Page 22 of Betrayed Wolf Mate

Still, the idea of not being with her was almost too much.

“I could come with you,” I offered, not aware I was going to say it until the words were out of my mouth. But the instant I said it, I realized I meant it. I would follow her to the ends of theearth if she let me. I had lost her once. I didn’t want to lose her again.

Her mouth fell open in surprise, which was understandable. I’d just dropped a bombshell. But beyond that, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. All I could do was wait to see if she said yes. I knew if she said no, I would respect that decision.

She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. But I want to do this on my own. I don’t…” She trailed off as if trying to gather her thoughts. “It’s not a good idea.”

I nodded, feeling something had lanced me through the heart. But what else was there to do? I wasn’t going to force her to stay. And if she didn’t want me to come with her, then I wasn’t going to force the issue.

But I was still frustrated. I didn’t want to lose her again. Icouldn’t. Not after all this time. I tried desperately to think of some way to convince her to stay, despite knowing that I had to accept the fact that I might not be able to.

Stella still looked surprised. “Why aren’t you trying to convince me otherwise?”

I raised my eyebrows, taking a step closer. “Do you want me to?”

She shook her head. “No, but I expected you to argue. I just want to know why not.”

“Because you’re your own person, and I want you to feel that way,” I said truthfully. “I may want one outcome, but it’s not fair to you for me to push it on you.”

That wasn’t all of it, but I wasn’t sure how to say the next part. Or if what would happen if I did.

“Do you believe in fate?” I asked suddenly, throwing caution to the wind. She deserved to know everything.

Once again, I seemed to take her off-guard. She blinked in confusion, then nodded, almost suspiciously.

“I don’t think it was chance that you came here of all places,” I said. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’ve run into each other again. There were too many variables.”

“Sam, that’s just—”

“Can I ask one question?” I interjected. When she nodded, I continued. If I didn’t say this now, I didn’t think I could say it later. “When you ran away, how did you decide which direction to go?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it, studying me uneasily. But I could tell she was giving her answer legitimate thought. “I just sort of picked,” she said. “I was just letting my wolf decide and went from there.” She frowned, then realization flashed across her features. “You’re thinking fated mates,” she said.

“I think there’s a chance,” I said.

“Sam, if you think saying that is going to convince me to stay, or convince me to let you go with me—”

“I don’t,” I said hurriedly. “I’m don’t. I’m not going to control what you do next. But if we are fated mates, then I think we’ll come back to one another.”

“That’s incredibly far-fetched. You know that, right?” Stella was trying to sound lighthearted, but there was an edge of doubt to her voice. “The odds—”

“Are less than us coming back into each other’s lives purely by coincidence,” I said. “And even if we aren’t, then when you leave, I can at least hope that our paths will cross againsomeday.” I took a deep breath and kept my eyes on hers. “And I’ll wait for you until that happens.”

Chapter 11 -Stella

I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling as I replayed my conversation with Sam from earlier in the day.

It had been the right decision. At least that’s what I kept telling myself. I couldn’t get my hopes up with Sam, not after last time. And if we kept going the way we were going, I knew that was what was going to happen. I could already feel myself beginning to fall for him again, and that terrified me. I didn’t know what I would do if I fell for him, and he left me again. I didn’t think I could handle it.

And if I let myself fall for him, what then? I would be losing my independence all over again, after everything I’d done to gain it. He had offered to come with me when I left Brixton, but I’d seen the life he has here, and I couldn’t take that away from him. I didn’t think he would be happy leaving it.

Telling Sam we couldn’t be together again was the right decision. I knew that. So why did I feel so terrible about it? Why was my wolf unhappy, growling and sulking inside me? And she was angry at me, not at anyone or anything else. I could sense it. Guilt kept creeping up through me.

I snarled, frustrated with myself. What was it that I wanted, exactly? Why did my wolf and I have to be at odds with each other?

And what if fate was actually coming into play like Sam had said? The fact that I had come here of all places…didn’t that suggest that maybe there was more going on than what it seemed? But what would that mean for me? If Sam and I were fated to be together…

A ringing doorbell interrupted my thoughts, and I was surprised at how relieved I was at the fact that there was adistraction. I didn’t have to think about Sam or what would happen next for a little while.

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