Furry Humans | ✓

side story - Samantha

"What happened?"

I blink down at my reflection, "A lot of shït, that's what I can say." I sigh, leaning back in the seat. "It's been two years since then and I still don't understand the things that went on."

"We lost people, we learned some things that changed before for the better and for worse— I just don't—" I cut short with a pained sigh.

I lean forward to hold my forehead, "I'm just tired of a lot of things."

Warmth engulfs my hand as my attention is brought to Casper's hand as it completely covers mine, I look up to find his eyes focused on me, dark with concern.

"I apologize, I shouldn't have asked and caused you to strain yourself. It was none of my business."

I stare back, the sincerity in them choking me as I glance at his hand— his hand was soon replaced with an image of another, the same size but bringing forth a rush of fire in my veins at our contact, once again, as quick as it was there it was gone.

As the lake of silence stretched over the minutes, I was lost in a trance with my gaze stuck on his hand, mistaking it with the thought that it was bothering me; he removes his hand, snapping me back. I pull my hands into my lap, twisting my fingers together as I mumble an apology myself.

"Who is he?"

Casper's question catches me off guard, my eyes meeting his once more. He leans forward with a gentle smile on his lips as he rests his chin on the knuckles of his hand as they give support.

"Who's who?"

"The guy you're running from."

My eyebrows twitch, my eyes shifting around his face looking for something, anything negative so that I can get up and leave him in the dust. I see nothing but the kindness he's been giving me from the moment we met and I sigh.

"I'm not running—"

"Stop lying to yourself, Samantha," his smiles grows a little, "it takes one to know one and you have that look in your eye."

My mouth parts a little in astonishment and in thought. Running away? I was never known to 'run away', usually I would work out and face my problems head-on — or so I thought — there was nothing for me to run away from, Mason didn't want me. That was clear. Yet, here I was going into the medical career so I can further take care of him.

I chuckle at myself, "What gave me away?"

Casper's smile radiates onto my skin with a hint of smugness. "You gazing off into space a lot, so, who is he?"

I shake my head, "My mate."

A hum vibrates from Casper's chest as he nods, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"He doesn't want you?"

"Something like that. While the whole ordeal was going on, he had been tricked by a woman that she was his mated and after learning the truth he has been hesitating to accept me. . ."

We grow silent for a short minute before Casper breaks it by shifting in his seat, I watch as he leans forward and sets his eyes deep on mine.

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Two years and a half."

He immediately whistles, a frown overtaking his beautiful features, "There must be something wrong with that guy."

My face breaks into a small smile at his words, "Why do you say that?"

"Well," he shrugs, "getting to know who you are as a person and your appearance, makes me wonder what's taking the guy so long to already claim you."

There seemed to be something else he wanted to say but he covered up with a smile, looking down at the tablecloth, his fingers grasping at the handle of his cup. His words warmed my heart and caress me in a way that I needed after a long while of being alone.

"What's your reason?" I inquire, tilting my head.

He sighs, almost as if saying it out loud pained him more than it did thinking about it.

"I found my mate three years ago," he begins. "she was actually someone who I had known all my life but never really knew who she was. When I met her, I was too late, she had already fallen in love with someone else."

"Unfortunately, she had a choice; chose between the person she knows and has grown to love or the person who was made to complete her soul."

He pauses, shutting his eyes as his nostrils flare with the action of his deep intake of breath. His knuckles tighten into a fist.

"In the end, I chose for her. Who was I to come into her life and take her away from the person who can love her better than I could?"

I knew what he had done.

"You let her go," I whisper, and he nods, giving me a brief of a weak smile.

"Yeah," he chokes out, "I did. And it's been years since I have and not a day goes by that I don't think about her and what we could have been."

As I watch the man before me, lingering on the past pain of what would have been his future, there's that flitting, betraying question in my head that makes its way into my core.

What if Casper was my mate instead?

~ ✎ ~ ✎ ~

One more part before the end of the side story 😭 I didn't expect you all to enjoy this so much, I have some of you asking for a full story of Mason and Samantha and I'm actually considering it 😂💙

We'll see.

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