Chapter 32
The past few days have been exhausting. Cars keep flooding into the garage – different models every day. Sleek Ferraris that purr like
satisfied cats, vintage Porsches with stories etched into their worn leather seats, custom motorcycles that make my heart ache with
memories of Dad tinkering in his old shop.
The business is busier than I’ve ever seen it, and I can barely keep up with the demand.
Leah, my new secretary, has been incredible. We’ve grown close quickly, staying late to organize client files and sharing stories over takeout coffee that’s gone cold hours ago.
She’s having her mating ceremony in a few months to her childhood sweetheart, Marcus, and her excitement is absolutely contagious.
Sometimes I catch myself feeling a little envious of her certainty, her joy, her future that doesn’t include scars and broken dreams.
“You should see the flowers Marcus picked out,” she gushes during our lunch break, showing me pictures on her phone.
“Pink peonies and white roses. He said he wanted something as beautiful as me, can you believe that?”
I smile, genuinely happy for her even as something twists painfully in my chest.
“That’s sweet, Leah. He sounds like a good man.”
“He is. We’ve been together since we were sixteen, you know? I was so happy when I found out he was my mate. I can’t imagine being with anyone else.” She looks at me curiously, her head tilting slightly. “What about you? Anyone special back in London?”
My smile falters, and I feel the familiar weight of my past settling on my shoulders. “No. Not anymore.”
She must sense something in my tone because she doesn’t push, just squeezes my hand gently. Her touch is warm, comforting. “Well, when you’re ready, the right mate will find you. I’m sure of it.”
46
If only it were that simple. If only mates could be chosen twice, if only love didn’t come with the risk of destruction.
When I called Orion this morning, he told me Liam is recovering but still weak. The little one had been running a high fever for days, and
Sarah’s been beside herself with worry.
They won’t be back for several more days, maybe even a week. I miss my brother terribly, but family comes first.
Something’s changed with Tristan lately. He no disappears every night like he used to, he now sleeps in my room, holding me like a
protective older brother.
2
Claims he wants to make sure I’m okay, that he won’t leave until I’m completely healed. I rolled my eyes when he first announced this
new arrangement.
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18:35 Fri, Jan 2 d..
Chapter 32
“I’m not going to break, you know,” I’d told him, but he’d just given me that stubborn look I’ve known since childhood.
“Humor me, he’d said, and that was the end of the discussion.
46
Part of me wants to ask where he used to go every night. Was it to see someone special? His mate? And if so, wouldn’t she be angry that
he’s stopped visiting her to babysit his best friend’s damaged sister?
But I can’t bring myself to ask because I’m terrified of the answer. Some truths are too painful to bear, and I’ve had enough pain for one
lifetime.
What worries me more is Claire, my inner wolf. She’s gone completely silent since the dream, just like she always did whenever Daxon
used his fists on us.
I can feel her there, buried deep inside my consciousness like a wounded animal hiding in a cave, but she won’t respond to me anymore.
Won’t even acknowledge my desperate attempts to reach out to her.
I don’t know which of us is more broken. I’ve spent years trying to suppress her, trying to limit her strength, trying to be more human
than wolf.
I feel terrible about it now, but my parents always warned me to be careful with my abilities. They never fully explained why, just
repeated warnings about control and responsibility that I never truly understood.
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“Your bloodline is special, little star,” Dad used to say, using his pet name for me. “But with great power comes great responsibility. You
must learn control before you learn to unleash.”
I never understood what he meant then. Still don’t, really. But I followed their guidance anyway, kept Claire locked away, never fully embracing what I was meant to be. And now I can’t even give her the mate she deserves. The one I chose nearly destroyed us both, left us
both scarred and silent.
But I’m trying to grow, for both of us. That’s why I made a decision today that surprised even me.
“Tristan,” I said as we finished work, wiping grease from my hands with an old rag, “I won’t be riding home with you today.”
Comments
3 Comments >
R Visitor
Why do the names keep changing??? Now even her wolf has a different name. I’m starting to wonder if this is someone else’s story and some names weren’t changed…
7 days ago
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
