He gently pushed her shoulders back to the mattress. “You are where you belong. In our den. Our home. You’ve been in healing sleep for a day. You must continue to rest.”
Pain dug further into her heart. “I can’t be here while your wife is too. I can’t believe you’d lie to me like that. What does your clan think of you cheating on your wife?” She shook her head. “Never mind. You’re all probably into some freaky multiple wives club.”
Talen’s eyes widened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have another. You are my true mate.”
“Then why send someone to tell me you’re mated. That you wouldn’t want a weak human anyway. You didn’t even have the balls to tell me to my face.” She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. Not only did she feel stupid for crying, but her body hurt.
“Come, love. Sit with me.” He lifted her and carried her into the living room featuring a cozy living room fireplace. He sat in an oversized recliner and positioned her across his lap so she leaned her shoulder against his chest. “Now, let’s start from the beginning.”
Cassie opened her mouth and he put a finger over it. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you. My animal told me we were mates. So there is no doubt to that. We’ve been destined to be together. Everything I have is yours, including my soul, heart, and life. I’m not afraid, because it’s right. I can never hurt you.”
She relaxed into his body, but kept quiet. “Now, beautiful. Tell me about this person who told you I was mated. Was he in the forest on the path?”
“Yes, was that Paxten? You only have the one brother?“
“It was. And yes, just him. I thought when he escaped the guards at the castle that he would flee into hiding, but obviously, he didn’t. Did he tell you I had a mate?”
“And that I was for sex only. Which is all I wanted at first, but I fell for you. And when I woke up in your bed the other day, your wife was in the kitchen--”
“You’re confused. You met the clan healer.”
“Why was she cooking in your kitchen?”
“Because she knew you would need to eat after resting. I wouldn’t have been back for a while. She was doing what doctors do, taking care of their patients.”
Good fucking lord, now she felt like a complete idiot. How would she live this down?
“Now that is taken care of, you understand you are the only one for me, right?” She nodded. “And I love and will protect your and our cubs with my life, always.” She rubbed her stomach and nodded again. “That’s all you need to remember.” She melted into his warm body.
She thought back on everything that had happen this past month. So many things had changed, but yet so much stayed the same—like her lack of love from her dad. That didn’t matter…too much. She had her own family now. Concerning family, she wondered what happened to Paxten. She was sure Talen had him killed. These people were primitive compared to Earth’s judicial systems.
“Talen, what happened with Paxten?”
He let out a long breath. “I put him in holding until the council convened to make a decision. Most of his followers were killed when we fought to get to you.”
“What was the council’s decision?”
His hold on her tightened. “They didn’t make one. The next day, Dylan found him hanging, strangled to death with a blanket.”
Cassie sat up and brushed her fingers over his cheek. “Talen, I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “It is what it is. He didn’t seem very stable at the end.”
“But you didn’t kill him or put him to death?”
“No, Cassie. We may be a simple people, but we are not murderers. I would never let someone hurt another in such a manner. He’d die a quick death had he hurt you in my presence, but once I saw the madness in his eyes, I knew the brother I once knew was gone. Long gone.”
Maybe she was wrong about this society. Talen loved every one of his people. Why couldn’t he love her too? Did she love him?
“You’re very quiet. What are you thinking in that busy head of yours? Tell me what you want and I’ll make it happen.”
What did she want? “Bella was the happiest woman in the entire galaxy. And she glowed. She found her happily ever after. And that’s what I want.”
He kissed the top of her head lying against his chest. “That’s what I want for you too. But if you don’t take the chance to read the story, how will you know if you get what you want? Pickup that book and let me create your fairytale ending.”