CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Renato was past the time for medicines. His wounds were still open, and they didn't seem to improve even after being cleaned.

Samantha took his trousers off, observing the scratches on his thighs. He was in danger, even though Nate had told her he had been careful not to kill... Oh, but Nate couldn't foresee that someone as stubborn as that man would stay at the gate even while dying.

«Hey, I have something that might help here,» she said while wiping the blood away from his legs and checking the wounds. Those seemed less severe, and the blood had stopped. «But first, I need you to decide to live. If you don't, your wounds won't heal.»

«You're too insistent. I'm not really in the mood, right now,» Renato said, turning his face away.

She had moved his shirt up, but it was still in the way. She tore it from side to side, throwing it on the floor right next to the rest of his clothes. They were dusty and soaked in blood... How long had he been sitting at the gate? Hours?

«Hey, you really resemble Mine. But, believe me, I am not in the mood. Maybe another time, okay?» he said, caressing her arm with his thumb and leaving a red stain on her skin.

He was still feverish, talking nonsense and pondering about whether to stay loyal to his mate or let loose with his hallucination.

«What are you talking about?» Samantha inquired, confused. What was it for another time? His wounds were too severe to wait. If he died, there wouldn't be any chance to improve his mood...

Oh, he thought...

«You're unbelievable!» she exclaimed.

«I mean, you are very, very beautiful. And sexy, and all. But right now, I'd only be with my mate. But she won't come here for me.»

«Why not?»

«Because I'm a jerk.»

«But she's your mate,» she pointed out. «Sooner or later, she will come to you. It's inevitable.»

«You don't know how much I hurt her. I don't want her to leave her pack and follow me... Not anymore. And not just because there is no pack anymore. She's happy where she is, and those wolves have accepted her for what she is. She wouldn't be happy here, no matter what.»

«For what she is?» Samantha repeated, startled.

«Yes.»

Still, he didn't add anything else. He moved his black eyes on her and waited, not knowing himself what he was hoping for. Maybe, Samantha would be free from him if he died. She would be free to look for another man, live her life, have her pups...

He sobbed, startling Samantha - the hallucination - once again.

«Jeez, what is this for, now?» she wondered. She hadn't done anything!

«I miss her,» he whined. «But she's better without me.»

«Please, just... Stay put a few minutes more, okay? I'll treat your wounds, and then you can cry over your fate all you want. Just let me finish this.»

«No, don't finish. Let me die.»

«I can't do that!»

«Why not?»

«I've already had my breakdown. I've spent a whole day crying in bed... I don't want to feel like that anymore, even if it means living with you. I'm still angry, but I just can't take it anymore. It's too much for me.»

«Oh, you also were abandoned by your mate?»

«Ah, right,» she sighed, realising he was really convinced she was a hallucination or, maybe, another person resembling his mate.

«What have you done?» he murmured. «I betrayed her trust and got close with evil intentions.»

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«Evil intentions?»

«Yes... I wanted her, but at the same time, she was the enemy. My Alpha found out about it, so I asked for permission to bring her in the pack. He kind of agreed, but my mate didn't want to be with me. So, I stayed by her side while waiting for the right moment to convince her to come with me.»

«So, this is what happened.»

«Yes.»

«You didn't get close to spy on her...»

«No, that was my Alpha's condition. He said she could join the pack, but only if she brought something to us. Since I was sure she wouldn't betray her people, I had to find out on my own in her stead. That's how everything started going astray. In the end, I deserve to be like this. Alone and dying.»

«You're not dying,» Samantha said, noticing how one of the wounds was - slowly - starting to heal. She hid a sigh of relief, more from her than from Renato.

«I should.»

«Whatever.»

«And you? What have you done to be abandoned?»

Her eyes filled with tears while she remembered that stinging pain. Her heart and belly still hurt after hours.

«I believed the wrong person,» she said. «I lowered my guard and betrayed my pack.»

«Oh, that's bad,» he realised. «Your pack should be your priority. They're your people, and they take care of you. You should give back as much.»

«I know,» she said, «but I was stupid. And I was tricked.»

«Then it's not your fault, Angel.»

«Angel?»

«It felt wrong to call you Devil at this moment... And you haven't told me your name yet. You're just like her.»

«I am no angel,» she chuckled, applying some medicine on the cuts on his sides. Those seemed the least dangerous, so she could quickly treat and bandage them. There were three cuts on his chest and stomach that were more concerning, but she wasn't sure what to do.

«But you're helping me. Either you're not real, or you're helping me for no reason. That's what angels do.»

«Okay,» she scoffed. «But can't you just call me by name now? I'm doing the same with you. You're using so many pet names, but you're not even sure I exist. It's awkward: can you stop?»

«Your name? Your name would be the same as hers, right? I don't want to use it.»

«No?» Samantha hummed, annoyed. What was wrong with her name all of a sudden? She liked it!

«No. I can't use her name. I don't deserve it.»