Chapter 32: When Love Takes Over

This cannot be happening!

Yesterday, three men tried to kidnap Charlie from school. I was alerted of their actions right away and managed to rescue Carlisle's son from their grasp, though not without a lot of difficulty - including a bullet to my chest, thank Goddess for bulletproof vests!

It was very traumatic for the young boy, especially after he was threatened with a gun to his head. I can only imagine the fear he must have experienced...

Actually, scratch that! I don't need to imagine anything. I sensed it because I can smell fear. I am a werewolf, after all.

Charles was petrified by that horrible action meant to take him away from his father and put him in the care of strangers, one of whom shares DNA with him. As if DNA alone made anyone feel like family... The humankind is littered with stepfathers who act as the real fathers for children of broken homes. And I am not even bringing up adoption...

The whole thing was horrible, but with preparation and courage, I was able to get Charlie out of that and eliminate the criminals trespassing on our territory. I am not taking any chances when it comes to my mate's son's safety.

All's well that ends well. Right?

Wrong!

Because now my mate has just announced to me that he wants to leave Regency Falls. On the day that we were supposed to complete the bond, no less!

It's Saturday, November 23rd. This is Carlisle's day off from work and the date we had previously set to complete our bond at last.

Obviously, I did not come here to the pack house thinking we would still do that in light of yesterday's terrible events. I am far from being cold-hearted, but I did not expect to hear that my mate was leaving me.

It is not like he said he's taking a vacation somewhere... I could accompany him if that was the case, I still have twenty days left of my vacation days. If only that was the issue...

No, he is not going away temporarily. At least, not from what I could tell. His tone was dreadful like he was saying goodbye to me forever. Oh Goddess, I don't want to be apart from my mate. Why is this happening to me?

I did everything that I could think of to keep Carlisle and his son safe. Not many people could deter gunmen from leaving a middle school with an innocent boy, but I did. Evidently, I didn't do it alone but the point is that I did my best by them.

Why would Carlisle want to leave the safety of my pack?

There is nowhere safer for him and Charlie, I guarantee it!

I would lay down my life to protect both of them, there is no doubt in my mind that they belong here in this town where I can keep them both safe. For the love of Goddess, Carlisle belongs with me! We were born for each other, to have and to hold for as long as we both shall live.

We are that much stronger together. I can help him with whatever he wants or needs. Nobody has the resources that I have. What more could he possibly want? Richard will never stop coming after his son and only I can offer him and Charlie protection.

Charlie has just started a life here, he was doing well in school. He has friends and even a precocious mate - if you can believe their story. Of course, I don't think Clarissa is his actual mate but that is beside the point. He was fortunate enough to have found himself here in Regency Falls and it would be cruel to take this away from him.

Of course, that was the first argument I made. I raised every single issue I could think of to keep my mate here with me. He cannot run away forever, his best bet is to strengthen himself and prepare for the fight because Richard is not giving it up. Ever.

If he were the giving-up type, he wouldn't have raped the Beta's son in order to keep him away from the Beta position. That is a different level of psychopathy that not even the most fearsome warrior would think of. Not in this day and age where Omegas have laws to protect them in most packs.

I cried and poured my heart out to my mate, pleading, begging him to change his mind. We spent an hour and a half together inside the living room of the pack house talking, most of the time I was sobbing copiously.

Nothing would dissuade Carlisle, but if he thought this would be an easy decision, then a tween boy was about to put up a very good fight. I mean... he is an Alpha by birth.

"What?" Charlie double checked with his dad after he just told him that they were leaving Regency Falls. They were both alone inside the playroom, but I was just outside watching them talk. It's a little past eleven a.m.

"I have to think about what's best for your safety." Carlisle argued in a serious tone.

"What is best for my safety is to stay here where Stephano can protect me!" He rebuked him, not wasting a single second to fight his father on this.

"Stephano can't be with you all the time." My mate countered, rather annoyed.

"I only go to school and back here. Where would I go that he could not protect me? Doesn't he have warriors protecting the pack house and the school? Doesn't he pick me up from school every single day? Where would I be in danger?" He protested, wisely.

Carlisle was baffled by his son's fierce argument, but if he thought this was going to be easy... I pity the fool. No shade. I am quietly living for this... *claps his hands for the boy*

"Charlie, I am doing what is best for you! You can't stay here where men with guns could come for you anytime!" My mate raised his tone, starting to lose his patience with his son.

"Men with guns who Stephano protected me from! What I can't do is to live on the road, from town to town. What about school? Where are you going to matriculate me next? I don't want to be homeschooled. And I definitely don't want to be away from my friends and Clary!" He countered, also raising his voice. Charlie was angry at his father for even proposing this.

Carlisle took a big breath of air, inhaling and exhaling to not lose his cool in front of the defiant boy. Of course, I was low key loving all that but I kept my face somber out of respect for my mate.

"She is NOT your mate, son! You're eleven years old! You can't discover your mate that young!" He protested fiercely.

"Maybe you can't, but I can!" The boy pouted, defiantly.

"This is not a debate! We are going away and that is final!" Carlisle shouted, getting a rise out of his son.

"I AM NOT LEAVING REGENCY FALLS!" Charlie stormed out of the room, crying.

That went well...

Breathing out a sigh, Carlisle got up from the couch where they were sitting and turned to find me outside looking in. I kept my face as free of judgment as I could. I am not winning this battle by getting in between him and his son, I never would do that anyway.

Carlisle walked past me in silence, his heart was heavy with sorrow. This was not an easy decision for him, I could feel that through our mate bond. I respected his space and returned home to have lunch.

