Chapter 73 – Mate–2
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I reached school when there was still plenty of time before the first period, so I made my way to my locker to put my things. inside. Immediately, Blake came running up to me.
“Lia,” he said, reaching towards me, but then stopping himself.
I looked at him, slamming the locker shut. Blake flinched. slightly.
“How have you been?” I asked, turning towards him completely. “I hope you healed quickly.”
“We need to talk,” he said. “There is so much I need to explain to
you.”
“I understand, Blake. I don’t need explanations, ” I reassured.
“No, it’s important. Please,” he begged.,
“Okay, relax. I’m listening.”
“No, not here,” he said, shaking his head. “Let’s go somewhere more private, please.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Outside,” he said. “Not here, not in front of all these people.‘
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“Okay. Let’s go.”
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We made our way out of the school, and I found myself looking around for Zane. He probably reached school much earlier than I did, but I didn’t see him anywhere.
Blake led me behind the school, and without thinking, I followed him silently. Finally, he stopped behind a large tree, where we’d be protected from public view.
Without missing a beat, he took my hand and pulled me to his chest, hugging me.
I froze, my entire body tensing up even as tingles erupted through my skin.
“I’m so sorry, Lia,” he cried, holding me tightly. “I wish I could’ve protected you better. I wish I didn’t take you there. I wish I was more careful. I allowed you to get hurt. I am so
sorry.”
I tapped his back, frowning. “It’s okay, Blake. You tried your best. It’s not your fault, I promise.”
“But it is,” he growled, pulling away to meet my gaze. His eyes were black instead of green, and his hold on me remained firm. I sucked in a breath. “You don’t understand, Lia,” he forced out. seeming in pain, “this is my one job. I came here to find you.” He turned me around and pushed me against the tree, his fingers digging into my arms.
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“Blake, what are you–”
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“I am supposed to protect you. To keep you safe. You’re supposed to be mine, Lia. Mine to love. Mine to hold. Mine to protect. But he keeps winning. Somehow, he always wins,” he cried.
I blinked. “Winning? Zane isn’t competing with you, Blake. You can rest assured.”
Blake scoffed. “Everything he does is to present himself as the better choice for you. He doesn’t even love you, Lia. He just wants to defeat me. I don’t even think he really is your mate.”
I clenched my jaw.
“He is my mate,” I stated. “And so are you. It is unfortunate that the Goddess decided to pit you two against each other, but this is only as much his fault as it is yours. Just like you didn’t ask for this, he didn’t either.”
“Then why is fate rigged against me?” Blake growled. “There has to be something, right? How does he always show up at the right
moment?”
I frowned. “If he hadn’t shown up that night, Blake, I would be dead. And you know what? So would you.”
Blake laughed, staring at me. “You’re speaking his language. He
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turned you against me. He turned you against me, Lia.“.
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“No, Blake, he didn’t.” I tried to push his hands off my arms, butt Blake only tightened his hold.
“He did. You’re—you’re insulting me and speaking highly of him.”
“I’m not insulting you, Blake.” I said softly, even as my arms had started to hurt. “You’re hurting me. I was hurt on my arm, remember?”
Blake gasped and let go, raising his hands in surrender. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, yet still his eyes did not return to their usual green colour. “I’m sorry. Show me your wound. How—how is it now? How are you here? How are you in school?”
“I’m healed,” I reassured, rubbing my arms where he’d held me. “Zane’s blood saved my life.”
Blake’s eyes darkened even further. “His blood?” he said in a low
tone.
I stared at him, my heart now dropping.
“You let him put his blood inside you?” Blake growled, making me flinch.
“I needed it to save my life,” I whispered. “Would you rather I died?”
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Chapter 73 – Mate–2
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“No,” he snapped, making me flinch. “But now that I’m paying attention, I don’t think his blood is the only thing you let inside. you.”
My mouth fell open in disgust.
“You reek of him,” he muttered, rubbing his hands over my arms, then my face, as if he was trying to clean me.
“What are you doing, Blake?” I said, trying to push his hands
away.
“You smell like him, Lia. What did you do? Did you have sex? Did you mate with him?” he asked, grabbing me by the back of my neck.
“No, Blake!” I cried, trying to pull away from him. “We did not have sex, what’s wrong with you?”
“Then why do you smell like this? I can barely even smell you anymore. It’s all him. Why is it all him, Lia? What is going on?” he cried, and then buried his face inside my neck. He sniffed deeply, then growled. “No, no, no,” he murmured against my neck, “where is your beautiful scent?”
“Blake, get away from me,” I warned, trying my best to push him away now. “You’re scaring me, get away!”
He grabbed a fistful of my hair, making me freeze. “I’m scaring
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you,” he laughed. “He can do anything and he doesn’t scare you. But I’m scaring you. He bullied you for years and that didn’t scare you. But somehow, right now, my love for you is scaring you. You’re such a hypocrite, Lia. You’ve chosen him for good, haven’t you? Are the two of you planning to kill me?”
“What?” I didn’t even know how to react at this point. “Where did that idea even–” Then I froze. My face fell. “Because you’ve considered it,” I whispered. “You’ve considered killing Zane, haven’t you?”
Blake laughed. “Look at you, trying to turn this around, to pin this on me. I never said anything like that.”
“I’m done here, Blake,” I said, struggling against him. “Let go of me.”
“No,” he growled, making me flinch.
“Let go or I will start screaming. You cannot do anything in the middle of the day, Blake. Please. You need to clear your head, you’re not thinking straight.”
“No,” Blake growled. “You do not know what I need, Lia. The only thing I need, is you. My mate. My gorgeous, perfect mate. And I am going to have you, right now, right here, whether you like it or not.”
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