Boundaries

Chapter 24

At the unveiling of the mural, Dylan is mysteriously occupied and instructs Sam to go in his place.

Not too odd, Sam thinks to himself, considering that Dylan had missed an entire day of work to help with the mural, and his presence at the unveiling isn't strictly necessary.

However as soon as Sam spots a familiar, heart shaped face in the crowd, he wishes he had stayed home too. He freezes in his spot, cursing his lead feet as her eyes brighten, her body moving forwards more eagerly now.

She throws her arms around him as soon as she is able and it takes everything in Sam to not cringe away. He grabs her shoulders tentatively, moving her away, very aware of the small crease between her brows.

"Beth..." He signs, biting his lip.

She smiles broadly, her hands moving in the soft, familiar way that he had once grown to love. Now the sight is reminiscent of something long ago, something almost forgotten in his mind. He wants her hands to be larger, he wants them to be less assured, more hesitant. He wants them to be Kieran's.

"I've been so worried about you! I haven't seen you in so long and I..."

Sam looks away, ashamed.

He doesn't deserve Beth's kindness, not after ignoring her for so long. He decides enough is enough. She has to know.

He glances up, but his hands freeze in place when he spots Kieran's narrowed gaze honed on him. A small frown puckers his brows as he glances between Sam and the girl in front of him.

Sam looks back at Beth, sighing heavily as he draws her away from the crowd.

She watches him tensely, a frightened expression on her sweet, rounded face.

"I've found my mate, Beth." Sam signs.

He does it quickly, almost stumbling over himself in his eagerness to get it over with. But once it's done, he realises that he wants to say it again. Over and over again.

"I've found my mate." He signs again, slowly this time, a small smile overtaking his lips.

Beth's eyes widen, glancing back and forth between blue eyes that she loves and hands that she thought would hold her for the rest of her life.

"Your mate?" She questions, her heart breaking as Sam nods.

"I'm sorry." He signs, his fist continuing to rest against his chest long after he has stopped signing.

And he is sorry. Beth didn't deserve this, and he wishes that his own happiness didn't simultaneously result in her pain.

Beth bites her lip, shaking her head.

It's not like she hadn't known something was up. Sam has always been upfront with her, had never led her on. She has known for weeks that something is bothering him, and when she sees the Ironhill Beta glaring at her, she realises just what that thing is.

"The Ironhill Beta?" She signs, almost impossibly fast.

Sam's eyes fly open, his hands reaching out to lower hers as he glances about.

His eyes meet Kieran's for a split second, the Ironhill Beta's gaze lowering to their connected hands and Sam lets go of Beth like she's scolded him.

He steps away, glancing back at her as he rakes a hand through his hair.

And despite her own heartache, she empathises for Sam more.

She's known him since they were children, and the very things she loves about him are also his biggest weaknesses. Sam's loyalty to his pack, to his Alpha, have always been things that she treasured about Sam, but now she can see them tearing him apart.