Chapter 65
1492words
"Jean." I said weakly, as my heart quickened in accord with his sporadic heartbeat, "I can't." I said quietly,
"can't or simply won't. I can understand if you won't if you'll simply tell me what is stopping you. You ex-husband, perhaps?"
I scoffed and shook my head, "You've really done your assignment for me, haven't you?"
He smiled, "I needed to know what I was getting into with you, and I have to say, it was somewhat hard, seeing as you've lived a double life, all of these years. Even now, your beloved husband doesn’t know that you're an Alpha."
"Now, you're just being nosey," I said and tried to tug my hand free of his grip, but he held on,
"I prefer the word, inquisitive."
"nosey," I said, and tugged my hand free of his hold with a little more effort,
"What can a man such as myself do to convince you then?"
I stayed quiet because I didn't have a reply,
"Just leave." I finally said, but he stood there, unyielding.
"one thing you should know about me, Ms. MacGregor, is that when I want something, I don’t stop until I attain it. " he said, and cracked the smallest smile, "I'm quite stubborn, Ms. MacGregor."
I couldn't help but crack a smile as well, "I suppose that makes the both of us." I said and sighed, "Fine."
"Fine, you will go on a date with me?"
I smiled and nodded, "Oui."
"ah, and the lady reaches me halfway," he said and stepped forward, to take my hand again.
My heart and my wolf were in sync and I was powerless to the way they both responded to him. Quickening and rejoicing.
"I promise to make it worth your while, Mon Ami," he said and brought my hand to his lips.
"I reckon, that went well, seeing as he's left the place, smiling like a git," Axel said, smiling from ear to ear when he met me at the door,
"Be quiet, he can possibly hear you."
"that might not really be the end of me," he said and followed me to the living room,
"you're as nosey as he is," I said, dropping on a couch, and he dropped on the one beside me
"Perhaps, if I had been nosey in previous times, then I might have been able to protect you from all of the hurt that you had to go through."
I sighed, and reached for his hand, "perhaps I had to go through all of that for a reason. But here I am, stronger and better than I was. With a whole more purpose."
"Yeah." he said and squeezed my hand, "so there will be a date then?
I sighed and shook my head, "Nosey." I said, and nodded, "But yes, there will be a date. My wolf won't let me be, it's nearly scary, to be honest."
"I've heard the tales." Axel said thoughtfully and looked at me again with more intent, "Do you think this will be a long-term thing?"
"I'm not sure this will be any more than a one-time thing." I said, and looked at my brother, "But I am to consider, that my wolf and my heart want nothing more."
"is that the truth?" he asked happily, and I got up as I felt a teasing coming,
"God's truth," I said, smiling, as I began to walk away,
"but where are you going?" he asked, and I could already hear the laughter in his voice,
"as far away from you as I possibly can, before you decide you're a clown."
But by the time I had left the living room, he was already howling, and I was shaking my head.
PARIS'S POV
I had the perfect date already set up. It was set up by the sea, with a thousand sparkling lights, and I had a feeling she was going to enjoy it. Ember enjoyed the little pretty things.
Now, I just had to find a way to convince her to attend. She was softening toward me, but that didn't mean that she all of a sudden wanted to build a life with me. Yet.
"Hello?" I was pleased when she took no time to respond, and I smiled,
"I have the perfect set by the beach. You, me, and a whole lot of food. What do you think?"
There was a pause before she replied, and the pause made my heart thud,
"Paris, I'm not sure I can do that."
I had foreseen that response, and had the perfect reply to convince her, "I know, you might feel that going out with me might not be something that you want right now, but I promise not to do anything that you might not want."
"I appreciate your desire to respect my boundaries and all, but tonight may take a while. I have work tomorrow."
"We can start early, and finish early. Or as soon as you're tired of spending time with me."
"your gender can be quite stubborn." she said and sighed, "what time?"
I smiled. In time, I was going to ask her what she meant about my gender, but at the moment, I was too pleased that she was agreeing to go out with me,
"We could meet up by Five Ish?"
"alright. I'll text you where to meet me."
"I'll be waiting. And Em?"
"yeah."
"Thanks for agreeing to this."
We did meet up where she requested. I wanted to ask why she didn’t just let me pick her up at her place, but I supposed just like her family, that was something she simply wasn’t ready to share with me yet. I didn’t understand it, not entirely, but I didn’t have a choice but to respect it and respect her.
When we got to the beach, I was glad to see that I had been right about the sea and all of the choice of lights. The mood and ambience was perfect and she all but gushed with child like excitement when
The skies went dark, and the lights came on,
"It's beautiful, Paris!” she exclaimed happily, and turned to me, her eyes bright, "and to think I was going to turn this one down."
"Thank God, you didn't."
"yeah. Thank God." she said and surprised me by taking my hand, "come then, let's go sit down."
"So then, you were saying something about my gender being stubborn? Have you encountered more of my gender recently, that has upset you?"
Her eyes were focused on the waters, but when they turned to me, they were smoky, hard to read, and that troubled me a lot,
"Paris, I think there's something I need to tell you."
I nodded slowly, "does it have something to do with why you nearly didn't come today?"
"a bit," she said and sighed,
"alright. Shoot. I believe I can handle it."
"Paris, I've found my mate."
No. I think I was wrong. This wasn't what I had expected to hear, and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to handle this one.
"your… mate?" I asked, wanting to make sure I had heard her properly and she nodded her assent. "You have got to be kidding me." I said, running a hand over my face, "this can't be possible." I said, and looked up to find her watching me with compassion,
"I almost wish I was kidding. Because for some reason, I finally understand."
"understand? Understand what?"
"understand why you constantly chose Kate."
I stopped and looked at her more carefully and I saw it. She was serious. She wasn't playing with me, or trying to toy with me. She really had found her mate.
"So what does this mean for you and me?"
"I don't know for sure. But of course, we are still friends. That much doesn't change."
"and him? What about him? What are you going to do about him?"
"I was going to pretend he didn't exist. But that was obviously not his plan. But Jean isn't willing to pretend that I don't exist. And so, I'm willing to at least see where all of this goes. He's a pretty neat guy."
"neat guy." he repeated and scoffed, "you can do better than neat, Em."
She sighed, and smiled, "I'm going to see it through." she said firmly, "same as I'm seeing us through. And whatever comes, then I'll take it on." she said and turned to look over the waters, while I watched her.
She had become a much stronger version of herself. And I had no idea what I was going to do when even this version of her decided that she wanted her mate and absolutely nothing to do with me.
Because now, she had even more of a reason to divorce me, and I had no idea what I was going to do without her if she truly ever did.
