Run Free by Julie Trettel

Author:Julie Trettel [Trettel, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-28T16:00:00+00:00

Clara

Chapter 22

I was shocked by his words, and more so knowing he truly believed them. I reached out and touched his cheek. “None of that was your fault, Gage. You aren’t a murderer or a traitor. If anything, you’re a hero.”

He looked at me like I was the biggest idiot on the planet. I didn’t give him a chance to talk, I launched into my next speech.

“You were put in a terrible situation. No mother should ever put a burden like that on her child. It was horrible, what she did to you. You did the right thing by telling your brother what you’d heard. And he did the right thing in going to your father, but what happened to him was not your fault. He died a hero and your father lived because of both your actions. And I don’t blame you for running away from all that. It probably saved you in the end. It was too much. I have no doubt you were in shock and I don’t know how you survived it all. I’m not strong like you.”

“Strong?” he choked out. “I’m not strong, Clara.”

“Yes you are, Gage. So much stronger than you realize. You should never have survived that zoo,” I said, tears streaming down my cheeks. “I was there, remember? There is no medical reason I know of that you’re alive today. You broke your own bones just so they wouldn’t heal wrong. You’re a fighter, a survivor, and yes, you’re strong. The strongest man I know.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. He was stiff at first, but then slowly began to relax and comfort me.

“You’re the one truly hurting and I’m the one that needs comforting. Doesn’t say much about me, but definitely proves what I said about you.” I sniffled.

He shook his head and kissed the top of mine, still without words.

“I love you, Gage,” I whispered.

I didn’t know exactly when it had happened, but I was certain of my feelings for him. Maybe it was when I realized he’d returned to the zoo and pitched in to help, knowing it would make me happy and take a little stress off my shoulders. It could have been the time I caught him sleeping outside my window in his wolf form just to be close to me. Perhaps the first time we made love and sealed our bond forever. Or maybe a hundred other moments since. I’d been slowly falling for my mate since the first moment I laid eyes on him.

I knew Gage was worried I’d be disappointed or disgusted by the story he told, and I was, but not in the way he clearly expected.

“You don’t love me, Clara,” he finally said, trying to pull back from me.

I looked into his eyes and smiled. “Yes I do, and nothing you’ve told me tonight changes how I feel. If anything, it only makes me love you more. So if you thought you were going to finally get rid of me after that, you were very, very mistaken.

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