said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “But all shifters have mates in the paranormal world. It’s part of the magic of what we are and has kept our species from dying out.”
Zoe was his mate.
It was so ridiculous she wanted to laugh.
Not only had she been attacked and turned into some kind of creature without her consent, but she was also predestined to spend the rest of her life with some guy she didn’t even know because of magic?
“I take it the only reason you saved me is because I’m your mate?” she spat, jumping to her feet to glare down at him. Zoe needed the extra bit of height to feel like she had some sense of control over the situation.
Liam took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest before narrowing his eyes at her. “I understand you’re angry about this, and before you start digging yourself a deeper hole, I would have come across you eventually. We have surveillance in place that covers our entire territory. The only reason I’m not out there helping more people who were attacked is because you asked me not to go.”
Despite his calm voice Zoe could tell he was furious, and she took a step back when he stood, not sure how he’d somehow made her feel like the asshole.
“If you can refrain from fleeing before the doctor gets here, I’d appreciate it. There are more important things I should be doing.”
Before she could give him some smartass comeback, Liam moved, and his form blurred. One moment he was there and the next he wasn’t.
Now she was even madder.
Zoe fumed as she paced the length of the massive living room. How dare he turn this bullshit around on her? Liam had dropped a bomb on her lap – albeit one she’d asked for, and then he just fucking disappeared because he didn’t like her attitude.
So much for thinking he could take it, but it seemed like even paranormal men couldn’t handle her.
And she had never asked for him. Zoe refused to believe she’d wanted someone by her side that she didn’t even know. She didn’t need anyone.
Liam had stayed with her though, and then he’d just fucking left her in this massive house like he trusted her. What an idiot.
She should leave and go back home. Zoe hesitated. How was she going to get Chris out of here though? How was she going to take care of him without taking him to a hospital? She didn’t have the same setup these guys did.
How the fuck did they have access to so much medical equipment?
Slumping back onto the couch, Zoe considered her predicament. She sighed when she realized she should have asked what the fuck it meant to be a mate. Was she stuck here now? Did she get a choice in it at all?
Liam came storming back into the living room, and he crossed his arms over his bare chest to glare down at her.
Zoe rose an eyebrow when she realized this wasn’t him, but his identical twin. “What do you want, Noah?”
A flash of surprise flickered over his face before it disappeared. “You don’t have to be such a bitch all the time.”
Her expression didn’t change as she considered the twin who’d come looking for her. Whatever Liam had said must have really bothered his brother, or maybe it was that he hadn’t said anything at all.
“Actually, I do,” Zoe told him, tapping her nails on her thigh. “I’m tiny and a woman. You think people would listen to me if I spoke softly and politely? In my line of work, I can’t afford a moment’s hesitation, or my patients will die.”
Noah’s anger wasn’t going anywhere though. “And what has Liam done to you other than save your life?”
She looked out the wall of windows, clenching her teeth in irritation. “My attitude weeds the weak from the herd. If he can’t take it, then he’ll never survive being my mate.” Zoe practically spat the last word.
The worst thing about it was it stole her choice away from her. Zoe hated that more than anything in the world. She was in control of her life, her choices, her everything. Now thanks to a twist of fate it had all been stolen from her and all that hard work was just…gone.
“Liam never wanted a mate you know.” Noah didn’t uncross his arms, but she could see his expression soften a tiny bit in her peripheral. “His wolf has