Robin
"Robin come on, maybe he has a good reason," Callie said. "We haven't given him a chance to explain. Let him explain hate him after."
I didn't want to hear his explanation. He would only tell me how he wanted to leave. That hurts.
"I don't need an explanation. I need a mate to be there when I need him," I argue back.
We're now sitting in Callie's car outside Freddy's with our chocolate concretes. Freddy's has been our comfort place ever since we could drive.
"I don't need to be told the reasons he left. The road to hell was paved with intentions. Damn his intentions. His leaving hurt," I say quietly.
I'm tired of everyone trying to justify his actions to me like I have to let them slide. I'm not obligated to do anything to or for him until he proves I should.
Callie sighs. "I know, I know. You don't have to forgive him because he's your mate, but haven't you been dreaming of when he would come back?"
"No," I reply. "I didn't truly know James would come back."
It finally seems to click in her head that I haven't been waiting for James to return. I didn't know if he ever would or should I even want him to.
"I'm not saying forgive him and marry him tomorrow," She says.
I snort out a laugh, and she cracks a smile at me.
"I'm just saying don't take forgiveness entirely off the table. Move it to the back," Callie finishes.
I ponder her words for a few moments and nod my head in understanding, signaling for her to drive. With that, we're off back home.
"I'm gonna take a bath, okay," I say.
"Yea, let me get into comfy clothes first, though."
During my accident, my heart went into cardiac arrest. My body can't handle the cold, but my heart can't endure the heat. Immense heat can cause me to pass out, but since cold baths are off-limits, Callie sits in the bathroom with me so she can pull me out of the water if need be.
We walk into the house, and I know he's still there, mainly from Callie's non-stop growling. We take the other hallway around the kitchen, and I race up the stairs, slamming the bathroom door. I step into the warm bath and feel my body instantly relax.
Click
"I grabbed clothes for you, by the way," Callie says.
"Thanks, babes," I respond.
We sit in comfortable silence for around fifteen minutes when we hear a knock on the bathroom door.
Callie's up in half a second, and I know it's because it's James.
"Robin? Robin, come on, I wanna talk to you, please," He pleads.
Callie slips out of the bathroom, but the walls are thin, and I hear their conversation.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Davis isn't available right now, but you can come back at a later date," Callie said. I could hear her sarcastic, bitch tone, trying to piss him off. I also knew her signature "I'm gonna win whatever this is," smirk is on full display.
"Cal, you aren't her damn secretary, now, let me by," He argued.
I hear footsteps coming from the stairs. I assume they're from our parents.
"Callie, I swear to god, don't make me move you," James said. After he said that, all I hear are giggles from our dads.
"Yea," Callie's dad, Alastair Smith, sighs out. "Son, I know you're angry, but I seriously doubt you wanna do this." He chuckled out the last part trying to hold in laughter.
My dad chimes in, "We've even lost to her before. Why do you think she's Robin's protection."
I could only imagine the look of pride on Cal's face. She has always taken my safety extremely seriously.
"With all due respect, Alpha Smith, I think I can handle California," James says. At the mention of Callie's first name, I know she'll hurt him.
Suddenly, I hear thuds and bangs and James yelling in confused panic.
"OW, what the hell, you crazy Bitch," He shouts. I can hear Callie laughing.
"Alright, Alright," He screams again. "I'll stay here, you damn psycho."
The bathroom door opens slightly, and Callie slips inside.
"Have fun?" I ask.
"Oh, absolute tones," She answers in giggles.
We sit in the bathroom for another twenty minutes until I've finished my bath.
"Well," I start. "I guess it's time to put my big girl pants on and deal with the pouting dog."
My statement causes Callie to snort from laughing while I get dressed. I open the door and look down to my left to see James sitting on the floor. His head is lying against the wall, and his eyes are closed.
I take this chance to study his face for a moment. He looks different.
He looks good.
My face heats up at my thoughts. James left. He doesn't get to be looked at fondly by his mate. I shouldn't be finding him attractive. I should be angry.
"You know I love getting stared at by you, but I think we have a conversation we need to have," He says.
My eyes shoot everywhere else, anywhere else than him, in shock. I find myself looking at the floor, nodding.
"Let's speak in the office, but I need to put on different clothes," I say. James gives me a puzzled look but agrees.
I take my time, hoping that Jay fears what I have to say. I hope he's sitting there sweating.
I mentally slapped myself for calling him that. He hasn't earned the right.
When I walk in, I realize my plan hasn't worked. James was sitting there with his hands folded in his lap.
