C21 A painful plan

To say goodbye."

"I guess. But leave Mary with me. Your truck. I have to go."

I frowned, confused. "Okay."

She tore the picture off the pad and handed it back to me. "Bye, Lara."

"Paul , have I done something wrong?".

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You haven't done anything wrong." He held up the drawing. "Thanks for this. I'll be in touch."

He walked away, leaving me alone. And there I stood, feeling like the biggest bitch in the world, numbing myself to the pain of what was soon to come.

Paul

I could barely walk, but I made it out of the inn in one piece.

Clinging to the sketch, I made it as far as the shadows between two buildings before the last shred of control slipped from my grasp.

I'd only heard rumors or stories about the mate's magic, wondering if I'd ever notice when he was engaged. Nothing had happened with Kearny . And it hadn't with the women before her either. But it had happened with Lara .

The moment I laid my eyes on the sketch I had drawn of myself, the pulsing waves, too fierce to deny, of something implacable, rose from the ground. The magic of the mate had risen, digging into me to a point where it became too much to feel, too much confusion, so much that I needed to touch to find satisfaction. Something I would only find with her.

She had seen me.

That's all I could keep thinking as I tried to reassure myself.

She had seen the wolf in me. On another level, the woman had looked deep into my soul and seen my wolf. But not only that, she had caught the soul in my eyes, the way I was searching for something, searching for my purpose, a small part of me inside craved a feeling I couldn't quite grasp. But now I knew what it was.

It was her.

My partner.

The animal inside me howled at the moon at such a revelation, even as the sun continued to shine.

'You're a natural leader for your people here, but sometimes, you're as caged as I am. 'To have someone who understood me on a level where I barely understood myself...'

I had wanted to claim her as my mate at the time, my wolf wanted her beyond belief. But her reasons for being here prevented me from doing so. So I pressed her and asked her what she planned to do before she left the stream. I needed her to play her cards, I was desperate to know her intentions and her end game. I had to get her to show her true self so I wouldn't drown in the possibility of her ripping my heart out of my chest.

If Lara needed help with Scott , why wasn't she asking me? Why keep pretending? And how could I trust her not to run to Scott once I had confronted her? I couldn't. But I couldn't keep her prisoner here either. I had to let it play out, to see how far she was capable of going to sell me out, and I had to protect the city from her next move.

Heading toward the garage, I looked for Mary , steadier now that the magic wasn't holding me so tightly by the damn throat. When I arrived, I found her fidgeting on the hood of the Mustang.

"Mary !" I shouted, with the sketch still rolled up in my hand.

"Ow!" shrieked Mary , who had hit her head on the hood from yelling at it. She rubbed her forehead with a frown as she saw me approach. "What the hell, Paul?" But then he saw my face. "What's up?"

"Fix Lara's truck . Right now."

"Okay. I will. But how about you sit down first and tell me what's got you so upset?"

"I don't need a seat. I need his truck fixed, and I need you to call Lara and tell her it's done. After that, she'll play her hand. And I need her to play it, Mary . Without her telling me, I need to know her intentions. I need to know what she was planning to do when she drove here. I need to know..."

Mary interrupted me by grabbing my arm and pulling me into a corner. She disappeared for a moment to grab a Coke. She tossed it to me. "Drink it."

"I don't want to...

"Drink it. Take a deep breath. And tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened." I opened the can, but had to put the sketch on my lap to do so. Mary snatched it away from me before I could pick it up again. "You're going to stain yourself!"

"I washed my hands when I picked up your Coke. I'm fine."

But she didn't want me to look at it. He didn't want me to touch it. It was personal. And I...

"Oh, Paul," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "It's you. She sees you."

I snatched it from her, needing it back in my hand. I took a swig of the drink and blurted out, "She's cheating on me. That's what she's doing. I took her on a date the other night and she accepted. Today I met her for coffee, took her to the creek, and still nothing. She shows me this. She makes me vulnerable but confesses nothing. She's working for Scott Smith..." I almost choked with rage. "I want to punish her, Mary . I want her to feel as confused as I do."

And how do you know she doesn't?"

"I pressed her about it. I asked her what her plan was before she left. And she said she'd like to go.

to dance, adamant that she's going to take us there. Who says that in your circumstances if you have no other move to make?"

"Why don't you stand up to her, put an end to this mess?"

"Because I don't trust her. Y..." I gulped. "Mate magic compromised," I breathed. "When I looked at the picture, it almost swallowed me whole." I looked at my friend. "That's my partner, Mary . The way she acts, thinks, talks, looks and feels meant something to me even before the mate magic kicked in. But I don't trust her. And I can't risk confronting her and then have her flee into the night to reveal the location of the city to get her payday. I need to see what she's up to before I risk it."

"Paul," she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. "She's your partner."

"Don't start," I growled, and she smiled.

"I'm sorry. But I can't...I knew it." She brought her fist to her heart. "I knew it deep down. I didn't want to tempt Fate by saying anything."

"Yeah," I scoffed. "Relying on the magic of mate to commit me to a woman who will stop at nothing to drag me back to my old enemy. I have to push her to carry out her original plan to come here. It happens now."

"You have to be careful," she replied, worried. "Who knows what she plans to do to finish you off? She could have people waiting at our borders to help take you out. He could hurt you, or..."

"I thought you liked me.

"I like him. I like her a lot. But if she's desperate, and I think she is, who knows what could happen? You have to let Manala know."

"Mánala has her pack to lead. And besides, she can help when the alliance gathers here in a few days and help take down Scott for good. But this, this is about Lara , her lies, and the way she acts like she gives a shit."

"Right." Mary pushed her hair away from her face in frustration. "If you need to do something stupid, then I won't try to stop you. On one condition."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Like what?"

"Take Manala with you. She can meet you at the site. Or wait somewhere out of sight."

"No."

"Yes. Or I'll tell him myself, and he'll burst in to destroy your plans. Or worse, I'll tell Lara."

"I didn't come here to be blackmailed." I rose from my seat. "Just fix the damn truck."

"I'll fix the damn truck, and it'll be ready for her tomorrow if you promise to tell Manala your plans."

"When did you become so bossy?"

"I always have been. Ask Manala."

"Ha," I blurted out, taking another sip of my drink. "Fine, I'll tell her. I'll tell her. But I'll take the Coke."

"Drink it. I'll call Manala in an hour to make sure you told her."

"And I'm supposed to be the alpha of the pack," I muttered, stepping out through the open blinds. His laughter sounded behind me, happy to have gotten away with it. But I felt lighter for it.

Lara is my companion.