Page 156 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

“Are you going to reject me as your mate?”

I turned and looked at him, my eyes scanning all of him, taking in the desperate and pained look on his face.

I swallowed, guilt already eating my insides before I even spoke the words. “I don’t know,” I said.

With that, I turned and walked out the front door, Nolan hot on my heels.

CHAPTER 52

HAVEN

I kept my quick pace as I walked off Wesley’s porch and down the path bordered by his lawn. Nolan’s heavier footsteps sounded behind me as he followed me.

I reached the curb and looked to the left and then the right, deciding which way to go. Nolan stopped next to me, his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, as he waited for me to make a choice. My plan was going great until I realized I did not know where anything was in Crescent Lake.

I crossed my arms and wrinkled my nose in frustration.

“Where exactly did you want to go, Luna?” Nolan asked.

“I need a shower,” I muttered, remembering my bloody hair and the sweat and general grossness from the club the night before. “A really long, boiling hot shower,” I continued.

“I thought you wanted to walk?” he asked with a chuckle.

“I just needed some excuse to get out of his house,” I admitted.

He laughed again and nodded, then ushered me towards the left. “Come on, Luna. I’ll take you to the packhouse. Just be careful since you’re not wearing shoes.”

I glanced down at my feet as I followed him and sighed. In my haste to get away from Wesley and make him sweat, I had forgotten I didn’t have any shoes.

“Well, at least the pavement isn’t hot,” I said.

“And the packhouse isn’t far,” Nolan added as we continued walking.

“What’s the packhouse?”

“Enormous house. Looks like a cabin on steroids.”

“Oh yeah. I saw it when I came here with Maya for her birthday. She said it was a clubhouse.”

“It’s like our headquarters. The lower floors have a kitchen, dining room, offices for various ranked members, and some guest rooms and apartments. Wesley’s family lives on the top floor in what’s basically a penthouse suite.”

“Why’d he move out?” I asked.

“He wanted his own space and privacy from the rest of the pack. Something about wanting to keep his family life separate from his work life. Which is funny since the pack is his family too.”

I chuckled but nodded. “I get it, I think. It’s nice to have a place that’s just yours, you know?” I said with a glance at him.

He pursed his lips together, his demeanor shifting at my words. There was silence between us as we walked, and I looked around, taking in the scenery of Wesley’s hometown—his pack.

The redwoods surrounding the entire area were taller than any I’d seen before, perfect for hiding people who could change into animals. The breeze blowing off the lake carried the scent of pine and sunshine and the hint of snow or rain, a sign that winter was on its way, even though it was still mid-October.

It was a beautiful place, and just as I had that day at Maya’s birthday party, I felt comfortable there. Like I belonged.

“You don’t actually plan to reject him, do you?” Nolan asked, breaking our silence as he led the way to the packhouse.

“I don’t even know what that means,” I replied with a shrug.

“It’s how we break the mate bond so we are no longer tied to our mate. Usually, it’s only done if one mate is abusive or cheats on the other, but every once in a while it’s done for other reasons.”

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