Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
She looked toward her friend and took a deep breath. “I … want to be with him. Doesn’t that make me weak? He did reject me.”
Franny took hold of her hand. “Yes, he rejected you, and I can’t imagine what kind of hurt that was like, but—and this is what you need to consider—is there any way you can forgive him? He was a fool and he knows it. He could have left here, but he hasn’t. Even when you didn’t show any signs of forgiving him, he stayed.”
“But what if it makes me weak?”
“You’re not weak, and besides, isn’t there something about being able to forgive that makes you strong?” Franny asked.
****
“Thank you,” Silver said.
Mateo turned toward the other alpha and nodded his head. “Think nothing of it. I’m glad I could help.”
He got the call that drew him away from his mate early this morning. A newly transitioned wolf was struggling to put his wolf back into the cage. The boy’s family were terrified. They had attempted to give him time to try and fix the problem himself, but that hadn’t worked. The stress and pain had resulted in a dangerous combination where the boy had been close to wanting to end his own life.
Silver had called him to help because the boy had been left, hoping the wolf would rescind.
It was a bad case, but not one of the worst Mateo had seen, which had been a surprise. There had been one case, a young girl, who had come to her transition early. She’d been fourteen years old, but her body had matured, and Mateo, along with his father, on every full moon, had to help guide her through the transition. Seeing a young girl beg for them to end her life during that first time would stay with Mateo forever.
“It was a pleasure to have you here,” Silver said, and offered his hand.
Mateo shook it.
“I don’t suppose you have any idea what you and Harper will be doing through the next month?” Silver asked.
“I don’t know.” He didn’t want to say that he might have to consider leaving Harper here. His pack was going to need him. Even though his father could handle anything the pack threw at him, he knew he was needed.
Staying in Silver’s pack wasn’t going to be good. They were both alphas, but the biggest problem was the fact they were alphas in different packs. If he’d been born within Silver’s pack, it would be different.
He wasn’t. His pack needed him.
But, he needed Harper.
“I’ve got to go,” he said, giving Silver a slap to the arm, and then he took off, heading toward Harper’s home.
On the way there, he saw Franny coming toward him, and he stopped.
“Hello,” he said.
Franny offered him a smile. “Hello, rather polite this morning,” she said.
He forced a smile to his lips.
“Did you and my father deal with whatever problem called you away from your mate?” she asked.
“Yes. How is Harper?”
“I’m not divulging any of her secrets, but I will let you go and see her.”
That didn’t exactly fill him with confidence. Now, he felt that knot of fear working up his spine, threatening to strike him down.
He ran toward Harper’s house, and with each step he took, he felt his wolf start to pace within the corner of his mind. He wanted to know what went wrong. How he fucked up.
Mateo didn’t know, and as he held his hand up to knock on the door, Harper opened it. She already had a smile on her beautiful face, which nearly kicked him in the gut.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey.”
He didn’t have a clue what else to say. What did he tell the woman who could make his world right or send it driving deep into the pits of hell?
“Come in,” she said. “Did you help Silver?”
“Yeah, everything is okay. It was a young, newly transitioned male. He … his wolf didn’t want to go away, and the boy was …”
“Terrified?” Harper asked.
“Yeah, terrified.”
She closed the door and turned to face him. She rubbed her hands together, and then he saw her lock her fingers tightly. “Do you want a drink?”
“Love one.”
Anything to prolong what was about to happen.
She brushed past him and he got her cinnamon and vanilla scent. He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she worked for several minutes.
“Just tell me,” Mateo said.
He watched as she tensed up.
“We don’t have to do this dance with each other, Harper. We don’t have to make false declarations, and we don’t have to pretend. I know I hurt you.”
She turned around and folded her arms beneath her breasts. “Yes, you did.”
“And I want to make it up to you. I get that you don’t want to come back to the pack, but I promise you, I will come here, and I’ll make it work.”