She wiped her hands across her face, watching as Kane got dressed with angry, jerky movements, his face set in stone. He was leaving her. There had to be a way to fix this. In a trembling voice, she started to speak. “Kane, about Bryan. I swear I never did anything—”
“Just forget about it, Elise. It doesn’t matter now.” His mind seemed to be building up some kind of a wall for his feelings were becoming harder to read, as if he was able to lock them all away.
Grabbing a pillow, Elise hugged it to hide her nakedness, feeling exposed and unsure. He would know how she was feeling too, and she was desperate to hide it from him, but didn’t know how. She couldn’t let him know how hurt she was. Sniffling, she reached for a tissue from the bedside table, turning her back momentarily. There was a click behind her and she stiffened. The bedroom door had shut and she was left alone.
That was when she really broke down. Throwing herself across the mattress, she sobbed, heartbroken and mourning the loss of all her dreams. Kane loathed and hated her. She disgusted him. How could she have been so wrong? He’d seemed to genuinely care for her, so what had gone wrong?
True there was the mix up over Bryan, but could that be enough to turn him against her? If he’d truly cared, he would have stayed and talked to her. She laughed bitterly at the irony of the situation. Now that they were blood-bonded, they were farther apart than ever.
Rolling over on the bed, she stared at the ceiling and tried to find Kane with her mind. Vaguely, she could sense his annoyance and immediately withdrew. He didn’t want her bothering him. Somehow, he was managing to block her from his mind and didn’t appreciate her trying to break down his barriers. She blinked rapidly and curled up into a ball. Never before had she felt so sad and alone.
****
She must have been exhausted from the emotional turmoil and her restless sleep the night before, for when she awoke dawn was just breaking; she’d slept through the whole night. Once again, Kane hadn’t come home, his side of the bed undisturbed. A feeling of melancholy overtook her and she seriously considered rolling over and pulling the covers over her head. Unfortunately, her bladder had other ideas and she forced herself to sit up. Pushing her hair from her eyes, she clambered out of bed. After taking only two steps, pain shot through her foot eliciting a curse. Glancing down, she realized she’d stepped on the hard corner of a box that was lying on the floor.
Glaring at it, she vaguely recalled that she’d landed on it yesterday when Kane had thrown her on the bed. She kicked it out of the way, and continued to the bathroom, deciding to find out what it was once the call of nature had been dealt with.
After relieving herself, Elise stared into the mirror. Messy dark brown hair and a tear stained face stared back at her while the deep green of her eyes reflected an inner sadness. Examining her neck, she noted the puncture marks and reddened skin that indicated where Kane had bitten her. Yes, there would definitely be a permanent mark there.
Deciding to take a shower, she adjusted the temperature, and stepped under the spray, letting the pounding water soothe her sore muscles. Grabbing the soap and washcloth, she worked up a lather and smoothed the foam over her skin. For a moment, she closed her eyes, reliving the times that Kane had been in the shower with her and he’d explored her body with his hands. A faint smile appeared. She’d been happy then if she had but known it. The future had been filled with endless possibilities; Kane had been eager to be with her. Now, all that was gone. Instead, she had a mate that she was blood-bonded to and he didn’t even like her! Feeling tears starting to well up again, she abruptly finished washing and stepped out of the shower.
Elise spoke to herself sternly as she dried off. She had to get a grip and face reality. This wasn’t the first time life had thrown her a curve ball. When her mother was killed, she’d pulled herself together and carried on. When her father had suddenly decided to have her mated to Kane and she’d had to leave Bryan, she’d simply stiffened her lip and made the best of the situation. Well, this was no different. Things hadn’t worked out as planned with Kane, but she’d have to find a way to handle it.
As she vigorously towel-dried her hair, she ran though the possibilities. She could go home, return to her old pack. Her father wouldn’t like it, especially since it would break the alliance, but was the alliance really needed? Their packs weren’t at war with each other. The alliance was to keep developers out and from the sound of things, this pack wasn’t willing to sell out to anyone, so it was a moot point.
It would be embarrassing going back home. There would be questions. People might think Kane had sent her away because she wasn’t a suitable mate. Being blood-bonded to Kane meant she’d never be able to bond with another as long as he was alive, so in essence the rest of her life would be spent alone. A shiver ran through her as she contemplated her lonely future.