#Chapter 40: A Way Out
Karl

The sting of rejection pulses through me, acute and raw, as I distance myself from Abby’s place.

My footsteps echo through the quiet city streets, the usual hustle and bustle of the nightlife seemingly

dimmed tonight. Each step aligns with the rapid beat of my heart.

I can’t shake the feel of her, the nearness of our last moment.

Abby looked beautiful. She clearly put a lot of effort into her appearance today; her hair and nails

looked freshly done, she was wearing makeup, and a gorgeous dress.

A few years ago, I might have been bothered by the way that she dressed tonight. But lately, for some

reason I’ve been finding myself attracted to it. She’s se xy, always has been, but is somehow even

sexier now.

But what pi sses me off more than anything is that she was dressing like that for another man who

doesn’t even show any interest in her despite the ring he put on her finger. What gives? Why won’t she

just leave him already?

Shoving my hands deep into my pockets, I aimlessly kick a small rock ahead of me. Its journey,

haphazard and unpredictable, mirrors the state of my own emotions.

“She wanted me,” I find myself mumbling aloud, holding onto the raw intensity of our almost-kiss.

My wolf stirs within, a familiar presence anchoring my thoughts. “She did,” he rumbles in agreement.

“But she held back. If you’d just be patient and let her come to you, she’d see the depth of our love”

“I did let her come to me,” I reply. “She’s the one who called me tonight. But at the end of it, she still

can’t stop thinking about that pr ick.”

My wolf growls in annoyance. “Give her time.”

The anger is right there, bubbling at the surface. “Time? And for what? For Adam?” I snap, frustration

bleeding into every word. “Who leaves their fiancée high and dry like that? Especially when she clearly

so much

snaps me back momentarily,

me again. “She’s changed. She’s not

more intricate, more nuanced. You

you see her tonight?” I spit. “The lengths she

words come out more as a growl. I don’t keep them

say them out loud, unable

my wolf muses, a soft chuckle punctuating my thoughts. “She resisted you. That tells

something.”

can’t help the growl that rises in my throat, frustration

every dam n second.”

calm in his rebuttal, his wisdom clear. “Wanting and acting on it are worlds apart.

can’t simply push and expect

deep breath, letting the cold air fill my lungs.

what my wolf says.

right,” I murmur, the weight of realization

Be genuine. Earn her trust,” my wolf advises, his tone firm. “A true

assert and

back to my apartment

face the solitude of my own space. But I can’t

myself, thinking of Abby, of what I

in agreement, its presence a constant reminder that

from over.

long against the hardwood floors of my

of a solitary candle on the coffee

mindlessly caressing the leather

weathered from time and countless brooding sessions—much

my mind.

a sour taste in my mouth. Every time I think of him

tempted to intervene. But tonight, it’s not just

life on the table beside

my ever-efficient secretary. Swiping to answer, I keep my voice

“What’s up, Gianna?”

a hint of hesitation evident in the tone of

know.”

on,” I urge, straightening

residence. There’s talk

his coma,” she

hits me harder than I’d like to admit. My foster

pack. My grip tightens unconsciously

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