Shadows of Destiny

{Book 2} Chapter 53 – ~Devin~

I was unable to sleep. I was eager to see Susan even though I had told her it would be strictly

friendship. My wolf wasn’t happy with me for it, but it was necessary.

As much as she meant everything to me, loving her was killing me, and it was wrong.

Love isn’t meant to kill. It is intended to build and nurture.

I heard when Susan entered the house, and my heart began to beat fast.

I was nervous and eager at the same time. I knew Rex was causing it, but I tried to control myself.

I heard her gentle footsteps on the passage and a door open.

I figured she had chosen a room already.

I did not know if it would be wise to check on her.

Maybe it was best she believed I was sleeping. That would help set the boundaries.

I laid still in bed, fighting myself from getting up and going to her, when I heard the knob on my door

turn.

I shut my eyes immediately, trying to pretend that I was asleep.

I knew it was childish, but I wouldn’t let her know I stayed up for her. So I closed my eyes and regulated

my breathing.

“Devin,” she said gently, and I fought the urge to wake up.

I usually had sensitive hearing, and I was a light sleeper. If she called me again, I would have to

pretend to wake up, or she would know I was pretending to sleep. Susan was an intelligent woman.

“Devin,” she said a bit louder, and I pretended to wake.

I gently sat up in bed, pretending to be waking up, and looked in her direction.

I was stunned by what I saw.

She was just as beautiful as the last time I saw her.

She had on a sexy nightgown. I wondered if she had come to my house dressed like that. I wouldn’t put

it past her. She must have hoped I would be awake.

Susan did not play fair.

I averted my gaze from her body and looked at her face.

I could see her eyes were swollen, and she had been crying.

“Hey,” I said, trying hard not to look at her see-through robe that showed sexy lingerie like a nightgown

underneath it. It was black, and it had to be lace. Susan was unfair. I fought myself from grabbing her.

“Devin,” she said, calling my name but maintaining her distance.

The lights were low, so she looked exquisite in the soft light.

“Susan,” I managed, and she walked towards me.

I wanted to tell her to maintain her distance, but I couldn’t.

She came and sat beside me on the bed.

I looked at her, and she bowed her head and began to weep.

It was almost four in the morning, for fuck sake. She had turned me on, and now I had to console her

too.

“Susan, can we do this after I have gotten some rest?” I asked her, and she looked at me with her

gorgeous blue eyes.

“Please, Devin. I won’t mess it up this time around,” she promised me, and I knew she believed her

words, but I wanted her to prove it to me.

“You have to give me time,” I told her, and she gradually nodded.

“May I sleep here,” she said, and I knew if she did, I would bury myself in her. It will happen faster than

I would be able to handle.

“No, Susan. You have chosen a room already,” I said with a strong voice but as gentle as I could

manage.

She sighed and then got off the bed.

I knew she wanted me; I could smell her arousal, but she could not always have her way.

I wanted her to value what we have and not think she could switch us on and off as she liked.

She had never cheated on me since we were together, but being hung on Sylvester was too much for

me to handle.

I watched her leave the room and lay back on my bed.

Sleep eluded me completely.

I was hard as hell and somehow regretted turning her down. I knew I was going to have a shitty day.

Sleep finally came in the early hours, and I got two hours of shut-eye.

It wasn’t enough, but it was better than nothing.

I got ready for the day and left my room.

My house smelled of breakfast when I stepped out of my bedroom.

I headed to the kitchen, and Susan was making breakfast in her favourite t-shirt, which used to be

mine.

She wasn’t a great cook and hated being in the kitchen. I guess she wanted to prove herself.

She stopped what she was doing and looked at me.

Her hair was a mess, but she looked pretty nonetheless.

She was a beauty. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a bit of the southern tan on her skin. She was gorgeous,

and she had a great heart too. My pack members loved her and wanted her as their Luna; too bad she

wasn’t sure about us.

She smiled at me, and I returned the smile.

“Good morning,” I greeted her.

“Good morning, Alpha,” she teased me, and I wondered why she would call me that.

“Alpha? What happened to Devin?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“You said we are just friends now, so I respect the boundaries. If you want me to call you Devin, I will,”

she said, and I knew she was mad that I did not let her sleep in my bed.

She tried hiding her hurt, but I could see through her.

“Devin will be fine then,” I said, and she nodded.

I noticed some burnt bacon and toast in the trash and ignored it so she did not feel bad.

“I had to use the restroom, so they got burnt,” she said quickly, noticing that I had seen the disaster.

“I spent my time learning my way about the kitchen,” she said, plating some scrambled eggs and toast.

“You will see Devin. I have improved. How can I be a luna if I can’t…” she said, cutting herself off. I was

silent too.

I did not tell anyone, but we broke up because I proposed, and she said she would think about it.

Wanting to change the topic, I drummed my hand on the kitchen Island and sat on the high stool.

“Let me judge it,” I said and looked at her.

She was battling tears, and her hands were shaking.

She turned away from me immediately and placed the frying pan on the stove.

I saw her lift her hand, and I knew it was to wipe away her tears. I did not know if it was wise to remain

there, so I got up to leave.

I was about to turn when she stopped me.

“Please, ignore my emotions. Try the food. You will like it, I hope,” she said with a fake grin, and I did

not know how to feel about it.

The smile did not touch her eyes.

I tried to ignore it. I was hurting too.

I wanted her to decide on her own. I wanted her to make a decision she would not change her mind

about, so I was determined to hold out on her.

I had made getting back together easy so many times that I knew she would break my heart if I did that

again.

Susan served the meal.

I thought I would get scrambled eggs but I got an omelette instead.

The scrambled eggs were hers, and from the way she tasted her omelette, it looked like it didn’t taste

so good. I was already used to her cooking, so I braced myself for the taste.

Susan stood in front of me, looking at me eagerly and wanting me to taste the food.

I picked up the fork and knife and cut a piece.

Placing it in my mouth, I chewed it, and it was divine.

My eyes widened at the surprise, and she began to giggle. It touched her eyes this time.

“This is delicious, Sue. You put a lot of effort into it,” I said and started grubbing the meal. It was

delicious. Not the best I had had, but having spent over a year being tortured with bad-tasting food, this

was a significant improvement.

“I knew I was torturing you with the meals I prepared in the past, so I made a duty to try. I am still

improving,” she said, and I smiled at her.

Just then, someone knocked on my front door, and I left the kitchen.

I heard Susan following me, but I did not care. It was okay. I got to the front door and opened it.

It was Alice, my assistant.

I did not have a Luna, so my father’s beta daughter, Alice, had been assisting me with Luna’s stuff.

“Alpha,” she said.

She looked happy but then looked past me and saw Susan.

Her smile dropped immediately.

I did not know why, but it did.

I ushered her into the house, and she entered.

“Good morning Miss Sullivan,” She said. Susan smiled at her.

“I will excuse you two,” Susan said, and I heard a little crack in her voice. She walked away before I

could ask her what was wrong.

I turned to Alice, who was smiling broadly when Lukman, my beta, spoke to me via the mind link.

“Alpha, you need to come now. Pridewood has been attacked.

The attackers pumped silver into the air and wiped out everyone.

Not a soul survived the attack,” he linked me, and I stood frozen in shock.

All my life, I had never heard anything as cruel and as evil as what Lukman had just told me. Who

would do such a thing and wipe out a settlement of over eight hundred people?