A Mate's Revenge Read Online Free Page A

and her wolf was rebelling against her. She grit her teeth and pulled strength from a reserve she’d been tucking away all these years.
    Jax rushed forward, falling at the floor near her bed. For a single moment, he looked sorry. But it was nothing he hadn’t shown her before, and the sorry always morphed quickly into something sick.
    “Why do you do this to me, Besh? Why do you push me to this? Have I not given you an exceptional life here? I thought removing Vesh from the equation might change things. I even sought to kill your bastard lover in hopes of breaking the bond you two formed so many years ago, but he’s been elusive.”
    Anger formed in the pit of her stomach, a sour aching ball of fury. “You did what ?”
    Jax’s face twisted into a caricature-like grimace.
    “You swore to me he’d be safe!”
    Besh had spent so many years angry at the way her life had turned out, but one thing had made it possible to survive, and that was knowing Cael existed somewhere in the world. Years upon years had worn on her, and her anger turned dead. She’d become a shell that could hardly be riled. Maybe that was why Jax pushed her so much now. To get a reaction. But this… this was more than she could bear. She’d given her life, the possibility of happiness and a future, her soul, so that Cael could be safe. Everything unraveled if Jax didn’t keep his end of the deal.
    Jax narrowed his eyes. “I want a young. We do this now.”
    “Never,” she spat.
    She was done. Done being his bitch. Done pretending he’d keep his word, as if he was noble. Done letting him lord over her because of her past wrongs. He’d hurt Vesh, and he’d hurt her. And Cael… the things he’d likely endured because of her. Because of Alpha.
    She couldn’t be dead inside anymore. She had to fight. Dead was only possible when she thought it was keeping the people she loved alive. What good was a martyr if there was no cause to die for?
    He growled and lunged for her, but she rolled off the other side of the bed, springing to her feet to run. She’d run to the elders. Have them call a forum. If they wouldn’t listen she’d play her trump card: Farrow would have to help her.
    She’d almost reached the door when she was yanked backward by her nightgown. The fabric pulled tightly around her neck temporarily choking off her air supply. Hitting the ground squarely with her back knocked out what little she had left.
    Her wolf snarled inside, wanting out, wanting to fight Besh’s battle for her. But if she let her animal loose, Jax would too, and there’d be no stopping the mating. They’d fight it out in true animal fashion and the female would lose.
    The sharp smack of his hard hand across her cheek left her gasping for air that wouldn’t come. Another hit and she tasted blood in her mouth.
    Finally she was able to draw in a breath, and with it came raw fury. She lashed out, catching his arm with her claws. The scent of his blood filled the room, but then his face was in hers and the fire in his eyes was sickening. He was enjoying this.
    “That’s my girl,” he breathed. “Fight me.”
    She gave him what he wanted, kicking and clawing and twisting to find a way out from under his massive body.
    His weight left her for a moment, and she took full advantage of the absence, scrambling toward the door on her hands and knees. If she could just get out of the house everything would be okay.
    Jax’s hands wrapped around her thighs, dragging her back. “Where do you think you’re going, bitch. I’m not done with you.”
    “But I’m done with you,” she hissed. Her voice shook embarrassingly, and for the first time, she realized just how scared she was.
    She might not make it out of this alive, because she sure as hell wasn’t letting him inside her. Dying hadn’t been something she feared before. She’d even considered doing it herself once or twice. But now, she needed to stay alive for Vesh. And she needed to warn Cael that he