already careful. You don’t know what these men can do.”
Anger buzzed inside him. All of his life, he’d felt second to full-blooded alpha males. Ever since her dad had taken her away from him because he was a half breed, he’d burned with anger at the thought that anyone could think of him as less than.
And now, thanks to a stupid mistake on the mat, Lily was seeing him the same.
As inferior.
His heart felt like it was closing up to protect itself.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked. “Walk away?”
She folded her arms and avoided his gaze as she nodded.
His mouth tightened into a line and a muscle in his jaw twitched. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She should have known this would be a hard challenge, but he’d never be able to give up until she was safe.
But what was the point when she kept insisting on running away from what they had whenever things seemed too hard?
“Did you ever even try to reach me?” he asked in a broken voice. “All those years you were gone?”
“There was no point,” she said. “I couldn’t leave.”
“And you didn’t trust me to save you,” he said.
She gave him a stricken look. “It’s not that. No one can.”
He exhaled. Didn’t she understand that wasn’t good enough? She should believe that he could do things no one else could, because he loved her. She made him stronger than anyone could normally be because she believed in him.
At least she had until one stupid trip-up had ruined her faith in him.
Then again, if it was that easily ruined, could it ever have been real in the first place?
“So you want me to go? You want Bruce to win?” he asked, folding his arms to resist the urge to pull her against him and kiss the sense back into her.
She bit her lip. “I want you to be safe. I don’t want to watch that again.”
“Lily, I’m going to win this.”
“How?” she asked, turning to him with wide, hysterical eyes. “You’re so strong, Lucas, but you’re not full alpha. They are going to have much worse powers than that.”
And he had none. Other than the fact he loved her, which felt like enough up until a moment ago.
Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose. “So you’re basically saying we’re done. We’re over. Just because you’re afraid I’m too weak to win this tournament.” Lucas walked forward and stood close to Lily at his full, intimidating height.
“Not in those words. I’ve never seen you as weak. But yes, I need you to leave. You have to forget me.”
Lucas chuckled spitefully. “Fine. Message received. But let’s be straight on something. I’ll never forget you. I’ll never forget this .”
He yanked her against him and kissed her forcefully. She sank against him with a small moan as his tongue entered her mouth, exploring, feeling, owning. His wolf howled to keep going, to take her back to her room and continue what they’d started the other night.
But it was too late. The wheels had been set in motion, and Lily couldn’t, or wouldn’t, believe in him.
Lucas turned and left the room quietly before he could change his mind and beg her to stay.
5
T he next day , Lily woke up filled with dread and remorse. The best thing that had ever entered her life was gone. Again. Her wolf howled with sadness at the loss of her fated mate.
She got ready, took the car to the arena, took her seat in the box where her cousins were already waiting for her, and counted the hours until this whole thing would be over.
The matches went by like blurs. Lily may or may not have drunk a lot of champagne, hoping to drown out the sadness weighing upon her heart and her wolf howling in protest at her decision.
She knew she’d done the right thing, but she still felt physically sick at the thought of a future without Lucas. But she couldn’t let him get killed for a prize that in all likelihood would never be his.
When they’d been teens, people had said it was puppy love. That it wouldn’t last. But Lily had known
Anger buzzed inside him. All of his life, he’d felt second to full-blooded alpha males. Ever since her dad had taken her away from him because he was a half breed, he’d burned with anger at the thought that anyone could think of him as less than.
And now, thanks to a stupid mistake on the mat, Lily was seeing him the same.
As inferior.
His heart felt like it was closing up to protect itself.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked. “Walk away?”
She folded her arms and avoided his gaze as she nodded.
His mouth tightened into a line and a muscle in his jaw twitched. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She should have known this would be a hard challenge, but he’d never be able to give up until she was safe.
But what was the point when she kept insisting on running away from what they had whenever things seemed too hard?
“Did you ever even try to reach me?” he asked in a broken voice. “All those years you were gone?”
“There was no point,” she said. “I couldn’t leave.”
“And you didn’t trust me to save you,” he said.
She gave him a stricken look. “It’s not that. No one can.”
He exhaled. Didn’t she understand that wasn’t good enough? She should believe that he could do things no one else could, because he loved her. She made him stronger than anyone could normally be because she believed in him.
At least she had until one stupid trip-up had ruined her faith in him.
Then again, if it was that easily ruined, could it ever have been real in the first place?
“So you want me to go? You want Bruce to win?” he asked, folding his arms to resist the urge to pull her against him and kiss the sense back into her.
She bit her lip. “I want you to be safe. I don’t want to watch that again.”
“Lily, I’m going to win this.”
“How?” she asked, turning to him with wide, hysterical eyes. “You’re so strong, Lucas, but you’re not full alpha. They are going to have much worse powers than that.”
And he had none. Other than the fact he loved her, which felt like enough up until a moment ago.
Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose. “So you’re basically saying we’re done. We’re over. Just because you’re afraid I’m too weak to win this tournament.” Lucas walked forward and stood close to Lily at his full, intimidating height.
“Not in those words. I’ve never seen you as weak. But yes, I need you to leave. You have to forget me.”
Lucas chuckled spitefully. “Fine. Message received. But let’s be straight on something. I’ll never forget you. I’ll never forget this .”
He yanked her against him and kissed her forcefully. She sank against him with a small moan as his tongue entered her mouth, exploring, feeling, owning. His wolf howled to keep going, to take her back to her room and continue what they’d started the other night.
But it was too late. The wheels had been set in motion, and Lily couldn’t, or wouldn’t, believe in him.
Lucas turned and left the room quietly before he could change his mind and beg her to stay.
5
T he next day , Lily woke up filled with dread and remorse. The best thing that had ever entered her life was gone. Again. Her wolf howled with sadness at the loss of her fated mate.
She got ready, took the car to the arena, took her seat in the box where her cousins were already waiting for her, and counted the hours until this whole thing would be over.
The matches went by like blurs. Lily may or may not have drunk a lot of champagne, hoping to drown out the sadness weighing upon her heart and her wolf howling in protest at her decision.
She knew she’d done the right thing, but she still felt physically sick at the thought of a future without Lucas. But she couldn’t let him get killed for a prize that in all likelihood would never be his.
When they’d been teens, people had said it was puppy love. That it wouldn’t last. But Lily had known
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