Page 3 of Her Former Bear Mate

“Right.”

“It’s the truth.I’m sure Aditi is fine too.”

“Aditi is…” Alix bit her lip, no doubt wondering how much she was allowed to share."Well, I don't want to lie, she was pretty upset at the beginning.Devastated.It's a bit better now."

“Devastated?”Lena scoffed, anger bubbling up inside of her.“She’s the one who broke up with me.Why is she the one that’s devastated?”

“She didn’t want to break-up, you know that.”

“Yeah?Then she shouldn’t have insisted that we go into the sacred lake to find out if we’re fated mates.She knows I didn’t want that.She always said she didn’t want a fated mate either.She’s a liar.”Lena didn’t often spew out long rants like that but they came naturally.The pain and hurt from the break-up was still fresh and Alix had clearly pressed on a painful spot.

Alix gave her a look of pity.“It wasn’t a lie, you know.She just changed her mind.”

“Of course you’re picking her side,” Lena spat out.She knew she was directing her anger at the wrong person but it was impossible to stay calm.It hurt.It hurt that Aditi had chosen to throw all their time together away because they weren’t fated mates.

It was the very thing Lena always feared would happen and Aditi had assured her for years that she didn’t want a fated mate either.Then finally when Lena started to believe her…bam.A good dose of reality.

She really should’ve known better.Shifters wanted fated mates and she was a fool for thinking Aditi was any different.

TWO

Aditi

The last thinganyone wanted when they were admitted to the hospital was an overworked, underpaid, caffeine-deprived nurse.And yet, some days, that was exactly what Aditi was.And recently, heartbroken had been added to the list as well.

Unfortunately for her, heartbroken wasn't an acceptable reason to call in sick so she had no choice but to come to work with a smile on her face and resentment in her heart.

So really not all that different than usual.

One of the only things that could make it better was a goodstrongcup of coffee.Usually, Aditi made do with the sludge from the staff room or the instant coffee in her cupboard but after a double shift and an ungodly early start, she really had no choice but to stop at Dragon Roast.

The coffee here was excellent but Aditi hadn’t been here since her break-up with Lena.There were too many memories here that made the coffee taste bitter but it was an emergency this morning.At least it was quiet in the usually bustling coffee shop, but that was because she was ahead of the morning rush.Allthanksto her shitty supervisor's demanding schedule.

Behind the counter, Renata turned around at the sound of the bell and looked seemingly a bit frantic and unprepared."Oh, hello."

"Sorry, am I too early?"Aditi gestured to the sign at the door."It said it was open."

"No, we are," Renata replied quickly as she ran a hand through her long dark hair."Just running a little behind but that's fine.What can I get you?"

"Triple espresso, please.To go," Aditi replied, her usual order and the only thing that kept her functioning this early.

Renata cracked a smile."As a nurse, you should know that's not good for your health."It was something only a friendly acquaintance could say, one that had faithfully served her many triple espressos over the years.

"And as a barista, you should know pointing that out to your caffeine-deprived customers isn't good for your health," Aditi quipped back, a little sharper than she intended it to.

Renata chuckled, clearly not bothered or insulted."Fair enough.Triple espresso coming right up."

With a nod, Aditi settled at one of the tables while she waited.If she was sensible, she would go straight to the hospital but stopping for coffee was a small luxury she afforded herself and it was one of the few things that kept her sane.More or less.She supposed she could go without but then she risked killing one of her frustrating patients, or more likely, her supervisor.

The door above the bell rang, indicating the arrival of another customer.Aditi looked up, wondering what other poor soul was also in need of coffee this early on.Her stomach dropped instantly and she quickly looked away, but it was too late.

Lena had already seen her but didn't smile or nod in acknowledgment.Instead, she just looked at her with those cold brown eyes of hers, the very same ones that Aditi once thought were the warmest of colours.

Even though she hated herself for it, she checked Lena out while she ordered her coffee.Nobody could make casual look so good as her ex who was naturally tall and slender.At first glance, some might mistake her for a young man but Aditi knew the softness of what was underneath Lena’s oversized shirt well.

It was really unfair that someone could look this good with so little effort, unlike Aditi who needed lots of conditioner just to tame her unruly thick black hair, an elaborate skin care routine to keep the spots away, and concealer for the bags under her eyes, specialexpensiveconcealer because regular brands didn't make it in her skin tone.

She'd always been jealous of Lena who could roll out of bed and run her hands through her hair, throw on a shirt, and look absolutely fabulous.If anything, the simplicity of her attire really let her own strong features shine.That prominent brow of hers, the slightly upturned nose, her sharp jaw that clenched whenever she was uncomfortable.Lena wasn't necessarily a classic traditional beauty but she turned heads wherever she went.

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