Chapter 2

Why?

Why Valentino?

The man loomed before him, his jaw clenched. His eyes traced Nathan, tinged with intense rage and disgust.

Before Nathan could muster a word, Valentino pulled him up and dragged him into the room, then shut the door.

Nathan's eyes widened, panicked and confused.

The latter threw him to the ground and he winced from the sharp pain that shot through his shoulder.

With a racing heart, his eyes shot up to meet Valentino, from where he was laying on the ground.

"Wh...what?" He couldn't find the words.

The shock, the string, the possibility that his mate wanted nothing to do with him was enough to choke on.

Valentino paced around the room, his steps slow and heavy.

Nathan gulped, shifting. He hoisted himself up, using a furniture and stood awkwardly by the door, just watching Valentino.

The man's eyes burned intensely as they locked onto him. He flinched, backing away when Valentino started approaching him.

"No one must hear of this," the man said, his voice low, carrying a venomous edge.

Nathan's stomach dropped for the third time.

How pathetic was he that even his mate wanted nothing to do with him?

His eyes grew glossy with tears and a bitter laugh slipped out of his mouth.

Fate was a freaking bastard.

"Am I really that bad?" The words crawled out before he could stop them.

Suddenly, he felt the air get knocked out of him.

Valentino's hand was on his neck, the veins on it bulging, as he pinned him to the wall.

Choking, his eyes snapped up to Valentino's, terrified. His heart pounded in his chest, as he realized how dangerous the situation was.

"NO ONE MUST HEAR OF THIS."

The man's eyes were firm, his honey-brown pupils tightening with irritation.

A strained 'yes' left him and air filled his lungs again.

Valentino had released him.

"Get out!"

His legs moved before his mind was ready.

He pulled open the door and bolted out, panting.

He'd always known Mikhail's brother was violent and had very little patience, but those were the things he'd been told by Mikhail.

This was the first time he was seeing Valentino as he was rumored to be.

His steps echoed through the hallway as he ran, farther and farther, without looking back.

He got to the guest room and turned the handle, throwing himself inside and shutting the door.

He collapsed to the ground, his back up against the door, as the sobs finally came.

Ragged.

Ugly.

His hands flew over his mouth to stop the sounds from slipping out, but they felt weak as he cried harder.

What was he going to do?

Would he really pretend like he hadn't found his mate?

There was no other choice.

Even though Valentino could not get rid of him if he did tell someone, he'd torture him and make sure he was alive through it.

Should he cut the string, he pondered, his sobs reducing when the idea popped into his head.

The survival rate was less than 50%.

He would not make it.

What if Valentino wanted to cut it?

"Why?" He sobbed, his voice raw with pain, as he clutched the left side of his chest.

Just what had he done to have his longtime crush and fated mate reject him on his birthday?

His cries turned silently, echoing through the room. After a while, he lay on the ground, curling up.

He drifted to sleep on the chill marble floor, hoping he'd wake up in the morning and it'd all be a dream.

"Please."

Let it all be a dream.