Page 86 of Black Willow Witch
Ripper slowly shook his head, incredulous. ‘Secrets aren’t easily kept at Chilgrave. How did I not hear about this?’
‘I only told Paisley. Michael said zip about the cheating to others. He wouldn’t have even told me if I hadn’t pressed him so hard. He was clear that no one else knew and no one else would . . . as if that made the situation better. He also told me he’d sworn Opal to secrecy.’
‘That’s who he cheated on you with?’
‘Yes.’ Part of Carver’s clan, Opal was now mated and pregnant. And she pointedly avoided Emberlyn to this very day.
‘Did you confront her?’
‘Yup. She cried and apologized profusely. Which, to be fair, is more than Michael did. And her tears and remorse were genuine.’ Still, Emberlyn hadn’t felt all too forgiving; she’d wanted to skin the bitch alive. Instead . . . ‘I made her a deal.’
‘Deal?’
‘I wouldn’t make her pay if she kept what happened to herself. She was ashamed and didn’t want to suffer any consequences, so she was quick to agree.’
Ripper frowned. ‘You were protecting his reputation. Why?’
‘A lot of werewolves consider betraying mates taboo. I knew there’d be some who’d judge him enough that they wouldn’t put their safety on the line to search for him in Bloodhill. I didn’t consider him my mate anymore, but I didn’t want him stuck in that form. I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone.’
Ripper’s frown deepened. ‘If you didn’t see him as your mate, why did you hold off longer than most would have in your shoes to publicly declare that the mating tie was broken? Why not . . .’ He trailed off as realization played out over his face. ‘You blame yourself for him turning Rabid.’
Damn him for reading her so well. It made her feel far too exposed. ‘I knew better than to argue with a werewolf still riding the high of a full moon.’
Ripper’s gaze snagged hers, serious. ‘It isn’t your fault, Emberlyn. There wouldn’t have been an argument if the prick hadn’t cheated on you.’
‘You’re pissed,’ she noted, hearing the emotion roughen his gravelly voice.
His expression was allWell, obviously. ‘Yeah, I’m pissed,’ he bit off. ‘You were his mate. His loyalty to you should have been absolute. It’s bad enough that he cheated on you. That weak motherfucker blamed the full moon, expected you to give him a free pass and didn’t even apologize.’ He touched the tip of his nose to hers. ‘You deserved better. If the prick was still around, I’d punch the piss out of him.’
That angry little rant touched her on a level she wouldn’t have expected. Very few people had been protective of Emberlyn; few had cared how she felt or what she needed. Somehow, Ripper had become one of them.
Swallowing, she wound her fingers in his hair. ‘Kiss me.’
He didn’t hesitate. He took her mouth in a sensual, hungry, explicit kiss. And the dick that had earlier slipped out of her began to harden against her clit.
He pulled his lips free, his eyes flaring with heat. ‘This time, you get slow.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A couple of hours later, Ripper lowered his cutlery to his empty plate and leaned back in his chair. Across from him at the dining table, Emberlyn was almost done with her meal. He’d never seen anyone tackle spaghetti with elegance, but she somehow managed it.
As he watched her, satisfaction rumbled in his belly. He liked feeding her. Liked seeing her enjoy something he’d made for her. But he also just plain liked watching her eat.
She reallytastedevery bite, chewing it slowly. Always sat upright, her posture perfect. There was no slurping, no scraping the dishware with utensils, no splashing sauce or dropping food.
He had the feeling her grace was innate, because it wasnotsomething she’d gotten from Millicent – that woman had been far from elegant.
Anger still lingered in his system. Fucking Michael had cheated on her. The guy would have known better than most how much Emberlyn had been let down by all those around her. He, her own mate, had become one of them.
Full moons had power over a werewolf’s control, yes, but not in a sexual sense. They might feel the drive to mate, but it wasn’t all-consuming. Still, some used that bullshit defense for cheating, and there were people who bought it.
If Michael had honestly expected Emberlyn to buy and forgive it, he either hadn’t known her well or he’d thought he could manipulate her into letting it go.
Had the guy openly admitted he’d had a moment of weakness and then apologized to Emberlyn, Ripper could have at least respected that Michael had owned his fuckup. Everyone mademistakes. It was part of life. But you couldn’t betray your mate and then call them dramatic for being crushed by it.
She could have spread the news of Michael’s betrayal far and wide. Could have wrecked his reputation. Could have turned other wolves against him. Could have made Opal suffer in any number of ways for any length of time.
Instead, Emberlyn had kept it quiet to ensure searches would still be launched for Michael. She had more compassion in her than people would guess, but Ripper supposed she preferred that it wasn’t common knowledge; never wanting to display what others might perceive as weakness.
