Awakening Rejected Mate & Following Fate novel Chapter 8

We imprinted. We have a link; we can hear each other even from miles away. No distance is too far. No one else can tap into this. It's like our own personal telephone line with dampeners.

He isn't looking at me, but watching Carmen walk down the hall, crying into her own hands and creating a pitiful picture. I can sense his pain from watching her go and it pains me too. Feeling what he feels, another downside to now being connected to this guy. I don't want to feel heartbreak or pain or any of this crap.

I'm sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this.

The honesty and ache in my response brings his eyes to mine and we do that weird thing, where we lock eyes, get a tremor of something we can't deny, and both look away again. Neither want this, that much is clear.

You didn't do this. Fate did. Now we just have to figure out how to undo it. If that's even possible.

The hesitation in his tone catches me off guard and despite myself I look at him properly. His side profile of chiseled square jawline. Sallow skin and dark hair to match those dark eyes and brows. Colton is tall, muscular, and fit, which is only enhanced by being among the biggest wolves in the pack even at his age. His family originated from Colombia and you can see his heritage clearly, in the best kind of way, despite his mother being Caucasian. Me, I'm just a good old country white. Bland hair, plain girl, and nothing special or beautiful that I know of. Carmen is a goddess compared to me.

The atmosphere turns cold as a troop of men come marching in from the same door we did, and I'm pushed out of the way ungraciously by one of them. I get knocked sideways, unable to stop myself, and for sure know I am spiraling down as I lose my footing. Still on unsure legs after tonight’s ceremony and unable to stop myself.

The low growl and quick reflexes of Colton as he jolts in beside me and catches me to rights, sends my head spinning. His arms lassoing me and stopping my body colliding with the concrete wall, instead hitting his chest as I grasp on impulsively. His eyes glow amber over my head, as he death glares his displeasure at the men, unconcealed as that flash of warning oozes from him. That fierce mate protection coming out instinctively and I honestly don’t know how to react.

Becoming someone's mate is as much about instincts, as anything else. It changes you and makes you feel, do things, you didn't before. Even if he hated me before this, that need to protect me and look after me will become his mission in life and vice versa. It's completely crazy and I can't believe it's happening to me.

His father, however, almost takes his head off with the rage filled bellow he aims his way. I realize a little too little, that’s who shoved me out of the way so forcefully right then.

"Did you just growl at me?” He snarls our way and Colton curls his fingers around my waist and arm firmly. Juan lowers his brows severely, and glares at his son furiously, moving into his head link to continue his chastisement; the way Colton stiffens around me tells me so.

Locked eye to eye, an intense standoff as the air thickens and his energy bristles. Captured in a tight embrace I know I shouldn't try and break free from, although my body is responding quite happily to the contact. Feeling his anger radiating from him and the anxious uptight bubbling inside of me, as I start to sense what he's feeling. I was never good with aggression and rage. And now the overwhelming amount he can spit out, as my mood takes on his, has me recoiling. Colton has a sea of dominant fury inside of him and his hostility knows no bounds. I try to blot out the projections I'm getting and close my eyes to focus on my breathing instead. Combatting growing heat and pulsing need from his touch, and fear and faintness from all the negative emotions flying between these two terrifying men. I feel like a piece of raw meat hung between two ferocious beasts. It’s like I don't have full control of my mind or feelings anymore and try as I might, Colton now lives in my body as much as I do.