I Moved On, Why Don't You

Forbidden Desire

(Image of Daniel)

Joey's pov

"No."

"What?"

I shook my head, backing away from him.

"I can't accept this . . . I'm not like my brother.  I've hurt too many people to get a happily ever after."

My mate's expression went from confused to concerned in a matter of seconds and his hand reached out gently grabbing mine.

"Is that why you didn't fight back? Why you let him_____?"

"How do you know what happened to me?"

"The day you had your pup, after we were ordered to leave, I told our leader that you were my mate and he allowed me to stay and watch over you. I was actually going to leave without letting you know who I was when I saw your mating ceremony and realized you were the Luna of your pack, but then I heard your little announcement, so I stuck around . . . why did you let him beat and rape you in front of everyone? Why didn't you stop him from branding the mark of a prostitute into your back?"

"Why didn't you stop him? If I'm supposed to be your mate, how could you just stand there and let it happen?"

"You know why I couldn't interfere . . . you're my mate, but by your own choice, you're his Luna."

"Things like choice have never applied to me. I don't have that kind of luxury."

"Did he force you?"

"Tell me something first, why did your pack come here? What were  you looking for so desperately that day your pack threatened mine?"

"I can't tell you that . . . even if you're my mate I can't trust you."

"You're right not to trust me . . . I'm a monster who hurts others just because I can. That's why he hurt me, it's my punishment for what I did."

"No wolf, no matter the reason deserves to be humiliated by their pack. How could you even say____________?"

"You don't understand . . . as the Alpha of our pack, Kyle had every right to kill me for betraying our pack after everything I put him through. I made him lose his mate because I couldn't let him go. I knew he didn't desire me even though I was his mate too . . . he'd chosen my brother over me from the beginning, but I couldn't let him go and I almost made my brother kill himself by convincing  my pack that my brother was a whore who cheated on his mate. Now things have come full circle and the pack knows the truth . . . my brother is my victim and I'm a whore and a liar. Is it wrong for them to treat me accordingly?"

"Only if your Alpha was completely blameless."

"He didn't mean to________."

"Don't make excuses for him. The Moon Goddess gave him the honor of having two mates, but instead of accepting the responsibility he was given, he decided to accept the mate he wanted the most and cast the other aside without a thought to the consequences."

"What consequences?"

 "Wolves that share a mate are prone to extreme jealousy. When one is preferred over the other the scorned one is capable of murder in order to get rid of the competition."

"I could never kill my brother."

"The only reason you were able to hurt your brother so badly without going too far is because  even though he had the man you both loved and you weren't able to let go, your wolf recognized him as important to him and protected him from you. I'm not saying that excuses what you did  to him, but it would have been worse if you didn't love him enough to back off before going too far."