Free Wolf's Captive by Selena Cross

left his sobbing mate in the room alone and not even told her how to get to the dining room.
    “I’m sorry, I’m late, I didn’t know where to go,” Sidney said in a small voice, barely meeting his face, as Richard pulled her chair out and she sat down.
    She smiled at Richard and thanked him, and then just proceeded to stare at the empty place setting in front of her.
    Josh wanted to climb under the table and hide. He had put that look on her face and that fear of being late inside of her with his threats of punishment. When he had first said he was going to punish her, he had something different planned in his mind. Something they would both end up enjoying. Now, he was afraid of even touching her and terrifying her even more.
    He had completely fucked up, and had no idea what he was going to do to fix it.
    He watched as Tricia walked out of the kitchen with Sidney’s plate. At first, the woman was smiling and eager to greet Sidney, but, as she looked between them both, her look went from remorse to glaring daggers at Josh.
    She put the plate down in front of Sidney, and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Emily made this special for you,” she said, her voice a low, comforting tone.
    Josh watched as Sidney gave her a sad smile and whispered her thanks before she turned her head and just stared down at the plate again.
    Pain lanced his heart, watching his mate, so fearful of him she wouldn’t even dare look anyone in the eyes.
    Tricia left, but not before glaring at him one more time, and not without slamming the kitchen door behind her.
    “Did I do something wrong?” Sidney’s voice was small and frightened.
    Josh looked at her as she looked at the kitchen door and refused to look at him.
    He sighed as he shook his head, “No, Sidney. I did.”
    That made her look toward him. She had a confused expression on her face as she looked in his direction. Josh noted that she still wouldn’t meet his eyes, and she seemed to be looking over his shoulder.
    He couldn’t stand it anymore. He pushed his chair back and stood before bringing himself to her side of the table, where he knelt down beside her and cupped her cheek pulling her face so she was forced to look directly at him.
    “I owe you an apology for what I said,” he began, swallowing down the lump in his throat. It wasn’t easy for him to apologize. He was the Alpha and, usually, never had to apologize because he was never wrong. However, this time, he realized he was very wrong for what he did to her, and if he wanted her to agree to be his mate, he needed to fix it. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. I was angry and didn’t mean it.”
    Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke, “Please let me go home, Josh.”
    He flinched as if she had slapped him, but he forced the wolf inside him not to rage at her desire to leave him. He closed his eyes and breathed in and out for a moment, expelling the tension in his body. He didn’t want to let her go. She was everything he had asked the gods for when he asked for his mate. However, if he truly cared for her, he would give her the freedom she so desired.
    “I tell you what,” he said, opening his eyes and trying to smile a bit. “Stay here with me for a month. I will give you the freedom to roam the village and you can get to know everyone here. I won’t push you to do anything you don’t wish to do, but I will ask that we at least sleep in the same bed together.
    "I want to get to know you, Sidney, and have you get to know me. So, stay with me just for a month and, if you still feel you want to leave—I will let you go.”
    “But what will happen to my job and my apartment while I’m gone? I will leave and not have anything to go back to,” she questioned.
    “I will keep up the payment on your apartment so you have that to go back to,” Josh answered. “As for your job, didn’t you want to break away from the cheating bastard you work with? If you stay and then decide you don’t like it here, I will