Chapter 14 : Stay With Me

*Gabe*

My concern with finding my mate was warring with the anger I felt for those who had driven her away. The source of the rumor was still a mystery to me, but I was able to track down the person responsible for striking her–Aiden Barlow, a sixteen-year-old student. Val had asked me to take it easy on the boy.

His father had made no such request. When he'd opened the door and found me standing there, a look of resignation had passed over his face.

"I'll get him for you," he said.

I stepped into the modest house and waited. I could hear hushed voices at the end of the hallway. The boy walked out slowly with his father close behind him. He was a tall, willowy boy with sandy hair and dark eyes. He'd be a strong man in just a few years. Now, he looked uncomfortable in his own skin. Aiden kept his chin raised, but the fear in his eyes was clear.

"You attacked my mate," I said.

"I did." He looked away toward his father, but the older man simply shook his head. "She wants