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help. His lion paced, growled,
hissed and clawed inside his head, wanting to get out and maul the other
shifter into submission. He fought with everything in him not to lose control
again.  
    The shifter didn’t move and even dared to look Slate straight
in his eyes. “You already have hurt
her. Not all hurt is physical.”
    Just like that, the wind was knocked from Slate’s
lungs without a single physical blow, further validating what the man had just
spoken. With just those words, it caused him to bleed inside. The man was right.
He’d scared his mate. Scratch that, he’d terrified her. After catching his
breath, leaning on the balls of his feet, he slowly squatted down to look his
mate in her big blue eyes.
    “I am truly sorry. I promise you are safe with me.
Please let me prove myself to you.”
    She didn’t move for a second, then slowly shook her head, and her scent started to change from fearful to angry.
“You attacked the doctor! Who was trying to help me! If you were my mate, you
would want me to be helped, not keep me from help!”
    Oh boy , he thought, she’s
pissed . He would be slightly relieved that she wasn’t afraid of him
anymore, but he got a sinking suspicion this anger may cost him his mating. He
had made a costly mistake by losing control. Hell, he shouldn’t have even
opened the door. He had no right to, and now his mating was jeopardized. His
stomach fluttered into a soured state at that thought. No! He thought to himself, I
won’t stop trying to earn her back, ever. His lion agreed with that
thought. No matter how long it took, they wouldn’t cease to earn her back.
    “Go away!” she bit out. Slate nearly flinched at the
distaste she had for him.
    “You heard her.” The words from the man standing over
them sounded clipped.
    Slate ignored the man. “I’ll leave the room and I’ll
give you time, but you are my mate, and I can’t and won’t keep out of your
life. I’ll leave my number for you if you ever need me. Again, I’m truly sorry
for scaring you.”
    His lion roared his anger in his head as he stood up
to leave. It felt like the hardest thing he had ever done when he walked out of
the door. He didn’t even feel this sick when he left his mother and sister when
he had left home.
    Outside the door, Seamus, Ryker, Tom, Kace, and Alphy
were all standing in the hall. He knew they could hear what was said in there. Their
hearing was much better than a human’s. He clenched his jaw, trying to get a
hold on his distraught emotions. He cleared his throat. “Uh, Sea man, I
sincerely apologize. I value our friendship, and I hope you can forgive me.”
    Seamus looked at him with sympathy. He didn’t bear a
single mark from their scuffle and didn’t even look rumpled. The man always
seemed pristine. “I accept your apology. Please excuse me now. I have a patient
to attend to.” Seamus ducked past the line of men and entered the quiet room.
Slate held his eyes shut tight, to keep them from looking back into the room
before it lightly closed shut. He was certain if he had looked, he wouldn’t be
able to walk away.
    A heavy hand with a firm grip patted and clasped his
shoulder. He looked up to see his alpha’s concerned face. “Whatever you need, let me know. I’ll do whatever I can to help. Just so
you know, that shifter in there is the man who raised her. Their relationship
is platonic.”
    Slate felt only slightly relieved at the news. With
his emotions so enflamed, he could only nod at his alpha and friend. Alphy
turned and headed down the hall, most likely going back to his own mate. The
thought caused a deep pain in his chest. He wanted his mate, and she refused
him. He rubbed his chest. “Ryker.” Looking over at the
smaller red headed man, Slate was grateful to see he wasn’t mad at him for attacking
his brother. “Do you have some paper I can use? I’d like to leave her my
number.”
    “Sure do, I’ll write it down for her. Be right back.”
The lithe man