The Mark of Betrayal (by Cooper) novel Chapter 69

Priscilla

The pain of my rejection to Dylan was almost more than I could bear, but I stood, needing him to finish it so his death didn’t kill me too. Our daughters deserve more than losing both parents because of his betrayal.

His acceptance of my rejection felt like half of my soul was ripped from my body, like my lifespan was just cut in half and I’m now on the cusp of death.

The pain had been too much, and I’d collapsed, only to be caught in the arms of a man who shouldn’t smell nearly as good as he does. His arms around me shouldn’t feel healing, but they do.

“How?” I ask, my voice shaky. “Why?”

“I don’t know. The timing couldn’t be worse, but I believe everything happens for a reason. There’s a reason I came here today. I didn’t need to be here, but I felt something deep inside me pulling me to this pack. Now I know why.”

I should move, I want to, this is wrong on so many levels, but being in his arms is already healing me. I hear the whistle of Roman’s claws through the air a moment before I hear the thud of Dylan’s head hitting the ground.

I whimper, pressing my face to the detective’s chest. Lucia, my wolf, begins breathing deeply, trying to make sense of the death of one mate while finding another one.

“Come on, you shouldn’t be out here. Keep your face tucked against my chest,” he says, easily lifting me off the ground. “My daughters…”

“I’ll make sure Alpha Roman and Luna Samara are looking after them. You’re no good to them right now.”

He carries me into the packhouse. “Where do you want me to take you?”

“Upstairs, Alpha floor. But I don’t want to go into my bedroom. A guest room please.”

“You can show me which one,” he says, carrying me up the stairs, holding me against him like I’m precious.

When we get there, I point to a room away from my room with Dylan. The detective carries me to the bed, pulling the blankets down then gently laying me on the bed.

I stare at him while he carefully removes my shoes before tucking my feet under the blanket and pulling it up to my chest.

“I don’t remember your name, I’m sorry,” I tell him.

“It’s okay, Luna. You’ve had a very rough day. My name is Timothy.”

“Timothy, I don’t why the Moon Goddess did this to me now, but … I can’t do this right now. I woke up this morning in the bed I’ve shared with my mate for twelve years. I can’t go from one man’s bed to another just like that.”

“I understand. Well, I don’t understand what the Moon Goddess is trying to do, other than perhaps having me here to keep you from dying from the pain of your loss. But I know that I never found my mate. I’ve been waiting to find you. I can wait longer while you heal and come to terms with all of this. However, if you want me to go, I will.”

I should say yes. I should tell him to leave so I can grieve my mate properly but having him here is keeping Lucia forward. I haven’t lost her and that’s because Timothy is here with me.

“Having you here is making me stronger,” I say.

“Then I’ll stay right here. Why don’t you get some rest. I’m not going anywhere.”

I close my eyes, my body is aching from the pain of rejection, but I know it would be much worse if Timothy wasn’t here, helping me and Lucia through it.

I feel his fingers slide through my hair, gently touching my face. The tingles of the mate bond ignite where he’s touching me. Rather than the usual desire that mates get from the touch of their other half, it feels like the tingles are rolling through my body, healing me from the inside out.

It’s the last thought that I have before I fall into blissful sleep.

Samara POV

‘Priscilla collapsed. Timothy is carrying her inside. How are the pups?’ Roman asks in the mind link.

‘Crying as expected, but Ayla has them relatively calm,’ I say.

‘I’m going to address the pack, then I’ll be in to help you. Are you okay?’

‘Yes. I just hate this,’ I say.

‘It’s done now. This was the last of it. We’ll trudge through and then start working on a better tomorrow.’

“What’s going to happen to us?” Heidi asks, her voice shaking. She’s the older of the two. Roman told me the girls are eleven and nine, just a bit older than Sloane and Scarlet.

“That’s going to depend on your mother. She has some options available to her. You can come live with us. Your cousins have already moved in. Or she may want to make a fresh start somewhere else. We’ll see once she’s stronger.”

“Do you think daddy accepted her rejection?” Sonya asks.

“I do. He said he loved you and he would have done it for you as much as he would have done it for her.” “What if mommy dies?” Sonya cries.

“She didn’t. She’s weak, but I can feel her,” Heidi says. She got her wolf a year ago when she turned ten.

I keep my arms wrapped around the girls and by the time Roman finds me, Ayla has put them to sleep.

“I know they’re exhausted. Today has been a tough day all around,” he says, coming over to pick Heidi up. Pierce instantly starts purring to keep her asleep.

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