Page 66 of Choosing the Rejected Mate

Chapter Eight

Chosen Under the Moon

Daniel

I spend the rest of the day wanting to murder a man I have never met.Technically, two men.

Cole, because he walked into Holly’s bakery and tried to turn her pain into a leash.Rowan, because he denied her, broke her, and then had the audacity to send someone else to test whether the wound was still open enough to crawl through.

My wolf is very supportive of murder.Unfortunately, Holly is less supportive.

She makes that clear when I’m halfway through tightening the hinge on the bakery’s back door with enough force to strip the screw.

“If you break that, you’re paying for it,” she says behind me.

I glance over my shoulder.She stands in the kitchen with her arms crossed, hair piled messily on top of her head, apron still on, one eyebrow arched.There’s a smudge of flour on her cheek again.

Goddess, I love that flour.Not love.

No.

Maybe.

Fuck.

I turn back to the hinge because hinges don’t make my chest ache.“It was loose.”

“It was terrified.There’s a difference.”

“I’m fixing it.”

“You’re punishing it because you can’t punish Cole.”The screwdriver stills in my hand.Holly sighs and comes closer.“Daniel.”

“I’m fine.”

“That is my line, and I don’t appreciate theft.”

My mouth twitches despite myself.She stops beside me, close enough that her scent wraps around my ribs.Sugar, vanilla, woman, and wolf.Under it, the sharp trace of lingering hurt from this morning.

My jaw tightens, and Holly bumps her shoulder against mine.“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Go all quiet and murdery.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”Deny, deny, deny.

“You look like you’re mentally burying bodies.”

“I’m a handyman.I know how to dig.”

“See?Murdery.”

I set the screwdriver down before I snap it in half.“He hurt you.”

“Yes.”The simple answer hits hard.No minimizing.No softening.No pretending Cole’s words did not land exactly where he aimed them.