Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"So, what was that all about?" I ask curiously when we got to the end of the street. I didn't want to ask at first, but my curiosity got the better of me. "Oh, nothing. Just typical mom." He answers lightly. "Are you sure? Because it seemed like she whistled you back. If I didn't know better, I would think she thinks you want to hit on me." It's out before I know it. He doesn't say anything. "Not that I think so, of course," I say quickly. "I mean, we've only known each other for a day. That would be weird, right?" I rattle on. I kick myself for my statements. Why am I acting like this, it's not like I'm falling for him or anything.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him smile. "Let's just say my mother just wants to protect you. Especially after everything you've been through," he says. “Speaking of which,” I say as I remember his look from last night. I think for a moment about how I'm going to ask without seeming to interfere.

“Speaking of what?” he asks curiously. "When we were talking about mates, and when you said the moon goddess doesn't make mistakes." I begin, his gaze no longer curious, but more wary. "I saw the look in your eyes when Lucy started talking about your mate," I say carefully. “I don't know what you're talking about.” He answers evasively.

"You looked haunted, Lucy and Beth didn't see it, but I did. I've seen that look before. On myself, in the mirror." I say softly, Bruce remains silent. “Do you want to talk about it?” I ask carefully.

He remains silent, I don't dare to look at him, afraid that I have crossed a line. We walk in silence, and I try to think of something to say to change the subject. My mind remains blank and I look at Claire, who is taking in her surroundings with wide eyes.

Not that she can see much of the surroundings, she mainly stares at the sky, and occasionally branches of the trees pass by.

"They don't know." He says softly. "No one knows."

I remain silent, waiting to see if he continues talking or not. For a few seconds, it seems like that's all he says, but then he says, "I've already met my mate." I stand still in shock. Why doesn't he sound happy? I thought mates were always a happy topic. I mean, who doesn't want to meet their soulmate?

"It was during a trip with the boys. Dex wanted to have a good time before he started the search for his mate."

If the fact that he's still unmated wasn't enough, his face says it all. He tries to avoid my gaze, but the pain is visible on his face. "If it's too hard," I say as I take his hand. "You don't have to tell me." He walks to a bench a few meters away from us. “No, it's time I shared it with someone.” I nod and sit next to him in silence. I gently push the stroller back and forth.

Encouragingly, I grab his hand again and squeeze gently. "We were at a club, drinking, like every night on that trip. When I went to get another round of shots I saw her." He sighs deeply. “My world stopped, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.” I listen with bated breath as he continues to talk. "I could tell from a distance that she wasn't a wolf, but that didn't stop me from approaching her. When she spotted me, she seemed pleasantly surprised and interested." He stops talking for a moment, and I have to struggle to restrain myself from asking him to continue. "When I got closer, I could already smell that she was a witch, I was surprised of course, but it didn't matter to me. But the moment I touched her, and she felt the little tingles, her look changed. She looked at me disgusted and, without saying a word turned and walked away." My mouth drops open in surprise.

"What? Why?" I ask and he shrugs. "I don't know. Of course, I went after her, but I lost her in the crowd."

I don't know what to say, poor Bruce. No one deserves this. "I tried to track her down, but obviously I had no success." He says. “So that's it. I have a mate who doesn't want to know anything about me. But I don't know her name, so I can't reject her the right way and break our bond. I'm fucked." He tries to say the last part lightly, but I effortlessly pierce through his facade.

"Wow, Bruce. I'm sorry for you." I don't know what else to say.

"But, why didn't you tell anyone? Maybe they can help track her down." I ask and he laughs sarcastically. "Maybe, but I was too embarrassed to say anything to the boys that night. And I didn't want to disrupt Dex's trip. I was still hoping at first that I would find her, and that maybe she would change her mind, or else could tell me why she didn't want me as a mate. And when it became clear to me that I couldn't find her, I didn't dare anymore. And I did the only thing I thought I could do." he says.

"You were going to pretend you didn't want a mate and play the man whore?" I finish his sentence.

"Yeah, kind of. When you put it like that, it sounds bad." He confesses.

“Just a little,” I answer lightly, he chuckles. We sit in silence, and when I look at him out of the corner of my eye, I see that he has put his mask back on, and it seems as if nothing is bothering him anymore. That must be tiring. Every time you have to act as if nothing is wrong, as if deep inside you are not devastated by the pain. Because that's how I imagine him feeling.

“You sounded so convincing,” I say thoughtfully. "Convincing? About what?" he asks ignorantly. "About the Moon Goddess. You said she doesn't make mistakes." I can't imagine he actually thinks that. Why would she mate him with someone who doesn't want him? He smiles briefly. "That's because I really believe that. She does everything for a reason," he answers. "Really? What reason would she have to pair you with someone who doesn't want to?" The disbelief is audible in my voice, and certainly visible on my face. He shrugs wordlessly. "Maybe I'm meant for a single life. So far I don't mind." He puts an arm around me. "I can enjoy all the beauty around me." He wiggles his eyebrows and I playfully slap his arm off my shoulder.

I decide to go along with his teasing. “So what you're really saying is, that your mother is right?” He chuckles. "Well, you know what they say. Mother knows best." He looks at me with a smug grin.

"Well, since I'm a mother myself, I'm not going to argue with that," I respond laughing, nodding to Claire. "Shall we walk a little further?" I suggest as I stand up. I don't show it, but the subject makes me nervous. What if his mother is right, and he's just trying to talk me into bed? Unobtrusively, I take a good look at him again. The thoughts that maybe I wouldn't even mind that well up in my head. Because he is certainly not a punishment to look at. I'm ashamed of my own thoughts. I'm not ready to do anything with another man yet.

We walk a little further in silence. And when I try to sneak a look at him again out of the corner of my eye, I see that he's looking at me the same way. I immediately avert my gaze. Was he really looking at me the way I think, or is my imagination playing with me?

He doesn't get the chance to say anything about it, I am saved by the bell when his phone rings.

"Alpha Sutton, hello." He sounds serious. Curious as I am, I try to listen unobtrusively, but unfortunately I cannot understand what the person on the other end of the line is saying. "Yeah, I'm with her." He looks at me blankly as I look up at him with wide eyes. "Okay. That's what we assumed... Next week?"

I'd love to ask what's next week since it's clearly about me. But I don't dare interrupt him. "But of course... I'll make sure she's there." His face doesn't reveal anything. It's clear to me that the Alpha wants to see me next week. But even though Beth said he has a heart of gold, I still feel a certain fear. It is an Alpha, the big boss.

"What did he say?" I ask as soon as he hangs up. "Lucy told him about you, and he wants to talk to you." He says as if it's nothing special. "Don't worry, it's just a formality since you're human, and know about our existence." He says when he sees the panic in my eyes. "No worries? He's the Alpha, of course, I'm worried. I'm a human who knows about your existence. To an outsider, I'm a danger to your species." My voice cracks.

He puts his arm over my shoulder again. "Like I said, it's just a formality. Lucy already filled him in on your situation, so it's really no big deal. I promise." He says soothingly. I look at him with narrowed eyes. "If it doesn't mean anything, why can't it just be something in between? Now I have to be nervous for a week." I ask suspiciously, not yet fully convinced. He shakes his head, laughing. "Because" he takes my hand. "he is the Alpha. And he has a busy schedule."

I sigh. I'll just have to take his word for it. "Will you go with me?" I ask pleadingly. I dare not meet him alone. "Yeah, sure." He answers with a smile. That reassures me somewhat.