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He shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping him as he said, “I broke up with her.”
“Whoa, what?” I was sure I heard him wrong. “Did you want to meet new people at college or something? Why would you do that?”
“It was what was best for both of us,” he answered firmly, the words almost rote.
“That sounds like something a parent would say,” I paused, releasing a breath, “Or an Alpha.”
He glanced at me, looking away quickly and I knew I was on to something. “Is that what happened? Your Alpha, your father, told you to break it off with her?”
He rubbed his hand over his mouth, his gaze flickering over me. “He didn’t have to,” he finally admitted. “Anyone with eyes could see the looks we got when we were together. I might be the Alpha’s son but I was never going to be a shifter.”
“So?”
He smiled bitterly. “Females that can produce shifters are prized –”
“Again, that’s disturbing,” I interrupted with a shudder, “But what does it have to do with you and Sam?”
“I’m getting there,” he said wearily and I mimed zipping my mouth shut. “There’s stigma, maybe prejudice is the better word, I don’t know, but our being together was frowned upon, and I can understand.”
“I don’t,” I burst out and he glanced at me reproachfully. “Well, I don’t!”
“To make the Pack stronger, someone like Samantha needed to be with a shifter. Known bloodlines that would produce a shifter cub.”
“But you could have a shifter child,” I interrupted. “My dad did. He had me and my brother.”
“That’s unusual,” Payne said repressively. “My father had other ideas.”
“Like what?” I asked, my forehead wrinkling as I considered what an ass his dad had been.
Payne shook his arms out, his lips pursed as if what he was about to say left a bad taste in his mouth. “Caleb.”
“And Sam?” I yelled in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me. They have to be at least six years apart in age and she’s Sam.” I enunciated her name like that could adequately encapsulate all that Sam was and Caleb was not.
Payne gave a pained chuckle. “Yes, well they’re actually ten years apart and no Sam never would have gone for it.” He glanced at me. “She knew. Everyone did. It was almost expected.”
“But she was with you. At least, until you broke up with her,” I reminded him, my voice rising at the end. “Which I still don’t understand why.”
“I loved my father, but he wasn’t an easy man. My being with Samantha went against his wishes.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, his head lowered as he spoke. “He couldn’t command me as he could with the shifters, but if I had continued my relationship with Samantha,” he paused and I leaned forward in anticipation, almost tipping over, except for his lightening reflexes, which caught me. “He would have thrown us out of the Pack,” he admitted quietly.
“But Sam left anyway,” I whispered and his eyes closed, shuttering the pain reflecting in them. “So, it was all for nothing.”
He swallowed thickly. “Don’t say it like that,” he begged. “Don’t tell me my sacrifice was for nothing.” He smiled painfully, knowing the truth but not wanting to face it.
“Does Sam know that’s why you broke up with her?” I questioned, things clicking into place when he shook his head.
“I couldn’t tell her. I didn’t want to be the reason she chose to leave,” he acknowledged bitterly. “Her father and brother have always been betas. Protectors of the Pack. I didn’t want to cause a rift.”
I sighed, exhausted by his story. “She did that all by herself,” I murmured before pointing at him. “This is why communication is so important. If everyone just took a minute to talk about their feelings so much shit could be prevented.”
He looked abashed but I still couldn’t get over the time they’d wasted. I could see he still loved her and if Sam’s reaction was anything to go by, she still loved him.
The motel came into sight then and I watched as Trent jogged toward us. I rested my hand on Payne’s arm, “We’ll fix this,” I promised, but he didn’t seem very confident in my promise as he nodded, slipping back into the woods as Trent reached us.
“Does he not like me?” Trent questioned, twirling a sucker between his fingers. “Because he disappears every time I come around.”
“What do you mean he disappears? Where have you seen him?” I asked sharply and Trent raised his eyebrows.
“Caught him prowling around the motel a few times. He always hightails it though when I approach him,” Trent said casually, popping the now unwrapped sucker in his mouth. I wasn’t sure he could go an hour without one.
“And you didn’t consider that suspicious?” I questioned incredulously.
He gave an offhanded shrug. “He’s part of the Navarre Pack. I’m supposed to watch for the Hanley pack.” He rolled the sucker to the other side of his mouth. “Besides, he’s only got eyes for one female.” Trent shifted his gaze to the motel where Sam was just disappearing from view.
