The Alpha's Melded Mate

The One with the Truth

"Okay, you got me out here." I shrugged the bag off my shoulder, dropping it to the ground. 

"I wasn't sure you would come," Neal said while leaning against the tree. 

"Well, you are in my training spot, so I don't think you were worried about me coming here."

"You're right, but I am surprised you're alone." Neal pushed off the tree coming closer. 

Something stirred within me as little by little the distance between us shrank. 

"Yeah, well... Abbi said that she and her mom had something going on again so she wasn't able to make it." I mentally smacked myself for the lie. Why not just say that I wanted to talk and see where he stood, where we stood?"Well I'm glad to hear that." Neal smiled. 

Glad? Why in the world was he glad that Abbi wasn't able to make it? Maybe he did want to try to see where things would go. It was still impossible to get a reading off him. It was annoying how good he was at keeping everything locked down. How was I supposed to trust someone who worked to keep me out of their head?

"You know going into people's minds is a form of invasion of privacy. It's also an unfair advantage," Neal said as he stopped, arms crossed. 

Was he able to read my thoughts? "What do you mean?"

Oh goddess those arms. Those broad shoulders. No, that was not what I was here for. 

"Whenever you try to read someone you get that look on your face. Usually happens whenever you don't believe what I'm saying."

I pulled the knives out of the bag and took a few steps away before laying them on the ground. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I lied. I placed my hands out, palms down and pulled the four blades into the air to eye level. I quickly shot each of them at different trees, the last on sinking deep into the bark inches away from Neal. 

He looked from the steel to me, his eyes wide like he'd seen his own death after witnessing my less than stellar aim the day before. 

I shrugged. "I practiced some more at home last night. Had to keep my mind off other things."

"And you just thought that everything would be fine if you killed me?" Anger. Finally, some emotion from him. 

How was it possible that he was even more attractive while angry? I could feel the press of his lips on mine and that familiar energy of the bond, that same energy flowing through my body now with use of my abilities. 

"Relax, Mr. Macho. I knew I wasn't going to hit you, like I'd be that stupid." I walked closer to Neal, ending nearly toe to toe with him as I reached out and placed my hand on the knife in the tree. 

I looked up into his eyes and could see the anger fade away, replaced with a hunger. I felt the smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. 

Part of me wished that this was easier. That he had either treated me like shit growing up just as the majority of the pack had, or that he had been nice to me growing up. I wanted something that let me know one way or the other how he had felt about me before, instead he had been indifferent. And now I couldn't get inside his head to see how he really felt then and now. 

I pulled the blade out and took half a step back before Neal wrapped an arm around my waist. 

"Wait."

I waited; all of me did. My body stilled and my breath stopped. 

Neal's fingers brushed my cheek.