The Alpha's Forgotten Mate

27. Now or Never

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Jamie sat across from Rowan, watching him pace back and forth across the room. She knew that he was angry, but she didn't know what to do or say to make things better.

Finally, Rowan stopped pacing and turned to face her. "I can't do this anymore, Jamie," he said, his voice low and angry. "I can't keep pretending that everything is okay between us when it's not."

"What are you talking about?" Jamie asked, her heart sinking in her chest.

"You know what I'm talking about," Rowan spat. "Our mate bond. I don't want it anymore. I don't want to be connected to you like this."

Tears welled up in Jamie's eyes as she stared at him in shock. "How can you say that, Rowan? We're mates. We're supposed to be together."

"I don't care about any of that," Rowan said, his voice rising. "All I care about is that I can't stand to be around you anymore. Every time I look at you, I'm filled with anger and resentment."

Jamie felt a sob catch in her throat. "Why, Rowan? Why are you so angry with me?"

Rowan glared at her. "You know why. You betrayed me, Jamie. You went behind my back and did something that you knew I wouldn't approve of."

"I did it to save your life," Jamie said, her voice shaking with emotion. "You were dying, Rowan. I had to do something."

"You should have come to me," Rowan said, his eyes flashing. "You should have talked to me, and we could have come up with a plan together. But you didn't. You acted on your own, and now our bond is broken."

"I didn't know what else to do," Jamie said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was desperate, Rowan. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

Rowan shook his head. "I can't forgive you for this, Jamie. I can't forget what you did. And I don't want to be your mate anymore."

Jamie felt a cold, hard knot form in her stomach as she realized what Rowan was saying. "Are you saying you want to break the bond?"

"Yes," Rowan said, his voice firm. "I want to sever the bond between us. I want to be free of you, Jamie."

Jamie felt tears spill down her cheeks as she watched Rowan turn away from her and storm out of the room. She didn't know how she was going to go on without him, without their bond. But she knew that she had to try. She had to find a way to make things right between them, to make Rowan see that they belonged together.

As she sat there, alone in the room, Jamie made a vow to herself. She would do whatever it took to win Rowan back. She would prove to him that their bond was worth fighting for, that they were meant to be together. She would never give up on him, on them, no matter how hard it might be. Because that's what mates did. They fought for each other, even when the world was against them.

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Jamie and Rowan had been mated for a few years now, but their relationship was strained. They had too much anger and resentment between them, and it was tearing them apart. They both knew that they loved each other, but they couldn't seem to get past their issues.

One night, they found themselves alone in their bedroom. Jamie was sitting on the bed, staring off into space, while Rowan stood by the window, gazing out at the full moon. Finally, Jamie spoke up.

"I hate that we're like this," she said softly.

Rowan turned to look at her. "Like what?"

"You know what I mean," Jamie said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "We're supposed to be mates, but we can't even stand to be in the same room together half the time."

Rowan sighed. "I know, Jamie. Believe me, I know. But we can't keep going on like this. We have to figure out a way to make this work."

"I don't know if we can," Jamie said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's just so much... baggage between us. So much hurt and anger."

"I know," Rowan said. "But we have to try. We owe it to ourselves, and to our pack."

Jamie shook her head. "I don't know if I can do it, Rowan. I don't know if I have the strength."

"You do," Rowan said firmly. "You're one of the strongest people I know. You just have to believe in yourself, and in us."

Jamie looked up at him, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Do you really think we can make this work?"

"I do," Rowan said, moving over to sit next to her on the bed. "But it's not going to be easy. We're going to have to work at it, every day. We're going to have to be honest with each other, even when it hurts. And we're going to have to forgive each other, even when it seems impossible."

Jamie nodded slowly. "I want to try, Rowan. I really do. But I don't know if I can forgive you for what you did."

Rowan's face fell. "I know I messed up, Jamie. I know I hurt you. But I swear, I never meant to. I was just... scared. Scared of how much I loved you, and scared of what it meant to be mated. I thought I could run away from it, but I was wrong. I can't run away from you, Jamie. I never could."

Jamie looked at him, her eyes searching his face. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do," Rowan said, taking her hand in his. "I love you, Jamie. More than anything. I know I've messed up, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right between us."

Jamie looked down at their joined hands, tears streaming down her face. "I love you too, Rowan. But I don't know if I can ever trust you again."

"I understand," Rowan said softly. "But I promise you, Jamie, I will do everything in my power to earn back your trust. I'll be here for you, every step of the way. I'll be your partner, your confidante, your best friend. I'll be whatever you need me to be, Jamie. Just please... don't give up on us."

Jamie took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "Okay, Rowan. Okay. I'll try. I'll try to forgive you, and to trust you again."

But then she realized it was all just an imagination.

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amie paced back and forth in the bedroom, her heart racing with nerves. She had just taken a pregnancy test, and the results were positive. She was pregnant. With Rowan's baby.

