My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 206

Chapter 28

My Cheating MAN

Connor pov

We’d been talking for almost two hours. Two hours of actual conversation discussion about art and pack dynamics and what we wanted out of life.

not small talk, not surface pleasantries, but real

Grace was nothing like what I’d expected. Nothing like What Courtney had described.

She was funny. Observant. Had opinions about everything from pack politics to the best way to blend oil pastels. Challenged my assumptions about integration and tradition and what it meant to be part of a pack.

I was learning things. Important things. Like how she’d spent her tenth birthday corresponding with an eleveti hundred–year- old vampire about horse parliamentary systems. Like how she’d chosen art because words couldn’t capture what she saw in people’s faces. Like how she’d grown up watching her parents rebuild from betrayal and decided she’d rather be alone than settle for half–measures.

“So that’s what the ultimatum was about,” I said, understanding clicking into place. “You weren’t manipulating me. You were protecting yourself from repeating your mother’s experience.” 1

“Exactly.” She pulled her blanket tighter–the night had gotten colder. “Connor, I watched my parents work for years to rebuild trust. It’s beautiful what they have now. But it started broken. Started with betrayal. I didn’t want that for my mate bond. Didn’t want to start already damaged.”

“That’s–that’s really wise. For eighteen.” I paused. “Grace, I’m sorry. For making you wait. For not coming to you in mediately when I recognized the bond. For–for all of it.”

“Thank you.” She looked at her watch. “You have thirty minutes left. Have you figured out what you want?”

Had I? Had I figured out whether I was brave enough to choose the mate bond over the relationship I’d been building?

“I want-

Movement in my peripheral vision. Fast. Wrong.

Courtney burst from the tree line, sprinting toward us with something in her hand that caught the moonlight.

A knife. Silver blade. The kind designed specifically to hurt wolves.

She was targeting Grace. Moving with the kind of focused violence that said this wasn’t a threat or a scare tactic–this was an actual attack.

Everything happened too fast and too slow simultaneously.

Grace saw her. Started to move. But Courtney was closer, faster, driven by rage that made her reckless and dangerous.

I moved without thinking. Shifted without conscious decision. My wolf surged forward, putting myself between Courtney and Grace just as the silver knife came down.

Pain exploded across my shoulder–the blade meant for Grace’s chest finding my wolf form instead. Silver burned, the wound searing deeper than normal injuries.

But I’d blocked it. Taken the hit meant for my mate.

Courtney stumbled back, shock on her face. Like she hadn’t actually expected me to interfere. Like she’d thought–what? That I’d let her attack Grace? That I’d stand there while she attempted murder?

“Connor

“Her voice was desperate. “Connor, move. She’s manipulating you. Using the mate bond to make

you

think-

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I growled. Low and dangerous and absolutely dear: *Back Off. Now. *

The front door of the Trefft house slammed open. Alpha jeremy appeared first, already shifting. Then Lord Castellan–moving with that supernatural vampire speed that made him seem to teleport rather than ron.

“Courtney Vex.” The vampire lord’s voice carried across the garden. Cold. Absolutely lethal. “You’re on Trent property. With a silver weapon. Having just attacked the Alpha’s daughter and her mate.”

Courtney’s face went white. The knife dropped from her hand.

“I didn’t—I wasn’t-” She was backing up now, realizing what she’d done. “I was just trying to make Grace understand-”

“Understand what?” Luna Emma had appeared beside Alpha Jeremy, her expression absolutely furious. “That you’re willing to commit murder because you can’t accept that Connor chose his mate over you?”

“He didn’t choose – he was manipulated–the mate bond isn’t real choice-“Courtney’s words were tumbling out now, desperate. “I was protecting him from making a mistake—”

“You attacked my daughter with a silver knife.” Alpha Jeremy’s voice was pure Alpha command. “That’s attempted murder. On pack property. Against the Alpha heir.”

“I didn’t mean–it wasn’t supposed to-” Courtney looked at me, eyes wide with the realization of how badly she’d miscalculated. “Connor, tell them. Tell them I would never actually hurt Grace. I was just–trying to show you—”

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