Page 47 of Losing My Rejection

A smile.

“You found your mate?” he asked. “That’s amazing.”

“You… You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad?” he replied as if it were the silliest question in the world.

“I thought you’d want me to find a girl… to mate with someone in the pack.”

“You can’t choose who your mate is any more than you can choose your sexuality.”

I was shocked to hear those words leave his mouth. I was so certain he’d be staunch and old-fashioned about the entire thing. He was the Gamma of the pack for god’s sake. If anyone was going to get uppity about a male pairing, I thought for sure it would be him.

“I don’t know if you know this but… your grandfather was pretty mad at me when he found out your mother was my mate. He threatened to cut me out of the family.” He let go of my arm, his eyes turning glassy. “But we were fated for one another and I loved her more than anything in the world. I couldn’t help it. If she had been a man… it might’ve been difficult to figure out, but I wouldn’t have loved her any differently.” He reached up, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. “The heart wants what the heart wants.”

I just stood there in complete shock. I didn’t know what to say.

“So,” he said at last. “What the hell are you doing here?! Go apologize to that man before it’s too late!”

“You… You really don’t mind?”

He shook his head. “I don’t mind. I’m happy for you. I always hoped you’d find your mate so you could experience the kind of love I had with your mother. Even if I found a hundred more mates in my lifetime, none of them would ever come close to how I felt about her.” He reached up, his hand on my cheek. “It’s unfair how early she was taken from both of us. And… it really fucked me up.” He wiped his face again. “But I’m not going to lose you over something so stupid. Besides, I love having one son. I’m sure I’ll love having two.”

I pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m gonna stay here, Dad. I didn’t like it when I first arrived, but I have friends here… family even. I can’t leave them behind.”

“I understand.” He patted me on the back. “I guess I know where I’m moving when I retire.”

“I’d like that,” I nodded.

He seemed to shake himself out of his emotions at last. “What are you doing? Go back and tell that boy how you feel before it’s too late!”

“Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

“I’ll be here waiting when you get back.”

Sam gave me a smile and a nod as I ran out the door. At the end of the hall I ducked into the elevator and hit the button for the bottom floor. By the time the doors opened again, there was a pile of clothing lying in the corner and I had four paws on the ground. I took off like a shot, pushing my way through the front door of the hotel and sprinting down the street.

I had to tell my mate I wasn’t going anywhere. I had to tell him I was sorry. And most of all, I had to tell him that I loved him more than anything in the world.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Andy

When the bell over the door dinged again, I forced my way out to the main dining area to take my customer’s orders. Even if I had tear-stained cheeks, red eyes, and my voice was hoarse, that didn’t mean I could ignore them. Bills and livelihoods didn’t care if I was having the worst day of my life. So it was work as usual.

The lunch rush started and despite Josh’s baking that morning, the case was getting emptier and emptier. It wouldn’t be long before I’d have to turn people away for the day. But at least that would give me a reason to close up early. Needless to say, I could use the break. Hell, maybe I’d even take a week or more off and shut down the shop altogether. I had a bit of money saved up, anyway. Hopefully my baristas would understand.

However, no sooner had I started to clean up and prepare to shut down the shop early, than I heard raised voices from the customers still in the dining room. A few of them stood up, pressing their faces against the window as they excitedly pointed outside. I saw something dark, but I couldn’t make out what it was.

“Is it a bear?” one older customer asked, looking to her husband.

“No,” he replied. “It’s not the right shape.”

“Looks like a wolf,” another shouted.

“This far south?”

“What’s it doing?”

A shout rose up. “It’s coming through the glass!”

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