Read Online Mates Since Birth (Half-breed Shifter Series) by Miranda Stowe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Miranda Stowe
Ads: Link
convinced, she narrowed her eyes. “Your spiriting Mom and me away from him in the middle of the night solved nothing. It merely delayed the inevitable. As long as we’re bonded, he’ll always be able to find me. That’s why Dane and I have to deal with this, and at least try to sever our…connection.”
“At least I delayed it enough until you were an adult,” Knox grumbled. “That little prick would’ve tried mounting you when you were five if I hadn’t gotten us out of Locks Hollow. I smelled the change in his hormones. He’d reached his maturity. It would’ve been only a matter of time before he looked at you like a piece of fuck candy.”
She rolled her eyes. “That is possibly the crudest thing I’ve ever heard you say, Daddy. Honestly. I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”
But when she whirled away, he said her name, almost sounding scared as he spoke. “Ari?”
Curious about his uncertain tone, she turned back. “ What ?”
“Is he really here to break the bond?”
“He says he is, and I tend to believe him. He’s denied me three times since he’s showed up in town. A male trying to retrieve his mate wouldn’t do that.”
Knox winced and had to admit, “You’re right. He’s definitely here to break the bond then.” Convinced of it now, he let out a sigh. “No mated male would even attempt the herculean effort of denying himself entrance into his mate unless he was serious about deserting her.” But as soon as he spoke the words, he closed his eyes and hissed, “Shit. This complicates matters.”
Ari watched his face drain of color, and a lurking sensation filled her with dread. “Daddy, why do I have a bad feeling you’ve done something you shouldn’t have?”
His large hand trembled slightly as he smoothed his fingers over his mouth and glanced at her with a guilty, brown gaze. “Because I did.”
She closed her lashes tight. “What did you do?”
“I…I sent out a message to a nearby pack that a female resided here, a female wanting to be claimed, yet needing to be rid of her current mate first.”
Ari’s eyes and mouth both sprang open wide. “You did what ?”
He held up his hand. “That doesn’t mean you would have to bond to someone else. That’s completely your choice. It just means they’d gladly eliminate your existing mate for a chance to win you. And with him dead, you’d be free to deny or accept—”
Knox’s bedroom door flew open and his trembling, white-faced wife stood in the entry. “My God. You sent for a pack of wolves to come eliminate Dane? How could you? How could you just order his death?”
“Jaycee…” he started for her, but she backed away from him, a look of complete horror crossing her face. “I did it for Ari. She’ll never be free to live her own life until her bond with him is severed.”
“And you didn’t even wait long enough to see if she wanted it to be severed? What if she actually ends up liking him and wants to stay with him? What then, you big, stupid wolf?”
“There’s no way to know if she would come to like him or not. Sweetheart . The bond blinds her and makes her think the feelings inside her are love. There’s no way to know her true affections.”
“Then let the bond blind her. For heaven’s sake, Dane is not the devil. He’s a good boy and would take care of her, respect her.” Her eyes narrowed. “Never lie to her.”
Knox gulped, but stood his ground. “You haven’t seen him in twenty years, Jaycee. You don’t know what he’s like now. He might’ve changed.”
“But the only reason I haven’t seen him in twenty years is because you kept him from me. Through lies and deception.”
The door slammed shut again and Ari’s father wilted before her eyes. Too stunned, frightened, and crushed to move, Ari stood frozen in the center of the hallway. The idea of Dane being harmed, ripped savagely apart by a pack of horny wolves, killed because of her…
Bile rose in her throat.
“At least I delayed it enough until you were an adult,” Knox grumbled. “That little prick would’ve tried mounting you when you were five if I hadn’t gotten us out of Locks Hollow. I smelled the change in his hormones. He’d reached his maturity. It would’ve been only a matter of time before he looked at you like a piece of fuck candy.”
She rolled her eyes. “That is possibly the crudest thing I’ve ever heard you say, Daddy. Honestly. I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”
But when she whirled away, he said her name, almost sounding scared as he spoke. “Ari?”
Curious about his uncertain tone, she turned back. “ What ?”
“Is he really here to break the bond?”
“He says he is, and I tend to believe him. He’s denied me three times since he’s showed up in town. A male trying to retrieve his mate wouldn’t do that.”
Knox winced and had to admit, “You’re right. He’s definitely here to break the bond then.” Convinced of it now, he let out a sigh. “No mated male would even attempt the herculean effort of denying himself entrance into his mate unless he was serious about deserting her.” But as soon as he spoke the words, he closed his eyes and hissed, “Shit. This complicates matters.”
Ari watched his face drain of color, and a lurking sensation filled her with dread. “Daddy, why do I have a bad feeling you’ve done something you shouldn’t have?”
His large hand trembled slightly as he smoothed his fingers over his mouth and glanced at her with a guilty, brown gaze. “Because I did.”
She closed her lashes tight. “What did you do?”
“I…I sent out a message to a nearby pack that a female resided here, a female wanting to be claimed, yet needing to be rid of her current mate first.”
Ari’s eyes and mouth both sprang open wide. “You did what ?”
He held up his hand. “That doesn’t mean you would have to bond to someone else. That’s completely your choice. It just means they’d gladly eliminate your existing mate for a chance to win you. And with him dead, you’d be free to deny or accept—”
Knox’s bedroom door flew open and his trembling, white-faced wife stood in the entry. “My God. You sent for a pack of wolves to come eliminate Dane? How could you? How could you just order his death?”
“Jaycee…” he started for her, but she backed away from him, a look of complete horror crossing her face. “I did it for Ari. She’ll never be free to live her own life until her bond with him is severed.”
“And you didn’t even wait long enough to see if she wanted it to be severed? What if she actually ends up liking him and wants to stay with him? What then, you big, stupid wolf?”
“There’s no way to know if she would come to like him or not. Sweetheart . The bond blinds her and makes her think the feelings inside her are love. There’s no way to know her true affections.”
“Then let the bond blind her. For heaven’s sake, Dane is not the devil. He’s a good boy and would take care of her, respect her.” Her eyes narrowed. “Never lie to her.”
Knox gulped, but stood his ground. “You haven’t seen him in twenty years, Jaycee. You don’t know what he’s like now. He might’ve changed.”
“But the only reason I haven’t seen him in twenty years is because you kept him from me. Through lies and deception.”
The door slammed shut again and Ari’s father wilted before her eyes. Too stunned, frightened, and crushed to move, Ari stood frozen in the center of the hallway. The idea of Dane being harmed, ripped savagely apart by a pack of horny wolves, killed because of her…
Bile rose in her throat.
Similar Books
