Page 17 of The Ice Prince's Fated Mate
This just keeps getting more awkward.
“So you two are mated. Congrats!” Kolar said as he stepped back in through the window frame. He flashed a thumbs up, and Durion motioned giving me a high-five.
It was all too much, happening too fast.
“No,” I said to everyone. “No, it’s not that easy. It’s not that simple.”
Caz, who was setting Dirk down on the kitchen table so his bones could be properly set, looked over at me while I stared at his brother. He was covered in blood, but I knew what he looked like under it all.
And he didn’t look like my mate. I’d seen him plenty of times before, and while he was definitely very handsome, there was nothing there. Therecouldbe nothing there. I wouldn’t allow it.
“I’m not anyone’s mate,” I said with what I hoped was quiet finality, and left the room.
Nine
Ella
I went tothe bedroom that was assigned to me, closed the door, and waited on the bed. I knew it wouldn’t be long.
It wasn’t.
Within two minutes, Milly came through the door with only a cursory knock to alert me that she was coming. Recovering from the torture at Bryna’s hands or not, she was still a whirlwind when she wanted to be.
Anna was less than a foot behind her, carrying a plate of snacky type food with her. The baked goods and some cheese had all been pillaged from the meal I’d planned for everyone.
Get over it. Stop trying to focus on that to avoid the bigger subjects.
“You’re upset,” Milly pronounced, as if I didn’t already know, half throwing herself onto the bed next to me.
“Something like that,” I grumbled as Anna came around to the other side of me, holding out the plate.
I took a pair of biscuits and topped them with cheese. If my mouth was full, I wouldn’t have to talk.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” Anna said as I munched. “A lot happened all at once. Your mate bond. Mate marks. Andthen your dragon coming out for your first shift. Not to mention the Reds attacking. It was a lot.”
“And I lost my mind,” I added, speaking around the food still in my mouth. “Can’t forget that part.”
“Which is completely acceptable,” Anna said as Milly stuffed her mouth with biscuit.
“What?” I stared at her. “How do you think? You did fine.”
Anna laughed. “El, I hadweeksto come to terms with my growing mate bond and then the idea my dragon might awaken. You had none. It was immediate, zero to one hundred. Come on, Ella, you’re the brains of this organization. Startusingthem.”
“I hurt Dirk badly. I hurt both of you.”
“Nobody thinks it was intentional,” Anna countered.
“Dirk might,” I pointed out.
“No, he won’t,” she said, shaking her head.
Milly reached across me to take another biscuit and pair of cheese slices, nodding in agreement with Anna.
“Why are you so upset over this?” Anna asked, scrunching up one side of her mouth in confusion. “Your dragon is here. You have a mate bond with a good man. It’s great. I mean, if you ask me, being mated is the best thing ever. I couldn’t imagine a life without Caz. I—”
“Anna,” Milly said, interrupting with gentle directness. “Look at Ella.”
“What?”
