He reaches for me again, and this time I let him take my hand. His touch sends sparks racing up my arm, and I hate myself for the way my body responds to him.
"I miss you," he whispers.
For a moment, I let myself believe him. Let myself imagine a world where we could go back to the way things were. But then I remember Ellie's cruel smile. His indifference in the forest, when I was near-naked and terrified. And how impossible it is for me to remain in this abusive pack.
I pull my hand away. "You don't get to miss me. You don't get to come in here and act like you care."
"I do care!" Rafe's voice rises, and I flinch. He takes a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. "I know things are different now, but it doesn't mean I've stopped caring about you."
"Different?" The word is so fucking pathetic for this situation, leaving me with no way to express how I feel. So I laugh. A brittle, sharp, broken sound. "Like how your new mate treats me like dirt? How the entire pack looks at me like I'm nothing?"
Rafe's face twists into something ugly, before it smooths out again. He leans forward, grabbing my hand and holding tight, not letting me go. "I'll talk to Ellie. I'll make sure she treats you better."
"You don't get it, do you?" I shake my head, disbelief coursing through me. "It's not just about how Ellie treats me. It's abouthow you let her treat me. How you stand by and watch while I'm humiliated and abused."
"I can't go against my mate, Grace. You know that."
"Then why are you here?" I demand, anger finally overtaking the hurt. "What do you want from me?"
Rafe's eyes darken, and suddenly he's too close. His hand cups my cheek, and I hate the way I lean into his touch. Like a bad fucking habit. "I want you," he breathes.
For a heartbeat, I'm tempted. To give in, to let him kiss me, to pretend nothing has changed. It would be so much easier.
I hate him.
But I miss him. So much.
He was my everything. I dreamed of a future with him. I loved him.
I shove him away, scrambling out of bed. "Get out."
"Grace—"
"No." I stand tall, even as my legs shake beneath me. The temptation of the familiar is terrifying. "You don't get to have both of us. You made your choice, Rafe. Now live with it."
His face hardens, the alpha presence I once found so attractive now feeling oppressive. "You're mine, Grace. You've always been mine."
"Yours?" It's amazing how much my heart hurts. Again. "No, I'm not. I'm human, remember? I don't belong to this pack, and I certainly don't belong to you."
Rafe stands, towering over me. His eyes blaze with amber fire; his wolf is fighting for control. He steps forward, and I step back, only for the wall to hit my back.
"Youaremine," he insists, resting a hand on the wall beside my head. "You're just angry with me. It's okay, Gracie. I understand. I get it. I hurt you."
He lifts a hand, brushing it against my jaw in a whisper-soft caress that has my stomach churning.
This is not the Rafe I loved.
He wasn't stupid like this.
He cared about my feelings. My thoughts. He wanted me to be true to myself. He loved me for me.
He didn't ever claim to own me.
"Please leave." My demands downgrade to pleas. "I just want to be left alone. If Ellie finds out you're here—"
"She won't find out," he breathes, his eyes drawn to my lips. "We'll keep it quiet. I promise I won't let you get hurt, Grace."
"Rafe, she's not stupid. She'll know—"
