Healed: True Mates Book 3 (Wolf Shifter) (A Craggstone Paranormal Romance) by Olivia Arran Page A

jealousy.”
    My heart thudded in my chest. He was jealous! I had guessed that he was, he had hinted—but for him to come right out and say it… I tried to extinguish the warmth that started in my belly at his words, spreading through my body, at just the thought of him caring that much .
    “Mark and Jed?” I proposed. Kate’s twisted grimace confirmed they would make good choices.
    “Sounds good to me. You can give them a go, and if they don’t work out, we’ll figure out replacements later.”
    Tarq lifted the phone and called the men, asking them to come down to the office. Minutes later, they strolled into the office, their hair mussed up and clothes askew, having obviously been hard asleep.
    Tarq took them to the far corner and quickly explained the situation, finishing by offering them lieutenant positions in the pack. They turned to me when Tarq had finished, and both had matching looks of disgust as they raked their eyes over Kate.
    “You in?” I asked them, the events of the evening crowding in on me, the mantle of responsibility weighing heavily.
    “Yes, ma’am!”
    “Thank you, Alpha.”
    The men didn’t hesitate for a second, their faces set with determination. “We’re to secure her in a room and wait to hear from you?”
    “Yes. Just make sure you keep eyes on her at all times. Don’t let her pull any feminine bullshit with you. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
    The men nodded, then escorted a complaining Kate from the room.
     
     

CHAPTER TEN
    Amanda
    “Can we trust them?” I asked Tarq, letting my shoulders slump with fatigue now that we were alone.
    “You’re Alpha, what does your gut tell you?”
    “It didn’t tell me about Kate—”
    “But you have the bonds now. Feel for them, then tell me.”
    I did as he asked, searching for Mark and Jed in my head. “They’re good,” I finally said.
    He nodded, then threw himself onto the couch, slouching with an exhaustion that matched my own. “Are we still on for stage three? I briefed your new lieutenants privately. They know what to do.”
    I hesitated, considering the question in light of what we now knew. Eventually, I answered, “Yes, we’ll announce the trial at breakfast tomorrow.”
    “Good. Now can we sleep? I don’t know about you, but today has worn me out!”
    “Can I just ask—?”
    Tarq groaned, rubbing his face, then pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can’t it wait for the morning? Unless you’re going to admit that you’re my mate and that you want me?” He raised his eyebrows hopefully.
    I had to give it to him—he didn’t give up! “There’s a lot to talk about—why my Alpha powers didn’t affect you, why you went bat-shit crazy on Kate.”
    “Can you at least admit that we’re true mates?”
    “Will you answer my questions?”
    He hesitated, his gaze shifting away from mine. “If I did, would you do it? Would you give us a chance?”
    It felt like he was tentatively reaching out, offering much more than answers to simple questions, like he was preparing to bear his soul.
    But I couldn’t. I had to pay for what I had done. “I—I can’t. I’m sorry.”
    “Maybe one day you’ll tell me why you keep punishing yourself for his death.”
    It was too close to the truth and I couldn’t stop myself from flinching.
    Tarq was scrutinizing me and caught my reaction. “What happened, Amanda? Why are you hurting yourself after all this time?” He rolled off the couch and strode over to me. Grasping my hands, he squeezed gently, and I could feel warmth and affection pouring through the Beta bond.
    The wall I had built around my heart splintered, tiny shards shearing off and falling away. Raw pain hit me, as fresh as it had been so many years ago. “He died, because of me!” I gasped, unable to hold the words back. It was if he was dragging them from me, forcing me to relive the past.
    “What happened?”
    He didn’t let go of my hands, instead gripping them tighter. I focused on the heat of