Angel Blackwood(97)

I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but I wake up looking into Kate’s pretty face.

I look around at my unfamiliar surroundings. Why the hell would Tyler bring me anywhere near Kate.

“Hey,” she says quietly, giving me a small smile.

“Where am I?” I say, trying to lift my body up. My entire body aches and I can’t sit up. I look down noticing that I’m dressed in warm flannel pyjamas.

“You’re at my apartment.” She looks down at me inspecting the clothes I have on. “Oh, I didn’t want you getting sick, you were soaked. I helped dress you.”

“Helped?” I frown but she misunderstands.

“Talon wouldn’t leave your side. I made him close his eyes though, don’t worry,” she says sweetly.

I want to hate her so bad. I want her to be mean to me, say ugly things or even hurt me. Something to make me hate her, but I can’t when she’s genuinely so goddamn nice.

“Why did they bring me here?” I ask, managing to sit upright by leaning against the wooden headboard.

The room is baby blue. Everything is in its place, nothing out of the ordinary, even the frames on the walls are in the perfect position. The fluffy bedding that surrounds me matches the colors in the room and I know without a doubt that I’m in her room; in her bed.

“I’m studying to be a nurse.” Of course she is.

“You had cuts and bruises all over you, so I helped clean you up.” She moves to sit on the bed next to me.

I look to the door. I swear to God if Lucy walks through that door, I’m jumping out the fucking window.

Kate’s little giggle has me frowning at her. “Sorry, I don’t think you meant to project that. I promise Lucy is nowhere in sight.”

I look down at my fingers, still trying to wrap my head around why the hell I’m sitting in Tyler’s girlfriends bed.

“Didn’t you know?” she says.

“Didn’t I know what?”

“They broke up a few days ago, Talon and her are no longer an item,” she says, sounding as if we’re at a slumber party. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to hear it, but it still doesn’t change shit.

“Thank you.” She has me looking up at her confused.

“For what?”

“For not telling Tyler that I rejected my mate.” She looks down at her manicured fingers, a visible shudder leaving her body.

“Okay,” I say.

I shake my head, move to pull the covers and attempt to get off the other side of the bed.

“I’m not doing this with you, Kate. Thank-you for helping me, but I can’t sit here with you and do this right now.” I’m just about to lift myself up when she comes around the bed.

“You need to rest. Please, just have a seat, Angel.” I look into her eyes. “Please, Angel,” she pleads.

I sit down and rub my eyes with the palms of my sore hands.

“I know you are Tyler’s mate,” she says, sitting next to me.

“And you still chose to help me. Why?” I ask in frustration. I don’t want to sit here chit-chatting with the woman my mate is choosing over me.

“Because you’re his mate and you’re the Alpha’s daughter. Listen, Angel. I want to apologise for the way we’ve been acting in front of you. I can’t imagine the hurt you’re feeling by seeing your mate with someone else. I wanted to end things with Tyler the moment I found out about you, but he insisted on having time to figure things out.” That little piece of info has me clutching at my chest, her mouth drops open and she covers it.

“Shoot, I’m so sorry. I… I swear it isn’t as harsh as it sounds.” Her posture and the way she’s acting tells me that she’s being honest. She didn’t mean to hurt me, but it doesn’t stop her from talking.

“He loves you too, Angel. He loves you so much, I can’t begin to understand how hard this must be for him. He tells me he loves me, but he doesn’t look at me the way he looks at you.” She scoots over to me and quickly wipes away a stray tear from her cheek. She gives me a little smile even though I can feel her hurt.

“Sometimes I get glimpses into his thoughts and all I see is your face.” She’s smiling even though the tears fall from her cheeks. For fuck sakes, now the woman has me feeling sorry for her. I have to blink away my own tears.

“I know he’s going to choose you in the end, Angel. You two belong together. All I ask is that you allow me to spend the little time I have left with him.” She wipes away her remaining tears.

How can she ask me this? Does she honestly think I will freely give my acceptance for her to be with my mate until or if he decides to accept me as his mate.