Noah Rose’s expression was priceless. This was probably how I would have looked when Noel claimed her as my mate… just utterly and absolutely blank. “You had to drop that on her like that?” Noel hissed, sounding condescending. I grimaced inwardly, knowing too well that he was right. I could have done this in a much better way. And by all means, I wasn’t aiming to throw the fact that we were mates straight into her face. It just popped out, and I blame her for that. Because I don’t know what it was about this woman, but she was making me extremely nervous by the second. I really, really wished she wouldn’t stare at me like that. It was unnerving and my skin tingled with a sensation I didn’t appreciate one bit. It felt like she could see right into my soul with those gigantic green Bambi-like eyes of hers. And the thought wasn’t appealing. Not at all. But now what? Because clearly, this was news to her. Did she not feel any kind of pull for me then? I don’t think that was possible because my wolf was surely feeling it quite a bit. I could already sense him exerting that protective mate crap on me, all his senses attuned to every little movement of hers. It’s been barely two hours since we met but it was already starting to feel like we have known each other for eternity. Her scent no longer felt alien but as if it was already ingrained in my senses for as long as I have lived. Her eyes, as they held mine, made my heart beat like I had been running for miles. And as much as I hated to accept it or even admit it, I could feel something inside me snapping back into place after a really, really long time. And I wasn’t enjoying that one bit. “Ma…ma…mate?” Rose finally spoke and it annoyed me as to how appealing the sound of her voice was to me. Like windchimes twinkling in the wind. I gazed up at her and instantly regretted that as my eyes reflexively drifted to her natural red lips, my stomach churning as I noticed how full they were. And so soft. I knew they were soft. Just like I reflexively knew how her smooth skin that was flushed with a beautiful red tint would feel to touch. It appalled me when my fingers tingled and itched to reach out and touch her, so I quickly shoved them in my pocket and slowly nodded my head. “Mate,” I said, tad softer. “Do you understand what a mate is supposed to mean?” She continued to stare at me with that blank gaze of hers before slowly giving me a nod. “Yes,” Rose answered. “Good,” I muttered under my breath, a little relieved. At least I don’t need to explain that to her. But now what? Where do I begin asking the questions I had? This woman was such a big mystery, my brain wasn’t working on how to tackle this situation. She clearly was in a fragile place at the moment and was scared. I could sense that. I needed to take this slowly and carefully, but given my frame of mind at the moment, it was really hard. I didn’t even want to sit here and talk to her because I hated the way she was making me feel just with her wide-eyed gaze. But the better part of me that always strived to do the right thing wouldn’t let me run. And neither would my stupid wolf. “Do you want me to talk to her?” Noel inquired. “Because you clearly have lost your brain somewhere,” “Shut up,” I scowled before turning to Rose who was silently watching me as she ruthlessly scratched at her thumb, almost making it bleed. “Stop that,” I ordered, grabbing her hand before I could stop myself. They were comparatively tiny and so warm. Rose blinked at me, her face flooding with color and, startled, I quickly withdrew my hand and shook my head. Goddess…that was close. “Sorry,” I mumbled, running my fingers through my hair with frustration. “But now that we have established the fact that we are mates, I want you to know that you don’t have to be wary of me anymore. I won’t hurt you. I can’t…the matebond doesn’t allow that. Well, for the most part it doesn’t. But there are always exceptions.” Like Valerie Briars. “The bottom line is that I want you to answer my questions honestly without being scared, because that’s the only way I can help you,” I finished. “Understood?” “Hel….help me?” Rose asked, looking lost again. I idly wondered if she was just scared and hence the stutter or if she really had a problem with that. But that was the last of my concern at the moment. “Yes,” I nodded. “I need you to tell me about your parents so I can take you back home safely.” Because clearly, as disgusting as that made me, I was not going to accept a mate. Even though Noel had already accepted her and with her wolf weak for whatever reason, I had no idea how this was going to work. But what I did know was that I was not willing to repeat history again. Maybe I don’t have to reject her? Because her wolf was weak, she may probably not feel much to begin with. And with us being apart from each other, it wouldn’t even matter if the bond was intact. Eventually, we would both forget that we ever met and problem solved. “Right,” Noel scoffed. “What a dumbass thing to say. Let me remind you something, Noah Gray…it was the matebond that pulled us to her that night. You can’t escape the bond with these silly, stupid ideas of yours. The only way is rejection and I am sorry, I am not going to reject her. First, it could hurt her with a weak wolf, and second…I am not that selfish,” “Selfish?” I was appalled. “Are you calling me selfish? Did you forget what happened not so long ago and the months we spent living that crippling pain over and over again?” “She is not Valerie,” Noel grumbled. “Look at her. There must be a reason why we were given a second-chance, Noah. Maybe, what happened with Valerie was just to make us appreciate what can be? You cannot appreciate good times without experiencing bad ones. What’s the worse that can happen if you give her a chance?” “That’s not something I am willing or ready to find out, do you understand?” I snapped. “You are all but a stupid wolf who easily gets carried away because of some goddamn bond, but I know better and I know how to rise above this illusion that this bond creates,” “Well, this stupid wolf is not going to reject her. She is my mate and I want her, just the way she is. If you have any better ideas, try it. I am NOT rejecting her and that’s my decision.” I clenched my jaw, counting to ten in my head as I tried to fight the fury I felt at my wolf’s stupidity. I really didn’t want to lose my s**t in front of Rose, but Noel wasn’t leaving me with many options. This has to be the first time that we have strongly