Free Deadly Mates (Deadly Trilogy) by Ashley Stoyanoff

was already sleeping.  I stood outside her door for a few minutes listening to her soft snores, debating on sneaking in there and hiding until the morning.  But I didn’t.
    The lights were off in my room when I eased the door open.  Jared’s steady breathing came from beside my bed.  I listened for a moment, trying to judge if he was really sleeping.  I couldn’t tell.  I tiptoed across the room and eased myself into bed, trying not to disturb him.  His breath hitched.  He shuffled around, and I let my head hang over the bed, glancing down at him.  “Jared, I know you’re awake.  Will you just yell at me already and get it over with?”
    He was lying on his back, the comforter pulled to his waist.  Moonlight streamed in from the window, basking him in a silvery glow.  He didn’t have a shirt on, and his hands were folded behind his head.  He sighed.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “Come on,” I said, hating how raw my voice sounded and how guilty I felt.  “This cold shoulder crap is getting old.  I know you’re pissed.”
    “Pissed is so not what I’m feeling right now, little girl.  Not even close.”
    I shimmied off the bed, sinking down beside him on the floor.  “Then enlighten me.”
    He groaned, long and loud.  “Go to sleep, Jade.  It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”
    “I can’t sleep knowing you’re pissed off at me.”  I inched a bit closer.  “What was I supposed to do?  Refuse to go?  He sent that Tommy guy.  He literally had me dragged from school.”
    Jared opened his eyes then, and rolled over, propping his head up on an elbow.  “You think this is because you were at his house?”
    I threw my hands up in the air.  “Well, what else could your mood be about?”
    “This was your idea.”  He waved a hand between us.  “You wanted this to be believable.  You wanted us to be believable.”  His eyes flared bright gold.  “His scent was all over you.  In your hair.  On your neck.  What did you do?  Trip and fall into him?  This may just be a game to you, Jade, but to me, it’s not.  So stop jerking me around.”
    I felt his words like a slap in the face.  Something splintered inside me.  It was as if I were being held underwater.  The pressure built and built until my insides felt as if they were filled with hairline fractures.  Tears — damn tears — filled my eyes.  I would have preferred him yelling or telling me off.  But this … this hurt.  I couldn’t breathe.  I gasped for air and it burned through my lungs.  There was just so much pressure.  Be an alpha.  Claim a mate.  Stop the cougars.  Deal with my dad.  Maybe even have him killed.  Forget or forgive Aidan.  Learn pack laws.  Fix the pack.  Run the pack with a man that made my body sing and my blood boil and one that I couldn’t trust.  Pretend to be in love with Jared without hurting him.  I gasped again.  The tears stung, brimming in my eyes and spilling over.
    “Don’t do that,” he said, brushing a thumb hastily across my cheek.  “Don’t make me feel like the asshole here.  You were practically panting over him.  Do you really think no one noticed?”
    “I’m sorry,” I said and hiccupped.  “I … I …” I huffed and hiccupped again.  I shrugged my shoulders.  “I don’t want to feel this way about Aidan, but I’m his.  He’s mine.  I can feel it in my bones.”  I pressed my hand to my chest, gripping my shirt in my fist.  “I feel it here.”
    Jared rolled onto his back and he closed his eyes.  Clearly he was done with the conversation.  I watched his chest rise and fall for a few breaths, noting the tension, the unevenness of each lungful.
    “I’m going to tell him the truth about us, Jared,” I whispered, turning from him and climbing back in bed.  I pulled the comforter up to my neck and waited for a response, but when all that followed was another unsteady breath, I continued, “I’m sorry that