Chapter Twelve
Zac
“This is great. Thank you for cooking.”
I had made a spread for my alpha. Tyrus had sent me home a bit early and insisted I make my alpha a big meal after I told him the short story of how I’d met my mate.
But a knot lay in my stomach. Things were great between us emotionally but, physically, something was about to change. Call it omega’s intuition. Call it sixth sense.
Once Edris’ car was fixed, our future was uncertain. I had to make the best of the time we had.
“You’re welcome. I didn’t know what you liked.”
I’d cooked up a feast. Braised short ribs. Yellow rice. Creamed spinach. Twice baked potatoes. Garlicky green beans. Hot honey chicken thighs. I thought the bear would like the last dish especially.
Edris filled my plate and passed it to me before serving his own food. He was a gentleman and always looking out for me. Walked on the street side of the sidewalk. Opened doors. The works. I tried not to think about how I almost ruined this the first night we met.
We both almost did.
“Tell me about your day, Zac.”
I shared about the patients without getting into specifics. I took my oaths seriously and respected my patients’ privacy. Most of my days this week were routine appointments and tours of the birthing facility for omegas and couples who were expecting and hadn’t chosen where to give birth yet.
Of course, in my opinion, we weren’t the fanciest center, but we were the best. Omegas felt comfortable and at home. A place where calm abounded.
That was what we strived for.
We talked some more, and my stress melted. Until his phone rang.
“I’m sorry. I have to take this.” He spoke to the other person. Jesse, he called him. Our mechanic.
I put my fork down, folded my cotton napkin, and set it on the table. Until I knew what Jesse was saying, my appetite was soured.
Edris wrapped up the conversation with the words I didn’t want to hear. “I’ll pick up the car in an hour.”
I had an hour left with my mate. My wolf howled and whined. The contents of our dinner sat on my stomach like a brick.
“You’re leaving,” I said.
“My car is fixed. I have work to get back to. Meetings. Schedules.”
I nodded. My brain understood completely. He had a life before me and had one still in the city. A career and dreams and goals. Unfortunately most of my mate’s existence had nothing to do with me.
Not even had anything to do with this town. Not even close.
“At least take some cake.” I got up and flitted around the kitchen, packing him pineapple upside-down cake along with some leftovers he could eat at home. He said he loved to cook but seldom had the time.
And maybe, maybe he would think of me while he ate it.
“Sweetheart, stop,” he said, coming over to wrap his arms around my middle while I fretted over packing him snacks and food.
“I’m just—” The rest of the words never came out, but a sob took their place. I bent over the counter, letting it hold me up while I crumpled.
Edris turned me around and held me in place. “This isn’t goodbye, omega mine. I swear it. You’re my mate, and I already love you.”
“You’ll forget me,” I whimpered as tears flowed down my face in big fat drops.
“What?” He pulled back and cupped my face in his warm hands. “I could never forget you. You’re in my heart now. In my life. We’ll make this work. Please believe in me. Believe in us.”
“I do.” I rubbed the tears from my face while new ones fell. “But life happens. You go back to your job and your life. Calling every day turns into once a week and, before you know it, you can’t remember the last time you spoke to me. Life rarely has a happily ever after.”
The bear tsked and shook his head. “I didn’t know you were such a pessimist about love, mate. That’s never going to happen. Besides, how could I ever forget about drunk Zac beating down my door and shouting at me.”
We both broke out in laughter.
“You were supposed to forget that.”
He leaned in and kissed my lips. It didn’t feel like a goodbye kiss.
Probably because I didn’t want it to be.
“I’m never going to forget that. That was the night I knew that you were perfect for me.
You called me out on my shit and gave me hell about it.
I had no idea that was what I needed in my life but I do. Baby, I will always need you.”
“Swear to me that we’ll make this work,” I pleaded. “Swear it, alpha.”
Edris put his hands on either side of my neck, thumbs under my chin. “I swear on the goddess that somehow we will make this work. You and I will be together for however long Fate gives us. I want everything with you, omega. Life. Birth. Old age. All of it.”
“I love you too,” I whispered. Somehow the words sealed our bond.
Jesse honked the horn outside. He had come to pick Edris up and bring him to the shop. We shared a few long kisses and then…he was gone.
My body and heart already felt cold and hollow.
“We’ll make it work,” I told myself and my wolf.
The beast inside me had other plans to deal with his depression and loss of his mate.
He forced a shift and took off at a speed I didn’t know we were capable of.
We zipped through trees and grass until we reached a familiar cliff.
It overlooked the highway and a car drove by underneath us. Our mate’s car.
We watched as he rounded a curve and before he was out of sight, my wolf raised his muzzle and howled into the sky, hoping, praying, that our mate heard our cry of pain. He had to know how this affected my animal.
One last cry of pain and my wolf gave in, lying on his belly to grieve.
We stayed like that until the coldness of night somehow became colder than the feeling of being without our mate.
He took us back home. Defeated. Broken.