“Protect me?” I scoffed, bitterness rising to the surface. "I am a Beta, Carol; not only that, but I am also an Alpha wolf. I could have helped you. All you needed to do was tell me the truth." I got closer to her; my body ached for her touch, but I didn't want to get distracted. Not yet. "I told you I hated lies, and you..."
"I know I lied to you, but I thought I was protecting you. I had no idea you were my mate; I didn't have my wolf then," she interrupted. "You lied to me as well; if you had told me we were mates, I would have trusted you immediately. Instead, I found the truth when you rejected me," she countered.
"You were after my family; I couldn't allow that. I knew you were hiding things, but I thought they were stuff from your past, that perhaps you were still trying to overc
