The Alpha's Protective Mate

28

Charlotte Sanguinite

Ever since my night with Robert, my dreams have returned with a vengeance. I’ve tried to ignore them. I’ve tried everything I possibly could not to let them affect my daily life, but that’s easier said than done. The problem is that the man I always see in my dreams—the faceless man who doted on me, who loved me, who made me feel special and important and everything else in between—now has a face.

He has Robert’s face.

And somehow, it hurts even more.

Angie left that day with a warning, telling me to be careful. She was certain Robert was not done with me. But I knew he was. He had to be. Why else would he avoid me like that? And even though I kept telling myself that this was for the best, it didn’t negate the hurt and the sliver of humiliation I felt.

Every waking moment, all I could think was that Robert used me, manipulated me into his bed, and then vanished the moment he got what he wanted. Yet in my dreams, he treats me like I am the most precious being in his whole world. The way my heart has been breaking in every manner has left me exhausted.

However, I never expected to see him walk into the cafe, in the early morning, before we’re even open, in a dress shirt that looks wrinkled and torn from the shoulder and pants that have a large red stain on them. My first instinct isn’t anger. It’s fear. Fear for him.

He looks like hell.

“Will you let me take you out on a date?”

Of all the things for him to say, this is not what I would have imagined.

“What?” I gape at him, my heart pounding.

“A date, Charlotte,” he repeats. “I would like to take you out on one.”

I’m trying to process what he’s saying.

“Why do you look like this?” I grab him by the collar without thinking. “You had me concerned you were involved in some sort of fight!”

Suddenly angry, both at myself for overreacting and at him for treating me so callously, I shove him backward.

“Were you worried about me?” He has that boyish grin on his face, the one that never fails to make me melt, but I’m still mad.

“No.”

“Pity.” Robert gives me a sad look. “Now, about that date.”

“The answer is no.” I turn around on my heel, ready to storm off somewhere, but he captures my wrist and pulls me back around with considerable ease.

“You didn’t even think about it,” he persists, looking up at me beseechingly.

“I don’t have to think about it!” I try to pull my hand away, but his grip is strong.

I’m pissed off. Right now, there is no other rationale moving through my head aside from the fact that he hasn’t bothered to contact me even once since our night together.

“Charlotte—” Robert begins, and I cut him off, hissing.

“You made me feel like a tramp. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am, huh? You got what you wanted. Now you can go brag about how you managed to screw the defective vampire! Just leave me alone!”

When his eyes widen in shock, I take advantage of it and yank my hand free. I storm off, but Robert is not far behind.

“That’s not how it was! I would never—Look, I know you’re mad…Charlotte, look at me.” He grabs my face in his hands, forcing me to stare at him. “That is not the case at all. I was just busy—”

“Busy avoiding me, clearly.” My upper lip curls in anger. “Look, I don’t want to see you. In fact, I would say I’ve been very vocal about us keeping our distance from each other. Don’t drag me into your world. Just let me live my life.”

I shove him and try to walk away, but the man is persistent to a fault.

“I can’t do that. I know you’re mad. If you’d just hear me out—”

“I don’t want to hear you out!” I say fiercely. “For heaven’s sake, Robert. What are you even thinking? You’re an Alpha! You have a pack. Nothing is going to come of this. Nothing good, anyway!”

“You don’t know that.” Robert’s brow furrows, and I stare at him for a moment, feeling confused.

After a moment, I speak, slowly and with precision. “Robert, think about what you are doing. What happened between us was a mistake. It never should have happened. I don’t know why you are trying to do all this, but you’re not thinking clearly. There is nothing in our future. Absolutely nothing. So, there’s no reason to start anything. We cannot be friends because our species are at war. It’s best if we just stay away from each other.”

I practiced this speech after our night together, sure that he would show up eventually. But as I deliver it, it doesn’t seem right. It’s like the words are coming out of somebody else’s mouth.

Robert looks upset, his eyebrows knitting together. “You’re rejecting me?”

“I’m saying—”

“Is it because of my scar?” he demands bluntly.

I suddenly feel insulted. “Why would I have a problem with your scar? What kind of question is that?”

“Well, that’s the only reason I can think of for you rejecting me.” Robert gives me a suspicious look.

I can’t help but glare at him. “Don’t pretend to be dense, and don’t play the scar card with me. I don’t have a problem with your scar. And you know exactly why I’m saying no. I just told you.”

“If you really felt that way,” Robert counters, “then why were you so angry that I didn’t show up sooner?”

His fierce response has me staggering. I have no way of answering that.

“I—I wasn’t angry…” I try to slip out of the trap that I unwittingly just created for myself.

“Now you’re insulting me.” Robert gives me a look that makes me want to smack him over the head. “You were upset I didn’t get in touch with you. If you truly believed your little speech, then you would have been thrilled that I didn’t, wouldn’t you?”

I can’t fault his logic. The truth is, I wanted him to show up, but I also knew that if he had finally walked away from me, it was for the best.

When I can’t get any words out, Robert smirks. “Well, we have our answer right there.”

My eyes narrow, and I take a step forward, drilling my finger into his chest. “No, we don’t. My answer is no. It’s going to remain no.”

Robert looks down at my finger. “What if I can change your mind?”

A sharp laugh leaves my mouth. “I prefer survival over dating, Robert. My answer won’t change. You are trouble. I like to stay away from trouble.”

He doesn’t so much as flinch.

“The problem is, Charlotte,” Robert gently wraps his hand around my finger, his voice low, “it’s not just me who wants you. My wolf is equally obsessed with you.”

When he takes a step toward me, I feel my heart skip a beat. The friendly, cheerful man I know has been replaced by a dark, dangerous one with a crooning voice that is reaching inside me and touching every sensitive nerve.

“I can’t force you to do anything, of course.” He brings my finger to his lips and presses a kiss against the very tip of it.

My abdomen tightens at this tame action.

“But I can do my very best to change your mind.” His smile is both wicked and charming, and I can’t get my traitorous heart under control. I watch helplessly as he turns my hand around to press a wet kiss to the center of my palm. “Let’s see which one of us manages to hold out the longest.”

“Charlotte, the lemon tarts are cool—” Jazz’s voice dies as she walks out of the kitchen and straight into the scene playing out before her. “Ah, you two need some privacy?”

“I was just leaving,” Robert says, but he doesn’t look away from me.

My mouth is dry as he leans forward and plants a very sweet kiss on my cheek, murmuring as he does, “I’ll see you back in my bed really soon, little vampire.”

As he turns around to walk away, I stand there frozen. The moment he is out the door, however, Jazz explodes, excited. “What the hell was that all about?! Charlotte!”

I turn around slowly to look at her. “I—I don’t know.”

She approaches me, her eyes wide. “So, he finally showed up, huh? What did he want?”

“He asked me out on a date,” I mumble, my head still spinning.

“And you said…?”

“I said no.” I blink several times. “He and I, we’re from very different worlds. It’s not going to work.”