Chapter 38

Jesse

Once more, I found myself stuck in my office. I was lost in my thoughts, going round and round in my head like a nutcase. I felt torn inside, like a tug-of-war between feeling really bad about letting Carrie's dad into my pack and destroying my peace and thinking that maybe it was the right thing to do after all to clear things out with my mate.

I saw Carrie's face in my mind – her happy face, her laugh, the way she looked at me. I couldn't picture life without her. But doubt had snuck in somehow, making everything uncertain.

Sitting there, thinking hard, the room seemed smaller. It felt like a big weight was on my shoulders, pushing me down. I knew I had to make a choice – one that could either make our love stronger or maybe mess it all up.

I can still hear Beta Jeff’s words, like seeds planted in my brain. He told me our love might not be so strong like there's something fragile about it. He made it seem like I'm holding Carrie back, not letting her make her own choices. He