Page 12 of Forsaken Desire
By the time I’d recognized how severely I’d fucked up, there was no sign of her. I’d had Bruno and Duane, two of my most dominant shifters, searching for her.
The news they brought me rocked my entire foundation. That pain that I’d felt strike my sternum literal hours after I’d rejected her . . . it had been her death—a car accident.
Swiping my palm over my damp face, I lifted my gaze to the screen. Butshe hadn’t died.
The male beside her leaned close, and she moved away, avoiding his touch. That mother fucking piece of shit.
My teeth clicked together, and I yanked my cell phone to my ear, calling Alex.
“Uh, in the middle of something.” I watched my younger brother’s mouth move on the screen.
“Remove the human at the end of the row.”
“Uh—”
“Now,” I shouted and ended the call. Alex stared at his phone and shook his head at it, but finally, he turned to the male. His mouth moved, and the man shot to his feet.
Making another call, I put the phone to my ear.
“Send me Josephine’s file and her work schedule.”
“Josephine Garcia?” I grunted an affirmative. “Yes, Sir.” Ms. Zhao was always prompt and to the point.
I shoved my cell into my pocket and leaned closer to the screen, but as much as I did, I wouldn’t be able to touch my mate. My skin itched.
Giving her space was the correct thing to do, but I couldn’t; each beat of my heart thundered with the wordmine. Energy worked through my veins. I stood and paced from one side of the long room to the other, raking my fingers through my hair as I watched until this fucking meeting ended. Why were they taking so fucking long?
My little mate quietly sat, so still. She seemed quiet and gentle, but I’d seen the steel in her—her stubbornness.
Others cowered before me, but she glared. I chuckled, recalling her stiff frown.
My mate could do as she wished.
Fated mates were a rarity, even more so for Alphas. When she’d come into my life, I should have done what I did today. Held her and chose her. But I’d spat in fate’s face, because my life had a ‘plan.’ Fucking idiocy.
If she knew what I’d done . . . She would leave me. A fist squeezed my heart.
I yanked at my hair with my next glide through the strands. Her leaving was unacceptable. She was mine, even if I didn’t deserve her.
Finally, the new hires stood, and Alex handed Josephine a folder. She strode out, and I watched her progress through the lobby, hugging the file to her chest, her head slightly lowered.
Moving quickly, I rushed out of the control room, passing the security shuffling outside the door, and took the stairs to the basement level to my private parking space. I fished my car keys from my pocket and slid into my car.
I revved up the ramp to exit the garage and pressed the button to open the gate. Slowly inching out, I swept my gaze across the expanse of people walking along the streets. The clear sky had suddenly clouded.
Where was she? I rolled my window down and crept through the roundabout in front of my hotel, scanning the sidewalk.
There she was, a bag over her shoulder, and hugging a clear bag to her chest . . . in front of the bus stop?
My teeth clicked together, and I itched to shift to hunt her and pin her down. The large death contraption slowed in front of the stop, where she shuffled from foot to foot with her arms wrapped around herself. She climbed on, and the doors shut.
My engine roared as I followed. The crowded streets of downtown Portland slowly trickled away as the streets became a different neighborhood. Patches of overgrown foliage crowded the sidewalks as the houses on the street became more run-down. Downtrodden vehicles line the street, and the bus turned onto a road with even harsher conditions. Where the fuck was my mate going? The wheel creaked under my grip, and I ground my teeth.
My cell phone vibrated, and I pulled it out, swiping to the email from Ms. Zhao.
My princess had no prior work experience—a car honked loudly, and I stomped on my brakes before we collided. My cell went flying to the footwell, and I cursed. She was already off the bus and walking. The rain had started up.
I carefully inched the car to the side, parking in front of a chain fence to follow her on foot. With my keys and phone in my pocket, I strode after her. Her steps were quick and clipped, but what she was wearing didn’t serve as a suitable buffer against the lashing wind. Her clothing was already soaked through.
