knew. “Noted.”