#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

in so

car horn in the distance snaps me back

again. “She’s changed. She’s not the young girl we once knew. She’s

now, more intricate, more nuanced. You have to

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

that dress…” The words come out more as a growl. I don’t keep them in my head

should, but say them out loud, unable to

chuckle punctuating my

something.”

rises in my throat, frustration evident. “She

every dam n second.”

his wisdom clear. “Wanting and acting on

She’s cautious now. You can’t simply push and expect

halt, drawing in a deep breath, letting the cold air fill

what my wolf says.

might be right,” I murmur, the weight of

Earn her trust,” my wolf advises,

assert and when

thought. The journey back to my apartment is nearing its end, and

of my own space. But I can’t wander the

of Abby, of what I need to do. Tomorrow, I’ll find a way to

its presence a

from over.

shadows stretch long against the hardwood floors of my apartment,

flicker of a solitary candle

fingers mindlessly caressing the leather armrest of my chair. It’s

countless brooding sessions—much like the thoughts whirling

my mind.

his name leaves a sour taste in

intervene. But tonight, it’s not just Abby or Adam that

the table beside

Gianna’s name, my ever-efficient secretary. Swiping to answer, I

“What’s up, Gianna?”

a hint of hesitation evident in the tone of her voice, “there’s something you

know.”

on,” I urge,

around your foster brother’s residence. There’s talk

coma,”

harder than I’d like to admit. My foster brother’s

our pack. My grip tightens unconsciously around the

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