Page 12 of Saving Sarah (Blissful Bets)

Oh, hell no. She felt the anger come back until she was sure she’d choke. “I never thought it would be almost sixteen years later, Devon. I thought you were just going to the fucking store or something! You said, “I’ll be back,” and kissed me goodbye. I was so drugged up on pain meds, I didn’t even barely remember you telling me.

“For the first two years, I hardly left your mother’s house. You never called, never even wrote. What in the hell was I supposed to think?”

“I’m sorry, Sarah. I am. Please, you have to forgive me. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“You left me at the most crucial time in my life. I needed you, and you disappeared. You can’t make that time up.”

“I was just as heartbroken as you, Sarah. Never think that I didn’t mourn the loss of our child. I still do, every day! You don’t think I wonder what he or she would have looked like? I can’t even come close to children without feeling the pain of our loss. You weren’t the only one alone. If I would have stayed here, they would have found me and forced me to leave. That would have put you and my mother at risk. We’d just lost the baby. I couldn’t lose anyone else!”

Sarah pushed herself off the floor to stand. “You could have left a note explaining things instead of leaving me to worry about whether or not you were even alive.”

“Would you have believed a note?”

She watched him walk over to her until only inches separated them. “No, probably not, but at least it would be something. All your mother and I knew was that you had left.”

Fingertips traced down her jaw line, and all remnants of the devastating thoughts vanished. Something strange stirred in her insides until she rested her palms against his hard, wide chest so she wouldn’t mold her body against his. Deep down, she hated not being able to control herself.

“Sarah, don’t fight the way you feel.” His hands ran up her back, pulling her closer. “I love you. Please tell me a part of you is still open to loving me too.”

She quickly pulled away. Isn’t this what she spent years trying to avoid? Opening herself up to Gavin was one thing. He’d never hurt her, she could feel it. Devon on the other hand had…

“I can’t do this right now. It’s too much. I’ll keep your secret, but I have to go.”

Sarah quickly ran out of the apartment and back toward her own before he could stop her. She was surprised to see Gavin standing at her door with flowers. Once again, he’d come back. She couldn’t help but love his perfect timing. The last thing she wanted to think about was what she just learned. Gavin could help her with that.

Chapter 7

“I couldn’t leave. I’m sorry. I thought I’d take you up on your offer to stay over.”

Sarah nodded, and turned back to see Devon standing at his door. All he was wearing was a pair of shorts. The build of his body combined with the expression on his face caused her to turn away before she was tempted to stare longer. She quickly pulled the irresistible blond inside her apartment. “I’m glad.” She inhaled the roses deeply and tried to smile. “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”

“Are you all right? You’ve been crying. Did you learn what happened with Devon?” Taking the flowers from him, she made her way to the table, placing them in the vase.

She nodded at him as she headed over to fill it with water. When she reached the table, she finally looked up.

“Yes, he told me.”

“And you’re sure you’re okay?”

“I will be, I think.” Walking over to the couch, she waited for Gavin to sit down, but he didn’t.

“And he told you what he is?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, not sure if he meant what she thought he did, and she wasn’t about to risk Devon’s secret. She might be angry with her ex at the moment, but she’d never betray him no matter what happened in their past.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

Gavin smiled. “You’re getting defensive. I can feel it. I can tell he told you. You’re taking the news of what we are rather well. But I knew you would.”

“You’re a…a…” Sarah couldn’t get the word out of her mouth. So, that’s what they were talking in code about earlier.

“Werewolf, yes. Your…ex is afraid I’ll mark you as my mate, but I wasn’t about to do that until you knew and consented. To be marked by a werewolf has its pleasures and pains. For one, we’d never really be able to be apart. It would cause us physical pain much like now, but worse. As for the pleasures, well,” he laughed, “someday maybe we’ll find out that part.”

“And…” she recalled the conversation earlier, “Ayden, he’s one too?”

“Yes, he’s alpha for this area. Every major city has one. Houston, Austin, Dallas… Waco.”

Trying to process all the information, she placed her head in her palms. How was it that no one knew werewolves existed? By the sound of it, they weren’t anywhere near extinct.

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