Page 26

COLE

T he only sound was the steady hum of the tires as we drove. A massive and crushing weight had been lifted off my chest, only to be replaced by a suffocating dread. Avery pulled her hand away, and my stomach sank.

“You fucking asshole! You can’t be serious, Cole. How could you?”

“I’m sorry. I know it was dumb, and I’ve regretted it for years, and?—”

“ Regretted it ? Oh, good. I’m glad you feel bad, you stupid prick.”

Her words stung, but I couldn’t blame her. Leaving, never speaking to her again, yet keeping our mating bond intact? It was a fucking awful thing to do. All these years, I could have severed it, but I never did.

“How does this shit even work, Cole? You never officially claimed me as your mate. We were waiting until I was out of college. How could the connection still be viable?”

I swallowed hard, knowing how the rest of the story would be taken, but forcing myself to tell the truth.

“I never told you all the rules that come from a fated-mate pairing. Hell, I didn’t even know how strong it really was.

I thought we still had plenty of time to talk about it before…

well, before I claimed you. I’m sorry, Avery.

I truly am. Fate chose us for each other, and the bond was stronger than I realized.

Even through time and space, it remained as powerful as it was the first day.

I know shifter and human fated mates are somewhat rare, and I assumed since you weren’t a shifter, the bond would fade with you.

But it didn’t. I can’t apologize enough for that. ”

Avery put her face in her hands for a moment, then looked at me again.

“You realize what this did to me? Keeping this connection intact? Cole, I spent years and years and years trying to find love. Trying to settle down with someone. But no one ever stuck around. I never felt any true connection with them. Even with Perry, my ex-fiancé, it always felt like I’d settled.

Now, I know the truth. I couldn’t make any lasting connections to another man because Cole fucking Garrett was still pining away for me, nurturing this goddamned connection like some fucking houseplant. ”

“I don’t think it was like that,” I said.

“When I asked you to be my mate, when I told you were fated mates, I knew it was forever. But I thought once I left, you’d be able to move on.

That you being human would free you from me, while I stayed connected to you.

I never thought the connection would hold you back.

The only way to truly sever it is to proclaim, with your voice and your heart, that you reject the person you’re paired to, and I couldn’t.

I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t. I could say the words, but I wouldn’t have meant them. So, here we are.”

Avery glared at me, rage radiating off her like heat from a fire.

I was an alpha, but I had a hard time not quailing under the ferocity of her gaze.

Fear and anguish filled me. All I wanted was to fix things with her, and to do that, the truth had to be told.

Now, I had to deal with the repercussions.

Any moment, she would probably say that she rejected me and end things between us once and for all.

I didn’t know how I’d survive that, but I couldn’t continue keeping this hidden from her.

For better or worse, it was out, and now the ball was in Avery’s court.

We drove on, the silence like stinging and icy-cold rain pelting my skin.

The more time that passed without Avery speaking, the more hopeful I got.

My inner wolf perked up, pricking its ears to catch anything, but she remained mute.

I told myself it was because she was trying to figure out some sort of punishment for me.

Whatever she wanted of me, I’d do it. Walk on broken glass?

Done. Squirt lemon juice in my eyes? Twice a day if need be.

Any punishment was worth it if it gave me a chance to make things right with her.

I didn’t drive back to her house. Instead, I steered us to an old spot we used to love: the pull-off that overlooked the lake. Avery and I used to come here at least once a week to relax and talk about our future. A future I’d ruined.

Avery glanced up from staring at her lap when I parked. She glanced around, then chuckled ruefully.

“Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “Here?”

I shrugged. “I figure if we’re gonna have an important talk, why not do it where we used to have them.”

“I need some air,” she said, and before I could say anything, she was out of the truck and walking toward the shore.

I wondered if I should follow, but if we were going to talk, then it would be pointless not to be where she was. Joining her at the shoreline, I remained quiet, giving her time to process and make the first move. I’d given up all right to move the conversation along.

When Avery spoke, she didn’t look at me. “You took away my choice to love, Cole. You made it so I couldn’t have you and I couldn’t have anyone else. Do you know how fucking selfish that is?”

