Right how, what I wanted was to help Kester get better, and after that, I’d finally decide on what to do about the fact that we were actually mates.. Perhaps, before all these would be over, I’d be able to define what I actually feel for him. Love? Fear? Or sympathy?
But for now, none of that mattered.
We drove out of the pack house, the car speeding along the narrow road that led toward the city when something out the window caught my eye.
A familiar figure with bright hair and a
Claire. pink sweater ducked out of her favorite ice cream joint like she was late for something.
“Stop the car,” I said to the driver, and he pulled over immediately.
I jumped down, crossing over to the other side of the road.
“Claire!” I called before she got the chance to hop into the cab she had just flagged down.
She stopped and turned in the direction of my voice. She froze when she saw me.
I didn’t know how to feel. A cold weight settled in my stomach as I stepped closer to her.
Since the night I found out Kester was my mate, I hadn’t seen or heard from her. And now that I was standing in front of her, I realized I had no idea what to say.
She tried to act normal. I could see it in the way she offered a quick smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Her body was stiff like she was already preparing herself to bolt.
We stared at each other for a moment too long without saying a word. The silence was so heavy that I had to break it myself before it crushed my conscience to pieces.
“Just say it,” I said in a very low voice. “Whatever it is you’re holding back. Just… say it.”
Her mouth parted. She blinked. And then her expression cracked just a little.
“You want me to be honest?” she asked, her voice slightly shaky. “Fine.”
She let out a breath, then laughed, not because it was funny, but heute she didn’t know what site to do with the frustration bubbling up. And I understood
“I was hurt. Kasmine. I’m still it, I knew I didn’t stand a chance with Kester, but to find out he was your mate? You, of all people? She looked away. That stung. A lot.”
I swallowed.
“But, at some point, I told myself that it was the Moon Goddess’s choice, not yours. That I didn’t have a right to be hurt.”
“Claire…”
She kept going as if she hadn’t heard me. Or couldn’t stop. “But then you left, she continued, her voice gradually rising. “No texts. No calls. Nothing! You vanished. Like I meant nothing to you.”
“I…”
“Do you think I’m a bad person, Kasmine?” she asked suddenly.
I froze. “What? No. Of course not.”
“Then why did you shut me out?” Her eyes were brimming. “Why didn’t you… Why didn’t you just… talk to me?”
“That’s not fair,” I said quickly. “Claire…”
“Don’t. Don’t say you didn’t know how to talk to me. I’ve been calling you. Messaging. Leaving voice notes. I even came to Kester’s house once, but I was told I wasn’t allowed in.”
I blinked, stunned. “Wait.., what?*
I’ve been trying to reach you for days, Kasmine. You were reading my messages. You left me on ‘seen. Over and over.”
“No, I didn’t.” U shook my head. “Claire, I swear… I didn’t get anything from you.”
Her brow furrowed. “Don’t lie to me, please. Don’t.”
“I am not lying, Claire, I swear,” I said honestly. “I’m not making it. I wouldn’t have ignored you like that, no matter what. And you know that.”
She scoffed and shook her head, blinking more than usual to fight the tears that I saw gathered in her eyes.
Where was all this coming from?
Could this explain why have not received any calls or texts from anyone’ for a few days now?
I took a small step closer. “You’re my best friend. I’d never do anything to hurt you intentionally.”
She looked at me for a long moment as if she were trying to decide she could believe me.
I really hoped she did because I was tired of fighting and running. I just wanted to make peace with everyone so that we could all go back to living our lives and worrying about other things.
I felt a triumphant end so close, and I didn’t want anything to ruin
Her lip quivered slightly as she took a deep, calming breath. “You should’ve come to me. We’ve been through too much for you to just disappear like that.”
“I know,” I whispered. “I was scared. Everything was changing. Kester, the bond, my mum, the pack… everything has been a mess. And you… you were the one person I didn’t know how to face. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Well, you did,” she said calmly. “But maybe now we can move on already.”
“I’m sorry, Claire.” I reached out, not sure if she’d let me close. “I never wanted this to come between us.”
Her breath hitched, but she didn’t move away. “Me either.”
Claire’s warm arms wrapped around me in an instant, and mine around her. We didn’t say anything for a while, We just let out tears do the talking.
“I missed you,” she whispered against my shoulder.
“I missed you more.”
We pulled away slowly, smiling through watery eyes and wiping our cheeks like two little girls caught in the rain. There was relief between us now, and even though it felt too fragile, it was real. It felt like a new beginning.
And for a fleeting second, I believed everything might finally be okay
Until I saw him. fust across the street, by the corner of a closed florist shop, a man i bod, dressed in black, head down, with a hat shielding most of
But I wished his clothes were the only thing that made my skin craw. But, no. It wasn’t. It was the way he was looking at us
He wore dark shades despite the shadow his hat cast across his face and his posture too still:
My heart skipped.
“Claire,” I whispered. “There’s a man behi-
My words froze as I caught the shift of his coat and the glint of met
My throat clamped.
“HE HAS A GUN!”
Time shattered instantly.
Claire’s expression melted into confusion. I lunged toward her, my heart thundering so loud I could barely hear anything else. I grabbed her arm, ready to shove so we could run or do something.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply