I met my mate in a bathroom. Romantic? Ha, think again...

Chapter 19

Luke’s POV

Her head tilted to the side, looking shocked and confused. “What?”

I stepped back a little, giving her more space. “Every werewolf has a soul mate, otherwise known as a mate. And, well, you’re mine.”

She frowned, standing up straighter. “Why do people keep saying that? What does that even mean?”

I dropped my eyes before answering. “It means my wolf and I can only ever love you.”

When she didn’t reply, I looked up again to meet her intense gaze. Finally she asked quietly, “How did this happen?”

I answered without looking away from her. “The leopard inside you called to my wolf, and he answered. So the first time I saw you, he instantly fell in love with the leopard.”

“So that’s why I feel the pull? It’s because my animal inside me?”

I couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across my face. “You feel the pull, too?”

She nodded. “So, what are we supposed to do now? I mean, since we’re mates?”

My smile dropped. This was the part I’ve been dreading. “You can either accept me as your mate, or you can reject me. If you accept, the pull between us will get stronger, but the actual mating process won’t start until we kiss. However, if you choose to reject me, I’ll understand. You won’t feel the separation, because shifters choose whoever they choose their mates.”

She sighed, running her hand through her hair. “I don’t know what I want, Luke. I can’t choose right now. I met you this morning, and you don’t know anything about me. If I accept you now, you’ll probably regret it later.”

I shook my head quickly, stepping forward. “I could never regret anything with you. Rose, if I was lucky enough to call you mine, I would cherish every moment I had with you. But if you’re not ready, I’ll wait for you. There’s no hurry.”

She sniffled, wiping a few tears away. I wrapped my arms around her, and she looked up at me with her tear-stained face. “Why are you doing this?” she whispered.

“Doing what?”

She pushed back a little, and I reluctantly let go of her. “Why are you being so nice? I can tell my words are breaking your heart. Luke, I’m trying to make you understand. I’m only trouble. I have a lot of baggage, and I honestly don’t know how to deal with the whole John problem.”

My heart broke as I recognized the emotion that flashed through her eyes. “You love him.” It wasn’t a question. As soon as the words passed my lips, she started to cry again.

She nodded, dropping her gaze. “I do. Even after all he said earlier, he still has my heart.”

I stepped back, anger and disappointment sprouting all throughout my body. She looked up at me, but I wouldn’t meet her eye. “Then you should probably go. We wouldn’t want you to miss any precious time with your beloved.”

I spun on my heel and stormed off the terrace. Rose called after me, but I couldn’t make myself turn. My wolf was begging me to do so, but I just couldn’t. I can’t believe my mate prefers a vampire over me. What a huge hit to my ego.

~~~A/N~~~

Okay, I know it's short, but I'm pretty tired, and it's getting late. Hopefully I can post in the next few days, but it's not a for sure thing. Also, I've been loving the comments I've been getting, so please keep it up!!! First person to comment gets the next chapter dedicated to them :)