Page 7 of Warrick (Rocky Mountain Pack #1)

I can finally move on from Warrick because I will have my mate to love and care for me.

As the final people clear out of the way, I push my way around the last couple, only to come to an abrupt stop. Directly in front of me at one of the tables with chairs is Warrick. But he isn’t alone.

Writhing on top of him is Scarlett, a female pack member that is one year below us.

My heart is racing. I don’t understand. Looking around them, I check to see if there is someone else that was over here that the bond could have pulled me to.

My eyes scan back to Warrick as Scarlett sucks on his neck.

His eyes are closed as his hands rest on her waist. I watch as he moves her forward and backward as she rocks on his lap.

I’m just about to turn around when his eyes snap open and he looks right at me.

Nooooo! The second our eyes meet, I know I will forever be heartbroken. The man that broke my heart is my mate.

“Aspen?” he asks as he shoves at Scarlett to stand up.

I don’t give him a chance to say anything more before I am rushing back through the crowd. Bumping into people in my attempt to get away, I knock someone’s drink out of their hand but I don’t even stop when they yell, “Hey!”

Running down the hallway at the back of the room, I find the bathroom and rush inside.

Slamming the door behind me, I fall to the floor in a heap of limbs and fabric.

How could the goddess do this to me? Of all the men in the pack, she had to pick the one who has already broken my heart, the one who showed up at my birthday party with another girl in his lap.

I pull my knees to my chest and bury my face in my hands.

My body racks with the sobs pouring out of me.

What did I do to deserve this? My wolf, Aisling, stirs with the spike of emotion, lumbering her way out of the depths of our shared mind space.

Her comforting presence is always welcomed because nobody will ever know me as well as she does.

We don’t always agree with each other, but we are pretty close to the same page usually.

“The goddess didn’t get it wrong, Aspen, you will see that one day. I know it hurts, but she is never wrong,” Aisling gently says to me.

“She had to have gotten it wrong. Warrick only cares about himself and what he wants. He shows me that every time he brings a girl around.”

“I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but I know you will see it one day.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

“I just do.”

I can’t help but cry harder. Aisling might have some weird confidence that this will all work out, but I can’t see that happening.

There is a knock at the door. Sniffing the air, I know it’s just the girls.

“Come in.”

They both push their way into the bathroom to find me sitting on the floor.

Hazel rushes over and drops down beside me. “What happened?”

“I found my mate.”

They both gasp in shock. Lifting my head I look at both of them. Hazel’s face is marred with worry.

“Who is it Aspen?” she asks.

A sob wracks my body. “It's..” The tears are pouring out of me. I suck in a breath. “It’s Warrick.”

Hazel and Willow look between each other. A silent conversation is happening between them as I put my head back in my hands.

“There is an option,” Willow says gently.

Lifting my head, I find her looking at me with love.

“You can ask the goddess to break the mate bond between you. You will never have a mate, but at least you won’t have to live with knowing that he is out there choosing someone over you.”

“I didn’t know that we could break our bond.” I look between the two of them with confusion.

Hazel is glaring at Willow when she says, “It’s not talked about because it’s permanent and ensures that you will never be able to bond with another wolf or mate.

Something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The elders keep it from us because they don’t want us to make rash decisions when we are emotional. ”

Willow shrugs her shoulders, but I ask anyway, “How do you know?”

“I overheard the elders discussing it one time when I was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be. Apparently, it’s only happened once in our pack history and Orion is wanting to finally sever his bond with the poor girl who is supposed to be his mate.”

Hazel shakes her head. “I don’t even want to know where you were or why you were there if you heard all of that.”

“Best you don’t ask questions.” Willow looks at her with mischief dancing in her eyes.

“I want to do that. How do I do it?” I look between them.

Willow hesitantly says, “I probably shouldn’t have mentioned it, but I believe you need to talk to the pack elders. This isn’t something to take lightly.”

“It’s fine. I know that he won’t ever change and, although I will be alone, at least I won’t have to feel my heart crack each time I look at him.”

Hazel scoots in closer to me and pulls me until my head is resting on her shoulder. Her arms circle around me as she pets my hair. “Maybe you should sleep on it for a few days before you make the decision?”

I let out a sigh. “It won’t change my mind, but I’ll do it because you asked.”

We all sit in silence as the weight of the decision washes over us. I know they think that I am making a rash decision, but I can’t live like this. It hurt enough when he was nothing more than a boyfriend, but now that he is my mate… I can’t do it.

“I’m going to head home. I don’t want anyone to see me like this or ask me why I am crying. Plus, nobody will notice that I am gone,” I say as I lift my head up and begin to stand up.

The girls follow suit as we all brush off our dresses and fix ourselves.

“You want us to come with you?” Hazel asks, ever the mother hen.

Shaking my head, I say, “No, you guys go have fun. I am just going to go home, shower, then head to bed.”

“You sure?” Willow asks with her brows drawn together in confusion.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Go party it up for me. Celebrate, drink, dance, and maybe find some boys to kiss.” I lean in and kiss both of them on the cheek. “I love you both.”

