forgive.”
She looked at him and took his hand. Electricity sparked through him. He wanted to tell her to stop, to keep this secret away from him.
She took a deep breath. “It would make me happy if you could, but what I have to tell you is unforgivable. All I can hope is that you will listen and that knowing what happened will help you move on. I know you’ll hate me and I’ll understand.” She took a deep breath, “I’m sorry, I’m being so selfish but I had to come…” Her eyes held a small glint of hope, but a shadow of despair clouded them.
She wiped her stray tears. “It wasn’t planned, Felix. I never set out to hurt you. Every second since it happened, I’ve been consumed by regret.”
Felix’s hand slipped from hers. His body stiffened as he braced for the impact of her words. That glint of hope in her eyes had vanished, and slowly he realized what she was about to say. Of course there was only one reason for her to leave. She’d left for someone else.
“Who was it?” Bile rushed into his throat.
Was it Tore? Did his friend lie to him?
Tore stiffened, as he smelled the anger surge through Felix.
Nea saw Felix look at Tore, anticipated what he was thinking. She grabbed his arm. “No, it wasn’t him. He had nothing to do with this. Tore and Annike helped me when I got pregnant.”
Felix turned back to her, his fangs elongating, his claws sliding from his fingertips when he heard her confession.
Nea pleaded with him, “It wasn’t Tore, please believe me. I can’t tell you who — just that I was stupid. Naive… Drunk. He took advantage of me.” She stopped speaking, shook her head. “No, there is no excuse. I betrayed you, Felix.” She reached out to him but stopped when she saw he was losing his self-control. She knew he was battling to contain his wolf. Nea knew it was over. She turned her back on him and walked away.
From across the parking lot Tore saw Felix’s internal struggle. Fearing that Nea’s leaving would trigger Felix’s shift he started towards them. “Nea” he screamed. “Keep still.”
She froze. Glancing back at Felix, she hung her head, “Release him, Felix. Let your wolf do it’s worse. It is what I deserve. I’m tired of this guilt within me, tired of living this half-life. If we can’t be together, I don’t want to live.”
Hearing her words, Felix’s human side regained control. His claws retracted, the wolf disappeared from his eyes, his fangs slid into his gums, and he fell to his knees. There was no way he could hurt her. Even after what she’d told him, his love for her was too strong.
Nea knelt besides him and slid her arms around his waist. When she rested her head on his chest his hands crept to her back. Despite her betrayal, the broken heart she had caused, the cowardice she’d shown when she ran instead of facing him. Despite everything, Felix still loved her.
“I love you, Nea.”
She lifted her eyes to his and through her tears said, “Felix, I love you so much. Over all these years, I never stopped, not for one minute.”
By the time Felix walked her back to an overanxious Tore, they were both drained of emotion.
“I appreciate that you risked everything to bring her back to me. If it’s okay, I’d like to meet Nea again tomorrow. Can we meet here?”
Tore pulled Nea into his arms. He nodded to Felix and walked her back to the car. After he helped her in, he returned to shake Felix’s hand. “Thanks for giving her a chance.”
Felix pulled Tore to him. “Thank you for bringing her back to me.”
Tore patted his friend on the back. “You understand, you have to keep this quiet. Until we figure something out, I can’t risk the clan knowing we’re here.”
Felix stood back. “They won’t hear anything from me. But keep a low profile. The clan frequents the town, more than they used to. You need to stay out of sight. Isak and Erik aren’t ready for a family reunion.”
She looked at him and took his hand. Electricity sparked through him. He wanted to tell her to stop, to keep this secret away from him.
She took a deep breath. “It would make me happy if you could, but what I have to tell you is unforgivable. All I can hope is that you will listen and that knowing what happened will help you move on. I know you’ll hate me and I’ll understand.” She took a deep breath, “I’m sorry, I’m being so selfish but I had to come…” Her eyes held a small glint of hope, but a shadow of despair clouded them.
She wiped her stray tears. “It wasn’t planned, Felix. I never set out to hurt you. Every second since it happened, I’ve been consumed by regret.”
Felix’s hand slipped from hers. His body stiffened as he braced for the impact of her words. That glint of hope in her eyes had vanished, and slowly he realized what she was about to say. Of course there was only one reason for her to leave. She’d left for someone else.
“Who was it?” Bile rushed into his throat.
Was it Tore? Did his friend lie to him?
Tore stiffened, as he smelled the anger surge through Felix.
Nea saw Felix look at Tore, anticipated what he was thinking. She grabbed his arm. “No, it wasn’t him. He had nothing to do with this. Tore and Annike helped me when I got pregnant.”
Felix turned back to her, his fangs elongating, his claws sliding from his fingertips when he heard her confession.
Nea pleaded with him, “It wasn’t Tore, please believe me. I can’t tell you who — just that I was stupid. Naive… Drunk. He took advantage of me.” She stopped speaking, shook her head. “No, there is no excuse. I betrayed you, Felix.” She reached out to him but stopped when she saw he was losing his self-control. She knew he was battling to contain his wolf. Nea knew it was over. She turned her back on him and walked away.
From across the parking lot Tore saw Felix’s internal struggle. Fearing that Nea’s leaving would trigger Felix’s shift he started towards them. “Nea” he screamed. “Keep still.”
She froze. Glancing back at Felix, she hung her head, “Release him, Felix. Let your wolf do it’s worse. It is what I deserve. I’m tired of this guilt within me, tired of living this half-life. If we can’t be together, I don’t want to live.”
Hearing her words, Felix’s human side regained control. His claws retracted, the wolf disappeared from his eyes, his fangs slid into his gums, and he fell to his knees. There was no way he could hurt her. Even after what she’d told him, his love for her was too strong.
Nea knelt besides him and slid her arms around his waist. When she rested her head on his chest his hands crept to her back. Despite her betrayal, the broken heart she had caused, the cowardice she’d shown when she ran instead of facing him. Despite everything, Felix still loved her.
“I love you, Nea.”
She lifted her eyes to his and through her tears said, “Felix, I love you so much. Over all these years, I never stopped, not for one minute.”
By the time Felix walked her back to an overanxious Tore, they were both drained of emotion.
“I appreciate that you risked everything to bring her back to me. If it’s okay, I’d like to meet Nea again tomorrow. Can we meet here?”
Tore pulled Nea into his arms. He nodded to Felix and walked her back to the car. After he helped her in, he returned to shake Felix’s hand. “Thanks for giving her a chance.”
Felix pulled Tore to him. “Thank you for bringing her back to me.”
Tore patted his friend on the back. “You understand, you have to keep this quiet. Until we figure something out, I can’t risk the clan knowing we’re here.”
Felix stood back. “They won’t hear anything from me. But keep a low profile. The clan frequents the town, more than they used to. You need to stay out of sight. Isak and Erik aren’t ready for a family reunion.”
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