Chapter 19

MALORY P.O.V

Unable to watch my mate do the final act of killing Ruben, I closed my eyes, lowered my head and screamed, “Connell Please.” Sniffling, I whispered in a barely audible voice, “Please don’t do this”.

Suddenly all the growls stopped and the only sounds were the heavy breathing of Cortez’s wolf and swooshing of the wind. It meant only one thing, Cortez had killed Ruben. More tears dripped from my eyes as I thought about it. I was too late. I couldn’t stop him.

I am so sorry Ruben. I am so sorry.

I tried, but I didn’t try my best. And for that I will forever be remorseful.

My wolf whimpered inside me and I bit my bottom lip to stop the tears. I didn’t know what I am going to do now. What Cortez is going to do now? I was sure Cortez would be pissed off at me because I begged him to stop. He had wanted Ruben dead right from the start and he had made it known to me.

I tried. Just tried to change it and I still failed.

I couldn’t live like this. I felt really bad but I knew it was my fault. I should have never called Ruben to come and meet me here when I knew Cortez wanted him dead.

Opening my eyes, I wiped my tears and raised my head to look at them. What I saw left me speechless.

My mate was standing next to Ruben, in his wolf form, and staring at me. His dark eyes were filled with so many emotions and at the time, I could only recognize one and that was the aching one. Looking at him, like that, made my wolf howl. She desperately wanted to me to shift and comfort him.

I moved my eyes to Ruben’s motionless figure on the ground and sighed in relief when I realized that he was still breathing.

‘Adline, Please take him to Pack Doctor’ I said to Adline through the link and looked at him pleadingly. For the first time, I saw Adline’s eyes soften and he nodded.

Through my peripheral vision, I saw Little Bear striding towards me with Darya. I felt really bad for calling them here. This whole thing was my fault and I would never forgive myself if anything happens to Ruben.

Conscious of his stare, I then raised my lashes and looked at my mate’s wolf. He had never taken his eyes away from me. When I looked at him again, my throat closed over and my heart pounded rapidly.

Indistinctly, I realized wolves from our packs carrying Ruben and taking him towards the pack. I don’t know what Little Bear said, but I just nodded and then she left, along with Alpha Duncan and Darya. Slowly everyone walked away leaving both of us alone in the woods.

My mate, who was standing few feet away from me, walked towards me. My eyes got cloudy and I blinked. As the tears dripped on my cool skin, I shivered. He stood in front of me and stared at me with those dark eyes, his breathing hoarse. Unable to resist, I raised my hand and touched his dark, glossy grey fur. Electricity coursed through my body and I smiled softly while I ran my fingers on his fur.

He whimpered and I sucked in a breath. Crying out, I raised my both hands and wrapping it around his shoulders, I hugged him. My wolf sighed as I rested my cheek on his thick silky mane.

Pulling back, I looked at his dark eyes that were so intense that in it; I could see the little broken boy who had seen his pack being destroyed. I could see my mate, Connell.

“Connell” I whispered and he gulped. “Come back to me” I said staring at his dark eyes. “Please come back to me” I said and blinked to clear my vision.

Immediately, he shifted back and there was my mate, staring at me with those all too familiar and much loved blue-green eyes which were glassy. His breathing was heavy causing his chest to rise and fall. My lower lip trembled and I tried to smile at him, to show him how happy I was to have him back.

His blue-green eyes raked over my face as I moved my hands from his shoulder and hold his head. “I love you” I said, emotion clogging up my vocal strings. Hearing the sharp intake of his breath, I sniffed and ran my fingers on his hair. Leaning forward and resting my forehead against his, I whispered, “I love you” again.

It didn’t matter if he loved me or not but at the moment, I wanted to tell my mate how I feel about him. I wanted to assure him that I was always going to be with him, no matter what. I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and crushing me against his hard chest.

I closed my eyes and inhaled his woody scent that delighted me and my wolf. He slid his one hand on my hair, while placed the other one on my waist. Tilting my head backwards, he nestled his nose on the mark in my neck and placed a lingering kiss over there that had desire run all over my body.