“We love you, too, Aspen,” Hazel says as she places her hand on my shoulder and gently squeezes.

Heading out of the bathroom, I follow the edge of the party until I reach the front door.

Sneaking out when nobody is paying attention is far easier than I thought it would be, probably because most of them are heavily intoxicated already.

The cool breeze winds itself through the tresses of my hair as I walk the path back home.

Shivering, I pick up the pace to finish off the last of the steps to get there.

As I am walking up the three steps to my front porch, I see Gail sitting on our front porch swing.

“Gail, what are you doing here this late at night?” I wonder if she will wrap me in her arms and tell me how it’s not as bad as I think it is.

I could use her healing grandmother touch and soothing words right now.

Her weathered hands rest gently in her lap as I make way up the three steps of our porch.

I can almost feel the tension falling off of me as I move closer to her.

She pats the seat beside her as she smiles warmly at me. Not needing to be told twice, I sit down beside her. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

I whip my head around and can’t contain my shock. “How do you know? I only found out a few minutes ago.”

Her eyes shimmer with a secret amusement as she says, “I have my ways, dear. You seem troubled by the selection. Why is that?”

My eyes fall to my hands bunched together in my lap. “He isn’t the right choice for me. How could he be? He cheated on me and showed up at my birthday party with another girl. Is it possible the goddess got it wrong?”

Gail places her hand on mine. “No, dear, the goddess never gets it wrong. It might feel wrong right now, but that is because your journey has just begun. Some have it easy and their mating is a breeze. Some have challenges that they have to overcome so they can be the best mate they can be.”

She is giving me that knowing look. “Yeah, but how do we get past this? He really broke my heart, Gail.”

She gives me a reassuring smile. “Just give it time. He will see that if he really wants to find the love, happiness, and family he so desperately seeks, then he will have to change himself.” She makes this sound so easy.

As if my heart isn’t involved or at risk of being permanently broken.

Doesn’t she know that he already shattered it once?

That when I gave it to him, he spat in my face with another girl!

Scoffing, I say, “I doubt he feels any of those things or wants any of those things.”

She lifts an eyebrow. “You think you know him that well, do you?”

My shoulders drop. “Gail, what do you know about breaking the mating bond?”

Her eyes narrow. “How did you hear about that?”

I mime zipping my lips and she chuckles.

“Willow needs to be careful with what she shares with you both.” My eyes bulge and she chuckles again. “You know that I have my ways. Honestly, at this point, it’s more surprising that you are shocked.”

She leans over and wraps her arm around me, pulling me into her warmth.

“Aspen, I know that your heart is broken and you think that your only option is to sever the bond between you two. I know I am asking a lot when I say this, but give the goddess a chance to show you that you two are meant to be. I understand that you are hurting right now and that is fair. You should be upset with him. What he did isn’t forgivable, at least not until he makes the changes.

I want you to do something for me, something that is important.

I want you to decide what is important for you in your relationship and what you want from your partner.

Just because the goddess gives us a mate, doesn’t mean we have to accept awful behavior. Can you do that for me?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I answer, “I guess. I don’t know why it’s so important to you, but I can do that for you.”

She pats my leg. “That’s my girl. Now, go in there and shower off the pain. I think you should watch The Notebook tonight.”

One eyebrow lifts as I look at her in bewilderment.

“Don’t ask why. Just go. Shoo, shoo.”

I shake my head as I let out a soft laugh. “Whatever you say, Gail.”

Following me to my front door, she gives me a gentle wave as she walks away.

I will never understand how she knows everything, long before it’s even said aloud, but she is always right. Who am I to question it? She might not want me to break the bond, but that doesn’t mean that I have to give into it either. I won’t break it, but I will stay mateless all the same.

Warrick can have his girls, but that means I will find my own type of companionship. We can both have other people. See how he likes it.

I begin to pull open my front door but just as I am about to walk through it, I hear my name called out. Turning, I find Warrick running down the path towards my house.

“Wait, Aspen, hear me out.”

Shaking my head, I turn to walk inside when he bounds up the steps. A hand clamps down on my forearm, preventing me from walking into the house. I whip my head toward him. “Get your hands off me, Warrick.”

He holds his hands up. “Can’t you hear me out?”

Scoffing, I say, “No, Warrick, I won’t hear you out.

Stay away from me. You being my mate changes nothing.

You are still the same prick who chose to cheat on me, still the same asshole who just had Scarlett grinding on you, and you are still the same asshole who doesn’t care about anyone other than yourself. Why would this change any of that?”

“Because you are MINE!” he shouts at me.

“That’s where you are wrong, Warrick. I’ll never be yours. You lost me the minute I found you under those bleachers with another girl. Now, get off my porch,” I say as I walk into my house.

“This isn’t over, Aspen,” he says before I close the door in his face.

Resting my back on the door, I do what I can to slow my breathing.

That’s where he is wrong. This is over.