Page 20 of The Ice Prince's Fated Mate
“Is … is Ella here?” I asked, that topic done for the moment.
“No.” Caz coughed once politely. “She didn’t want to see you. She has asked about your condition, but she hasn’t come by, no.”
“Thank goodness,” I muttered, sighing heavily in relief.
“What is with you two?” Caz growled. “You gave her mate marks. Why are you relieved she doesn’t want to be here?”
I chewed on my lower lip for a moment. “Do I have any mate marks?”
“Hard to tell under all that blood.”
“Caz.” I didn’t want humor.
“No,” he said stiffly. “I didn’t see any.”
“Good.” I licked my lips, reaching up slowly to remove the gauze from my face so I could look at him. “You know as well as I do that I’m not good for her, brother. And you know exactly why.”
I hit him with a hard stare. Caz knew my past more than anyone. I should be elated to have a mate, but now that the moment was past and I could think clearly, I knew better. I wasn’t fit to be anyone’s mate, let alone someone as perfect as Ella.
Caz stared back at me, letting my look wash off like it was nothing. Older brothers sucked like that sometimes. They were never intimidated.
“How do I undo this?” I continued when he chose not to speak.
“Undo it?” Caz shook his head. “You put mate marks on her. Without her wanting it or knowing. There is no going back, Dirk. You’ve put yourself in this position. You have to deal with the consequences.”
I grimaced. He was right. “How could I have been so careless?”
Caz grunted wordlessly. This wasn’t his problem. I shouldn’t put it on him.
Ella did not deserve to suffer because of me. I knew that. She was too good of a person, too kind of a soul to be weighed down by my past.
But I can protect her. That much I can do.
Even if it was from myself.
“Someone sold us out,” I said, switching topics. “They betrayed us to the Reds.”
A matching anger simmered in Caz’s eyes, glowing bright with his dragon’s rage. I didn’t blame him. Someone had threatened his people, and he was pissed about it. As he should be.
“There aren’t many suspects it could be,” Caz rumbled, the sound of his voice like thunder in the distance. Ominous and promising of what was to come.
“When I am healed, I will find out who it was and why,” I promised him, knowing he had many other things on his plate, including our uncle. “I will stop at nothing to uncover the traitor among our people. Nothing will distract me.”
“Nothing?” Caz said with a verbal nudge and reminder.
I grimaced. Though I hadn’t said it, I hadn’t forgotten about Ella. I could never forget her. But maybe I could make her forget me. Somehow. If I pushed her away enough, she’d at least be spared being around me.
Caz lifted a finger. “Whatever you do, Dirk, youwillbe respectful and kind about it. Am I understood?” he ordered, as if reading my thoughts.
I felt a faint undertone of alpha power with his words, telling me he was speaking as both Ice Tyrant and Anna’s mate—Ella’s friend—and not as a brother. It was an important distinction, and one he was always careful to make with me.
“You have nothing to worry about, brother,” I said, nodding.
Because I will never put Ella through pain. She deserves so much better than a screwup like me.
“Good,” Caz said. “I prefer to be your brother, but if you act out of line or let your dragon do the same, I will act as the tyrant if I must.”
I nodded, fully understanding and concurring. Ihadbeen out of line. Although the appearance of the mate bond between us was a shock, that’sallit should have been. While I didn’t consciously remember anything to do with mate marks, it didn’t matter.
