Page 42 of Beginning Fate

“Why not?”

“Because I have jobs and responsibilities back home.”

“Okay. I can appreciate that. Do you think your Alpha would let me move there?”

“Denny. Your life is here. You can't just quit school and follow me home like a lost puppy dog.”

“I promise you I can, and I will.”

This was too much. I was in way over my head with this situation.

“You can't.”

“You're my mate. That makes you the most important person in this entire world to me. And if that means quitting school and following you back to New York, then I'll try to make that happen. I'll just need your Alpha's contact information to try and work something out, though I must warn you, my Alpha is not in the habit of letting go of wolves. At least not without a fight, but it would be a relief to be out from under him, if I'm being honest.”

“You can't just uproot your life for me. You don't even know me.”

“I know you're my true mate. Myone true mate, Lauren. What else matters more than that?”

“This is insane. Do you even hear yourself? You are not dropping out of school for me.”

“I'm sure there are lots of colleges in New York. I can finish up my degree there just as easily.”

Hadn't he already confessed he would be happiest just never leaving this place? Now he was ready to drop it all and follow me home?

Then what?

Did he think he could just move in with me and we'd live happily ever after or something? The real world didn't work that way.

I had a tiny little flat in a walk-up that barely had room for the queen bed I shared with Kylie and the small kitchenette lining one wall that left just enough room for a small table and a couple of chairs. We didn't even have room for a couch, let alone a whole other person. And I worked my ass off to keep that small room for us because there was nothing cheap about New York.

Sure, the Pack had some housing, but not enough for everyone, as the Pack had grown too large over the years. There had been grumblings about us getting our own place when others had been on the waiting list for years. Plus, this had been closer to Kylie's high school. It wasn't the safest neighborhood, but it certainly wasn't the worst either.

If Denny truly did come home with me, I would have to find a bigger place. And if he was going to college there, I'd have to take on another job or two to pay for that. I was already juggling three jobs and barely making ends meet.

Our Pack gave a small stipend that helped, but it only paid out twice a year, so it wasn't exactly something I could count on to sustain us month to month.

My mind was whirling with various ideas while never stopping to even question if this was something I even wanted. Just because he was my mate didn't mean I had to accept him.

It was just a fleeting thought in my mind, but it caused a physical pain in my chest just thinking about rejecting him.

“Lauren? It's okay. We don't need to make a decision right this second. I'm just asking you to keep an open mind.”

I rubbed at the ache in my chest and nodded.

It was too much, too fast. And I couldn't think straight with him there, but I also was struggling to tell him to leave.

“How can you be so sure everything will work out?”

He shrugged. “I just know, because you are mine.”

Most women would cringe at being attributed to ownership by a man, but I'd never belonged to anyone before.Maybe it should have terrified me, but it didn't. A sort of calm washed over me, and I clung to him.

I wanted to forget about all the things we had to sort out and the decisions that I was going to have to make. I wasn't the sort to just ignore my responsibilities and be senseless, but just then, for one selfish moment, I just wanted to live and not think about or worry about the future.

And I desperately wanted to believe that everything would just work itself out.

I knew it was a mistake before I even did it, but for just this once, I wasn't going to think about the repercussions of my actions, and I kissed him.

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