Favor Redeemed Ch. 03

Bridget came in with a tray piled with food and drinks and could obviously tell there was tension in the room. She quickly went to the coffee table, unloaded the tray and at a nod from the Alpha, left.

"Amelia," Brendan said softly when they were once alone again. He watched her standing in the corner looking so alone that his heart wrenched. She should not be alone, she should be by his side, and in his bed.

She looked into his eyes and knew this was not a joke or a ploy. He believed she was his mate. She was not sure it was true, however, but she did believe he believed it. Finally after several minutes of silence she murmured, "I can't be your mate. I'm already married to someone else."

"Amelia, you are obviously leaving him."

"But I don't want to find anyone else," she said with a note of sadness.

"Why not?"

"Because"

"That's not an answer."

"Because he wasn't a good husband."

"So because you were married to bad man, you don't ever want to be with anyone else?" asked Brendan incredulously.

A touch of anger sparked in her as she said, "I've known you for all of five minutes and you want to claim me as your mate. You do not know anything about me. If I tell you I DO NOT want to be with anyone else ever again, isn't that my right?"

Rationally Brendan knew that she'd been hurt and that he had rushed her and brought this on himself, but he had wait so long to find her and his wolf's instincts were to rip her clothing off, push her down to the floor and taste her all over and then take her and claim her.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked instead, though he was certain he knew the answer.

"It doesn't matter what HE did," Amelia said exasperated.

"Yes it does," Brendan responded, his frustration spilling into his words. "If you were naked in front of me right now, how many bruises would I see?"

"That's none of your business."

"Yes it is. Whether you believe it or not, you are my mate and it's my job to protect you and to take care of you, just as it is your job to protect me and take care of me. The fact that someone may have hurt you makes me want to find them and tear them apart. Literally."

"I don't need someone to protect me, I just need a job. I can take care of myself and I am going to do so." Amelia did not realize that he words were like waving a red flag at a bull.

"You. Are. Mine." He said. Amelia became frightened as she saw Brendan's features begin to change. Hair began to take on a more fur-like quality and he began shifting to a hybrid form, looking half man and half wolf. His clothes ripped some, to accommodate the bulkier form. Stalking her, he cornered her behind the desk as she frantically tried to find an exit.

"No, p-please, don't hurt me," she said stuttered, tears once again welling up in her eyes, knowing that this seemed so cliché, like from a bad horror movie, even as she said it. How many times had she begged the same thing of John, her husband? It had never made a difference then, and she did not really expect it to now.

Between her words, her tears, and the scent of her fear Brendan was able to calm himself enough to leave the room. He shifted fully to his wolf form once he was outside, and raced outdoors, needing to run off some of his anger and frustration, and his fear that he might never be able to claim his mate.