Page 57 of Match My Fall
Hewalked away from me, but this time, he didn’t look back.
CHAPTER16
VALEN
Threelong days and even longer nights passed.Istood atop the mountain while the morning sun glistened on the new snowfall and gazed down.Thisused to be my favorite part of the day—being the first to carve fresh tracks through the snow, but now it lacked the same gusto.Still,Ihad to do my job and survey the trails for safety before we opened for guests.
Mycoworkers called out to each other as we discussed trail conditions and potential hazards.Theirvoices sounded distant, muffled by a storm brewing within me.Thesemountains, once my sanctuary, now felt too vast.Tooempty.Toovoid.
“Youokay, man?”Damonasked. “Youseem glum lately.”
Igrunted. “I’mfine.”ThehellIwas.Iwas far from it.ButIhadn’t told him the reason why.
IfIwasn’t tossing and turning at night, trying to ignore the yearning to return toCassandra,Iwas prowling the mountain in wolf form, howling for my mate.Ithought the ache in my chest would lessen with each passing day, but instead, it grew more intense.
Iyearned for something more, something that couldn’t be found on these snow-covered peaks.Ilonged for my mate.
AsIskied down a trail,Inavigated over to the black diamond slope whereI’dfirst seenCassandra.She’dbeen sliding down the mountain while her skis shot in different directions.She’dbeen so flustered whenIattempted to help her and fled as soon as we managed to get her back in skis.Sure, she didn’t feel that instant connection that my wolf did, but the spark between us had ignited fast soon after.We’dspent as much free time as we could together that weekend.AndthenI’dfollowed her toSalem, forging a new relationship with the start of our family.
Butshe’d asked to see me in wolf form and then she’d asked me to leave.Rejectingme.
Ishould have known better.Afterall, my first love finding her mate had ripped me apart whenIwas young.WhywouldIfare any better when meeting my own?Lovewas hard.Soul-crushing.Tragic.Itcould tear you apart.
Wait—love?WaswhatIfelt forCassandrabeyond this connection between mates?HadIfallen in love with her?
Ipointed my skis downhill and navigated down.Bythe timeIapproached the bottom, my gaze locked onto the lodge whereI’dgone to check onCassandraafter her fall.Ipictured her sitting there with her blonde curls tousled and wet from the snow.
Nowtoo many landmarks were imprinted with memories of her.Thehotel where she’d stayed stood across the street—whereI’dtripped and fallen in the lobby.Kelly’sPubwhereIoften unwound after a shift now seemed to be missing something.Someone.
Asmy shift drudged on that day,Ithought ofCassandra.Shewas never far from my mind no matter how oftenItried to shake her off.WhenIwas finally done for the day,Iwent toKelly’sPubwith packmates, to unwind the wayIoften did after a day on the trails.IfIforced myself to go through my old routine, maybe it would soften the sharpest pangs of missing her.
Itdidn’t help.Whilethey chattered and enjoyed the beer and meat-covered nachos,Isank deeper into my thoughts.Missingher.
WhenGraysonentered a short while later, his gaze found me.
Hewalked over to me. “Valen, canIhave a moment?”
“Sure.”Weheaded down the bar, away from the others.
Ididn’t want anyone to overhear what we’d discuss, but the classic rock playingAerosmith’s“DreamOn” should mask our conversation.
“Areyou okay?” he asked with a concerned expression.
“No,”Iadmitted with a heavy exhale. “Shewants space.”
“Wantto tell me what happened?”
DidI?I’dbottled it up sinceIreturned, choosing to mope rather than deal with anguishInever thought possible. “Somuch.Notonly amIcertain she’s my mate, but she’s pregnant with my child.”Assoon asIstarted to talk, the words tumbled out of me, sometimes in an incoherent order.
Graysonlet me babble on, only interrupting when my explanation was difficult to follow.
AfterIfinished my anguished tale, he asked, “Wheredoes your heart want to be?”
“Withher of course.”
“Thenyou know where to go.”
Iblinked at him. “Butshe doesn’t want me there.”
