The Broken Mate

"When you are properly trained," he completed that sentence.

He could not go through this again.

In fact, he still wasn't sure any of this was real.

They walked in silence for a while, processing, heading for the pack house.

"Did you tell them about what happened?" Maya asked.

"I did, but not intentionally. Sometimes they just know," Harlan answered, holding her hand so tight he was afraid he might break it.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," she said with a sad smile.

"Are the borders secure?"

"I'll ask," he said.

Are our borders secure?

Elowen and Arden made sure of it. We lost some lives today, Damien answered. Is Maya okay?

Yes.

He didn't want to say anything else. He wasn't sure how Maya wanted to handle this situation.

What about Blaze?

The sole thought of his friend wanting his mate made him unmeasurably jealous, but right now he only cared that she was okay, and by his side.

She isn't dead.

He left without saying anything after Maya broke his heart.

Harlan stopped in his tracks and realized he hadn't asked what happened with Blaze.

He didn't have time.

Because she died.

But she was okay now.

She was here.

"You broke Blaze's heart?" Harlan asked, feeling guilty he liked the idea.

She looked startled.

"Why? Did he say anything?"

Her surprise turned into guilt.

"I didn't mean to. I just told him I loved him as a friend and that I loved you."

Harlan hissed.

"That's gotta hurt," he said, taking a deep breath to calm his giddiness.

Again, this possessiveness was not a good look on him. He hated it.

"No, I was talking to Damien. The borders are secure, by the way."

She nodded and stopped dead in her tracks.

He did too and looked at her.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

He was worried again.

Was she hurt? Was she having one of those flashbacks?

Oh, now that he was officially her mate, no one would think it was strange if he murdered the man who hurt her with his bare hands.

He had a lot of murderous fantasies as she was telling him what she remembered.

He had never wanted to kill someone more.

And he would suffer.

Oh, he would suffer so much he was going to beg and..

"That man was there," she said, hugging herself.

"The man that.. hurt me."

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

And suddenly he was seeing red.

He was there?

He was going to fuck him up.

There was no way around it.

He would fucking murder him.

Because she was alive.

And even if she was dead.

He didn't notice when he started walking, having decided he was going to track the bastard and have him pay for what he did..

"Harlan," she said, scared.

He noticed.

He turned around and rushed back to her side as she held on to his arm.

"Please don't leave me alone again."

Guilt struck him harder than anything.

It felt like being punched in the gut.

How could he allow himself to forget all of this was his fault?

That her being hurt was his doing for leaving her by herself..

"Don't go there," she warned him with a serious tone.

"Don't blame yourself. Somehow I can feel you doing it."

"But if I hadn't left you alone.."

"You couldn't have known. You were upset and confused."

He shook his head, and before he could say something, she took his hand.

"The only thing that is truly your fault is that I fell in love with you."

She looked at him so sincerely, that warmth returning to her eyes.

"I love everything about you too. I never got to say that before, but I'm thinking I have a lifetime to show you."

Her smile was so bright it made the shadows of his heart go away.

And maybe this was bad, but he wanted her all to himself, so he said:

"There's somewhere I want to take you."