The Reluctant Mate: (Book 13, Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas) by E A Price Page B

look.  “I don’t know, a few months… maybe a year.”
    “A year!” he exploded.
    “I told the Alpha, he threatened Mark, I got my number changed, and somehow Mark found out and got my new number.  After that, I didn’t bother telling the Alpha.  Honestly, it’s more annoying that anything else.”
    Reid paced the room, trying to hold back his restless beast.  The idea of Jolene being in danger was abhorrent.  He knew her marriage ended; he just had no idea how bad it must have been.  But then, you weren’t there, added his wolf, nastily.
    Reid ignored his guilt.  “What the hell does he want?”
    Jolene rolled a shoulder and started pulling ingredients out, unconcerned by the phone call.  “Sometimes he asks me to go and live with him.”
    Reid growled as his wolf snarled.  “You didn’t agree to that did you?”  He’d tie her to the bed before he allowed that.
    Jolene arched an eyebrow.  “Would I be here if I had?”
    “And?”
    She sighed.  “Sometimes he just wants money, but given that he’s the one who ran up my credit cards, I don’t have anything to give him.”
    “Jeez Jolene, why haven’t you told anyone?” he snapped in frustration.
    Jolene gave him a long look before her cheeks flushed.  “I don’t know… embarrassment.”
    Reid’s brow creased.
    “Look, I married the idiot, and the marriage started failing within a month, and yet I never tried to get out of it.  I was too ashamed that I’d rushed into marriage with a man who was using me to fund his gambling addiction.  Okay?  I was dumb and too ashamed to admit what a huge mistake I made.  I just… I just want him to go away.  I want to forget it ever happened.”
    Her voice quavered toward the end and Reid was in front of her instantly, not touching her, but standing inches away.
    “It’s not your fault,” he rumbled, trying to soothe her.
    “It is my fault.”
    “You didn’t know what he was like.”
    “Exactly!” she scoffed, looking down.  “I didn’t know – I didn’t take the time to get to know him.  I was so despondent after Beau dumped me… I just rushed into it; I didn’t want anyone to think I was some loser pining away after Beau.  And you!”  She looked back up with anger in her eyes and slapped his arm.  “You left town!”
    He looked at her quizzically, and she threw up her hands, groaning.
    “You left me all alone with these mad wolves without so much as a goodbye, so yeah I was feeling abandoned, and I desperately wanted someone to care.”
    His wolf grumbled in agreement.  “But, you had Kim.”
    She looked at him with watery eyes.  “I love Kim, but she’s not you.  I needed you, and you left.  Don’t leave again.”  Her eyes pooled with need and dare he hope, want.
    Barely a second passed before the words, “I won’t” escaped his lips.  His beast roared, both pleased and sad, at the rawness in her face.  He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him.  “I won’t.  Never again.”

Chapter Thirteen
    Reid spent the entire weekend at Jolene’s house.  He said he was there to protect her from Mark – but she suspected he just wanted to be there.  He also insisted that she tell the Alpha about Mark’s continued badgering.  She didn’t want to, but he had a way of nagging that involved just dark scowly looks, and she couldn’t help but give in.
    He was also trying to get her to borrow money from him – at that she absolutely drew the line.  Enough was enough – she could put up with his continued attention – mostly because she enjoyed it, but she wasn’t going to take his money.  He didn’t like it, but he accepted it… for the moment .
    He replayed her words over and over in his head.  I needed you.  Don’t leave again .
    All the time he was away he thought of her, he didn’t consider that he had hurt her by leaving.  He never imagined she needed him.
    He couldn’t stand the thought of watching her pine for Beau, so he left.