opposed each other on something and I can’t say it was an enjoyable experience. “Pl…please…” I blinked, my fury dissipating at her soft, pleading voice and as I gazed up, I was surprised to see tears bubbling in her beautiful green eyes, her small hands folded across her chest as she gazed back at me, brutally chewing at her lips. I had no idea what was going on. Did I make her cry because of all the shouting? But that was all in my head. Could she hear our conversation then? I rolled my eyes at myself. Of course she can’t. I hadn’t marked her to have the mindlink. Then what? “Wh…what’s the matter?” I asked, feeling guilty again. “Why are you crying?” “Ple…please don’t…sen…send me back,” Rose whispered. “Pl…please, sir,” Sir? “Sir?” Noel laughed, regardless of his annoyance with me. “Did she just call you sir?” “Apparently,” I nodded, a tad amused, but I quickly brushed that off and turned my eyes to her, blown by her plea. “What do you mean don’t send you back? Your parents must be worried about you and your…” I felt a sharp pinch in my head as Noel effectively halted me from uttering the word mate or, I don’t even know what to call the guy who marked and probably impregnated her. Was he her mate or some random asshole? The idea made my scalp prickle, but I agreed with Noel on this part regardless. That was the last thing to ask of her at the moment, even though this was one of the biggest mysteries surrounding this woman. How was she marked if I was her mate? “I…I don’t have a…family,” she answered. “Pl…please don’t…send…me back…” What? “You don’t have a family?” I exclaimed, clearly not seeing that coming. “Like no one at all?” She shook her head, again fidgeting with her fingers. “But you must have a pack, right?” I asked, desperately trying to be calm as my perfect plan to drop her off at wherever she came from and call it a day fell flat on my face. If she didn’t have a home, what was I going to do with her then? Clearly, I can’t leave her here. The only option remaining would be to take her…with me. Oh, I was screwed. “They are…bad people,” Rose stuttered, biting her lip so hard that I could see faint traces of blood on it. “The luna….she….she sold me….t…t..to the bad men. They are all…really bad,” What? I simply had no idea how to respond to that news. The luna of the pack sold her off? Why? Why the f**k would she do that to her? A luna was supposed to be a mother to every pack member. This one sure set some great example by condemning this poor girl to a fate worse than…I didn’t even have a good example. And the thought of what could have happened had I not got to her in time or if she wasn’t brave enough to run made my blood freeze. But at the same time, out of nowhere, I felt a little proud of her. Something told me that, regardless of how fragile she looked, Rose was a tough nail to crack. It takes a lot of courage to do what she did. “f*****g hell, if I can get my hands on these people,” Noel growled, agitated again. “So, you have no family and the luna of your pack was the one who sold you?” I summarized. “And you have literally no one you can go to. No one who can help you, is that it?” “Ye….yesss,” she nodded. “Pl…please don’t se…send me…back. I…I will…will do any…anything you wa…nt. Pl…please don’t send me…me back, sir,” I stared at her in dismay, at a complete loss for words as well as about what I was going to do next. I wanted to bombard her with more questions but it was evident that the mere idea of sending her back jolted her into panic and fear. Clearly, her memories of whichever pack she belonged to were anything but fond. “I think she needs to rest now,” I turned around to see the pack doctor standing behind me, a look of disapproval on her face. “You can talk to her tomorrow. But she must rest now,” I grimaced at the way she sounded and sullenly nodded. “I will leave her in your care then,” I muttered, casting one last glance at Rose, who quickly averted her gaze before turning on my heels and heading out, my head spinning with the overload of information that I absolutely didn’t see coming. Aimlessly, I stalked out and decided to take a stroll around the garden to clear my head. And for the first time in a really long time, I felt like I needed a strong f*****g drink. But I still didn’t trust myself with alcohol, so I gulped down the urge, flopping down on the stone bench under the giant tree instead. My temples throbbed and I almost reached out for my phone to call my brothers and get their help. But I refrained because I knew the moment they found out that I had found a mate again, they were going to go batshit crazy in no time. And apart from that, a lot was going on in the pack as well. This was so not the right time to drop this bomb on anyone. When my elder brother came home with his mate, a fake one at that time, the chaos that erupted was of no small means. If they find out that I, Noah Gray, have found his mate after two and a half years of living in complete abstinence…I shook my head, a shiver running down my spine at the mere thought. No f*****g way. “Then what are you gonna do?” Noel inquired. “Leave her here or in the middle of the forest to fend for herself?” “Stop being so sarcastic, Noel. It’s getting too much now,” I hissed. “I am already having a hard time thinking clearly,” “Because you are complicating this way too much and giving me a headache too,” he replied. “She is your mate. It’s your duty and responsibility to protect and provide for her. Even more so in Rose’s case, because she clearly needs us. So just man up and take her home. And we can think about what to do next once we get back to the pack. It’s that simple.” “It is not that simple,” I exclaimed. “Have you forgotten everything? The moment I introduced Rose as my mate, I would need to marry her. That’s one of the ultimate rules of Gray Crest. The moment you find your mate, you do the initial marking to accept the bond and wait until the next full moon to seal the bond fully and completely with marriage and final marking. And I am NOT getting married. Period,” “Rules can be changed,” Noel rolled his eyes. “I am sure Logan and the elders will understand your point and once you have… ” “Or…” I cut him off, as an idea suddenly popped into my head. “Nobody needs to find out that she is my mate, to begin with.” “Sorry?” Noel mumbled, sounding blank. I shook my head as an idea slowly started to form in my head. “I don’t think I understand,” “You don’t have to,” I said, standing up. I knew very well what I needed to do next…