The Depth Of His Feelings

Milton
I held Gerald’s gaze while Giselda continued to tug at my arm. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to speak to Giselda,” he said, pleasantly but I knew better.
I crossed my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes on Gerald. I had spent the last four years watching him slide into being feral. After the first six months of trying to make Corey see reason, I had given up. I wasn’t sure what he saw in Gerald, but I got it. To an alpha, the beta was held higher than the gamma. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
I reached behind my back to tangle my fingers with Giselda who had finally stopped tugging on my arm. She clung to my fingers like they were the only thing that were holding her in place. I knew that she blamed herself for “getting me kicked out” of Realm, but getting kicked out was the best damn thing that had ever happened to me. Getting kicked out forced Giselda’s hand a little. Not that I minded in the slightest. If her sense of loyalty and desire to protect the people she cared about gave me the opportunity to have the woman that I had fallen head over heels for, then I was not about to complain. My eyes flashed at Gerald. Nor was I about to let him try to take that chance away.
“Giselda, do you want to speak to her?” I asked.
“I– ummm, no,” she whispered.
I pulled her forward to drape my arm over her shoulders. When she shivered, I pulled her closer to my side.
“You heard her, Gerald. I don’t expect you to keep pushing the issue,” I growled.
He raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m not going to stop. She’s my mate and I–”
I narrowed my eyes on him even more. “No, Gerald, she’s not. She is my mate, and she will be my wife. She chose me.”
“She won’t in the end. This,” he snapped, waving his hand toward us, “is only temporary.”
“You had a chance to choose her. You had a chance to be the man she loved. And as much as it kills me to know that she does love you, I will not let you keep destroying her. So, please, for her sake, respect her wishes and just leave and don’t come back.”
He took an angry step toward me, causing Giselda to whimper softly at my side as she stepped closer to my side. Her hand went to chest, her head tipping back to look up at me, but I kept my eyes glued on Gerald’s.
“What makes you so sure of that, Milton?” He growled. “I am stronger, and faster than you. I have alpha blood,” he growled.
I finally smirked at him. “I don’t need alpha blood to be better than you. I chose her without hesitation. I have woken up everyday since I met her, and chose her. And I will choose her everyday until I die.” I stepped forward until I was toe to toe with him. “That’s what makes me better than you. I make her sure she’s worth being loved. I make her believe that she can have someone loyal to her, and only her. When there are doubts in her eyes, I erase them.” My jaw clenched tightly for a moment before I was able to continue, “When I say I love her, I mean it. Every single fucking time!” I slammed both of my hands into his chest, making him stumble backward and land on the ground. “That’s what makes me sure.”
“You are a fool,” he spat as he jumped back to his feet. “There is a reason that I’m her fated mate. Our bond will win out.”
“That’s what you think, but I know better,” I told him confidently.
He turned to look at Giselda, and I immediately stepped in front of her, blocking her from his view. I wasn’t going to let him use the mate bond that was still present between them to manipulate her. I shook my head.
“That’s not happening!” I snarled. “Leave Giselda alone.”
When Gerald took a step toward me, Annie jumped in between us, putting a restraining hand on Gerald’s chest.
“STOP! Don’t you two see what this is doing to Giselda! If either of you care about her, you would just stop!” She almost screamed.
I instantly spun around toward Giselda, who was standing frozen in place with her hands twisting anxiously in front of her. I tugged her gently into my arms, kissed her forehead, and began to murmur soothingly toward her, trying to stop the tears that were glistening in her eyes from falling.
“I’m sorry, Giselda. Come on, my love. I said what I had to say. Let’s get to work,” I coaxed.
She nodded and I turned her around to lead her away, but she immediately spun back around to look at Gerald.
“I reject you, Gerald Waterman, as my mate and beta boar.”
My body jerked as her pain coursed through our link. When her legs wobbled, I scooped her up. I met Gerald’s eyes.
“You have your answer. Don’t come back looking for her,” I growled before walking off, carrying Giselda in my arms.
She wrapped her arm around my neck, burying her face in my chest. I knew she was crying, but there was nothing I could say to her to ease her pain. Rejecting someone who had no intention of accepting the rejection was going to remain painful until he either accepted, died, or she died. The latter of which was not going to happen on my watch. I lifted her a little so I could kiss her forehead again.
“It’s going to be okay, baby,” I whispered. “Let me be what you need.”
“You are,” she sniffled. “How could you think I haven’t? I rejected him. And for every day that you choose me, I will reject him.”
“Are you sure about that?” I asked softly, hating that I felt the need to ask, but needing her to reassure me.
She raised her tear-filled eyes to mine.”Yes, Milton. I chose you. I only want you.”
I nodded, but I knew she was lying. I could see it in her eyes. She clearly didn’t believe her own words. At least not at that moment. I understood why she still wanted Gerald. Everything had happened so fast, and not only between me and her, but also between her and Gerald. I pecked her lips, not wanting to push her any more.
“Thank you, baby. I love you,” I told her.
“I love you too, Milton.”
At least that was true. For right now, that would have to be enough. I would handle the whole still wanting Gerald thing later. I had more important things to handle at the moment. For example, convincing Giselda’s cousin and his mate that I wasn’t a bad guy, because after my little conversation with Gerald, I knew Annie was going to hate my presence in the sleuth and Giselda’s life, even more. Annie never liked that I was dating her, but it wasn’t her choice. If Giselda wanted me here, I would be. If she wanted me to go, well, I’d fight a little but would ultimately leave to give her a chance to be happy. I was forced back to reality when Giselda started to move her hands over my face.
“Milton?”
“Yes, baby,” I answered, looking down at her.
“I asked if we could just go home. I just want to be alone with you,” she admitted.
I nodded as I changed direction. “Of course, we can.”
I would never say no to her. I couldn’t. I just prayed that Annie and Logan would eventually see how much I loved her. If they didn’t– well, I didn’t even want to think about that. Giselda meant too much to me to just give up. And I wasn’t going to stop trying to make her understand that. I glanced over my shoulder in the direction of where I had spoken with Gerald. Not only did she deserve to understand how much I loved her, but I couldn’t afford to let her keep going without believing she was lovable and worth choosing. I could let her have any doubts. She would no doubt run back to Gerald for any sort of affection, but his affection would no doubt only serve to destroy her. And that would happen over my dead body, because she was mine. She would always be mine. Come hell or highwater, she was mine!