An Alpha's Pride [tribal bonds 2] by Stormy Glenn Page B

mate.”
Daniel’s eyebrows shot up so far he was afraid they would slide right off the back of his head. “Our rough beginning? Is that how you’re going to refer to what happened between us?”
At the slight nod of Carlton’s head, Daniel sputtered and started chuckling. It quickly turned into hysterical laughter when Carlton just stared at him in shock. He couldn’t even stop laughing when Carlton grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed him into the wall behind him.
“Daniel!” Carlton snapped. “That’s enough. Get control of yourself before someone hears you.”
“Oh yes, we must keep up appearances, mustn’t we?” Daniel’s laughter dwindled away almost as fast as it had started. “It would never do for anyone to know how badly we’ve fucked up our mating, would it? Maybe we shouldn’t even tell them. No one has to know, Carlton. We can just go our separate ways and pretend we never met.”
A flash of hurt moved across Carlton’s face. “Is that what you want, Daniel, to deny that we are mates?”
“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?”
Carlton sighed deeply and rested his forehead against Daniel’s. Daniel inhaled slowly. Carlton was so close, too close. Daniel could feel the warmth radiating off of the alpha’s large body, and it made him ache. He still felt cold all of the way down to his bones. He hadn’t felt warm since Carlton had held him last.
“You need to feed, Daniel,” Carlton whispered.
“I’ll feed when I get home.”
Daniel’s eyes widened when Carlton growled, and his face darkened. He suddenly realized that Carlton had him pinned against the wall much like he had the last time he’d seen the man, minus the shower. Daniel started to shake, uneasiness spiking through him.
He hated being scared of the one person that fate said was meant for him. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Mates were supposed to cherish each other, care for each other. They weren’t supposed to hurt each other the way Carlton and Daniel were doing. Maybe they didn’t deserve to be mates.
“I need to go,” Daniel whispered as he pushed at Carlton’s chest.
The man didn’t even budge.
Daniel closed his eyes as desperation filled him. “Please, Carlton, let me go.”
“I can’t, Daniel,” Carlton said as he stroked his fingers down Daniel’s cheek. Daniel opened his eyes just in time to see Carlton frowned when he flinched away from the gentle caress. “You don’t want me to touch you?”
“It’s not that,” Daniel whispered. “I just don’t want—”
“Me?” Carlton snapped. “Is that what you were going to say, Daniel? You don’t want me?”
Daniel cringed and tried to pull away when Carlton’s hands wrapped around his face and held him in place. His breath rushed out of his lungs when he saw the burning anger in Carlton’s dark-golden eyes. It was the same look of anger he had seen the last time. The memories of what had happened then still haunted Daniel.
Daniel yanked his face away from Carlton’s hands and dropped to his knees. He reached for the zipper on Carlton’s pants, intent on doing whatever it took to keep Carlton from being angry with him again, or worse yet, leaving him.
“Fuck, Daniel,” Carlton shouted as he jerked away, “what the hell are you doing?”
“I want you. I swear I do,” Daniel cried out as Carlton loomed over him. He reached for the alpha’s pants again. He had to show Carlton that he wanted him, even if he was afraid of what the man might do. It was the only way. “Just let me—”
“Stop, Daniel.”
Daniel fell forward onto his hands when Carlton jumped out of reach. He stayed there, down on the floor for a moment as he tried to gather his composure then slowly stood to his feet. He felt a million years old.
It was clear that Carlton still hated him. Daniel had thought some time apart would lessen the alpha’s anger toward him. He now knew he was wrong. Carlton hated him just as much now as he did the day they mated.
There was no