Dead. Every last one of them murdered. It was the thing of damn nightmares and not something he wanted to subject his mate to.
“If you refuse I’ll go anyway, on my own.” Her chin jutted out defiantly but to Rafe she looked adorable.
“Rebellious much?” he asked, head tilting to the side as he stared hard at her.
Anyone in the Pack would have backed down, without a second’s thought. Not Tasha.
Her head lifted as she nodded. “My mom used to say that all the time. I don’t like just being told what to do. Not if I have an opinion on something. And this I definitely have my own opinion. I have to go, Rafe. I don’t have a choice.”
“Sure you do,” he answered, using his firm Alpha voice. “You can do as I ask and stay here, where you’ll be safe.”
“I’m not sure if you understand,” she implored. “First, it’s my Pack! I have to go. Second, I feel safer the nearer I am to you. I won’t stay here alone.”
Rafe couldn’t help the exasperated sigh that exploded from him as he pushed his chair back and started pacing. “Tasha, you wouldn’t be alone. You’d be here with my Pack and a dozen guards with one order: to keep you safe. I have no idea what we’ll be walking into tomorrow. What if there are rogues still there and they attack? I need to be able to fight without worrying about you being hurt, or worse. I almost lost you before. I couldn’t stand losing you, my mate. I just couldn’t.”
“Yet you expect me to sit here and wait for you?” she said hotly, her face flushed with anger. “While you go off and possibly face rogues? That is not happening, Rafe. Not in a million years. I am . . .”
He strode over quickly, grabbed her shoulders and lifted her up, cutting off her tirade. “You’re my mate and the thought of you being hurt is like a knife in my fucking guts.”
“Ditto!” she snarled back. The fire in her eyes bringing out sparks of silver in the pale grey that he hadn’t noticed before. Her clenched fists on his chest between them as her anger grew.
“Touché.” Rafe leaned down, his forehead on hers as he tried to control his breathing. “Okay, if I say you can come, will you promise to follow my orders? That’s what every other Wolf will be doing, Tasha. I am Alpha.”
He watched as her anger dimmed but her fire did not. He liked that. He needed a mate that was strong and could stand up to him when required. Even if that would piss him off.
Her nod was so faint that he almost missed it. Her voice reluctant as she agreed. “Fine.”
“Thank you,” he sighed as relief flooded through him. “You are too precious to me, Tasha. I can’t allow anything to happen to you, sweetheart.”
“I know,” she said, relaxing against his chest.
“I have to text Jacy to rearrange things for tomorrow.” He snatched his phone from his pocket, moving away. “If you’re coming with us then I’m taking the extra guards too.”
“I’m definitely coming,” she said firmly.
“I can’t change your mind?” He tried one last time.
“Nope,” she said, shaking her head.
Finishing his text he returned, his finger running down her cheek. “You’re going to keep me on my toes. Aren’t you?”
She smirked, shrugging. “Probably.”
“You need to listen to me tomorrow, stay close by and if I tell you to do something, baby, please don’t argue.”
“I’ll try my very best.” She made a cross over her heart before yawning. “I’m tired, can we go to bed?”
Rafe’s heart sped up. Could he have her close but not mate with her?
He’d have to. He refused to hurt her in any way and if she needed to wait for a day or so then he’d just have to man up. He would have to ask her something though. He’d wait until they were settled in his room first.
“Let’s go up,” he said instead, taking her hand and leading her upstairs.
“Rafe, in case you’re wondering, I don’t want to sleep alone. I just don’t want us to . . . you know. Not until I’ve buried my parents. It seems wrong somehow.”
Her emotion-filled words tore at his heart. He wished he could take her pain away but he knew he couldn’t. What he could do was respect her wishes and be there for her. No matter what.
“I understand and it’s all right.” He smiled down at her. “I’ll wait for you, baby.”
“Thank you,” she said softly as they walked along the hallway to his room.
Opening the door, he waved an arm around, showing her the room that would now be theirs. It was manly, nothing in it feminine at all, and he expected that to change. He was fine with that too. He didn’t care what his surroundings were. Only that each night his mate lay beside him. That was the most important thing of all.
“I know you’ll want to change it and that’s all right. I don’t give a hoot about any of that. All I care about is that we’re together.”
His voice had dropped, his feelings overcoming him as Tasha walked around. She looked over and gave him a smile that would be imprinted on his brain. Her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“You might regret saying that,” she quipped. “What if I want pink walls and ruffles everywhere?”
Rafe winced. Pink walls? Shit, he hoped not.
“Emm, that’s fine with me,” he replied bravely.
Tasha spun around, her arms wide, singing. “Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
Laughter filled the room as he let rip, unable to hold it in. Tasha stopped spinning, giggling along with him until tears ran down her cheeks and she held her sides. She flopped onto the bed where her laughter finally
