Page 43 of Losing My Rejection

“Come home with me and let me prove to you that I can be a good father. I owe that to you and to your mother. I want you to live in the house where she raised you if that’s what you want. I want you to follow your dreams and finish culinary school. Hell, maybe you’ll even become a famous chef or start a big restaurant in town. Either way, I want you home. You’re my son and it’s my duty to support you in life. It’s what your mother would’ve wanted, and it’s what I want.”

I was speechless. After uprooting my entire life and moving to Shifter Grove where I had absolutely nothing, my father was offering my old life back to me on a silver platter. He’d been the cause of all my woes and now he was willing to fix them once more.

“I’ve already arranged it with the Alpha so you can rejoin the pack and all your friends.” He gave me a small smile. “And your room is just the way you left it. I even called up the culinary school and took care of all your withdrawals from classes for this semester. They’re ready and expecting you in the spring to finish out your schooling.”

A new problem suddenly emerged in front of me. Dad thought I was living in a hotel room with nothing in a nowhere place. He didn’t know I had a job, friends, and a mate now. And, worst of all, he didn’t know my mate was another man. His apology was great, but I wasn’t sure it would hold up the moment I told him the truth. In fact, I was almost certain it would be the final crack to burst an already damaged dam.

“Dad… I… I don’t know,” I started. “I have a good job at the bakery here…”

“So quit,” he said simply. “I’ll get you any kind of job you want back in Traverse City. The pack has connections all over. If you want to bake, I’ll get you in. Anything you want, just name it and I’ll make sure it happens.”

“I–”

“You know what,” he said, holding up a hand to cut me off. “Maybe this is all a little too much too fast. You’ve been through a lot and I have no doubt you’ve started to settle in here thinking you’d never be able to come back home.” He pushed himself up from the bed and walked over to me, placing both his hands on my shoulders. “You don’t have to answer right now. Take some time to think it over. I’m staying here in the hotel for the next couple of days and I’ll keep out of your way while you get things settled.” He reached up, holding my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I’m really proud of you, son. Even with all the odds stacked against you, you made it work anyway. You’ve become a very capable man and I know your mother would be proud too.”

I allowed him to pull me into a hug, returning the gesture out of habit more than anything. My mind was racing as I watched him leave. The moment the door closed behind him, I collapsed into the desk chair and buried my face in my hands. What was I going to tell everyone? I didn’t want to leave them all behind, but the idea of getting everything back was pretty enticing.

What was I going to tell Andy? Obviously I wasn’t going to leave my mate behind, but how would I break that news to my father? I didn’t really want to have another confrontation with him, but it seemed impossible to avoid now. He wasn’t going to leave until he got an answer from me.

I shook my head, knowing I had no other choice. I had to tell him about Andy, but I was going to do it in my own way in my own time. And considering Andy already had a business to run, I didn’t want him to worry. For now, I’d keep my father’s arrival to myself. When the time was right, I’d let Andy know what was going on. With any luck, he’d be thrilled to come with me back to Traverse City where we could build a life together. He could start a new cafe and I could finish culinary school. Within a few years we could be the highlight of the restaurant scene in all of northern Michigan.

It was a beautiful dream. But for now I needed to plan how to break the news to both of them.

And I was late to work.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Andy

“My barista called in today,” I told Josh when he arrived for work with a box tucked under one arm.

After and insanely long day of baking the day before, both of us were exhausted. Josh had even gone back to the hotel the night before instead of staying in my bed because we both knew we wouldn’t sleep if he did. Not only that, but he seemed sort of distracted. I wrote it off as exhaustion. Although I was sad not to wake up with his cock stuffed between my cheeks, I had gotten a little more sleep because of it. And I would’ve gotten more if my barista wasn’t down with the flu.

“Don’t worry,” he said, giving me a small kiss. “I’ll get to work.”

The show of affection surprised me, especially since the cafe was already full of customers. But, they all knew who I was and none of them batted an eye. Josh patted my butt as he slipped by, ducking into the kitchens to start work on the lunch restock. I wished I could be back there to help him, but with the steady stream of customers coming and going all morning, I couldn’t spare even a moment. If I wasn’t warming pastries and packaging orders, I was making every coffee drink known to man. It made me realize that I desperately needed to hire another barista.

Also, what was the box for? It smelled sweet and faintly familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. However, as another pair of customers stepped through the front door, it was quickly forgotten. They both needed drinks and breakfast, so I was back at it again getting things out as fast as possible.

The next couple of hours continued that way until the breakfast rush started to finally die back. In fact, I was just about to duck into the kitchens to help Josh when another customer stepped through the door. I put on a smile when I saw him, realizing he wasn’t one of my regulars. There were a few people that passed through town, although that was usually in the summer. Still, I’d never turn down business. Something about his dark hair and eyes looked oddly familiar, even though I knew I’d never met him before.

“What can I get ya?” I asked as he stepped up to the counter.

“What’s good here?”

“Everything,” I replied confidently. “The bakers here are some of the best and the coffee isn’t bad either.” It wasn’t a lie, but it was definitely egotistical of me to say. “You looking for something more robust or more of an experience?”

“Well, I definitely want black coffee,” he said, glancing over at the cases.

“Take a minute to look things over. I’ll get your coffee.”

He nodded and worked his way down the counter. I fetched a cup and began to pour his coffee. Even with the scent of coffee and sugar filling the air, I could still catch the stranger’s smoky smell. He was definitely a wolf and judging by the way he kept glancing over at me, he knew I was one too.

“Amarok Cafe, huh?” he asked, taking the coffee cup from me. “After the mythological wolves in the arctic?”

“Yep,” I nodded. The shop was mostly empty by that point. “It got its name from the owner’s fur color.”

He didn’t even blink. “I’ve heard there’s quite a few of us here in Shifter Grove. Seems to be a haven for rogues.” He pointed toward the case. “I think I want one of those sticky buns.”

“Is that what brings you to town?” I asked as I grabbed the tongs and began to plate up his order. “Do you want this warmed up?”

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