My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86

My Cheating Mate

Emma pov

I sat on the couch wrapped in the sheet from the bedroom, staring at nothing as the sun disappeared completely. The cabin was dark except for the last dregs of twilight filtering through the windows.

Jeremy had been gone for two hours.

Two hours since I’d basically told him to leave. Since I’d hidden in the bedroom instead of saying goodbye properly. Since I’d let him walk out that door thinking I was angry at him.

And I was angry. Furious, actually. Furious at the situation, at Black River, at Vanessa’s ghost that kept haunting us from beyond the grave.

But not at Jeremy. Not really.

He’d been right. The pack needed him. People were going to die if they didn’t have proper tactical planning against a hundred mercenary wolves. His father had asked–not ordered, asked–for help, and Jeremy had agreed because that’s what future Alphas do.

They put the pack first.

Even when it hurt. Even when it meant leaving their mate alone in a safe house after finally, finally starting to rebuild trust.

I should have been supportive. Should have told him I understood, that I was proud of him for stepping up, that I’d be okay here

alone.

Instead, I’d made him feel guilty. Had accused him of choosing duty over me, like his responsibility to the pack was somehow equivalent to his affair with Vanessa.

“God, I’m such an idiot,” I said to the empty room.

My phone sat on the coffee table. Jeremy had said he’d call when he got to pack lands. That had been–I checked the time- thirty minutes ago. He should have arrived by now.

But the phone stayed silent.

Maybe he was in meetings already. Or maybe he didn’t want to call after the way I’d treated him. Couldn’t blame him for that.

I pulled the sheet tighter around myself, feeling the ache of his absence. We’d made love just hours ago. d finally let my walls down, let myself be vulnerable with him, trusted him with my body and my heart.

And then I’d thrown it in his face the moment things got hard.

The thing was, I knew why I’d reacted that way. Therapy with Dr. Chen had given me enough self–awareness to understand my own patterns.

I was terrified of losing him. Not to another woman this time, but to violence. To the mercenaries who’d almost killed him once already. To a battle where a hundred professional fighters were planning to destroy everything we loved.

Last night’s attack had been bad enough–watching Jeremy fight, seeing him bleed, thinking he might die protecting me. The terror of that had clarified how much I still loved him.

And now he was heading back into danger. Worse danger. And my fear had manifested as anger, as accusation, as pushing him away before he could leave me through death instead of choice.

Classic defense mechanism. Hurt him before he could hurt me. Push him away before I could lose him.

713

+15 Bonus

“Really healthy, Emma,” I tattered sarcastically. “Great job.”

My phone buzzed. I grabbed itinmediately

Jeremy: “Made it to pack lands safely. In briefing with Dad and council now. Will call when I can. I love you. Please be safe.”

Relief flooded through me. He was alive. He’d made it.

And he was still saying he loved me, even after I’d been awful.

I stared at the message, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. What did I say? How did I apologize for the way I’d acted?

Finally, I typed: “I’m sorry. For how I reacted. For what I said. I know you need to be there. I’m just scared of losing you.”

I hit send before I could second–guess myself.

Three dots appeared immediately, then: “I know. I’m scared too. But Emma, I’m coming back to you. I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“Then I’ll make it true. Whatever it takes.”

I smiled despite everything, tears streaming down my face. “Be safe. Please be safe.”

“I will. You too. Lock all the doors. Keep your phone charged. Call me if ANYTHING seems off.”

“I will. Jeremy?”

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