The Mate That Wasn't Mine novel Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Chapter 72

MAXIM POV

Luca definitely, absolutely being dead was my first priority. I stood over his corpse for a few minutes. Making sure he wasn’t about to start érawing healing, recovering. But no. He’s fucked. Good.

Then I took a headcount and stacked up the bodies in a face–down miserable little pile.

Clicking the roof of my mouth, I notice I’m one short. The young one, the one who helped to fix her arm earlier with his skinny face and ashy curls. He can

have this one.

I put Luca on the top even though it made my wounded ribs squeal. Someone definitely caught me mid–carnage. Like crowning a macabre wedding cake, Luca’s horrifically wide–open throat made his head loll and dangle.

The fact he died without Tessa having a fucking clue who he was pleases me. Maybe that makes me cruel but I do not care. Instead, I quickly raided his rucksack. So many little pill bottles. Goddess only knows what fuckery he could have been capable of. I keep one pill from each bottle. Just one. Then I crush the rest under my boot and bury the dust.

All these practical tasks were necessary. My pulse, thoughts and hopes all needed calming down. Because she’s here. Tess. As wildly beautiful as remember her. But I also know she’s away with the fucking stars right now.

When I started hacking my way through to her she looked terrified. Zero recognition. So as much as I want to grab her and plant my lips to hers, it’s a no-

1. go.

It was easy to follow her scent. Like I haven’t had the scent of orange permanently on my mind for the nearly–six weeks since she left anyway. Strolling up to the cave, I wondered if she made it in one piece or took a stumble.

Then my own vision began to blur. This was no time to be a swaggering hero. My wolf needs me to stop and rest. So a fallen tree trunk against the rock face formed a helpful, cold seat. Cleaning and applying stolen dressings from the rucksack, there was nothing to do but to talk. Spill my shattered soul.

Maybe if she doesn’t remember, we can build a bit of trust, start from zero again, it’s possible.

However, I also wouldn’t put it past her to have a sharpened piece of flint ready. Stripping my shirt off and creating the fire torch for her, I made sure my hands were a safe distance. Her instincts and training are all in there, just locked away for now.

After I whispered about not giving up on her, not for eternity, I lost my voice a little.

Because I have absolutely no idea what will make Tessa remember. None at all. But her presence is a gift. She’s not too badly hurt. Luca is dead. Roughly wiping my face, ignoring the burn of pressing tears, I remind myself I’m so lucky to have any part of Tess.

If she’s permanently stuck in this wilderness, then I’ll love her there too.

Even if she can’t, or won’t love me in return.

It churns me up to know she won’t ever think of our first meeting, landing on me in that train carriage. Her brown eyes widening in shock, her quiet little answers, her quick mind working overtime.

So much occurred so swiftly. Leading us back to that same train carriage. She won’t understand how much both of us changed. We grew together. I shed my idiotic arrogance, she had started to lose her defensive, closed–off shell.

I don’t know what else to say because every inch of me hurts. I’m devastated that anyone could do this to her. Her own mate, wiping away the who deserved love, exactly as she was,

“Please keep talking,” comes her soft voice. I sniff, and rub my face in my hands. This is no time for my self–pity. I make a show of clearing my throat, snap some more twigs.

“Sorry. Sure, I was just sorting something out.”

1/4

*Sun 15 Jun

Chapter 72

Sounded like you were upset.”

“Wouldn’t you be?” I snap back.

“I don’t know…People don’t walk away from love. Not real love anyway.”

Goddess this version of Tessa is out to burn my heart to a crisp.

“I helped her leave because I loved her. Then I faked her death so the pack wouldn’t chase her down. I chose her life over my selfish need to keep her in my world, and I’ve regretted it every minute since.”

“Because you should have left with her?”

She hasn’t lost her quickness. I can only give a gruff, “yes,” in reply, allowing us to fall back into silence. I need her to keep talking. Curiosity, asking questions, who knows what might help her find her way back to her former self.

“Why did she want to leave?”

“Because she had secrets. She actually had a mate already.”

“She lied! A mate?!” gasps out of the dark. It could almost be funny if she wasn’t judging herself.

“She had her reasons. He wasn’t a good man. Her best friend Irene was killed by Alpha Hale. She was judged for her family name. And I think…she felt part of loving me was not letting me get caught up in all that.”

I’m fumbling my words. It is not her fault, but she has no idea how it felt to let her go. How we kissed and caressed each other like the world would end if we were to break apart.

“Anyway, that’s my story.”

“So why did you kill all those men?”

“Because Luca, the dark haired guy? He was my loves mate.”

“Luca was…” her voice laced with soft confusion. She must be scared of what I’m saying, maybe some of it is sparking up sections of her memory. Or perhaps she thinks I’m a liar.

“Yes. The guy from today. He wanted her back at any cost.”

“But if they were mates…they should have been together? A good match?”

“I think he was when they were children. He called her Feisty and kept her safe when her family were cruel. He taught her to shoot a bow and arrow. But by the time they met again as adults…he hurt her. She ran from him, made her own choice. Then we met, we fell in love and yes she isn’t my mate but I would stand before the Goddess herself and tell her she made a mistake in not pairing us.”

My rib is bleeding pretty heavily, my fists clenched either side. “Fucking hell,” I whisper, forgetting my copper–haired tormentor could overhear.

Grabbing more bandages I focus on quickly wrapping them around my bare torso.

The way the trickles of blood run freely down my side it feels like my wolf is weeping alongside me tonight. Here in the dark I’ve never felt more alone.

Tentatively, definitely closer to the cave entrance/Tess says. “It feels like I’m part of this story.”

“But you don’t remember, do you?” I whisper sádly, shutting my eyes.

“No.”

I remember Luca describing the strength of those pills. How he wouldn’t have to keep “resetting” and explaining everything. I’m terrified what he’s given her is stronger than anything Donlon had access to. That this might not be reversible.

2/4

13:14 Sun, 15 Jün G GO

Chapter 72

But I cannot let her know my fears. “That’s okay. Who knows maybe one

day.”

Tessa interrupts me with a rapid, “I want to test something. Can you keep your eyes closed?”

“I really don’t want a piece of sharp stone jabbing into my throat.”

“That was only my plan at the start of this conversation,” she protests.

“I’m not a complete idiot, unless that’s what you’ve taken from my very sad, very true story,” unable to help the depressed sarcasm sneaking in.

“I didn’t think it was sad. I thought…I thought it was beautiful.”

The urge to scream that it’s our story is torturous.

I’m hers. She loved me. Only a few days ago I would have been in her thoughts and dreams. Only for Luca to ram some pills in her and steal everything. No wonder Alpha Hale lost his fucking mind.

158

I hear a breath wooshing out of her, the air crackling along with the still–burning fire torch. “I just…all I can do is listen to my wolf and she’s screaming at me to come out of this cave.”

“My eyes closed?”

“Please.”

I lean back against the rocks, sat on a fallen log. What have I got to lose? I take a minute to check my bandages before obeying.

“Done. You can come out.”

My wolf is going crazy at each tiny sound. I can’t help a little smirk at the noisy, rock–scattering racket she makes. I think of her first go in the paint landmines, all clumsy and wrong–footed.

“Sneaky arent you?” I joke softly.

“Shut up,” she answers back only for the next thing I hear is her gentle gasp.