Destined for Disaster ✔️

Chapter 29

"If it's not, how would you explain what's been happening to me?"

His shoulders sagged. "I don't know. You did seem feral when I chased you tonight. You definitely weren't in control of yourself. But maybe there's some other reason for that, something that doesn't involve your wolf."

"Are you accusing me of lying?"

"I'm not saying you're lying. I'm just saying... Well, actually, yes, maybe I am. Are you? You haven't exactly been trustworthy so far."

She pushed her indignation out through her nose. "There were reasons for that."

"Perhaps you have a reason to lie to me now."

"What reason would that be?"

Austin shook his head. "All I know is that my wolf has the same connection with your wolf that I have with you, so if he senses something, I'm inclined to believe him."

"Your wolf is misinformed. You know, just because you're determined to hate me, it doesn't mean you get to read into everything I say and do."

"I'm not determined to hate you."

"Says the guy who dislocated my shoulder."

"You did that to yourself."

"Only because you were chasing me." Her lips settled in a tight line, her eyes boring into his, daring him to go against her. "I'm telling you my wolf's the problem here. If you don't believe me, good luck trying to prove it."

*****

Julie entered the infirmary in search of Ridge but halted in her tracks when she stumbled upon an ash-blonde young woman instead.

"O, excuse me," she said, her hand lingering on the door handle.

The woman was sitting cross-legged on top of one of the beds, her left arm in a sling. She looked up and her movements stilled when she took in Julie. Her eyes were so dark they sucked the light right out of Julie's soul.

"You must be Julie," she said, cocking her head to study her.

"Yes. Are you...?"

The woman smiled and slid off her chair, crossing the room towards Julie and extending her a hand. "Ryleigh." As Julie hesitantly shook it, she added: "I'm Austin's –"

"Mate?"

"I was going to say 'problem', but yeah, sure, 'mate' works too. Are you looking for Ridge? He just went into his office." She moved back to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, wiggling her feet. "You can come in, you know."

Julie breathed a chuckle and progressed into the room.

"I didn't know you were coming back yet," Ryleigh said.

"No one did. I came back late last night. I haven't even had a chance to tell Austin yet."

"He'll be glad that you're back, I'm sure. And so am I."

"You are?"

Ryleigh let out a laugh. "Are you kidding? Yes. Now that you're back, I hope I won't have to spend as much time with him."

Julie's brow creased. "You don't like spending time with him?"

"Not as much as you do, I imagine," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. She chuckled at Julie's expression. "No offense, but he's a bit intense. Probably best to ask him for a summary of everything that's happened in your absence; I'm sure he and I have experienced the past two weeks very differently. I'll just say the only thing we've agreed on so far, is that we want to be out of each other's lives."

"Really? I thought..." She wasn't sure how she would go about finishing that sentence.

Ryleigh quirked her brows. "You thought we'd be hopelessly in love? You don't give yourself enough credit. He's all yours."

Julie looked at her as if this was the first time it dawned on her Austin was not the only one that would need convincing. It had never occurred to her that even if Austin wanted his mate, there was no way to be sure his mate wanted him too. Apparently she didn't.

"Not going to lie, I thought you'd look a bit happier," Ryleigh said.

"I'm just... The mate bond is strong, I suppose I didn't think..."

"That we'd fight it? He has his sights set on you and I have my sights set on leaving this place. We're just waiting for the month to be over at this point. In two weeks I'll reject him – or he me – and we'll go our separate ways and everything will be as it always was. Sounds good, huh?"

Julie opened and closed her mouth, at a loss for words. "Um, so what are you doing here? What happened?"

"What? O! The arm, you mean? Just me trying to escape again. Austin hunted me so aggressively I dislocated a shoulder."

Julie pulled her brows down. "Would he agree that's how it happened?"

She grinned. "Probably not."

The door creaked open to admit Austin, who stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his fated mate and chosen mate together. "Julie!"

Ryleigh chuckled and slid off the bed. "I'll give the two of you some privacy." 

______

A/N: Ryleigh and Julie's first conversation - awkward. 

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