Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
“That’s where you’re wrong. Seeing you was the highlight of my life. You think I didn’t have consequences after rejecting you? Do you think there wasn’t pain, anger, loneliness?” he asked.
The tears fell down her cheeks and it was killing him to see them. He didn’t want to be the cause of her tears.
“Can we just go?” Ashley asked.
“Every single day I regretted saying what I did, doing what I did, but you and I, Ashley, we’re not the same people. I’ve not grown up in this. I grew up out there, fighting to survive.”
“And you expect me to believe your opinion has changed?” she asked.
He sighed. “No, I don’t expect anything at all. I want you to understand that I’m not going anywhere. Not now, not ever. I’m here to stay because I cannot go another period of time without seeing you, without being near you. Fuck, just holding your hand is more than enough for me right now. I’m willing to have anything you will give me.”
“What do you want from me?” she asked.
“I want it all, Ashley. I want you as my mate, by my side, and above all else, I want you to forgive me.”
Chapter Six
“Hey, sweetheart, I thought you had left already.”
Ashley looked up to see her mother enter the kitchen. She still wore her pajamas and her hair was pinned up but she could tell her mother hadn’t brushed her hair. This is what she loved about her mother. There was no fakeness. She didn’t care if people saw her less than perfect.
“Hey, Mom,” she said.
“I need some coffee. Please tell me you brewed a pot.”
“I have.” She did originally brew it for Phoenix. He had a mug the moment he woke up. They hadn’t spoken though. They hadn’t talked once they arrived here last night.
Leah had made a beautiful lasagna. It was so good. Phoenix had kept her parents talking, giving her time to think. She wasn’t sure if she did think. If anything, she was torn.
“I thought you were helping Phoenix with his home,” Leah said.
“I am. I’m heading out there soon. I stayed behind to make sandwiches.”
“Ah, makes sense.” Leah poured herself a mug of coffee and didn’t even bother with cream and sugar. “What’s the matter, honey?”
“Nothing, why?”
“Ah, you see, it has been twenty-three years of knowing you and I know something is bothering you.”
“Nah, it’s nothing.”
“I can’t help you fix it unless you talk to me.” Leah moved closer to the counter. She pulled out the chair next to her and took a seat. “I’m all ears.”
“It’s…”
“Does it have something to do with leaving the pack?” Leah asked.
“Yes and no. I don’t know.” She frowned. Her mother was the only person she wanted to talk to about this kind of thing. Anyone else would have way too many questions. “Actually, can I ask you questions about, er, about mates?”
“Have you found yours?” Leah asked, smiling.
She chuckled. “I was, er, I was curious, you know, about you and Dad, and I guess mates in general.”
“Go ahead. I will answer as best I can, but I will admit it’s not always easy,” Leah said.
“How do you mean?”
“Well, as I’m sure you’re aware, being mates is different for everyone. For your father and I, we grew up as friends. I had fallen in love with him long before the transition. When we finally did transition, it was a dream come true to be mated with him. The love I had for him felt like it exploded across my entire being.”
Ashley smiled. “And you love each other more now than ever before.”
“Of course, but don’t forget, we’ve not always been perfect for one another.” Leah tucked some hair behind her ear.
“I don’t understand.”
“Mates can argue and disagree. Even go so far as falling out for a short time. It doesn’t stop us being mates or anything like that, but what it does do is make us stronger.”
“You and Dad fell out?”
“I wouldn’t say we had a true falling out, not in that sense, but we did disagree on the previous alpha. I didn’t like him. Something about him made me believe he was weak. Your father felt we should trust him, give him the benefit of the doubt, even though on numerous occasions he’d shown himself to be too weak to lead.” Leah sighed. “You know what happened. I wanted to leave town. To get you as far away from that mess as possible.”
“Dad didn’t?”
“Because he was protecting you. We don’t know what it’s like, your father and I, to experience a transition without your pack. He feared pulling you away from the pack at a young age before your transition could hurt you.”
Ashley thought of Phoenix. “Oh.”
“So, that was our first true disagreement. Your father was utterly distraught over what happened. I’m just grateful Phoenix had decided to come and visit the town a second time.”