Chapter Fifty-one

My last glance at Zane was him standing there stunned, and I wasn't waiting for him to snap out of it so I ran and normally I wouldn't have got away from him so easily, but he was stunned. So, I took advantage of it. I pulled a towel off the washing line at the back of mom’s house and wrapped it around me.

I sneaked back inside and, lucky for me, mom was fast asleep. I took a deep breath in when I closed the back door behind me.

Shit.

He knows.

Now, what should I do?

 

***

He wasn't at school.

I hadn't seen him, and I was now at my locker so I had made it this far.

I was pulling out my Social Studies book when the locker slammed hard in my face, just missing my fingers.

What the fuck?

And then I went cold.

I inhaled, and that was all I needed.

Darn.

"You and me. Now."

"Um, I'm kind of busy, Zane."

Then he grabbed my elbow and dragged me along behind him. People were staring, all thinking what's he doing with her. I wasn't in the popular group so why would Zane Harris have anything to say to me.

He slid open an empty classroom and let go of me when he closed the door.

He slowly turned around, and when he did, it was like a punch to my lungs.

Those eyes.

His temper was only just under control.

"How long?" he spat out while flexing his hands.

"A while."

"How?"

"My dad and brother gave me an injection that undid what you did to me." I put the book down on the table and sighed. "I wanted to tell you but then time passed, and I didn't see the point anymore."

"See the point! SEE THE FUCKING POINT!" He was fuming. "YOU ARE MY MATE! I've been going through hell without you, and here you are keeping it from me."

"So, don't go on with the ‘I'm your mate’ bullshit. You let them wipe my memories. YOU LET THEM TAKE EVERYTHING FROM ME!"

"You were sick. I didn't get a choice."

"Well, I'm better now," I huffed, feeling ready to throw something across the room.

"So, you're a free wolf?"

"Yes."

"An outcast?"

"Whatever you want to call it."

"I thought your father was dead?"

"Turned out he just didn't like mom."

"Does your mom know?"

I laughed dryly. "No."

"Who does?"

"Dad and Jace."

"Who is Jace?"

I rolled my eyes. "My boyfriend."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Aww for God's sake, Zane, he is my brother. You met him the other night!"

"Right." He rubbed his chin. "Well, this changes things."

Changes what? What was he thinking? He didn't honestly think I was going to go back to the pack after being free!

"No, it doesn't. We aren't connected. You can do what you want, and I can do what I want so you have my permission to date whoever. Hell, marry them for all I care. Just leave me alone."

"That isn't going to happen."

"Yes, it is."

"You are coming back to the pack and dad will reconnect you. You are no outcast or free wolf. You are my mate, and my mate will stay by my side."

"Zane, listen to yourself. The whole pack knows what happened to me and if they find out I've been a free wolf or an outcast, they won't ever follow my command, and with you stepping up taking your father’s position, it would just be a nightmare. They wouldn't follow you."

"You don't know that."

"Oh, come on! Zane, I lived in the pack, and I know what they thought of free wolves. I'm not stupid."

"Fine. They don't need to know you were a free wolf. We will just tell them you were sick and now you are better."

"You forget one thing."

"That being?"

"I hate the pack. I hate the rules. I hate the chain of command. Alpha's rule is law, and I can't just give up on my freedom now I've had a taste of it."

He stared at me, those big black opals just staring through me. I swallowed hard and took a step back.

"You, Allie, are my mate. No-one will have you but me, and when I'm Alpha no one will dare say you don't belong."

I chewed my bottom lip. "You can't do this to me. It's whiplash, Zane. You fought it. I fought it, and now we are separated, and I think it’s what's best for us now."

He crossed his arms. "You could have been killed last week. You can't fight."

"How do you know I can't fight?"

"You skipped every training session, Allie. I'm not stupid."

"You actually took note of that!"

"You were my mate. You would have a target on your back from the beginning. If people wanted to hurt me, all they’d need to do is hurt you."

I was overwhelmed. He kept saying the word mate. I knew I was still drawn to him, but if I joined the pack, I wouldn't even have the slightest chance of breaking free, and then it hit me.

Do I want to break free from him? Do I really want nothing to do with him? My eyes slowly widened, did I love him?