Lost Soul Mates

Chapter 22

Laura Grace/Gracie/LG – POV

I walk up the steps of the house and see the screen door is closed but the door is open, just like we usually leave it. I walk through the door and look to the right and the dining room is empty. I walked up the stairs and decide to stop at my room to freshen up my face and mentally prepare myself for the talk I have to have with Max. As I walk into my room, I can still smell him. His scent lingers from earlier, I shut the door behind me and stand with my eyes closed enjoying his scent as I breathe deep and take it all in. I am standing just inside the door with what I know is a goofy smile on my face, something a teenager in lust would have. I start to walk to the bathroom, and I hear a creak in the bed and stop. I turn and look, and I see someone sitting on my bed. "Hello?"

"Really, you need to shift more often if you can't tell its me." Max says as I jump a little and grab my chest. He gets up and walks to me. "I m sorry I didn't mean to frighten you." He says with his hands in his pockets and looking down at me sheepishly.

"No, I just didn't expect you to be here. I thought you were mad at me." I say hanging my head and looking at my hands holding in the tears.

"I m not mad, just disappointed." Max said still standing in front of me I am sure looking down at me, but I just can't look up at him at this point. I would rather he be mad than disappointed. I nod my head and turn and walk into the bathroom and turn on the light. I leave the door open and just turn on the water to splash my face with water and blow my nose. When I walk out, he is still in the same position.

I stand in the bathroom doorway and look at him. "I am sorry. You need to know I did not mean to hurt you or make you think I don't trust you or respect you." I tell him, making a point to look at him as I say this. He may not be looking at me, but I made a point of looking at him as I say what I need to say. "I need you to understand. It has always been just me. I see an issue, or problem and I run at it. I don't ask for help, I figure out my options for what I, need to do and I, do it." I push off the door frame to the bathroom and stand in front of him. His hands are in his pockets. I reach for one and pull it to me. I hold it between my hands. "It has been brought to my attention that I am not used to werewolf ways. That I may have been spending too much time in the human world and disassociating myself from my werewolf side and the fact that a mate is there not to take away or hold me back, but to be my partner and take my pain as well as support me. You have to know I am not used to any of that. I was taught that I was going to find a mate and he would take care of me and love me and never let anyone hurt me." Max looks at our hands then at me.

"That's what I am here for that is what a mate is!" Max looks at me confused. He takes a step forward and I hold up one hand.

"I know, but you were not rejected. You had your first mate die. Mine rejected me. In that moment I let go of any thought I had of finding someone that would ever make me happy. I was determined to prove I didn't need one. That being rejected was not a bad thing, that I rose above it and became something great." He puts his hand that I am not holding, on my face and cups my cheek.

"You are amazing you did just what you said you were going to do." He says looking me in the eyes.

"I did, but in doing so I hurt you." I turned my face into his hand and kissed his palm. Then turned and faced him again. "I held everything in and worked hard for all the women here, but never thought that if and when I found you that you would want me. I figured I wasn't a worthy of doing anything but making money." I look down and study his hand. I see red marks on it now with the light on. Little scratches. "I know you will get mad if I tell you this so I need you to know, yes I knew when I saw you all those months ago, and yes I ran because all I thought of was you rejecting me or taking me away from here and hold me back. If you had not shown up this week, I was going to.." I stop and look down and let go of his hand and take a step back. I was afraid to admit what was coming next.