Mates: Werewolf BBW Romance (Running With Alphas Book 8) Read Free Page A

question. After all, this was the most time they’d spent together in two months and he’d gone out of his way to ensure it. But her question clashed so harshly with his feelings for her that he couldn’t help but feel taken aback.
    He set the soiled rag aside and moved to rinse his hands in a small dish of water. “Of course I do.”
    “Then what is it?” she asked, her voice sounding small. “Does it bother you that I’m pregnant?”
    One of his hands tightened into a fist. “Yes… but not in the way you’re thinking.”
    “Then explain it to me.”
    Hale unclenched his hands, and then dried them both on a towel. He let out a small sigh before making his way over to where Taylor lay on the furs. There was no anger visible in her expression, but even more unexpectedly, she also didn’t appear upset. Despite the puffiness around her eyes and the dried tear tracks on her cheeks, she looked to be simply curious.
    “They’re not mine,” he said solemnly. “I thought I’d be okay with that, but I’m not.”
    “We talked about this, Hale. They’re just as much yours as Alder’s—”
    “But they won’t be,” he said, his lips flattening. “Up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t even want pups. Now I do, but I have to share them with my brother. And he might not have been much of a father to Snow, but at least he knows what not to do. I don’t know shit about being a father.”
    “I don’t know anything about being a mother.”
    He knew he should just let her reassure him, but his mouth refused to cooperate.
    “But you’re not competing with anyone,” he told her. “Even if you’re terrible at being a mother—which you won’t be—they won’t know any different. You’re the only mother they’ll ever know. But next to Alder, I’ll always be second best. The one they go to when their real father isn’t around.”
    Compared to the shock of finding Taylor lying in her blood, his confessions felt trivial. For the first time in weeks, he was able to admit his true feelings with minimal shame and self-loathing. Though, he had a nagging suspicion he’d regret it all later, once the adrenaline wore off.
    “It’s not just that, Taylor. I don’t want to share you either. This entire situation has me thinking that wolves really weren’t meant to share mates.”
    Her brows drew together. “I don’t get it. If you’re so hung up over me, why have you gone out of your way to make me feel like crap since Alder’s been gone?”
    The words weren’t an accusation, just a plain question, and it allowed Hale to be honest, rather than defensive.
    “Because when I was watching my brother leave, all I could think was that I wished he’d never come back.”
    Taylor’s gaze softened. “Hale…”
    He held up a hand. “I don’t mean that I wanted him to leave you. I mean, I wanted him to die.” He tried to swallow, but found that he couldn’t. “I even had the thought that if he did try to come back, I’d kill him myself.”
    Her neutral demeanor morphed into one of shock and dismay. “You didn’t mean it.”
    “Yes, I did. I wanted him dead. I don’t know if it’s instincts, or if I’m just completely fucked up, but I wanted you so badly that I could have killed my own twin… I thought that if I spent more time with you, if I had you all to myself for even a few days, let alone weeks, I’d never be able to share you again.”
    Before Taylor could formulate a response, Lark and Fenix burst into the cabin. Hale saw alarm spread over their faces as they caught the scent of Taylor’s blood, but they both relaxed somewhat as they took in his calm demeanor.
    Cammie came in behind them, and he was grateful for her intuition, both because it meant Taylor wouldn’t have to wait to receive care and because he didn’t want to be alone with Taylor while the others went back to the den to get the healer. He wasn’t sure whether Taylor would admonish him for what he’d confessed, or worse, try to