“I’m sorry, Avery. I truly am. I truly believed that the connection would break after a while since you were human,” I said.

“But when I was hanging out with Ashton, he let it slip how sad you’ve been over the years.

That told me you’ve been experiencing the same thing I had all this time. The pain and loss.”

Avery kicked a rock into the lake, the stone making a plunk sound as it vanished below the surface.

“So, you’ve been single this whole time?” Avery asked, turning to look at me.

Truth always wins. No reason to lie now.

“Not always, no,” I admitted. “I think it was sort of like it was with you. I’d find someone, try to make it work, then things would always fade, even when I thought I loved them.

Eventually, I’d drift away, or we’d fight, or something else would come up that ruined it.

Then I’d try again. It was an awful cycle.

It’s like I could never fully give my heart over to someone. And honestly, I didn’t want to.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling,” she said with a sigh, and bent to pick up a handful of rocks.

For the next several minutes, we sat in silence as she tossed rocks into the water. Plunk - plunk - plunk .

“Why are you telling me this all now, Cole?”

“Part of it is because of what Kyle said,” I admitted.

“I knew you’d put two and two together, but it’s also because I was tired of keeping this secret.

Tired of pretending my soul doesn’t cry out for you.

” It was like a dam had broken. The words tumbled out like water, and I couldn’t have stopped them even if I wanted to.

“I want to give you back the choice I stole from you. To let you choose whether you still want to be tied to me or not. No matter what you choose, Kyle will still target you, but I swear I will do everything I can to protect you and Ashton. I’ll die before I let anyone hurt you guys. ”

I stared at her, my heart thundering, my wolf whining.

Would she look us in the eye, reject us, and turn away forever?

I’d never been much for prayer, but in those few seconds while I waited for her to speak, I threw out every prayer I could think of to any higher being I thought might possibly be real.

“So, you’re saying that, regardless of what I decide, Ashton will be safe?” she asked.

“You can tell me to fuck off right now, and I’ll keep him safe,” I said. “No matter what. I’ll stay in his life or go away, whatever you want, but I’ll do all I can to keep him from danger.”

What I didn’t add was that since she had not been officially claimed, she was in even more danger than Ashton.

Kyle obviously wanted to get under my skin and force me to pay him money I didn’t have.

He might try to swoop in and do something dumb to move things along, but that was beside the point.

Even if he did, and even if Avery rejected me, I’d protect her like I would my son.

It was the least I could do for ruining her life.

Avery let out a long, weary sigh. “I… I don’t reject you, Cole.”

I had to clench my teeth together to keep from gasping in relief or crying out in joy.

My wolf surged forward, actually trying to wrestle control from me.

He wanted to shift and wind his way around her legs, rub against her, but I held back, trying to remain calm.

What I couldn’t stop was the two small steps I took toward her.

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful,” I said, lowering my voice, “but why not? Why don’t you want to reject me?”

Another step closer, and I could see her chest rising and falling rapidly, almost panicked. More hope seeped into me, expanding and blooming like a flower, but I couldn’t trust it. Not really. Not until she told me what I wanted— needed —to hear.

Only a foot separated us now, and I gazed down at her. “What do you want to say?” My heart tried to break free of my ribcage as the moment stretched out.

“What I want to say and what I can say are two different things, Cole,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “My mind wants to say it, but my heart won’t let me.”

The building energy and the scent of her made me feel things I hadn’t felt in a long time. She was so close. It was all I could do not to reach out and drag her to me, but I needed to hear her say the words.

“Say it,” I urged.

Avery swallowed hard and looked up at me.

It seemed like she was fighting a battle within herself to look into my eyes.

It was as though time had slowed down, both of us standing on a precipice.

Some great and irrevocable change was about to happen.

My breath quickened, and I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry.

“No matter how much I’ve hated you for leaving me, the truth won’t go away.”

My breath hitched, and my wolf whined, desperate to know if her statement meant what we both wanted it to mean.