The Beta's Forbidden Mate

Chapter Nine

She held up her hands in a no-offense gesture. "All I'm saying is that there are guys out there who manipulate women just because they can. They use all that flowery language about soulmates and destiny, but it's all just to get you under their power. I've seen it before."

Her eyes were flinty, and I believed she meant what she said, but I sighed wearily. Kelly meant well, but I couldn't explain enough of the situation to her.

From the outside, it probably did look like I'd suddenly fallen prey to a gorgeous, gaslighting bad boy.

"He isn't...he isn't like that," I tried to explain. "Asher is—different."

"Different how?" Kelly countered. "What do you really know about him except that he's super hot and drinks at Terry's?"

That he's a werewolf.

That he's my mate.

That I rejected him and told him to leave, after he had told me something extremely difficult for him.

My heart wrenched. I couldn't say any of that to Kelly. Couldn't say it to anyone except Asher.

Suddenly, all I wanted in the world was to see him again. To apologize for turning my back on him. On us.

"Listen, you've clearly been obsessing over this guy for too long. Come out with May and Rhea and I tonight."

"Thanks, Kels," I said. "But I think I might just stay here and take a bubble bath and go to bed early."

"Aww come on! We only have a few weeks left before May flies to Seoul!"

Guilt pricked at me, but I was in no mood for clubbing. "Seriously, I'm exhausted. I'll just be a giant buzzkill. Go, have fun. I'll be fine."

Kelly looked thoroughly unconvinced, but shrugged her shoulders. "Fine. But it would do you some major good to let off some steam and get this guy out of your head."

"Next time, I'll be there. Promise." I tried to smile at her, but I know it looked fake.

Rolling her eyes, Kelly went to get dressed.

Two hours later, I was alone again in my apartment. My heart began to pound.

Would he come?

Asher had told me to stay away from him, but hadn't been able to resist the pull of the mating bond. I could only hope that he felt it again tonight. That he knew how much I needed him.

I was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that werewolves existed, and that I was now inextricably bound to one of them.

But this wasn't something I could just talk about with a friend until I felt better. And it wasn't something I could dance away, like a broken heart.

This was something more. Something deeper.

I stood at the window, staring at the shadowy spot in the trees where I thought I'd seen a brown wolf vanish last night.

The street was empty except for a young couple walking their pug.

My stomach was swirling with anticipation.

What if he didn't show up? What if he had taken my rejection at face value, or had decided that being mated to a human wasn't worth the risk.

He'd said that bond was unchangeable, but how did I know that was really the truth? What if he had rejected me, just like I had rejected him, and now I would never see him again.

The thought threatened to bring me to gut-wrenching tears. I took a deep breath, willing him to step out of the clump of trees across the street.

I checked my phone. It was only nine o'clock, still early. Asher might not show up for hours.

He might not show up at all.

I refused to think about that, and began nervously pacing the apartment. At some point I went back into the bedroom to feed Ruby, but I was so jumpy that I just kept startling the poor bunny. Eventually I left her to her dinner and resumed my nervous walking.

It felt like eight hours passed, but when I checked the time on my phone it had only been twelve minutes. I threw it down in exasperation, feeling my pulse jack up another notch.

He was coming. He had to come.

I was working myself into a frenzy, my breath coming short and fast until I thought I was going to hyperventilate.

He has to come.

He has to come.

An hour passed. And then another. The moon swept a bright arc across the sky as I watched the unmoving street outside my window.

Finally, as the clock passed midnight, I sagged tiredly against the glass.

He really wasn't coming.

Just then, then there was a knock on my door. My heart leapt into my throat. I spun around, then sprinted across the room and threw it open.

And there he was. His dark eyes immediately locked onto mine.

"Can I come in?"