Page 52 of The Broken Wolf's Redemption

“Really. It’s okay.” Seren looked more like she’d rather spend any amount of time with the devil himself.

Then again, she had. She was an angel that he’d trapped into a contract from hell. She hadn’t deserved any of it. She didn’t have to give him this time. He hoped that for once, if he was going to be able to show any sort of emotion, it was gratitude.

“I’m giving you ten minutes.” Becka threatened.

“Five,” Seren insisted. “Then you can come in here and hypnotize away.”

“I’ll do that.” It was conveyed through a filthy look that if she had to come back in there and if he hurt Seren in any way, castration with a tattoo machine was going to be too good for him.

Becka slammed the door so hard the whole building seemed to shake. Incredibly enough, it went on vibrating. No, that was just him. He could feel every single one of his cursed, racing heartbeats obliterating his ribs. Time was counting down. He didn’t doubt that Seren was absolutely serious about five minutes.

“It’s not that I’ve never felt anything in my life. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Everyone would say something, but no one would be able to define what it is. I do feel, though. I feel guilt over what I did.”

“Really?” Seren started gathering up the little pots of ink on her tray and throwing them out. There was zero chance her client was coming back, likely ever. He’d have to compensate her for that loss. It was only right. “You feel guilt. How sweet.”

She gave him her back. He was struggling. Drowning. What did she need to hear?

“I feel guilty. I never should have interfered with your business or your life. I saw you. I wanted you. I didn’t understand why. With Lila, I knew. With you, it made no sense. I knew I would hurt you, but that didn’t honestly matter to me. Not at the time.”

“You’re a fucking asshole, Rome Nightfall.” The inkpots went into the trash with enough violence to tear the bag. She grabbed the paper towel, balled it up, and threw it out. She tore the black gloves off her hands and then stared, cursed under her breath, and grabbed a new pair out of the box.

“I know.”

“Why are you even here, then?”

“I need you to know that I know.”

Her eyes shot back up. “I know. Now leave.”

He was unused to being in this position. Unused to the feeling in his chest. She wasn’t happy. He’d done more than wound her and her wolf. Despite the contract, when he’d called her, she’d come. She’d taken him to Brooke’s, whatever she felt. He’d been nothing but a forceful ass, and she’d reacted with grace and compassion.

“It wasn’t Lila’s death that fucked me up. I was messed up long before that. But it did obliterate the few good parts left in me. I can never go back to visit her grave since she’s buried on my family’s pack lands. I’ve let that sorrow over losing her twice over, turn into guilt. I know if I had just—if I didn’t exist, she’d still be alive. Waverly would still have a mom.”

Seren crossed her arms, fresh gloves grabbing at her black velvet dress. She had black tights on underneath and black Mary Jane platform shoes with little bat wings on the straps. “What does that have to do with manipulating me for years? There is no excuse for what you did. If you came here to make one, you should turn around right now.”

“I know there aren’t any excuses.”

His attempts at honesty and putting what was left of his heart out there for her fell flat and smashed all over the floor. He was at a loss. She was right. He’d fucked up and interfered with her life for over a year.

“You want me to keep seeing Waverly. Is that why you’re here?”

“Yes!” He felt the first stirrings of profound relief.

Her lips pinched together. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. You need to find someone else. Promise me that you’ll do that. I know she’s attached to me, and this isn’t fair to her—”

“What if I wasn’t there? What if you never had to see me again?”

She’d expected that and she shook her head. “Truly, I feel horrible, but it has to be no. Get your family involved. They want to help. I’ve met them. I know that they’re worried about you. They love you. If you asked, they’d find a way. Why don’t you just keep your stake in the auto repair shop and move? Why not live close by? Close enough that they could take Waverly during the day or see her for hours and do a far better job mentoring and preparing her than I could ever do one day a week. I’m a useless shifter anyway. I’d never even been on a full moon run before that one with your pack. They were exceptionally kind to allow me to be there. I don’t think they would have if they had known what was really going on between us. That I wasn’t—that we don’t mean anything to one another.”

She looked miserable when she said it. It didn’t just bite into him. Her pain became his own. It made all of him uncomfortable, including the wolf, who he’d been so out of touch with for the past two years, ever since leaving his pack.

“I have nothing to offer more than I know what I did, I know it was wrong, and I shouldn’t have done it.”

“Are you trying to say sorry?”

“Yes. I am. I’m sorry. Truly. Beyond sorry. Beyond any words.”

He expected mockery, but Seren closed her eyes. He should have known better. She might not forgive him, and she might be scornful and doubtful of everything to do with him, as she should be because that was only in the interest of self-preservation, but she wasn’t cruel. That was entirely his domain. He just was. That part of him didn’t have a thing to do with Lila. He’d taken his vengeance.

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