stop him as he starts to talk. “All along, I was alone, left in that place where you thought I was safe. Did you even bother to check to see if I was, or did you just not care enough?” I yell and stare at him, more hurt than angry.
He left me.
Walked away like I was nothing, the very man destined for me.
“And then you found me again and thought what? Oh, I’ll fuck her and leave again and it won’t matter?”
“No!” He tries to get to his feet, but he can’t, so he slumps forward, pleading for me to understand. “I just wanted to protect you—”
“Oh, you did a great job,” I shout, my chest heaving as I stare at him. “I never needed you to protect me,” I whisper. “I only needed you to be there.”
“Remi—”
“You left me, your mate, at the mercy of others!” I scream.
“I left to save you!” he roars.
“No, you left to save yourself,” I snark, stepping forward. Even my animals are growling, feeling hurt and angry. “All I ever wanted was to not be alone, and there you were, the person made just for me…and you left. You left me to the monsters, and then you wonder why I became one. You abandoned me to their anger and hatred. All I ever wanted was to fit in, to have someone… You are the one person who could have helped, and you didn’t. Don’t you dare say it was to save me, it was to save yourself. You were scared, so fucking scared, and you let it control you. Well, fuck you. I’m done. Save this world yourself the way you never saved me.”
“Amore!” he begs as I turn. “Please! I had to, I had to save you from me and my past. From this darkness inside me.”
With my back to him, I let the tears fill my eyes that I can’t—won’t ever let fall. I hear his quiet tears, but fuck him. “And yet here I am with marks on my soul, living in the darkness myself. You left me once, now it’s my turn to leave you. You didn’t want me then, so you don’t deserve me now. Fuck you and destiny or fate. Fuck being mates. I don’t need anybody.” I look back then, letting him see the hatred and coldness in my red-rimmed eyes. “Least of all you.”
My pain fills me, but I lock it up and hide it behind those walls I should have never let fall. I trusted him, what a fool I was. You would have thought I would have learned by now not to trust anybody. They only end up hurting you because no one can ever measure up to your own expectations.
“I was tortured every day of my childhood. Each day was filled with blinding fucking agony I can’t even describe, yet nothing compared to the pain of walking away from you!” he yells after me as I reach the door and still. “It was like ripping my soul from my chest, like tearing myself in two. I genuinely thought you would be safe. I was wrong, I messed up, amore. Messed up so badly. I only ever wanted to protect you…”
“I was hurt for just being me.” I turn and look at him. “I was beaten, raped, tossed around, and belittled every day for just being born, yet nothing compares to this. To finding out the only person who should have been at my side…to love me…couldn’t and wouldn’t. You hurt me more than they ever could. Congratulations, Khalid, you’re right. You’re the bigger monster here. I could have never done that to you, no matter what, but now you get to watch my back as I walk away, and trust me, you will never see me again. I don’t need your pity or your regrets or even your protection. I’m my own fucking hero, and I’ll be just fine without you.” I rip open the door and storm away. I leave my heart back there with him. I didn’t even know he had it. It’s dark and fucked up like me, but he started to soften it, to steal it.
And then he smashed it into a thousand bloody pieces, and even as a wendigo, I never felt so empty, so utterly angry and numb. I may shift into monsters, but right now, my human side is the one they should fear.
Because with a broken heart, I’m more dangerous than ever before.
I’m sitting in