Chapter 12
I was a coward.
Every time I thought of Callie, I was reminded of that single, bitter truth. We grew up together–laughing, fighting, sharing dreams. She was always the brighter one, the braver one, the one who could speak her mind without fear. And me? I stood on the sidelines, watching her bloom, too scared to tell her how much I loved her. The fear of rejection kept me silent, even when I saw her falling into the hands of someone else–Landon.
I should have stopped her. I should have
told her then.
When she ran away, I knew something had broken. I felt it deep in my bones, a crack that spread from my chest to every part of me. But I did nothing–at least, nothing she could see. I couldn’t just let her go. I had to follow her. So, I did.
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Chapter 12
I built my company from the ground up, all while keeping an eye on her. I never let her know I was close. I watched her struggle, to
survive in a world that had dealt her a cruel
hand. And then I found out about Landon-
the bastard who had done so much damage. to her. My rival in business, and now, in
something far more personal.
The anger burned deep, but more than that, the regret. I let her get hurt. I let Landon get close to her when it should. have been me standing by her side.
I wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
I spent weeks trying to find the right way to approach her, to offer her a place in my company. I knew she deserved better. She deserved more than what Landon could give her. I didn’t expect her to say yes right away–she was too proud for that–but I kept at it. Slowly, she came around, and every moment we spent together chipped away at the wall that had stood between us
for so many years.
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Chapter 12
I’d always wondered why she left. Why Callie–strong, determined Callie–would abandon the pack that was her home, the life we all thought she’d lead. But the truth hit me harder than I expected when I finally learned why.
We were sitting in my office, the soft hum of the city below barely cutting through the silence between us. Callie looked out the window, her expression distant, like she was seeing something far beyond the glass. I didn’t push her to talk–I never had to. Callie always spoke when she was ready, and today, I could tell something was weighing on her.
“I didn’t want to wait,” she said quietly, breaking the silence.
I blinked, unsure of what she meant.
“Wait for what?”
She turned to look at me, her eyes sharper than I’d seen in a long time. “For a mate. For fate to decide who I’m supposed to be with, how my life is supposed to go.” She
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let out a soft, bitter laugh. “There’s a low chance of finding them anyway. How many wolves in the pack are still waiting for their so–called fated mates, Amir?”
I swallowed hard, her words settling deep. I knew how the mate bond worked–or didn’t work, in most cases. The promise of it was almost cruel. So many of us held on to the idea that there was someone out there, meant for us, but what if they never came? What if, like Callie, you decided not to wait?
“So, you left… to carve your own path,” I said softly, trying to piece it all together.
Callie nodded, her eyes clouding with something I couldn’t quite read. “I didn’t want to live like that. Waiting for something that might never happen. I thought… maybe I could find happiness my way. Maybe I didn’t need a fated mate to feel whole.”
She paused, and I watched the way her hands clenched in her lap, knuckles
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turning white. “I even thought I could have a normal life, you know? A human life. That’s why I pursued Landon.”
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For a moment, jealousy flared hot and sharp, but I tamped it down. This wasn’t about me.
‘And did you love him?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. “I thought I did, but I was wrong.”
I couldn’t help but feel a small, selfish relief at that, but I pushed it aside.
Callie, who had always been so sure of herself, had been searching for something that didn’t exist–for a life that wasn’t
meant for her.
And here I was, having chased after her all this time, wanting to be the one who could. give her the life she needed. But I wasn‘ t her mate. Fate hadn‘ t chosen me for her.
That didn’t stop me from wanting her
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Chapter 12
anyway.
“You’re really brave,” I said, breaking the silence. “You didn’t wait for anyone else to decide your future.”
She met my gaze, something raw and vulnerable in her eyes that I hadn’t seen before. “I didn’t want to be trapped by fate, Amir. But I’m starting to think… maybe I was wrong. Maybe I’ve been running away from the wrong things.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” She hesitated, her gaze flickering between me and the door, like she wasn’t sure if she was ready to say what came next. “Maybe I wasn’t just running from the pack, from fate, but I‘ ve been running from someone else.”
Her eyes locked with mine, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
“I’ve been running from you.”
Chapter 12
As soon as I heard her words, I felt something stir inside me.
