Beauty and the Rogue (Undergoing Editing)

Chapter 17- Edited

Audrey's POV

I pinned his wrists down, sitting on his ribs. I laughed sarcastically in his face as he spoke. "Trust you?" I snarled as he looked back at me, regret strewn across his face.

"Look, I know you can't find the heart to trust me just yet but I am begging you, Audrey." His eyes shimmered with small tears forming. I just shook me head and let out a deep breath.

"What nerve you have." I growled, not feeling one bit sorry for him. "Coming here, and to me! After everything you did to me and to Joslin. You left us with my parents! You knew what they were doing to us and still you left us." I snarled, remembering the exact day that he left like it was yesterday.

"Audrey, I know and I'm so sorry, but I had to. I didn't have a choice. I had to leave you." He almost whispered, tears still forming in his eyes, threatening to run over any second. I just shook my head, letting out a deep, heavy sigh and put more weight on him.

"You did have a choice and you choose to leave. Don't you dare say I should trust you, especially now. I will never trust you like I did when we were kids. You didn't have to leave us! You didn't have to leave me with those monsters! You could have stayed and protected me and Joslin but you didn't and now you can't take it back." I said, as he stayed silent.

He just let out a sigh and closed his eyes, speaking gently to me. "Audrey, I know you hate me for leaving you and Joslin but I am so sorry. I wish I could have stayed with you. I really do, but you have to believe me when I say I couldn't., They would have hurt you. They wouldn't have just let me stay, they would have made the whole pack pay."

I stopped him, "Pack? I guess you forget that I didn't have a pack. They kicked me out, they made me a rouge at 14! I had to learn how to survive on my own when I was just a kid! Do not.. do not tell me you saved me from whatever fate they would have had for me. I would have rather died than be a rouge. It ruined me life. I lost my family and all my friends. No one wanted me." I paused remembering the many times I sleep shivering underneath a bridge in the pouring rain after my parents had forced me out when I never shifted.

"You've already helped ruin my life once. If you ruin it again now, I will kill you. I'm happy here. I'm loved here. Something I never was after you left. Don't mess this up now." I said jumping off him and running into the trees, away from my old friend I once knew.

He had once protected me from my parents, but he left and now I would never forgive him for that.

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Cole's POV

I can't believe I hurt her like that. When I looked at her wrists, they had already started to bruise as soon as I released them. I had promised her that I would never hurt her, and now I've broken that promise. I hurried to the bathroom once I went back into the school and ran cold water over my face. I was just trying to protect her, why couldn't she see that?

I couldn't quit worrying about her, running into the woods especially with that rouge lurking around out there. Thoughts kept running through my head for him hurting her and I growled at the images that ran through my mind of finding her again like I had when John had taken her. 

I couldn't fight my wolf anymore as I ran out of the school, shifting as I bolted through the trees and following her scent. When I finally crept up on her scent, I stopped at a clearing to see her on top of the rogue that had been meandering in the tree line around the school, holding him down with her hands tight around his wrists and pinning them to the ground. She was yelling something at him as he just laid there and took whatever scolding her was giving him but it was difficult to train my ears in to listen her words carefully enough to pick up on what she was so upset about.

"You already helped ruin my life once, if you ruin it again now, I will kill you. I'm happy here. I'm loved here. Something I never was after you left. Don't mess this up now." She said, her voice heavy as her eyes started to water with tears. She jumped up and ran into the trees, leaving him laying there almost feeling sorry for himself. I quickly ran after her but the man caught sight of me.

"Hey!" He yelled at me, making me stop and turn to look at him. "You're her mate?" He asked as I growled, lowering myself to the ground ready to pounce at him if he advanced towards me at all. He just smirked and shook his head. "You shifters think you're so tough." He mumbled narrowing his eyes are me. I pinned my black ears back as he took a step forward, challenging me. "And I thought her mate would be.. well, more." he taunted as he readied himself for my lounge but it never came.

I just bared my teeth and turned to follow my beautiful mate, convincing myself that this fool didn't deserve my attention as much as Audrey needed me right now. I knew she was mad at me but my wolf yearned to comfort her. She needed me, even when she didn't want me.

"Where do you think you're going?" he growled after me, moving towards me when I halted to turn back and growl at him. When he was just a few feet away I suddenly whirled around, catching him by surprise as I caught his leg in my jaws. I sunk my teeth into his flesh, warning him to stay away. When he growled in pain I released my grasp on his leg, running after my mate again.

This time he learned his lesson and stayed where he was, not following me or Audrey. When I finally found her, she was curled up into a little ball, leaning against a big oak tree, crying. I nudged her with my cold nose, making her jump a little before she recognized my wolf. She wiped her tears and scratched me behind my ear, making me whine at how good it felt, feeling the familiar sparks from her touch.

She smiled and slung her arms around my big neck as she started crying again. I lowered my head to rest against her back, comforting her as much as I could.

'I love you' I heard her whisper in her mind and I realized she didn't know that since now we were fully mated, I could hear her thoughts as long as her mind was open to me.

'I love you too' I replied through our link, making her jump a little. She backed up a little to look at me and smiled, realizing the connection that we shared now.

Now, I didn't have to worry as much as to what was happening when she wasn't with me, as long as she didn't have a mental guard up around her thoughts, I could always know when she needed me. I smiled to myself at the thought as she wrapped her arms around my neck again. Her cold tears against my fur made me released a low growl. What had that stranger done to push her to be like this? How had he ruined her life to the point where she would hurt this much?

My thoughts wandered back to her parents, making me growl once more to myself. Audrey pulled back then, hearing my growl. I just shook my head before I helped her to stand to her feet and led us both home. School could wait as far as I was concerned. All I wanted was to lay in bed with my beautiful mate in my arms.As we got home, I did just that. After I shifted back, I pulled on some boxers and jumped under the covers as she climbed in with me.

"Cole," she said her voice still shaky. "Do you think they'll come back?" she asked looking up at me. I gave her a confused look and she let out a deep breath.

"That man, in the clearing. His name is Jason. He was my best friend when I was growing up. He would always stand up for me when my parents got.. out of hand but one day, he just left and he never came back. Now I know where he went. I saw him that day, with John. He's a Kaiden." she said sadly. "Do you think they'll come back?" She asked again, now knowing her meaning.

"I don't know baby," I said truthfully. "But if they do, I promise I won't let them hurt you." I said tightening my grip on her waist, pulling to closer to me. She rested her head on my chest and fell asleep while I held her, her breaths evening out and all of her tight muscles finally relaxing against me. I would keep my promise, even if it cost me my life. They would never hurt her again.