Page 28 of Betrayed Wolf Mate

I tried to drag myself away from that train of thought. Getting involved again, especially after I’d ended things, would be too messy.

And yet, I desperately wanted to.

“Good. I’m glad.” He stared into the running water speculatively, and I wondered exactly what he was thinking. Even now, he felt like an enigma that was impossible to read. My eyes traveled down his body again.

“Can I ask you something?” Sam asked.

I pulled my attention away from the way the water beading on his skin emphasized his muscles. It shouldn’t have been possible for him to look that attractive while soaking wet.

“What’s up?” I finally asked.

“You’re so hell-bent on leaving, which is fine,” he said. “I respect that. But you’re bent on doing it alone. Why?”

“I feel like it’s pretty obvious.” I leaned back against the rock, letting the sun dry my skin. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see Sam’s expression as I spoke. “If I’m tied down to a pack or someone, then I’m not really independent anymore, am I?”

But lately, I’d been wondering if I really wanted to go at it alone. Things with Sam had been nice. And the thought of leaving him again made me and my wolf more upset than I would have expected.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Sam said. “Look at Evelyn. She’s madly in love with Oliver, and I would consider her pretty independent, wouldn’t you?”

I frowned. He wasn’t wrong. The few times I’d seen Evelyn, she’d never seemed like she was tied down or couldn’t do what she wanted. In fact, it always looked like quite the opposite.

“The same goes for all the girls, really,” Sam mused. “Evelyn still goes on missions with the Redwoods when she wants to. Jenn actually teaches self-defense classes in town, since her dad trained her from a young age. Georgia helps Jameson with some of the nitty-gritty details of running the pack that he always likes to grumble about. Luke really encouraged Andi to go out and do whatever she wanted, but she just loves being a stay-at-home parent with their kids, so she does that. But it’s not like Luke forced her to do that, and there’s nothing wrong with her wanting to do that in the first place.” He stood, stretching. “Point is, I don’t think having a mate means you have to be locked down or feel trapped.” He looked down at me, his face somber. “And trust me when I say that if you decide to stay here, no matter what, we’re not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to. And we’re sure as hell not going to force you to marry a fucking demon.”

I nodded, not saying anything, letting my mind wander. Would it be so bad to stay here? I liked the girls, and everyone I’d met so far seemed happy and welcoming. I felt more at home here than I ever had with my old pack. And knowing that I would be welcome here, that I wouldn’t be forced to do anything I didn’t want to do, was comforting.

If I could be myself in a pack like this one, would it really be so bad to stay?

A large, smooth hand appeared in front of me, and I looked up. Sam was hovering above me, backlit by the setting sun in a way that made him look like he was glowing. He smiled down at me, hand still extended.

“And whatever you decide to do, Stella,” he said, “know that I’m there for you, and I’ll do everything I can in my power to make sure you’re happy and safe.”

The words were sweet, but they struck a discordant note. He could say that all he wanted, and I could try to believe him. But the truth was that he had still left me once before. He’d left me alone to a pack that despised me when he’d promised he would take me away.

It was hard to trust anything he said when that knowledge was screaming at me from the back of my mind.

His warm smile slipped slightly as he searched my face, concern growing more and more evident across his features the longer we sat there. But he seemed to understand exactly what I was thinking without my having to say anything.

“I’ve made mistakes in the past,” he acknowledged. “And I have to live with those for the rest of my life. They aren’t something I can undo, no matter how hard I want to. But that doesn’t mean I’ll make the same stupid mistake again.”

After another long moment, I reached out and took his hand. He pulled me to my feet but didn’t let go. His hand held mine gently, his thumb rubbing back and forth across the back of my hand as he looked at me.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?” he said, and he sighed. “I was an idiot to let you go the first time.”

This time, the words struck a different note, one I couldn’t quite identify. But I didn’t feel quite as sad.

I tilted my head, letting a small smile come to my mouth. “Well, it’s at least nice to hear you admit that,” I said.

His eyes sparked with something that was either amusement or hope.

“You should reconsider leaving,” he said. “I think you could make a good life here in Brixton.”

I chewed on the inside of my lip, glancing down at the stone beneath us for a moment. Our shadows had merged into one below us.

Staying wouldn’t be so bad, would it? I could see myself becoming friends with the girls, finding some sort of job in town. And Sam would be here. Even if things didn’t work out between us, he was still here, and that idea was more appealing to me than I wanted to admit.

“I’ll think about it,” I finally said.

His hand squeezed mine. “That’s really all I can ask,” he said.

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