My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 276

Chapter 276

Chapter 276

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The pain in her voice-raw and honest-made me want to punch something. Preferably myself.

There’s nothing wrong with you.” I said it firmly. Absolutely. “Rose, you’re-you’re perfect. Beautiful and smart and graceful and everything I should have recognized immediately. The problem was never you. It was me being too scared to see what the Moon Goddess was giving me.”

“Pretty words.” But she sounded-uncertain. Like maybe she wanted to believe me but couldn’t quite let herself.

“Not pretty words. True words.” I paused. “Rose, what can I do? What would help you trust that I actually want this? That I’m not just performing because my family expects it?”

She thought about it. “I don’t know. I’ve never had a mate before. I’ve never had to-to figure out how to trust someone who already broke that trust before we’d even started building it.”

“That’s fair.” I wanted to touch her. To pull her into my arms and let the mate bond do what it was designed to do connect us, comfort us, prove we belonged together. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not until she trusted I wouldn’t reject her again. “Rose, can I-can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“During these two weeks while I was avoiding you-did you feel the bond? The pull?” I needed to know. Needed to understand what she’d been experiencing while I’d been busy being an idiot.

“Constantly.” The admission was quiet. “Nate, every time you were nearby I felt it. Demanding I go to you. Claim you. Complete the connection. And every time you avoided me or flirted with someone else or made it clear you didn’t want me-it hurt. Physically hurt. Like something vital was being torn.”

Goddess. She’d been in pain. Actual pain from the mate bond while I’d been-

“I didn’t feel that,” I said. “The bond. I mean, I felt the recognition. The pull. But not the constant demand or the physical pain when I avoided you. Is that-is that normal? For it to be stronger for you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never had a mate bond before.” She paused. “Maybe it’s a vampire thing. Uncle Cas said vampire bonds are-intense. All-consuming. Maybe I’m feeling it more strongly because I’m vampire and you’re wolf.

“Or maybe I’m feeling it less strongly because I’ve been actively fighting it.” I looked down. “Rose, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were in pain. I thought-I thought I was just making you uncomfortable or upset. I didn’t realize the bond was actually hurting you.”

“Would it have changed anything? If you’d known?”

Honestly? I didn’t know. Two weeks ago, I’d been so consumed by fear that I might have justified the pain as- necessary. As worth it to maintain distance.

But now-now knowing Rose had been suffering while I’d been performing-

“Yes,” I said. “It would have changed things. Rose, I’m not -I’m not cruel. I wouldn’t have kept avoiding you if I’d understood you were in actual pain.”

looked at me with those eyes that saw too much.

Chapter 276:

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been creating?”

“Court me?” She almost smiled. “Nate, we’re already mates. The bond exists whether we court or not.”

“I know. But you deserve to be courted. Deserve to be pursued. Valued. Shown that you matter.” I took another step closer. “Rose, let me prove it. Let me show you through actions instead of just words that I want this bond Want you.”

She studied me for a long moment. “What does courting look like? For wolves? I don’t-I don’t know the

traditions.”

“Honestly? I don’t either. Not really. But I know it involves-spending time together. Learning about each other. Showing respect and care and genuine interest.” I smiled slightly. “Basically the opposite of everything I’ve been doing for two weeks.”

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