"Will your dad mind us being in his office?" He asked.
"Well, it's my office, so I should probably start using it, I guess," I said.
"How can this be your office?" He asked. "It's the Alpha's office."
I rolled my eyes at his response.
"Robin, you may use the office, but I don't think it's yours," He said. "You need an Alpha to be Luna." I can tell he's trying to be nice about his words, but they just come out as condescending.
"This is my pack to run, and I will be Luna with or without you, James," I say back. I can tell my tone is defensive, but I couldn't care less.
He stayed quiet for a moment. "So I'm your Alpha?" He asks. He sounds hopeful, and his words find a way into my head as he says them.
I shake myself out of it. James deserves no sympathy from me for his hope.
"You aren't my anything at the moment."
He falters a little at my aggressive tone.
"You could've been," I continue. "You could've been if you had stayed." I can tell my volume is rising, and I need to calm down. "If I had a mate that stayed, I would be Luna to an Alpha, not the future leader of my pack," I state steadily.
His breathing heavys and quickens, trying to calm his anger.
"Don't huff and puff like a fairytale wolf, James," I say. "You leave your responsibilities behind. Someone else takes them over."
"Robin," He sighs. "You know that's not what this argument is. I'm not coming back to be Alpha. I came back for you."
He stalks around and throws himself down on the couch, running his hands down his face.
"You can't seriously believe I'm just coming back for a title I already have."
"You don't have the title," I say matter-of-factly. "I do."
He cocks his head at me with disbelief.
"Babe, come one," He groans out. "You can't be taking this that seriously. You knew that when I came back, I'd be Alpha."
I shale my head in frustration. He truly doesn't understand.
"I don't think you're getting what I'm saying, James. I didn't know you were coming back." My voice is getting louder, with the desperation that he understands me.
"What makes you think, James, that you can leave, come back, and take the title I had to take out of necessity," I yell. "You are acting like an entitled brat."
He jumps up from the couch and storms toward me.
"I'm entitled," he yells. "I left for you."
"Oh, yeah, that makes me feel loads better," I reply, sarcasm dripping from my words. "My mate put me in misery by leaving for years without a goodbye, but, you know what, he did it for me. Welp, I feel all better now. Don't I?."
He falls back into his seat, repeating his actions before and running a hand down his face, sighing.
"Still think you're in a place to make demands of me?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "No, Robin. I'm not."
"And his thick skull has finally been penetrated," I exclaim with an eye roll. I take his silence as a chance to sit at my desk. "I'm the leader of this pack, James. I have been for a while now."
"I don't understand," He says. "You're only eighteen. How can you be the leader? What about your father?" He asks.
"He started teaching me the ways of an Alpha to get me out of bed," I explain. "I've been getting trained to be an Alpha since sixteen."
He still looks at me, confused.
"Look, whether or not you understand, I am this pack's leader. My Luna ceremony is at the end of the month. I will be Luna with or without you."
"So, I'll just be your Alpha?" He asks.
He takes a moment, then nods his head and sighs.
"If it gets me to you, bird, I'll be whatever you need."
He shocks me with his intense feeling behind the nickname, but I can't let that distract me.
"What I needed was for a mate who was there," I say in defeat.
"I know that now," He says. "I truly thought I was giving you the space to live your own life, bird, without a mate who was already an adult."
"I get that, but there are ways to do that without just skipping town and ruining the way I see you," I say. "Now, I don't trust you. I don't trust you not to leave. I don't trust you in my best interest. I don't trust you, James, my mate."
He sits there quietly, then gets up, walking toward me. I look down, then a second passes, and I feel his hand on my chin, pulling my face back up.
"I need you to listen to me, Robin," He says quietly. "I may leave this state, country, damn even the planet, but I will never leave you the way I did, love, that's a promise."
"That's a nice apology, and it's nice to hear," I say. However, my trust in you just isn't there."
"I never said it was," He says. "I am well aware I have some groveling to do."
I eye him cautiously.
"But," He starts. "All I want, and all I ask, is that you no longer avoid me. However long it takes, I want you to, at least, give us a real chance."
I take a minute to stare at him.
"Please, Robin," He says. "It's all I'll ask of you."
"I cannot give you a for sure answer," I sigh. "But maybe."
"I'll gladly take a maybe," He says. "This isn't how I thought this conversation was gonna go."
"I'm aware," I reply.
I turn to leave but stop and turn around.
"I'll see you at dinner?" I ask.
He smiles at me, but I keep my face the same.
"Yeah, Bird, I'll see you at dinner."
I nod my head and practically race out of there.