Betrayed Forced Mate (Rosecreek Special Ops Wolves #4)

I clear my throat when Rafael walks past, raising a hand to me.

It takes everything in me not to hate him for what he is. Every time he’s around, I find myself on high alert, nervous that his stories of not needing blood are untrue—that it’s all a plot to get to us. To hurt us.

“Byron.”

When I turn and look up, Olivia is standing in front of me, her bag of video games hanging on her back.

“Olivia.”

“How did you know?”

I sigh, closing my eyes. I had hoped the fighting and the fire would be enough to make her forget about my sudden appearance, that maybe she would just be grateful I had shown up.

“If I told you I was just doing a routine—”

“I told you to stop fucking watching me, Cox!”

“Olivia—”

“No. It’s a violation of my privacy. It’s a violation of my rights. Fucking stop. Or I’m going to Aris about it.”

I look away from her. I know he’s not happy with me for the last time, but surely, we can all see how this is another example of me protecting her—and everyone—through surveillance?

“You need to come and stay with me.”

“What?” she whispers, rearing back away from me, her hand going to her chest. “You can’t be serious.”

“To stay safe.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“You would have died.”

“I was fine!”

“Liv,” I snap, turning back to her. “They had you out your front door. What were you going to do? What was your plan?”

“I don’t—I got the one—”

“But there were three of them. And if I hadn’t been watching, you’d be gone!”

“And why the fuck do you care about that?” she asks, going quiet, and I realize we’re standing chest-to-chest, breathing heavily, staring at each other. I can’t look away from her, but I’m sure everyone is staring at us. At the spectacle we’re making.

I can’t tell her the truth. That I love her, that I care about her more than I’ve ever cared about someone else. The first time she showed up in Rosecreek, it was this kick to my chest, like she had activated a muscle I didn’t know I’d had. One that had atrophied long ago.

And then, when she started talking about families—I was already terrified about showing her enough love. Scared that I was going to mess it up between the two of us.

But to add more to that? To need to be a good dad and a good husband and a good pack mate all at once? I close my eyes, shaking my head and thinking back to that moment on the pavilion.

Sure, it was a shitty move to run away from her.

But I knew I wasn’t capable of what she was asking for. That with the limited amount of love inside me, I had to be careful with her. Remind myself that she wouldn’t leave, that I could love her.

I’m incapable of loving another person as much as I love her—and that includes children. Family.

“Oh,” Olivia says, and my eyes fly open, meeting hers. A rush of terror runs through me. She can see what I’m thinking? I look back and forth between her eyes, my heart skipping in my chest. I rub at it.

Does she know that I love her?