When I came back to the pack house around one p. m. I found my mate packing his son's belongings while Charles bawled his eyes out inside the bedroom. I mean, the kid was throwing an epic tantrum that his father was choosing to blatantly ignore.

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME LEAVE HERE! WHY CAN'T YOU LET ME BE HAPPY HERE?"

I watched the scene with misty eyes, looking at the situation with a dreadful realization that my mate was leaving and nothing could dissuade him from that idea. I tried my best, but now I can only watch as the love of my life prepares to leave me, possibly forever.

I entered the room and handed Charlie a burner phone, he was sitting on the floor in a corner, desperately trying to plead with his father to stay here.

"Here. This is a prepaid cell phone. There is no internet, but you can use it to call me or send me a text. My number is already pre-programmed in it." I told him as I gave him the cell phone in a box.

With tears in his eyes, the boy thanked me.

"I want you to know that you are loved here and that I will miss you. You will forever have a room in my house, whenever you want, it's yours. And if you need me, call me and I'll be there!" I pledged to him, trying very hard not to cry but failing.

"Stephano, don't let him take me away! Please!" He begged me, tears falling down his face, snot leaking from his nose. He was wrecked with sorrow and pain and I could relate to him, unfortunately.

"Charlie, your father knows what's best for you. If he thinks going away is the best, then I have to respect his wishes." I told him, ever so saddened to have to say this.

Meanwhile, Carlisle was watching this exchange take place with a suspicious frown as he finished packing up his son's belongings. Charlie bawled his eyes out as he did that and my heart could not help but to break in solidarity. I was sobbing.

Pain unlike anything I have ever experienced before in my life is washing me over right now.

Determined, Carlisle leaves his son's guest bedroom to start packing his own. I take a moment to offer some comfort to Charlie who is crying desperately, not that this shakes his father's resolve in any way.

Sometime later...

"I already emailed my boss thanking him for the opportunity and the job. I also emailed the pack secretary asking for a refund for you since you already paid for our rooms months in advance. I will personally thank Alpha Phillip and Luna Linda before I go." Carlisle informed me in a detached manner of speaking once he had everything packed up in his car.

I stared at him, all cried out, numb at this point. This cannot be my reality.

"Whatever you think it's best, mate." I muttered, devastated by his upcoming departure.

Charlie hasn't left his now empty room since this morning [it's still furnished as they already found it this way]. He refused to eat lunch, but not even this has put off his father. He was a man on a mission and he was determined to get the hell away from Regency Falls. *gasp*

Linda and Phillip both tried to convince my mate to stay here. The Alpha argued that there is no better man on Earth to protect his son than me. He told my mate that I was the best Beta he was honored to work with and that he would always have a home here in Regency Falls. *sobs*

"You cannot escape your destiny, Carlisle. And I am positive your destiny is here with your mate. The Goddess even paired your son with one of our own." Linda told my mate inside the living room, heartbroken about his departure. She knows what this means to me.

Carlisle offered her a soft smile as he heard that.

"My son is not paired yet, Luna. But I do appreciate your support. It is not lost on me how welcoming you both were to my son and me." He thanked them with a modest smile. Phillip was worried for me and what this would mean to his Beta.

I am so numb at this point that I am watching my mate go through the motions detached, completely destroyed by this. I will never get over losing my mate. It was one thing when I wasn't mated, but this will finish me off for good.

Carlisle made sure to say his goodbyes to the pack house staff, thanking them for everything they did for him and his son. It was terrifying to me that he was doing that, but right now all I could do was watch the love of my life prepare for departure.

How is this my reality? What have I done to deserve such a thing?

I did everything in my power to prevent this, short of having an Alpha killed.

I do not think of myself all powerful. I am not the Goddess. It is not my place to murder a man, much less the father of a son, technically speaking. Anyway, I am not a murderer. I had people killed in self-defense, sure, but I could never do it unprovokedly.

Sometime later...

"I wanted to take this time alone with you to thank you for everything that you have done for me and Charlie. I do appreciate you, mate. Please know that this decision is not about you. You are a fantastic mate." Carlisle told me inside his room, behind closed doors.

I guess this is it. Our last hurrah. I am going to miss him desperately.

"I am here for you always. If you have any regrets, if there is anything I could ever do for you, don't hesitate to come back. I will be waiting for you with arms wide open." I told him, barely containing my emotion at this sad goodbye.

He smiled at me for the first time since before Charlie's attempted kidnapping. I swooned at his gorgeous smile and we kissed for the last time.

Oh how much I am going to miss his delicious lips... *sniff*

And then it hit him.

A powerful force of ancient times struck Carlisle with all its might.

His heat struck at the most perilous of times.

Our eyes shone in blinding lust as the room filled with powerful pheromones capable of turning anybody on to my mate, especially me. We embraced for a moment, taking each other's scents, completely overpowering every one of our senses.

I looked at my mate, eyes shining with desire, lust filling my brain to take what was rightfully mine. I wish I could resist him, but who am I kidding here? This is all I ever wanted in my life and I will not deny it.

I practically tore the shirt off his body in a rage to get my mate bare.

A delightful scent was coming off of his every pore, mystifying me with a newfound desire for him. Lust compelled me to do what my nature expects of me. We had imagined a different situation for today, but right now I cannot hold back my voracious hunger for him.

I cannot hold myself back from what my wolf - and I - so clearly want.

I need to make him mine. NOW.

When love takes over, I wouldn't stop it if I could.

A|N: BOOM!

I am sure I don't need to tell you what happens next.

It's on like Donkey Kong! LOL

OFF: I had envisioned this song for this chapter even before I started writing it. I had thought of different scenarios in my head for Charlie's departure but this was irresistible to me.

Next is the very aptly titled "Dirty Thoughts".

Love,

Léo.