Chapter 35 - about he

Jude

My grip tightened involuntarily and I forced myself to breathe and stay calm for her sake even though rage was already building in my chest. I didn’t know she had a twin. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“Sophia is my perfect sister,” Rosie continued and her voice was distant like she was somewhere else entirely, lost in memories. “But I didn’t know why she hated me. I didn’t know why she planned everything with my ex boyfriend to humiliate me. I was deceived and they posted the video everywhere, sent it to everyone we knew, and made sure the whole school saw it.”

Her voice cracked on the last word and I felt something break inside my chest hearing the pain in her voice.

“The video ruined everything,” she whispered and tears were starting to fall again, hot against my shirt. “Everyone at school saw it. Everyone. They called me names, wrote things on my locker, followed me around laughing and taking pictures. I couldn’t go anywhere without people recognizing me and saying horrible things.”

I pulled her even tighter, feeling anger brewing hot and violent in my chest and my wolf was snarling inside me demanding blood, demanding revenge for our mate. I should have found that guy that night and torn him apart, should have protected her better even though I didn’t know her then.

“My parents...” Rosie’s voice broke completely and she was sobbing now. “They blamed me. They said I was stupid and brought shame to the family. They disowned me and they only have a daughter now, which is my twin sister.” She scoffed.

“Rosie—” I started but she kept talking.

“And the school expelled me,” she said through tears. “Said I was a disruption, that I’d brought negative attention to the university and they couldn’t have that. So they kicked me out and I lost my scholarship and I lost everything I’d worked for.”

I felt my heart actually physically ache in my chest hearing this, hearing everything my mate had gone through alone without anyone to protect her or comfort her or tell her it wasn’t her fault.

“I had nowhere to go,” Rosie whispered and she was shaking again but this time from crying. “No home, no school, no friends, nothing.”

Rosie turned to look up at me and her eyes were red and swollen and so full of pain it made me want to howl. “You won’t believe this but I almost jumped off a bridge when everything got too much,” she said and her voice was flat and emotionless like she was talking about someone else. “I was standing there at the edge ready to do it because I couldn’t see any other way out of the pain.”

I felt my heart actually stop for a moment, felt ice flood through my veins at the mere thought of losing my mate before I’d even found her. Had it been successful, what would have happened? I would have spent my entire life feeling incomplete and never knowing why, never knowing there was supposed to be someone perfect for me somewhere in the world.

Rosie must have noticed my inner turmoil, the way my face had gone completely white and my hands were shaking where they held her, because she quickly touched my arm gently. “But your eyes flashed in my mind right before I jumped,” she said softly. “those amber eyes of yours. I don’t know why but seeing them in my head made me pause just long enough for a driver passing by to stop and pull me back and talk me down.”

I pulled her impossibly closer and buried my face in her hair and just breathed her in, alive and here and safe in my arms, and I felt moisture on my own cheeks and realized I was crying too.

My eyes had saved her. The mate bond had saved her even before either of us understood what it was. The Moon Goddess had protected her, had kept her alive long enough for us to find each other properly.

“With Sophia here now...” Rosie’s voice was muffled against my chest. “I don’t know if he’ll be here with her too. I don’t know if I can face him.”

“Who?” I asked even though part of me already knew, already dreaded the answer.

“My ex,” she mumbled and then winced like saying it hurt.

I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw ached and my wolf was raging inside me demanding to be let out, demanding to hunt and kill. “What’s his name?” I asked and my voice sounded rough and dangerous. “Tell me his name and I’ll make him pay for what he did to you.”

“Josh Carter,” Rosie whispered.

The name hit me like a blow and a deep rumbling growl came from my throat before I could stop it.

Josh Carter. Josh fucking Carter was my mate’s ex, was the one who’d hurt her and violated her trust and destroyed her life and drove her to almost kill herself.

Josh Carter was the captain of the Silverwestern hockey team that we were playing against on Saturday.

Josh Carter was going to wish he’d never been born.

“I know him,” I said and my voice was cold and deadly calm. “He’s the captain of the team we’re playing this weekend.”

Rosie’s eyes went wide with shock and fear. “Jude, please don’t do anything stupid. I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me—”

“He hurt you,” I interrupted and my eyes were flashing with my wolf’s rage. “He violated you and humiliated you and made you want to die. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make him pay for that, sweetheart. Nothing.”

The fury burning through me was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. This wasn’t just anger—this was primal, bone-deep rage that made my wolf claw to get out and tear Josh Carter limb from limb. The mate bond demanded vengeance, demanded blood for what had been done to my other half.

But right now, Rosie needed me to be gentle. Needed me to be her safe place, not another source of violence in her life.

I placed a tender kiss on her forehead even though fury was burning through my veins but she needed my gentleness right now, needed to know she was safe and loved and protected.

“Sleep,” I murmured while running my fingers through her hair soothingly. “You’re exhausted. I’ve got you and nothing’s going to hurt you while I’m here.”

Rosie’s eyes fluttered closed and within minutes her breathing had evened out into sleep, her body finally relaxing completely in my arms now that she’d gotten everything out, now that she’d shared the weight she’d been carrying alone for so long.

I sat there holding my sleeping mate and staring at nothing while my mind raced and my wolf snarled and planned.

Rosie stirred slightly in her sleep, making a small distressed sound, and I immediately focused back on her. I adjusted my hold, pulled her closer, released more calming scent to soothe whatever nightmare might be chasing her.

“Shh,” I whispered, pressing another kiss to her forehead. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

She settled again, burrowing deeper into my chest, and I felt my heart clench with overwhelming protectiveness and love.

Saturday was going to be very interesting.

Josh Carter had no idea what was coming for him.