Chapter 3 #2
“You didn’t realize it already?” Parker raises an eyebrow and gives me a look that says he’s questioning my sanity. “You’re the love of my life, Henley. You’re everything to me. Do you really think I wouldn’t give up everything for you?”
My heart swells at his bold proclamation.
I don’t want Parker to give up anything for me. But the fact that he’s so willing is super hot.
His eyes flash gold as he hears my thoughts.
“Gross, can you two not flirt?” Will wrinkles his nose in disgust. “I just ate, and I don’t want to vomit.”
“Hey, you can’t complain anymore,” I say, shooting him an amused look. “You’re the one who encouraged me to show Parker my wings, which made him realize we were soulmates. So this is practically your fault.”
“Something I regret daily,” he grumbles under his breath.
I know he’s joking, so I flick my gaze back to Parker. He’s ignoring Will and is looking at me. My breath gets caught in my throat when I look into his eyes.
I get it now. I get why waiting for your soulmate is so important. I don’t think anything could feel better than this.
“I love you guys, but I’m with Will on this one,” Blaine says.
I ignore him and keep my focus on Parker. He slips his arm around me and finally looks away.
“I can’t wait for the two of you to meet your soulmates,” Parker says. “You’ll understand then.”
I try to imagine what Will and Blaine’s soulmates will be like. I grin to myself as I hope that Will has a girl with a bright, bubbly personality.
Parker, hearing my thoughts, laughs.
Will narrows his eyes. “Okay, I need to know what made him laugh like that.”
I give him my best innocent expression. “Nothing, nothing.”
“Parker, your mate is annoying,” Will complains.
Yep… Will definitely needs to meet the sunshine to his grump.
As the night progresses, the pack slowly makes its way over to say goodbye to Parker, Will, and Blaine.
And it’s not that they don’t say goodbye to me—they do.
They just say it quickly and barely make eye contact as they do it.
Many of them even bowed to me, and it was weird.
I don’t like it. It is just a reminder that I’m not part of the pack.
I’m just… Parker’s mate. And I see the way the pack interacts with his mom.
They adore her, and if I’m going to be luna to the pack one day, it won’t be the same.
As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not what’s best for the pack.
Which sucks because Parker needs somebody like that.
It makes me wonder if fate made a mistake.
Parker and I may be soulmates, and we may complement each other perfectly, but I lack in this one area.
And it’s a really important area to lack in.
Thankfully, Parker is distracted and doesn’t hear my dark thoughts.
I sigh and head inside Parker’s parents’ house to hide for a bit.
The evening will be coming to an end soon, and I need a break.
I make my way to Parker’s old bedroom—his parents have left it exactly as Parker had it.
We usually stay the night over here a few times a month.
I lie down on his bed and stare up at the ceiling. It’s my last night in Montana. My last night before we spend our summer in Florida. And when we come back, nothing will ever be the same.
I won’t be the same.
Will once told me that when they found what kind of supernatural I was, I’d be sent off to live with them. And even though this isn’t that, it feels a little like it is. Like I’m being banished from pack lands to live with my own kind.
If you’re being sent off to live with the phoenixes, I’m coming with you, Parker says through our mate bond.
It startles me. I had no idea he was even listening. I suppose I should have known better—he’s always there.
Parker’s bedroom door opens. “I can feel how sad you are.”
I lift my head to look at my mate. He comes into the room and shuts the door behind him. I watch as he saunters over to the bed. He lies down beside me and pulls me into his arms. I rest my head in the crook of his arm so I can look up at him.
“Will and Blaine are putting our bags in the Jeep for us,” Parker says. “We can stay the night here. I think your dad is going to Hailey’s pack land tonight so they can tell her pack the happy news.”
I press my face into his chest, partly to hide my face and partly to steal his warmth.
“Hey, you know that you’re not going to be sent off without me, right?” he nudges my chin, trying to get me to look up.
“I know.” I look up and sigh. “But maybe you should send me off without you. You’d be better off without me.”
“There is no part of me that is better off without you.” His blue eyes stare into mine, and he puts his hand on the back of my neck, tangling his fingers in my hair.
“We are soulmates, but we’re also married.
I’m in this for better or worse. I already told you, I will leave my pack for you.
If I have to do that to prove how serious I am, I’ll do it right now.
We will pack up, and we’ll leave for good.
Wherever you want to go, I will take you. ”
“I would never ask you to leave your pack for me.” I shake my head. “You love the pack.”
“I do love them, but I love you more. You are my life now. And the more I think about it, the more I realize I’ll likely end up leaving anyway.”
I sit up so I can look at him better. “Why would you likely have to leave the pack?”
Instead of answering, he leans forward and kisses me. I kiss him back, but I pull away so I can look at him again. I’m not going to let him ignore my question.
“Parker, you can’t say that and leave me hanging.” I give him a stern look.
“It’s nothing. I’ve just been thinking about it,” he says, shrugging.
“Because I know you’re not comfortable being here.
And I’ve realized that being alpha, maybe, isn’t what I want to do.
Not just because of you, but because I hate it.
I love the pack, don’t get me wrong. But being alpha isn’t what I want.
I only went along with it because it’s what my dad wanted. ”
“But I thought being alpha was a dominance thing.” I tilt my head to the side as I try to understand. There is still so much about the supernatural world that I don’t know.
“It is,” he says. “But if I leave the pack, then one of my other brothers could take over.”
I narrow my eyes. “And you’re not thinking of doing this for me?”
“No, not just for you.” He shakes his head. “Besides, I’m not certain I’m going to do it. It’s just something that I’m thinking about.”
It still makes me feel guilty.
There is no way Parker would leave his pack. I know that. He loves them too much. And I would never ask him to.
I lean forward and kiss him. “You have all summer to think about it.”
“I do,” he agrees. He pulls me into his arms and properly kisses me. I’m aware that he’s doing it to get my mind off of what we’re talking about, but I gladly let him.