no choice. Everything he and his father had suspected was true, only it was far worse than he’d imagined.
“They actually told you this?”
“Yes. That’s why I’ve been avoiding you this past week. When I’m near you…” The look on her face said it all. She did want him. He’d been right about that. His heart filled with joy until she sucked in a hard breath as if she was about to cry. “I only want to be with you, Canyon, but I can’t. I have to take Hawke as my mate instead.”
The knowledge she still believed he was her true mate meant nothing in light of this revelation. If he claimed Fiera as his own, she’d lose everything her family had worked generations for. But if he gave her up to Hawke, Canyon would lose his mate, and he and Fiera would both be miserable for the rest of their lives.
Chapter Two
Guilt consumed Fiera as she watched Canyon’s face. She didn’t know what else to say to make him understand. But at the same time, the magnitude of what she’d just revealed finally hit her.
This man was her mate. She’d known it for ten years, and so had he. But she’d just told him she had planned to mate with another male. Granted, she had good reasons for believing she had to do so, but this was the first time Canyon was hearing them.
“I’m afraid, Canyon. For my father, for his business, and for myself.”
“Tell me everything. All of it.” The coldness in his voice didn’t surprise her. She certainly owed him an explanation.
“Three months ago, the day before my eighteenth birthday, Hawke cornered me in the woods behind our home and laid it all out for me. He stopped short of forcing himself on me, and told me he would honor our laws because I wasn’t yet of age.”
The sound of disgust Canyon made was accompanied by him walking away from her. Fiera wasn’t sure she could continue, but she knew she had to tell him everything. He stopped next to the sofa and watched her carefully. “Keep going.”
“He warned me that one day he’d lose his control and take me as his mate, whether I wanted him to or not.”
Just thinking about that day was enough to make her stomach turn.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me about this before now?”
Canyon had never shouted at her, and Fiera recoiled as the sound filled the room. “I was afraid of him and his family. How many times have we all watched them bully others and nothing was done about it?”
She hadn’t gone into the woods alone since that day. The only reason she’d come with Canyon this morning was because she knew Hawke was in Port Angeles for the day with his family, and they weren’t expected back before dark.
“ This is why you’ve been avoiding me?”
“Yes.”
“Is it the only reason, or is there more?”
Fiera swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. “Hawke came to my house eight days ago and told me I had two weeks to make up my mind willingly. After that, he was taking me. I reminded him that the Elders had already decided you were my mate, and that’s when he threatened to have my father declared mentally incompetent.”
Canyon stared at her like she’d just told him the sky wasn’t really blue. “I’m serious,” she said. “You have to believe me. They’ve already filed a complaint with the Elders.”
It broke her heart to realize her words were the cause of that look on his face—both angry and defeated at the same time. She had to say something to make this right.
“Canyon, I’ve loved you as far back as I can remember. At your coming of age party when you turned eighteen, I was only eight so I didn’t completely understand that look on your face, but I do now. I didn’t know what the odd stirrings in my body were at the time, but I remember you taking me aside and whispering in my ear.”
“I remember it, too, Fiera. Like it was yesterday. I told you we’d be together one day, after you were grown.” He rose and walked toward her.
“And I do believe you about what
“They actually told you this?”
“Yes. That’s why I’ve been avoiding you this past week. When I’m near you…” The look on her face said it all. She did want him. He’d been right about that. His heart filled with joy until she sucked in a hard breath as if she was about to cry. “I only want to be with you, Canyon, but I can’t. I have to take Hawke as my mate instead.”
The knowledge she still believed he was her true mate meant nothing in light of this revelation. If he claimed Fiera as his own, she’d lose everything her family had worked generations for. But if he gave her up to Hawke, Canyon would lose his mate, and he and Fiera would both be miserable for the rest of their lives.
Chapter Two
Guilt consumed Fiera as she watched Canyon’s face. She didn’t know what else to say to make him understand. But at the same time, the magnitude of what she’d just revealed finally hit her.
This man was her mate. She’d known it for ten years, and so had he. But she’d just told him she had planned to mate with another male. Granted, she had good reasons for believing she had to do so, but this was the first time Canyon was hearing them.
“I’m afraid, Canyon. For my father, for his business, and for myself.”
“Tell me everything. All of it.” The coldness in his voice didn’t surprise her. She certainly owed him an explanation.
“Three months ago, the day before my eighteenth birthday, Hawke cornered me in the woods behind our home and laid it all out for me. He stopped short of forcing himself on me, and told me he would honor our laws because I wasn’t yet of age.”
The sound of disgust Canyon made was accompanied by him walking away from her. Fiera wasn’t sure she could continue, but she knew she had to tell him everything. He stopped next to the sofa and watched her carefully. “Keep going.”
“He warned me that one day he’d lose his control and take me as his mate, whether I wanted him to or not.”
Just thinking about that day was enough to make her stomach turn.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me about this before now?”
Canyon had never shouted at her, and Fiera recoiled as the sound filled the room. “I was afraid of him and his family. How many times have we all watched them bully others and nothing was done about it?”
She hadn’t gone into the woods alone since that day. The only reason she’d come with Canyon this morning was because she knew Hawke was in Port Angeles for the day with his family, and they weren’t expected back before dark.
“ This is why you’ve been avoiding me?”
“Yes.”
“Is it the only reason, or is there more?”
Fiera swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. “Hawke came to my house eight days ago and told me I had two weeks to make up my mind willingly. After that, he was taking me. I reminded him that the Elders had already decided you were my mate, and that’s when he threatened to have my father declared mentally incompetent.”
Canyon stared at her like she’d just told him the sky wasn’t really blue. “I’m serious,” she said. “You have to believe me. They’ve already filed a complaint with the Elders.”
It broke her heart to realize her words were the cause of that look on his face—both angry and defeated at the same time. She had to say something to make this right.
“Canyon, I’ve loved you as far back as I can remember. At your coming of age party when you turned eighteen, I was only eight so I didn’t completely understand that look on your face, but I do now. I didn’t know what the odd stirrings in my body were at the time, but I remember you taking me aside and whispering in my ear.”
“I remember it, too, Fiera. Like it was yesterday. I told you we’d be together one day, after you were grown.” He rose and walked toward her.
“And I do believe you about what
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