Page 16 of Beginning Fate

The stupid thing was I believed him.

“Thanks,” I managed.

“She means a lot to you.”

“She's my entire world,” I admitted.

“She'll be safe here.”

“That's easy to say, but it's not so easy to ensure. Trust me on that.”

“She's really lucky to have you. When they asked me to step in and take her group just because I took a few ASL classes, I really didn't know what to expect. She's a great girl. You've done well.”

“How do you know it was me?” I asked.

This time I did look up, needing to know his answer.

He shrugged. “Because you're here.”

It was really that simple.

Emotions welled up within me. I had to get out of here. It was all too much.

He must have sensed me pulling away because he took out his phone and asked for my number. Without thinking, I rattled it off to him.

“Are you staying at one of the hotels in town?”

I nodded and told him which one.

“I'll call if anything happens, but don't worry, I'll be watching out for her.”

I wanted to hug him. He had no way of knowing how much that small gesture meant to me. We'd driven through much of the night, arriving just after midnight after days on the road. I was exhausted and the mating bond was making me feel everything stronger than usual.

I yawned.

He smiled.

“Get some sleep, Lauren. It's all going to be okay. I'll see you tomorrow.”

It wasn't a request. He stated it like a fact, and I was too vulnerable to argue with him.

“Okay,” I whispered.

My feet started moving as I walked away from the one person I cared about in this world and the one person I was meant to find, but somehow knowing they were together made it all okay.

Denny

Chapter 5

Watching her leave was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I just prayed it also wasn't the dumbest.

Everything within me screamed to go after her, but I'd just promised I'd watch out for Kylie, and something told me that if I wanted to get in my mate's good graces then I was going to do it through her sister. Luckily for me, I didn't mind that at all. She was a great kid, and I'd already felt protective of her before I had sensed Lauren.

Forcing my legs to move, I walked back into the house. I'd had my fair share of screwups before, but this couldn't be one of them. And I had a feeling I'd already made my first mistake by ignoring her during the tour. What else was I supposed to do?

I knew she was just as shocked as I was, but I felt like we'd managed a civil first conversation, even if it did end with her walking away.

Now I just needed a plan.

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