Shifted Fate (Amy)

We just sat there staring at each other until there was a soft knock at the door. "Come in." Rowan called out, his eyes never leaving mine.

Clara came in with another cart. "I brought your four bottles. Just in case, and the chef gave me two slices of your favourite strawberry cake, Amy." She smiled as she pushed the cart over. "I'll just leave the cart here. Once you are all finished, just push it out into the hall." She gave us both a small bow and then left us alone.

I grabbed my glass and took another sip as he finished the first bottle. I waited for another minute, then I sat back. “Well, if you aren't going to explain, we can just skip this awkwardness and just go our separate ways."noveldrama

He nodded. "That's what I have been debating."

I scoffed and shook my head. "Well then." This was a waste of time. I pushed back and stood.

"But." He cut in with a smirk. “I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't explain it all. And I know Erubus would absolutely revolt if I didn't at least try." He nodded to my chair. "Please."

I pursed my lips as I considered it. Nix whispered softly. Can you just listen to him? Maybe there is a reason.

Her words nearly broke me. A reason good enough for everything that he did?

I don't know. But I want to at least have all the information before you make your decision. She looked at Megan, who nodded.

"Fine." I sat, and I started back in on the food. I grabbed my wine and finished it. I grabbed a second bottle before Rowan could and filled both of our glasses. "Start at the beginning, then."

He nodded once before cutting a bit of steak. "Well then." He smirked. Then he dove in. "You had me hooked as soon as you asked me to torture someone." I laughed, but he looked at me with hungry eyes. "Then I saw you, and I was sold." I snorted at that. "But it was who you are... that made me fall completely in love with you."

He talked more about our time together until he got to my heat. "I knew you would hate me if we went any farther. I had to force myself away. Even Erubus was struggling, and he was set on a beautiful she-wolf from the forest." He smirked again.

I had finished my meal and was just swirling my glass. "So you left..." I took a sip, trying my best to focus on now, and not how I felt back then.

He nodded. "I went back to my place and was going insane. So I called your father."

"My dad?" I grabbed for the cake, picking at it as my stomach rolled. "Why?"

"Because I wanted his advice." He took a drink. "Believe it out not...I don't have a lot of friends."

I nearly snorted wine through my nose. I coughed. "You don't say?"

He laughed, but then his smile fell. "I called because I wanted him to tell me it was okay if I chose you instead of waiting for my mate." He grabbed the bottle of wine and just took a sip from the bottle. "You can guess how welf that turned out." He snorted.

"What did he say?" My words were soft.

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"He said that we had to play this smart, and getting together at that point would have put a target on your back. Vince, Brandon, they wouldn't have touched you with a ten-foot pole. And your dad needed you to get close to them." He took a longer pull from the bottle. "He told me to create space between us. That he would explain it all when the time came, but for our plans to play out, I needed to leave you alone."

My heart cracked open. "Your letter said you and him made the plans...but I didn't know he told you that."

"You read the letters?" He looked a little lost.

I nodded. "When I found out about them...a few days ago." I grabbed a bottle of my own and popped the cork. Might as well. "Before that, I was kept in the dark. You had just left me, and then you ignored me."

"Ignored you?" He shook his head. "I never ignored you. I called, I emailed. You didn't answer. So when your dad came to me about helping you...I created Thoth." He emptied the rest of the bottle. "Not like it mattered."

I growled. "Not that it mattered?" I slapped a hand on my chest. "It mattered to me."

"You ignored me!" He screamed back. "I was drowning without you and you ignored me."

I stood up. "I never fucking ignored you. You ignored me." I screamed the last part as everything came rushing back. “You fucking left me when needed you the most and then you wouldn't answer mycalls, my texts. Nothing. I FUCKING LOVED YOU AND YOU LEFT ME!"