Page 30 of Shifting Fate
I sneered. “Yeah, well, obviously I was mistaken. He doesn’t want me.”
I pulled free of their suffocating grasp, standing up and stalking across the room. I crossed my arms over my chest, tucking my elbows in close. When I paused in front of the vanity mirror, I saw what they saw—disheveled purple hair, pale skin, dark thumbprints beneath sad eyes. I really was a mess.
“I’m not good enough for him,” I added with a soft laugh. “I don’t know what I did, or maybe it’s how I look? Maybe I’m not his type? Whatever it is, what we did—what weare—is a ‘mistake’ that he ‘won’t make again’.”
Remy bit his lip. “Well, maybe… Maybe it’s something like what happened with Sawyer? He could be scared, or—”
“He’s notscared!”I snapped back, pointing to my temple. “He fucking knew the first day we met, the day we found Sawyer! He knew I was his then and he didn’t want me. He fucking went into my head and he, I don’t know, messed around with my brain, all because he didn’t want me to know. I wasn’t good enough then, and I’m not good enough now.”
“What do you mean?” Gage’s eyes narrowed. “He used his magic on you?”
“Yeah.” My shoulders slumped. “He blocked me from being able to scent him. This whole time, I thought that maybe, maybe there was something there, because it felt right. The more time I spent with him, the more right it felt and now?”
I closed my eyes on a haggard sigh, flopping down in my vanity chair. “He doesn’t want me. Not even after we slept together at the Becketts’ party, and I realized who he was. He fucked and ran, then had the balls to claim it was a mistake. I’m a mistake. A burden.”
“Dallon, that’s not true,” Remy insisted, his amber eyes round and watery. “There has to be a logical explanation somewhere—”
“You need me to kick his ass?” Gage growled. “Because I will happily march over to Foxgrove and put the hurt on him. No one fucks with my friends. I don’t give a shit about his magic. I’ll break his goddamn dick off.”
Remy gasped. “Gage! This is serious.”
“I’m dead serious. I will literally rip his dick off, just say the word.”
I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. “Guys.”
Remy came over and laid his hand on my shoulder. “Dallon, whatever you’re feeling, he has to be feeling it too. You aremates.There’s a connection there, no matter what anyone says. You aren’t a mistake. The fates don’t make mistakes. Look at Gage and Ezra. Look at me.”
“I don’t know what’s so wrong with me to make him decide I’m not enough, you know? What could I have done for Arias to meet me once and immediately decide he’s not interested? Our first fucking meeting, Rem! I don’t get it. I just don’t get it.”
“Maybe it’s not you? Maybe it’s his issue?”
I snorted softly. “Whatever.”
“His loss,” Gage grunted, still looking a little stabby. “Remember. Just say the word.”
“I don’t want you to hurt him,” I said, even though the idea of Gage coming to my rescue like a knight in shining armor was appealing. But Gage would never be mine. Gage was in love and had a goddamn kid, for Christ’s sake. That ship had sailed the very moment Ezra had stumbled into our lives.
Lucky bastard.
I rubbed at my gritty eyes. “It’s bullshit, but I don’t hate the guy. I’m just sad. And hurt. And angry that I didn’t even get a chance to prove I could be a good mate.” I didn’t even know I wanted a mate until now, but being rejected like this was like rubbing my nose in it. Mocking me. “I just need to get it out of my system, I guess.”
“It’s okay to cry, you know,” Remy said gently. “It helps.”
“Truth,” Gage agreed with a nod. “You ain’t less of a man if you shed a few tears. C’mon, Remy, let’s get out of his hair and let him do his thing. Nobody needs an audience for that shit, trust me.”
Remy squeezed my shoulder. “Okay, but Dallon? Please eat dinner with us tonight. I’m making your favorite—chili and cornbread, just like Mom used to make.”
I smiled despite the heaviness in my heart. “Thanks, Rem. It means a lot.”
He beamed. “I know. Love you.”
“Love you too.” As they walked out and closed the door behind them, my spirits felt a little lighter. I was damn lucky to have friends like them. To have a pack—a family—who truly cared about me, who worried about me. I really had been taking them for granted lately, and I needed to be better.
For them, and for me.