She felt a surge of excitement and joy at the thought of having a child with her mate, but that joy was quickly replaced with anxiety as she thought about how Rowan would react. They had been distant lately, their relationship strained by the events of the past few months. Jamie didn't know if he was ready for a child, or if he even wanted one at all.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Rowan strode into the room. His face was tight with anger, and Jamie could tell he was in a foul mood.

"What's wrong?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Rowan glared at her. "What's wrong? What's wrong is that I just found out that one of my pack members was attacked last night, and I have to deal with that on top of everything else."

Jamie's heart sank. She knew that Rowan was under a lot of pressure as the alpha of the pack, and she didn't want to add to his stress. But she couldn't keep the news of her pregnancy from him any longer.

"Rowan, there's something I need to tell you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I'm pregnant," Jamie said, looking up at him with a mix of fear and hope.

Rowan's expression didn't change. "And?" he said, his tone flat.

Jamie swallowed hard. "And I wanted to tell you because I thought you should know."

Rowan let out a frustrated sigh. "Jamie, I don't have time for this right now. We can talk about it later."

Jamie felt a pang of hurt and disappointment. She had hoped that Rowan would be happy about the news, or at least interested. But it seemed like he didn't care at all.

"Okay," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Later then."

Rowan turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, leaving Jamie standing there alone with her thoughts. She didn't know what to do or how to feel. She was thrilled about the pregnancy, but she didn't want to force Rowan into anything he wasn't ready for.

Over the next few days, Jamie tried to broach the subject of the pregnancy with Rowan several times, but he always brushed her off. He was distant and uninterested, and Jamie couldn't help but feel like she was alone in this.

Finally, one night, she couldn't take it anymore. She cornered Rowan in the kitchen and demanded to know what was going on.

"Why won't you talk to me about the baby?" she asked, her voice rising with frustration. "Don't you care at all?"

Rowan looked at her, his eyes softening slightly. "Of course I care, Jamie. But you have to understand that I have a lot on my plate right now. I'm not ready to be a father. I don't know if I ever will be."

Jamie felt a lump form in her throat. She had been hoping for a different answer, but she knew that she couldn't force Rowan into anything he didn't want.

"I understand," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to pressure you into anything. But I wanted you to know, because this is your child too."

Rowan nodded slowly. "I know. And I appreciate you telling me. I just need some time to think."

Jamie nodded, feeling a mix of sadness and relief. She had hoped for a different reaction from Rowan. But it was better than not thinking at all.

Jamie's heart pounded in her chest as she ran through the woods, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She had been out for a run, enjoying the cool autumn air and the peacefulness of the forest, when she had heard a rustling behind her. At first, she had thought it was just a small animal, but as the sounds grew louder and closer, she realized that she was being pursued by a pack of wolves.

She didn't know who they were or why they were after her, but she knew that she had to get away. She pushed herself harder, her muscles burning with exertion as she ran faster and faster, the sound of her pursuers' paws getting closer with each passing second.

Jamie glanced over her shoulder and saw three large wolves closing in on her. She didn't recognize them, but she could tell from their size and speed that they were not ordinary wolves. They were faster, stronger, and more agile than any animal she had ever seen.

She tried to pick up her pace, but her legs were starting to tire, and she knew that she couldn't keep this up for much longer. She looked around frantically, searching for some way to escape, but the forest was dense, and there was no clear path.

As she ran, Jamie realized that she was not going to be able to outrun the wolves. She needed a plan, and fast. She scanned the area, looking for any possible escape route, but there was nothing in sight. Suddenly, she remembered a small stream that ran through the woods nearby. It was narrow and shallow, but it was her only chance.

She veered off the path and headed towards the stream, hoping that it would provide her with some cover. As she got closer, she could hear the wolves growling behind her, their hot breaths on her heels.

Jamie leaped into the stream, the icy water shocking her system. She splashed through the shallow water, trying to keep her footing as the current pushed her downstream. The wolves were close behind her, their teeth snapping at her heels.

Jamie knew that she was running out of options. She needed to find a way to fight back. She remembered the self-defense classes that Rowan had taught her, and she tried to recall some of the moves.

As the wolves closed in on her, Jamie turned around and faced them, her fists raised in front of her. The first wolf lunged at her, but she dodged to the side and delivered a swift kick to its ribs. The wolf howled in pain and retreated, but the other two were still coming.

Jamie was outnumbered and outmatched, but she refused to back down. She kept moving, striking out at the wolves with punches and kicks, trying to keep them at bay. Her heart was pounding, and her muscles were screaming with exertion, but she didn't give up.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the wolves retreated, disappearing back into the woods. Jamie collapsed onto the ground, panting and shaking with adrenaline. She had never felt so alive or so scared in her life.

As she caught her breath, Jamie realized that she had no idea who those wolves were or why they had come after her. She knew that she needed to find out, but for now, all she could do was gather her strength and make her way back to safety.

With a deep breath, Jamie picked herself up and started back towards the path, her heart still racing with fear and uncertainty. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew that she was not going to let some unknown threat scare her away from her home or her mate. She was a fighter, and she was not going to back down.

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