I Can't Be The Alpha's Mate

Chapter 15- Setting of the Sun

It had been three weeks since I'd left Rafe. I had decided against any other packs, not wanting to jump into another group again, especially when I didn't know how long I would be there. Packs tended to not like bringing outsiders in unless they were going to stay and I couldn't promise that. 

Instead I had been living in the unclaimed areas of the woods. On my second day I had stumbled onto a small group of rogues, the only people who had no qualms with bringing in a stranger. 

There had been three women and five men in the group and they had set up camp within the woods. If I hadn't been looking for their setup, I never would have even found it. I had only come across them because one of the women had been out gathering plants, and I had seen her. 

She had graciously invited me back to their camp, setting me up with food and a place to sleep. I didn't know how I could have ever repaid her. But by the end of the night I had not only had a meal and a place to sleep for the night, but they said I could stay as long as I wanted. 

They had never pressed me about what caused me to be in the woods, never bothering me for an explanation of what I was running from, and for that I was greatful. I didn't think I'd be able to tell them what tore me away from what I had almost called a home. 

Not a day had gone by in the past week where I hadn't thought of Rafe though. Most of the thoughts had come with rage, but I couldn't understand why he was so present in my mind after what he had done. Shouldn't I just want to keep everything away from him, even my mind? But I thought of those deep green eyes, and the way he had looked at me the last time I had seen him. 

I wondered if he had seen the note, and if he had, what had he looked like when he read my words? What went through his mind as he reached the end? 

"Hey, Kat," Nolan said as he walked up to me, sitting down on the large rock right beside me. 

"Hey."

"What are you doing out here?" 

"Just thinking," I said, not taking my eyes off the horizon. The sun was starting to set and I had made my way to where the woods dropped off the edge of the mountianous area. 

"You look beautiful when you're thinking," Nolan whispered the words. 

I tensed slightly. Nolan had eagerly invited me to join them, he had been even more ecstatic with the idea than the rest of them, and I had soon found out why. He had a thing for me, probably because I had been the first female close to his age that he'd seen in a while, and in the passing weeks, that affection had only seemed to grow. He had now built up the curage to share his emotions about me with me. 

I hadn't known what to do. He was very nice, and absolutely adorable. If I hadn't gone through what I had, I may have even given him a chance, but I just couldn't. It wasn't because I had found my mate, though that was most likely part of it. Even after what Rafe had done, there was no way I could possibly stoop myself down to that level. Not unless I was never going to return, and I still wasn't sure about that. 

But I just didn't have room for that at the moment. I felt slightly empty inside with the hole Rafe's absence had created, and nothing could fill that void just yet. The way I felt when he touched me, when I was just there with him. He had made me feel complete and wanted. At least until Aphrodite had once again stepped in. 

"Nolan," I sighed. 

"I know. You don't feel the same way about me right now. But one day you might, I can at least hope for that." 

A part of me broke for him. Surrounded by the woods with no one but his fellow rogues, Nolan had felt alone. My appearance had given him some hope; hope that maybe he could find love out there after all. But that wasn't the case with me, and I couldn't lead him on like that, believing in this false hopes.