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He paused his movement for a second, like he was taking in the information. She licked her lips, suddenly nervous.
“Nas?”
When he finally spoke, he didn’t open his eyes or move in any way. “I don’t understand why, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Everything is perfect now. You can stay. You can be mine.”
She frowned at the implication in his words, sitting up to look at him. “What do you mean? I’m not staying here, no matter what.”
She expected anger, pain, or questions, but he looked relaxed and peaceful, a slight smile on his face when his eyes met hers.
“We’re mates, and that changes everything. It was meant to be. You were meant to come here. All the changes, the things I’ve lost out on, will be better with you here. Everything makes sense now.”
“Nothing has changed. Nothing.” She shook her head hard in disbelief, moving from where she straddled his lap to find her clothes.
He frowned, leaning forward. “That’s not…we’re mates. You’re mine.”
“No. I belong to me. We may be mates, but nothing changes. I told you a long time ago I didn’t want my mate. I plan on living my life for me, and I need to get out of here. That hasn’t changed.”
“It’s changed for me.”
She whirled around to face him angrily but softened slightly when she saw the hurt on his face. “This. This is why I didn’t tell you. This is why I had Ava make me the necklace months ago.”
“Months? You made the necklace…for me? Not your stalker?”
She paused, swallowing hard when she realized what she said, and how it would make him feel.
“No. I mean, yes. I had it because I scented you months ago. The day you picked up Ava and Makaii from that house in Minnesota. I didn’t see you or know who you were. I only knew it was someone in the Suburban. I wasn’t ready.”
“When did you find out it was me? When?” His voice rose in volume, and her mind raced. This is exactly what she feared. That he’d be hurt more than any of this was worth.
“Just two weeks ago when we met at the party. I swear. It was inevitable, and I couldn’t miss it, wouldn’t miss the celebration, so I came back. I…I knew I’d meet you that night, since there were only two options left of people I hadn’t met, but I’m still not ready to settle down. I don’t know if I ever will be. I need to be on the road, doing the things we talked about.”
“So, you hid it from me?”
“I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Were you ever going to tell me?”
“No.” She stared at him, at the hurt and panic in his face, and she felt the tears streaming from her eyes.
“You expected me to be okay with being alone my whole life. And you? You wanted to feel guilt-free about fucking other men at these parties?”
“No. I wouldn’t—”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses or your reasons. Your actions have been enough.”
“What does that mean? I thought you understood, that you knew why I had to leave. You offered to go with me. You accepted it.”
“That was before. When neither of us had met our fated mates, or well…I hadn’t. When choices were still on the table. But, we are wolves. We don’t go against the Moon Goddess. We don’t go against our fates.”
“I can’t. I don’t want a mate, and I especially can’t stay here with you in Tuisa. It’s overwhelming and backwards here.”
“You don’t want me? You’re rejecting me? No. I won’t accept.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it. I’m rejecting the idea of mates. Not you specifically. I care about you, or I wouldn’t have hidden it.”
“You care enough to lie to me? Every day? But I guess that comes easily to you. You’ve played me for two weeks in more than one way, and I was naïve enough to fall for it.”
“It’s not like that. I almost told you so many times. I wanted to.”
