C9 Dech is dead

"This is crazy. Fated mates are weird. How the hell did we meet by chance? I don't want this." She frees her hair from its binding and runs her fingers through the long locks. I like the way it slides down her back. Visions of my fingers wrapped in her tresses as I lunge fill my mind. She blinks and jerks. "Oh no, take your weird sex dream somewhere else! You'll never come near me like that." Shit, I forgot about our connection, but I'm done playing with her. "When I take you, it'll be because you're begging for my cock." I smell her arousal, though her eyes flash with fear. "You don't want this. It's a mistake. We'll find someone to undo it "she whispers. "Please. I can't be your mate." Her voice cracks and her fear is replaced by such anguish that it weighs heavy on my chest. What makes her feel this way? "That's it, "I tell her. We both know the clock can't go back. She looks at me, tears in her eyes as she shakes her head. "I don't even know your name." "My name is Karson , but they call me Kar." Her chin wobbles as she tries to control her emotions. "Please, for both our sakes, get away from me, Luke . " My cock twitches at the sound of my name on her lips. Fuck, I want her so bad. My fingers wrap around her throat in a soft caress, nothing like what I did to Dech ." She freezes under my touch, her pulse fluttering wildly as I try to calm her. I don't know why she's unhappy, why she rejects me, but it's not an option." "I won't let you push me away " I say, my words cold. Her eyes close as her fingers wrap around my wrist. He doesn't remove his grip on my throat, but I get the impression he's using it as leverage to hold himself steady. "This isn't happening." "I'm not what you imagined?" I growl. I can't help it. I'm a proud wolf, and his rejection burns. Alison isn't what I had imagined for myself either, but as I gaze at her dark hair, her delicate features, those perfectly sculpted eyebrows, and those crystal blue eyes, there is no part of me that is disappointed. She is beautiful and she is mine, no matter how much I deny it. "Please trust me. We can't be together, Luke . "Our wolves recognized each other. We are mates. End of story. "It's the wrong thing to say. It's like pouring gasoline on a burning flame. I'm hit by a ball of magic that knocks me to my knees. Pain courses through my body, an agonizing heat spreads through every synapse until I'm dizzy." I don't know how I end up face down in the grass, breathing like I've run a marathon, but when my vision clears, that's where I am. I can taste the blood on my tongue and my head is throbbing. Panic grips our bond and I instinctively look around for Alison . She's standing nearby, hands covering her mouth as if she's trying not to vomit. The flash of vulnerability in her awakens something in me I haven't felt in a long time: an ugly feeling of guilt. I should have given her space, time to work this out in her head. I hate that Dech was right. "Please leave me alone," he whispers as he turns away from me before fleeing once more into the bustle of the complex. I try to get up, but my body feels like water. Collapsing onto the grass, I have no choice but to watch her leave. Even though every part of me wants to follow her, it's a good thing this choice has been taken away from me. I can feel how fragile her emotions are through our bond, and as much as I want to push my little companion away, I don't want her to fall apart either. If you need a little time to figure this out, around us, I'll give it to you, but you need to know that I won't wait forever.

ALISON My thoughts are confused and frantic as I make my way to the only place I know is safe here. I can feel Luke in every part of me, and it only increases my apprehension. It's so intense, so big, and it's a nightmare I can never escape from. Just knowing how easily he can overpower me is terrifying. As I approach our building, I wipe my sweaty hands on my pants, trying to steady my breathing. I feel a tightness in my chest that I can barely breathe, and my heart flutters in my throat, making me panic. I walk through the front door, bouncing against the wood as my head spins. I brace one hand against the wall, my legs threatening to buckle beneath me as I try to breathe. "Alison?" The voice filters through my raging panic, but all I can do is press both hands against the wall and try to suck in oxygen. "What happened, get Halle!" I try to focus on Rose's voice , but everything is spinning around me. I let my head drop to my chest, which somehow seems to allow for deeper inhalations. "Alison . I'm here. You're okay." I shake my head. I'm not okay, and I don't see how I ever will be. I can't have a partner. I sure as hell can't have one as big as him. Fingers wrap around my wrists, the flash of a sword fills my vision.... It's not real. They're not here. I blink rapidly and the sensation disappears. The only person touching me is one of the few friends I have in this life. Rose looks at me with such concern that it brings tears to my eyes. It's been so long since anyone has cared about me that I can't stop the sob that wells up in my mouth. "You're scaring me, what happened?" "I try to straighten myself off the wall, trying to pull myself together. I can't afford to fall apart. I need a plan to get out of here." My she-wolf, who chooses to show her face at the worst possible moment, doesn't like the suggestion. She bares her teeth at me, letting me know in no uncertain terms that we must not leave our mate. Screw her. She should understand why we can't trust anyone anymore. I turn to look at Rose . She hovers close , as if she wants to touch me but is afraid . "When you turned Samuel down , did you take him back because you wanted to?" It's an unfair question. She and Samuel went through hell to get to where they are now. I shouldn't bring up that traumatic part of her story, but I need to know if it's possible for me to walk away from her. Her expression distorts into one of pain, and I feel even worse for putting that on her face. "You don't have to respond to that. I'm sorry." "I turn away from the wall, intending to run to my room and grab my things. If I leave now, maybe I can put some distance between us." There's no way to resist the bond, Alison . "My steps falter and I close my eyes, squeezing them tightly shut as my fears are confirmed." It's like an out-of-body experience. My brain was saying one thing, but my body wasn't accepting it. "It moves uncomfortably. I love Samuel , don't misunderstand what I'm saying. He is everything to me, but I was helpless against the bond. You can't fight him, and it's just a waste of energy to try. She exhales a sigh. What I realized later was that most of what I was feeling was fear that I had created myself." I was afraid of hurting Samuel in the same way I thought I hurt Edmund . That makes sense to me, and it reflects a lot of my own issues, even though I'm not afraid of hurting him. I am terrified that he will hurt me.