Page 32 of Shifting Fate

The way Dallon was looking at me made my chest clench. His dark eyes were chilled and distant behind the thick kohl liner. He crossed his arms over his chest. “So talk.”

The front door stood ajar behind him. Remy and Gage lingered in the doorway, watching me with cautious eyes. Damn it. “Here?” I managed, glancing between them and Dallon.

He cocked his chin. “Yep. Right here. Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

“I…” Every last thing I’d wanted to say, the speech I’d rehearsed, all of it disappeared into thin air. I swallowed and tried again. “I’m sorry. What I said… What Idid, it wasn’t right and I need you to know that I never meant to hurt you.”

“Well congratulations, because you did,” he said flippantly. “Why thefuckwould you hide something like this from me? Don’t I even get a say in the matter? Or did you just up and decide I wasn’t good enough—”

“I never said that!”

“You didn’t have to. You implied it. I’m a mistake, remember?” The words cut me to the bone, and I grimaced. He huffed out a breath. “So why? Why did you reach inside my mind? Is this some sort of sick game to you?”

“No! Dallon, I—I panicked, okay? The very first time we met, I knew. I wasn’t expecting to find my mate and it rattled me, and I did the only thing I could think of doing to keep you from finding out. I planned to tell you, I swear, but I never got the chance—”

“Bullshit!”

I raised my hands. “I wasn’t ready and I… I just kept digging myself a deeper hole, the longer I let you believe I wasn’t anything special. I’m sorry. Iamsorry. I never meant to make you feel like you were unworthy or unwanted, or anything like that. It scared me. I told you before, I’m not someone you want to get involved with. I wasn’t lying.”

He scoffed. “Don’t you think I deserve to make that decision for myself? I’m not achild, Arias, and I’m not stupid. Or hell, maybe I am. I don’t even know anymore.” He paused, staring me in the eye. “Anything else you wanna say?”

My stomach ached. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, barely a sound at all.

He stared at me for the longest time, his dark gaze drilling into my soul. Then he slowly shook his head and let his arms drop to his sides. “I accept your apology, but I’m still pissed and hurt. I’m sorry I’m not the mate you imagined yourself being tied to, but I’m tired of trying to impress you. Goodbye, Arias.”

He turned around and went back inside, shutting the door before I could get another word out. I pinched my eyes closed as my skin prickled with the tell-tale signs of a coming shift, and I knewhewas close.

“Fuck.”