A Mate's Revenge Read Online Free PDF Page B

and found jars of peanut butter and other canned goods. They’d survive a week at least. And he could always hunt. There was bound to be a rabbit or two nearby.
    Isabesh wandered through the living area stopping in front of the fireplace. Framed pictures lined the mantle. She picked one up and brought it close to her face, staring at it.
    “Whose place is this?” Her voice was quiet.
    “It belongs to a friend of mine.”
    She set the frame back on the shelf and turned, not meeting his gaze. “I’d really like to shower.”
    Cael nodded. “I’m sure there are clothes in the bedroom. I’ll start a fire.”
    He didn’t wait around to hear her answer. Instead, he found the back porch and started collecting wood from the stack there, bringing it inside. On his last trip in, he heard the water running in the bathroom. He dumped the load of wood on the floor next to the fireplace and let out a huge breath.
    With Isabesh safely in the shower, he could let himself go, let himself feel the full impact of all that had happened overnight. And it didn’t feel good. His enemy was dead. The woman who’d betrayed him was at his control. The same woman, whom he loved despite everything, was finally safe. But he didn’t feel a goddamn ounce of relief.
    In fact, for the first time, in a long time, he felt scared. The things Isabesh must have gone through. Until Vesh came along, Cael had always assumed she’d taken a liking to being Jax’s mate. He’d had no reason to think otherwise. When he’d rallied Ozarka all those years ago and tried to save her from what he’d assumed was a forced mating, she’d turned on him. She’d called him a traitor. Condemned him to being an outcast.
    She’d taken their love, their bond, and stomped on it until it was mangled. Neither of them had ever made a move to repair it. Now, all these years later, it was still tattered but with scar tissue.
    Where did they go from here?
    If he’d known the torture she was enduring… if he’d known that sick bastard had been forcing himself on her…
    Fuck .
    Cael slammed his fist against the mantel causing the pictures to jump. His eyes landed on one of a young dark-haired woman smiling at the sky. She was the image of carefree. He’d like to feel that way just once. Just a single day. Hell, a single hour. And despite everything, he’d like Isabesh to feel it too.
    He shook with despair as he sank to a seat on the front of the fireplace. Dropping his head in his hands, he tried to calm his wolf. The animal raged at the injustice of Isabesh’s abuse. Walking away with Jax still breathing was the hardest thing Cael had ever done. If he hadn’t sensed her desperation to leave, he probably wouldn’t have been able to.
    He glanced toward the bathroom. The urge to check on her was overwhelming. Just to make sure she was okay. And to reassure himself she was really there. After so much time apart, the fact that she was just feet away in the next room seemed like a dream.
    Cael busied himself by lighting the fire and stoking it to a healthy burn. The trickle of the water from the shower haunted him. He knew he should give Isabesh time to herself, but he couldn’t ignore the niggling that something was wrong.
    He went to the kitchen and pulled out a few food options, setting them on the counter for later. In the drawer, he found a can opener. He took two plates from the cabinet and added them to the pile.
    The water was still going.
    He stood outside the bathroom, listening, but he couldn’t hear anything more than the shower. A light tap on the door, and there was still no answer.
    Cael ground his teeth together. He couldn’t wait anymore. He needed to check on her.
    “Everything okay?” he called out.
    No answer.
    He tried the knob and it turned easily. Opening it a crack, he asked again, “You okay?”
    She didn’t answer.
    Cael pushed the door open farther until he could see in. Steam filled the small area. The shower had a glass door and he