Bridged by Love Read Online Free Page B

sadness overwhelming her.
    She didn’t want to leave her home. She would, though. She had to. No way would she survive seeing Nic with another woman. Anger whipped through her at the thought, replacing the sadness.
    Nic was hers.
    She knew it with every fiber of her being. The certainty had always been hers. Her very first memory had been of him. Hell, her first word had been directed at him. According to Nona, she’d grabbed Nic’s hand while they’d been playing together and said “mine.”
    Hers or not, she’d lost him to his own stubbornness and the role he’d been born into. He would be the next alpha, and he’d made it perfectly clear he would take the position without her.
    She knew why’d tossed her aside. He’d beaten his reasoning into her the day he’d left his scar on her body and soul. She hadn’t argued, knowing his emotions wouldn’t have allowed him to listen to her. She’d planned to talk to him once he’d calmed but never got the chance. He’d left that night, and she was forced to pick up the broken pieces of her life and move on.
    And now he’s back to fuck with my heart all over again.
    She refused to give him the chance to hurt her. The last time had nearly destroyed her. If it hadn’t been for her hobbies and studies, she might’ve done something drastic.
    Her gaze strayed to the picture hanging behind Alex’s desk. She’d painted the portrait of Alex with two black wolves flanking him and had given it to him for Christmas. She’d created a lot of paintings in the last year or so.
    A guy she’d dated while in vet school was an artist. He’d taught her how to use painting as an escape. She’d embraced the hobby, using the canvas and oils to give her dreams life. A natural, he’d called her. She’d soaked up the praise and the attention he’d given her. Her weakened ego at the time had needed it along with the sex he’d offered.
    To her, he’d been a rebound. To him, she was the supposed love of his life.
    She’d dumped him as soon as the words “I love you” came out of his mouth. It’d seemed kinder. She’d never be able to say them back, but the six months she’d spent with him had taught her a valuable lesson: hold her lovers at arm’s length. Most didn’t mind. Those were the ones she added to her go-to list. They rest became one-night stands. No matter how many lovers she took, however, she’d never stopped fantasizing about Nic.
    He owned her.
    Tonight proved she’d never be over him. One touch and she’d fought the urge to throw herself into his arms and beg him to fuck her. The only thing that had stopped her had been his revelation.
    He was taking a mate. He’d love her body. Fill her with life. Share his eternity with her.
    Not me. She clenched her fists and wrapped the anger around her. I won’t let him hurt me, even if I have to slink away from the life I’ve built.
    She could start over. Maybe even give one of the shifters who sometimes graced her bed the chance to earn her love. Dammit, she would survive Nic. Determination added to the rage coursing through her veins.
    She stood and stepped around the boxes on the floor. At the door, she took a deep breath, pushed her volatile emotions back and slipped into the empty hallway. Her hands shook, but with each step, the tremor in them eased. By the time she reached the door leading into the main bar, she’d pulled herself together. It had only taken her a couple of hours. Considering the shit dropped on her tonight, it wasn’t unreasonable, at least in her mind.
    The door flung open with her push. She strode into the main room, head held high, and made her way to the bar as if nothing was wrong in her life. At the counter, she cut a quick peek at her brother. Strangers would never guess they were twins. Alex looked nothing like her. Dark brown hair and eyes, he towered over her and could’ve passed for a shifter. In fact, he was more muscular than many. He pushed himself daily to develop and