Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Stop beating around the bush Ivy Pov Breathing heavily through my nose, I exhaled in annoyance. Damian had brought me to his car in the parking lot and wanted to take me home to explain. All of which I wasn’t having.

“You can explain here,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

His jaw tightened, and his muscles tensed. For some reason, Damian held himself back from whatever he wanted to do. “Fine.” His words, spoken through gritted teeth.

Cocking a brow, I leaned against his car and waited patiently. Never before had he been so willing to comply, and that notion on its own made me curious.

*Look-” he stated with a sigh, “I have known Caleb since high school. He is older than me, and when he got his mate before me he was happy. Surprisingly enough, we used to be friends.’

It wasn’t hard to believe that at one point they had been friends. The way they argued made it seem like they had indeed been close at one point in time. I just never realized that Damian would find it this hard to talk about.

“I figured that.’ I finally replied. “But what is the deal about this mate.”

*The day Caleb turned eighteen and got his wolf, he found his mate. Her name was Sophia.”

Sophia. The same swirled across my tongue, and yet something about her name seemed to light a spark in Damian’ s eye.

“Did you care for her?”

Shaking his head he sighed, “not in the way you think. The three of us had been close friends, but instead of being happy she was mated to Caleb… she rejected him.”

“Because she wanted to be with you, right?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a sigh, running his hand through his hair, “she was convinced that there had been a mistake and that she and I were supposed to be mates. She was determined she was Luna material, not that of a Gamma’s wife.”

“Gamma?” The term caught my attention, and I was curious to know what it meant.

There was still a lot about it all that I had not been made aware of.

“Yes, a Gamma is the Alpha’s third in command. As I said, it’s complicated.”

Frowning, I leaned forward off of his car and stared at him. “Perhaps, there would be less complications had you told me everything from day one. Regardless, it doesn’t explain why she rejected him. What would make her want to reject him and go to you?

“I don’t know, Ivy!” He groaned in frustration, “because she wanted to be the Luna? I mean, why do women do half of the things they do?”

His sexiest remark made me roll my eyes in displeasure, you must have led her on then.”

From what the guys had told me, Damian wasn’t the man he is now back then. When he was younger, he was a party guy who loved to have fun and sleep with the ladies.

It only made sense that she thought she would have more with him *I don’t lead people on That’s disgusting Disgusting?!

“Seriously?” I questioned, watching as he shrugged his shoulders. “Did you party back then?”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

“Just answer the damn question, Damian. Did you party back then?” I asked, getting frustrated with his stubbornness.

“Yes, I did.”

“Okay, well did you hang out with her back then?” I asked, making sure my questions were leading to a particular direction.

“Again, how is that relevant, Ivy.” He replied, shaking his head.

“Please stop making me repeat my questions, and just fucking answer them.” | snapped, trying to show him that I was done playing his games.

“Yes, we all hung out. What’s your next question?” The sarcasm in his words dripping from his lips.

“Did you ever do anything with her before she found out they were mates? Kissing… sex?”

“I’m not answering that question,” Damian replied before walking towards the passenger seat of his car and opening the door for me to get in.

“No, answer the damn question. I don’t see what’s so hard about this.”

“It isn’t hard, but it isn’t any of yours or anyone else’s business. Now get in the damn car, Ivy.” The growl that left his lips at his words made it clear that he was done playing my game. However, his lack of response to the question made it clear what the answer was.

He had done something with her, and in turn, she thought they could be more.

Poor Caleb.

To think the man had a chance of a mate and lost it because Damian was the center of her attention. In a way, it wasn’t entirely his fault. He couldn’t have expected them to be mates, or at least, I hoped he didn’t continue after he found out “Your silence is all the admission I need,” I replied after a moment. “I think I will go for a walk, and make my own way home.”

Damian slammed the car door as I turned around, “will you stop being so fucking immature and get in the damn car. I don’t have time for this shit.”

“Just go home, Damian.” I countered over my shoulder as I kept my feet moving. No matter what I did, he constantly wanted to argue with me. I may not have known much about mates, but I was sure this wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

“Ivy…” with calm collection, Damian grasped my arm once more and turned me to face him. A longing within his eyes gave way to his attempt at trying. “Please, don’t do this.”

The notion that he was asking for understanding made my heart swell, “no. You can’t keep acting like this. I’m tired of arguing with you. Since I got here all you have done is been cruel to me, and I won’t tolerate it anymore.”

Pulling away from him, I continued walking across campus. His footsteps never followed me. My chest tightened in the realization that my life was a cruel fluctuation of twists and turns. Constant secrets preventing me from seeing clearly Clouded skies gave way to the approaching rain that would soon settle down upon the earth, and with it, winter would begin its approach in just a short time. Never did I realize that love could bring such anguish.

In my own way. I did love each of them- or at least I thought I did.

Staring down at the ground, I thought over what Damian had told me.

My heart broke for them both. I couldn’t understand why fate had been cruel to them, but again, there was still so much I didn’t know. I was the outsider in the situation.

The foreign entity that came in, and changed the game for everyone.

Was Caleb lying to me? Did he have an ulterior motive that he was hiding?

A scream of frustration tore through my throat bringing the attention of people passing by. I didn’t care what they thought. I didn’t care what any of them thought.

The only thing I wanted was to have peace in my life.

Peace seemed so far away though.

“Ivy?” Caleb’s voice traveled through the air.

Looking towards the road, I spotted his car with ease. The passenger window rolled down and his face peered through with concern.

“Oh-” I replied, “Hey, Caleb.”

“What are you doing standing outside? It’s about to start storming.” He replied.

A laugh escaped me as I shook my head slightly, “I am trying to figure out why my life is the way it is. I have you acting a certain way, and Caleb telling me something completely different. Through it all… I don’t even know what my purpose is.”

“Come. Let’s get out somewhere warm before it starts storming. I will help you figure this all out.” Like always, Caleb’s words seemed sincere. But now with the lingering doubt in my mind placed there by Damian, I didn’t know what to believe.

“How do I know you aren’t pretending? That this isn’t just an act.”

My question was appropriate considering what I had seen between them earlier. I didn’t even know that Caleb and Damian had known each other till the situation in the courtyard.

Neither man explained that their relationship had been more than acquaintances.

“Have I ever given you a reason to not trust me?” He asked, causing me to hesitate.

He had a point. Never before had he given me a reason not to trust him.

Nodding my head, I climbed into his car and shut the door. “Okay, then.”

There was no telling if I was making a mistake, but there was only one way to find out.