"Do you understand how hard it is to lead this pack whiles trying to keep you in line maize?" Derek groans frustration clear on his face as I follow behind him up the stairs to the front door.
"Keep me in line?" I mock slightly offended "nobody asked you to begin with!" I say raising my voice as I try to push past him but he stops me gripping my forearm.
"Yes maize, keep you in line." His eyes narrow down at me his voice stern "I might be your mate but I'm also your alpha." I fight the urge to roll my eyes and pull my arm from his grip instead fixing my gaze on the trees behind him. "Look at me." He growls, I do.
"You need to start thinking shit through." He starts "I can't keep running around worrying about who you might kill next. I have to focus on our pack and You have to be the Luna."
"I never wanted this." I whisper my eyes not meeting his. I know what he is saying is true but I'm not in the right head space to be the Luna he needs and deserves. As much as I would love to stand by his side and love him through all the crazy that is this life, I just don't know if I'm strong enough to.
"You don't think I know that!" He shouts at me "you think I want this life for you? This is life that was given to us Maize and as much as I wish it was a different, simpler life it isn't. So we need to take this life and make it as great as we possibly can."
It's quite between us for a few moments as we both don't dare to look at each other, not knowing what is going through one another's head. He lets out a long breath. "I'm done forcing you to be somewhere you so clearly don't want to be." He pauses his hand running through his hair "so if you don't want to be with me-" he stops himself "be here." He corrects "then you don't have to. You can leave. I will let you go." He states his face blank as he turns his back to me and walks into the house.
Leaving me stunned on the front porch, unable to move. Left alone with my thoughts, he gave me an out. He is willing to give me a choice. To let me leave & let me go. Escape from this life that I never wanted but that I was given. I have the choice now. I get to choose my life and what I want to do with it.
Isn't that what I always wanted? A choice?