Chapter Twenty-Eight
I didn't venture too far from the city, but I made sure to put several miles between us. And I kept moving, so it'd be difficult to find me. My breath came in heaves, trees blurring in my vision. I ran. As fast as I could. On four legs. I was running from a lot of things. The main one being Aro with Natalia. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe I wasn't. But my broken soul could only imagine the worst. They were still seeing each other. Doing who knew what. Ew. They were probably laughing behind my back at this very moment. This was still some sick game of his.
But he was honest about it. And seemed, surprisingly, genuinely remorseful. The reasonable side of my brain had a point. It's true, he didn't try to lie about it. Only because I confronted him. He never would have told me otherwise.
Maybe so, but he had the opportunity to lie and didn't.
Good for him. That doesn't change what he did.
You said you weren't mad at him.
I'm not mad, I'm in pain, damn it!
…
The thought of him being with someone else is eating me alive. And to put me face to face with her?
Maybe they intended to try and make amends?
Ha! That's a good one.
You know what you have to do then, right?
Fuck off.
Accept his invitation to mate. Take him as your Alpha.
My steps faltered for a moment and I nearly tripped over myself. Of course that was the obvious thing to do. Apparently, deep down, that is what I wanted to do, even. But I just didn't feel ready for it yet. Besides, I've been hauling ass through the woods for how many hours now and he hasn't even come after me.
By the time I heard the brush snap, it was too late. Something heavy smashed into my right shoulder. The something even had arms that wrapped tightly around me as the two of us crashed into a tree. I snarled, slinging a trail of venom as I whipped my head, snapping my jaws but I couldn't quite reach. But I had managed to flail enough that my paws met the bark. I pushed forcefully off the trunk, rolling over my attacker. The momentum got me back onto my feet but the leech was still attached. I thought it said something, but all I could hear was ringing in my ears. Which is what my kind often experienced when in a frenzy. I bucked, trying to shake it off. It held fast, trying to throw me to the ground. I rammed my right side into the same tree. It shattered. Splinters of wood rained to the ground and the remainder of the tree quickly fell on top of us.
Needless to say, the tree was a lot heavier than it looked.
When I woke, I was not surprised to find myself in a dungeon cell. Mother fucker. With effort, I pushed myself up into a sitting position on the mattress. My entire body hurt. Like I had been run over by a train. I rolled my shoulders, and then my neck. There was a sharp gnawing at my stomach and I was busting to use the bathroom. I groaned as I rubbed my forehead, "How long have I been out?"
I hadn't expected to actually get an answer.
"Two days." It was followed by a heavy sigh, "I apologize, my dear. I didn't intend to harm you."
I ignored him as I got to my feet too quickly. My head swam and I reached out for the wall to steady myself. His fingers brushed against my exposed arm, attempting to help, I guessed. But I jerked away before he could, entering the sad excuse of a powder room. Then again, dungeons weren't exactly supposed to be glamorous. I took my time in the hopes he would take a hint and leave. But I never heard the door. Finally, I got tired of hanging out in the cramped restroom and decided to return to the "bed". The asshole still stood there. His expression was strangely...sad?
"I'm terribly disappointed by your actions, my dear."
"Whatever," I mumbled before flopping down on the bare mattress once again, turning my back to him. He still didn't get the hint, and his accusation sting like the bite of a whip, "You tried to run from me. Again."
I looked back at him. Pain was clearly etched into his features. It did not suit him. I winced in response, "If I had wanted to run away, you would not have found me so close to Volterra. I just wanted some space from you and your girlfriend."
My gaze returned to the wall, but I could feel his angry glare on my back, "She is no such thing to me, Lorna, and you well know that."
"If I had, would I have ran?" I bit back at him. He took a step toward me, "I have done nothing to suggest otherwise."
"No, just put your dick in her mouth, no biggie."
I could just imagine the look on his face at my "vulgar" language, gaping like an idiot as he tried to think of a way to justify his actions. He didn't disappoint, "You had left me. There was no indication of you returning. I tried to find you. What would you have had me do, Lorna?"
"You know what's really annoying?" I faced him now, sitting cross-legged on the mattress, "That you keep trying to brush this off like it's nothing. We were on a break, so why should it matter to me if you mouth fucked someone else?"
His upper lip twitched.
"Language," I said mockingly before he could, "You know, if Carlisle had been single, I would have fucked his brains out in a heartbeat. Now, imagine that. How would you have reacted?"
His face immediately contorted in rage. I threw my hands up, "We were on a break! What's the big deal?"
Aro bared his teeth, "Carlisle is my dear friend, he would never-"
"Carlisle didn't know!" I interjected, "I got an asshole like you to chase my tail. You really think I couldn't get him in bed if I tried?"
He pointed at me threatening, "My dear-"
Really? Now I jumped to my feet, pushing him against the chest and screaming, "I am your mate, Aro! Why don't you fucking get it?!"
Tears stung my eyes as we stared at each other in silence. While I was waiting, I took several deep breaths in an attempt to rein them in. The seconds ticked by without a word from him. I'd had enough. I waved my hand at him, turning my back to him as the tears spilled over, "Get out."
Arms tightly around myself, I pressed my forehead against the cold, damp stone. I shook. Not because I was cold, but because what I felt was too much for me. I hadn't meant to say those few words. I am your mate, Aro! But now they were out and there was no going back. I was afraid of what that meant. Would he expect me to do the stupid mating ritual now? That I was not ready for. Still.
His hands rested on my shoulders, his chin on top of my head. He sighed, voice barely a whisper, "I do understand, my dear. The thing you must understand is that I cannot change what happened."
"No," I choked out, "but you don't have to keep waving it in front of me."
He gently squeezed me, "That was not my intent, dearest Lorna. Her presence has to do with our other prisoner."
"Huh?"
His lips were against my hair, "When we see the prisoner, she will be present. And then you will understand."
This was bullshit. I shrugged away from him.
"I am your mate, dear Lorna," he spoke softly from where I had left him, "And Natalia is his."
