The Cross brothers? I did hear about them on multiple occasions but can’t remember ever seeing any of them in person. I should have expected Hunter to get a bride from that damn council. I’d done my research on them the moment he’d become their ally. Of course that only took place after he thought that I was dead.
The past Hunter wouldn’t have even looked in the way of the council if he wasn’t heartbroken from my death. I still remember smiling with joy after hearing that he’d decided to partner with them. I had hope that he would suffer a miserable faith and that someone would kill him but that never happened. He’d somehow grown even stronger and was a damn killing machine.
“I managed to get a work with Prince Austin and his family, apparently his wife is also the sister of Isabella. I was there when everything happened. Isabella came without Hunter and at first I thought that he didn’t care and that you would be happy to hear of that news but then he showed up like two hours later. Let me tell you, I have never seen that man act that hysterical before. It was like he wanted to murder all of the men in the room and take her with him. I never knew a man could be that possessive until tonight. More than that, he even kissed her in front of everyone. There was so much passion in that k**s that I’m positive that everyone in the room felt it as well.”
My chest pained me at her words. How dare him to forget about me so quickly! He was supposed to be suffering and dying in his sorrow. Instead he’s out there romancing another woman after knowing that I was dead?
I pressed my fingers tightly against the cup I was holding and bit down on my lips to prevent the scream that was building up inside of me.
I wanted Hunter to suffer; it was the reason why I’d faked my death. I knew that I was his mate and if anything ever happened to me he would completely crumble. I didn’t want him to simply die, I wanted him to feel exactly what I did after he’d killed me brother.
When I found out that Hunter and I were mates, I couldn’t live with myself after knowing that. I didn’t want to feel for a man that murdered my brother in cold b***d! I closed off all of my emotions and did what any sane woman would do, I pretended to love him. I pretended to be there for him. Everything between us was a lie, a damn good one too. So good that he fell for it and had managed to fall deeply in love with me.
Every time he touched me was torture. I couldn’t stop seeing my dead brother on the ground.
Hunter never knew this however. He never knew that it was my brother he had killed. I never let him know it. I was waiting for the day that he fell to the ground breathing his last few breaths, and then I would have revealed everything to him.
“Where is he now?” I asked her.
I had to get into action again. I couldn’t just sit back here and let Hunter fall in love with this other woman. If I waited long, it would be too late. I needed to do everything in my power to break them apart. I couldn’t let Hunter be happy, that was something that would never happen.
“He’s still with Austin and his family. They may return tomorrow or the day after that.”
“Then we don’t have that much time left.”
Her brows furrowed. “What exactly are you planning on doing?”
“I need to remind him of his dead wife. He can’t forget me that easily.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“I’ll appear in front of Bruce. He’s Hunter’s best friend, he would notice me immediately. I wouldn’t stay long enough for him to ask me any questions however. After he sees me, he would surely announce the news to Hunter and Hunter would believe him. He has always trusted Bruce, he wouldn’t stop now.”
“With all due respect Maggie, Hunter is already far in with this other woman. I don’t think just appearing in front of Bruce would be enough to do the trick.”
I glared at her. “Well if that doesn’t work, I’ll have no choice but to show up in front of him again. I’ll remind him of what he’s missing. That Isabella woman isn’t his mate, I am. There is no way that he would feel anything for her when I’m around. He would forget about her in seconds.”
I meant every damn word. Hunter would not forget me that easily! That woman must leave his life, I wouldn’t rest until she did!
***HUnTER***
I peered at Isabella from the driver’s seat and saw that she was still angry with me. As much as I liked her spicy nature, I didn’t like it when she was giving me the silent treatment. I preferred when she was shouting at me, that way I had an idea of what she was thinking. I would have to think of something to get her to speak to me … Anything.
“Will you ever tell me about Maggie?” She asked suddenly.
My hands tightened on the steering wheel and I had to force myself to focus on the road so as to prevent us from crashing into a tree.
I never talked about Maggie, whenever she came up I was reminded with the pain of losing her. I tried to forget about her to avoid the pain as much as possible. She was a part of my life that I didn’t know how to let go of, there were too many unanswered questions and strings attached to Maggie. I couldn’t let go until I found the men that killed her and avenged her death. Only then would I feel some peace with losing her.
I blamed myself for the entire thing and maybe that was the biggest reason why I couldn’t find it in myself to forget about the day that she died.
I looked at Isabella and there was something in her eyes that tore at my heart. I desperately wanted to open up to her; somehow I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to tell her how much it hurt all of these years without a mate, I wanted to tell her how lonely and lost I felt. I wanted to tell her all of the bad things I did after losing Maggie. But most of all, I wanted to tell Isabella that she brought about those same feelings in me that Maggie brought out … Maybe even more.
While I might be ready to open up a little about my past, I was definitely not ready to confess my feelings for her. It was too soon for that. I was not mentally nor emotionally prepared for it.
The sad look in Isabella’s eyes however had my mouth moving before I even knew it. “Maggie and I met at a friend’s party. The moment she stepped into the house I knew that my mate had just arrived. I searched through the thick crowd to find her and the moment our eyes connected it was love at first sight.” I swallowed when I saw the hurt look in her eyes. I didn’t know how to continue when she looked at me like that.
Did it hurt when I mentioned Maggie? I didn’t want to do anything to hurt her.
She looked away from my penetrating gaze and it gave me time to focus on the road again. Whenever something was wrong with Isabella it was hard for me to concentrate on anything other than her. This time was no different.
“I want to hear the rest.” She said suddenly, her voice soft but confident.
I glanced at her again but she wasn’t looking at me. Maybe that was for the best, I didn’t think I would be able to even remember the past while gazing at her beautiful face.
“Everything after our first meeting happened so fast. Maggie and I agreed to get married a week after and everyone around us was happy for us. We were happy, we would do almost everything together and she agreed to anything I said as long as I-“
I paused, remembering something that always bothered me about my relationship with her. Something that bothered me the day that she died and bothers me even up to today.
“As long as you what?” Isabella asked reminding me that she was waiting for me to continue.
“As long as I didn’t mark her…”
Isabella finally glanced at me. “As long as you didn’t mark her?” She asked in disbelief.
I understood the shock in her voice; even I was shocked the day Maggie had told me that she didn’t want me to mark her. The marking ritual between mates was something that almost every werewolf looked forward to.
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