Chapter 5
1412 Words
Conrad's POV
The café fell silent as my mate ran out the door, leaving us all in shock.
She ran.
My mate ran from me.
Zoey shuffled out of Hunter’s grip, walking towards me, her eyes soft as she placed her hand on my arm.
“Conrad, are you okay?”
Am I?
I feel rooted to the floor, unable to move or speak.
I met my mate, my gorgeous, sexy as all hell mate and she looked at me like she hated me.
How can she hate me without ever talking to me.
Why didn’t I say something, do something other than just staring at her.
Mate. Adam, my wolf growled.
She’s gone.
Find mate.
No, if she doesn’t want me to follow, I won’t. I won’t force her to talk to me.
With a growl, he blocked me.
I’m so paying for that.
“Conrad?”
With a sigh, I turned to Zoey.
“I, I don’t know.”
Her eyes softened. “I’m sure she has a reason, maybe she just needs time.”
The others nodded their agreement.
When I stayed quiet, Zoey wrapped her arms around me.
“I ran, remember. Give her time. She works here and lives in town, she’s not going anywhere.”
Maybe Zoey’s right. If I can keep myself and my wolf from chasing her. Then maybe she’ll come back to me.
By the next morning, both me and my wolf were restless. I had done what Zoey told me, I had left her. April. My mate, alone.
No matter how hard it was to control my wolf or myself from chasing her down.
Hunter and Zoey were already in the kitchen as I walked in. Zoey in his lap as he held her close to him.
Jealousy filled me and I felt guilty for it. They’re my friends, it’s not their fault, just because they’re happy and I’m not.
Both their gazes flew to me as I walked through the door.
Zoey gave me a small smile. “Morning, how did you sleep?”
Forcing a smile back I admitted. “I didn’t.”
“Do you know what you’re going to do?” Hunter asked, his arms still around his mate protectively.
“I don’t know, I want to talk to her, but I don’t want her to think I’m stalking her.”
He thought about it for a minute before replying. “Maybe go to the café whilst she’s working?”
Zoey interrupted before I could respond.
“She’s not working.”
When we both turned to her, she shrugged.
“It’s Saturday, she hangs out with Jasper on Saturdays. They get breakfast and a movie.”
Adam surfaced, struggling to take control and chase down our mate.
Who the hell is Jasper?
Zoey must have noticed my struggle because she quickly clarified.
“Jasper is her nephew, she watches him on Saturdays. Me and Lucas joined them a few times.”
Adam instantly relaxed.
Not a boyfriend at least.
Does she have a boyfriend?
Is that why she’s avoiding me?
Adam growled in my ear. Mine.
I know, it’s not like I’m happy about it!
With a huff, he retreated to the back of my mind, ignoring me.
Zoey moved off of Hunters lap to sit beside me, her hand resting on my arm.
“I’m sure she has her reasons, I don’t know if I entirely agree with cornering her at work though.”
Hunter interrupted, stating. “It worked with you.”
With a laugh Zoey nodded. “I guess it did, but maybe run into her where she has the option to leave if she’s uncomfortable. It would probably make her feel better about it and more relaxed to talk.”
Sounds more than fair, my mate shouldn’t have to be forced to talk to me.
I don’t want her to have to talk to me.
I want her to want to talk to me.
I nodded my agreement. “Where will she be that I can find her?”
Zoey thought it through for a second before smiling. “The park in town, they go there after the movie, Jasper loves the playground there.”
Happy to have some sort of plan, I felt myself relax.
We all ate breakfast, and they helped me with ideas on what to do and say when I talked to my mate.
To April.
By the afternoon, my stomach was twisting in knots as I waited in the park. Sitting on a bench near the playground, but not so close that the humans would get nervous at the strange man hanging around a kids playground without any kids.
As a mother side eyed me, I silently thanked Zoey for the tip.
The last thing I need is anyone, especially my mate, thinking I’m some kind of pervert who likes children.
As the sound of giggling reached my ears, I found myself turning.
A boy no older than 5 was being tossed into the air. Giggling nonstop as he was caught.
With a smile April tickled the giggling kid.
Jasper.
My wolf barged to the surface, eager to reach his mate, with a considerable amount of effort, I blocked him and headed towards my mate.
She looked even more gorgeous than I remember. Her brown hair in two loose braids, a black tank top with what looked like a zombie on the front and cut off Jean shorts with black boots.
Damn my mate is hot.
Like damn.
Biker chick hot.
Ignoring the jealousy coursing through every inch of my body at any male who had dared to look at my mate wearing that, I took a breath and tapped on her shoulder.
Sparks left my fingers tingling as she jumped and turned to face me.
Her eyes widened as they landed on me, taking a step back she bit her lip.
“What are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to talk.”
Her eyes shifted to her nephew as he played on the swing set, oblivious to our conversation.
With a sigh, she turned back to me.
“How did you even know I’d be here?”
Shuffling on my feet, I admitted. “Zoey told me.”
“Fine, you have five minutes.”
Without another word she walked towards one of the benches beside the park, sitting and watching Jasper as she waited for me to speak.
Suddenly, every idea I’d discussed with the others vanished, leaving me lost for words.
With a sigh, I broke the painfully awkward silence by admitting. “I have no idea what to say, I had a plan but for the life of me I can’t remember it.”
April turned to me, her eyebrows furrowing. “You don’t talk much do you?”
With a laugh, I shook my head. “Normally people tell me I talk too much. This has never been a problem before.”
Her eyebrows furrowed as she asked. “So, why are you quiet now?”
“You make me nervous.”
Something shifted in her eyes as she avoided my gaze.
For a minute we were both silent, April watching Jasper and me watching her.
The silent stare down only breaking as Jasper waved to her and she moved to get up.
My head spun as I tried to think of the right thing to say. Knowing my time was up.
Next time I am so writing it all down.
“I have to go.”
I followed her towards the swing set, silently praying for my voice to actually work.
Frustrated, I groaned before blurting. “Meet me tomorrow?”
She stopped a few feet from Jasper, turning to face me.
“I’m working tomorrow.”
“I can come to the café.”
She shook her head. “I’m not at the café tomorrow.”
“I can meet you wherever you are working?”
Her eyes widened as she quickly shook her head.
“No, no. We can meet somewhere else.”
“The packhouse?”
She thought about it for a minute before nodding.
“I can be there for six.”
“Sounds good.”
With a small smile, she went to Jasper. Leaving me standing alone in a playground…
Avoiding the gazes of the mothers around me, I left the park and headed to my truck. Feeling optimistic for the first time in days.
- Writer