His fingers framed my cheekbones as we pulled back. My heart started pounding like a hammer, when he smoothed my dark hair off my brow and kissed my forehead. Suddenly, he stiffened.

“Let’s go home” was all he said before tearing apart from me and shifting into his grey wolf. I stared at him in astonishment until he motioned for me to sit on his back. I nodded and hesitantly got on his back.

My heart was racing like a Formula One engine as he ran towards our house. I held a fistful of the thick coat of his fur and rested my head on his mane.

I was sure Cortez was pissed off with me. That is why he didn’t reply. Oh My God! What if he pushes me away even more now? Oh My God! I don’t think I can live well with that. With great difficulty I managed to get even this close to him and now… Where will this leave me?

Surely my mate isn’t the one to fantasize about love. In fact, I am sure that he has never loved anyone so far. By anyone I mean any other girl, not his family. He tells he cares about Brenda and Raven but I know he treats and loves them like a family and family, they are. However I was sure Cortez never loved another girl.

That brought a relief to my wolf who was frowning ever since the other girl topic popped in my head. She just didn’t like the thought and was likely to go and hunt all exes of Cortez, if there are any. I didn’t like the thought of other girls either and so I decided not to think of it, ever.

To divert my mind, I called the pack doctor through the link and asked him to inform me when Ruben wakes up.

When we reached our house, I got down and walked ahead to open the main door. Mumbles was shocked to see a wolf, he tried to bark once or twice but then as Cortez walked closer, he started trembling, intimidated by the wolf’s sheer size and then went to hide under the table.

As Cortez went upstairs towards our room, I closed the front door. “Come out baby” I told Mumbles and walked towards our dining table. He was still trembling under the table and I felt a wave of sympathy towards him. Poor little thing! “Mumbles” I called and he looked at me with fearful golden eyes. Sighing, I held the buckled collar around his neck and dragged him out. He tried to put a fight however, I was too strong for him and finally Mumbles came out.

Sitting on the floor, I said, “Calm down” to Mumbles as I ran my hand appreciatively on his underbelly. He rested his head and front paws on my lap and I smiled. He made a low grunt of hunger and I decided to feed him because it was almost time for his brunch.

While I was feeding him, I remembered that Cortez too didn’t have any breakfast. But since I hadn’t had a shower yet, I decided to have one.

Just when I was about to climb the stair, my mate’s familiar woody scent hit my nose. I gulped as I sensed him coming downstairs. In a flash, I moved and stood next to the dining table and curled my fingers over the back of the chair, in front of me. Color framed my cheeks as I recalled the earlier events. Maybe I should have waited…. Na! I don’t regret it.

Rolling my bottom lip, I turned to face Cortez. My breath hitched in my throat and I parted my lips to let out some air to my lungs as I saw him. He looked stunningly handsome and I felt myself staring at him. Dark blond hair was slightly wet which was the proof of the shower he just had. Dressed in denim, a white t-shirt and black hoodie over it, he looked like an epitome of hotness and I blinked repeatedly to stop drooling. As his six feet long frame approached me, I gulped and slowly raised my lashes to meet his blue-green eyes. I turned scarlet to the roots of my hair and my heart bumped against my chest.

Since I was extremely nervous, I couldn’t hold his gaze for long and looked away just as he stopped in the bottom of the stairs. Turning, I pretended to arrange the plates once more, but the plate dropped from my hands, as soon as I felt lean fingers enclose my upper arm. Cortez pulled me towards him and turned me to face him. I blinked repeatedly and prayed that my heart would stop thumping so badly in my chest. I opened my mouth but no word came out. The look in his eyes made me nervous, and I stared at his chest.

“I have to coo-cook bre-breakfast” I stuttered, staring at his chest. There was no reply for a whole minute and suddenly Cortez sighed. I shrieked as I felt an arm wrap around my waist and carry me. There was a blur of movements and the next thing I know, I was being pushed down on the couch of our living room. Mumbles who was there in front of the T.V walked away as soon as he saw us.