CHAPTER 93: A CALL FROM MY FATHER

Nathan’s POV

She was curled against me, her breathing slow and steady, my shirt draped over her like it was made for her. Her cheek rested lightly on my chest, and strands of her hair brushed my chin every time she exhaled.

I should still be angry.

I was angry. Hours ago, I had been pacing this room, ready to tell her exactly how much she had hurt me tonight. But now... here I was. Lying still. Watching her sleep as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.

"You’re pathetic," my wolf muttered in my head, his voice dripping with smug amusement. "You were furious with her a few hours ago. Now you’re lying here, holding her like you’ll break if you let go."

I sighed inwardly. Don’t start.

"You’re in love with her," he teased, a low, rumbling laugh echoing in my mind. "Completely, hopelessly in love. And you know it."

My jaw tightened. I didn’t deny it. Couldn’t. Because it was the truth.

But then his voice shifted, turning serious. "Then what happens when we find our mate?"

I froze. That thought... I hadn’t let myself think about it.

Hailee wasn’t my mate. I would have felt it. The instant pull, my wolf could have felt it. But with her, there was... something else. Something that didn’t fit into the rules I thought I knew.

So why was I so drawn to her? Why did the idea of her not being in my life make my chest ache in a way I couldn’t ignore?

"I’ll tell you why," my wolf said quietly. "Because you can’t imagine choosing anyone over her. Not even a mate."

And he was right.

The thought of my mate showing up one day... it didn’t excite me. It scared me. Because no matter who she turned out to be, she wouldn’t be Hailee. And I already knew I’d never be able to give up this girl lying in my arms for anyone else.

Sighing inwardly, I tried to silence my thoughts, but my wolf wasn’t done with me yet.

"What if she chooses Dane or Callum at the end of the month?" he asked quietly, "What then, Nathan? What’s left for you?"

My chest tightened at the very idea. I could already picture it—her standing beside one of them, smiling in a way that wasn’t for me. The thought alone made my pulse thrum painfully in my ears.

I don’t want to think about that.

"Coward," my wolf murmured, but there was no bite in his voice this time.

I turned my head slightly, burying my face against her hair, letting her warmth ease the ache in my chest. I didn’t have the strength to think about what-ifs tonight. Not when she was right here.

So I forced my mind to quiet, holding her a little closer as I let my eyes drift shut. Sleep came easier than I thought it would.

I don’t know how long I was out, but I woke when I felt her shift.

Her body moved gently against mine, her weight shifting as if she was trying not to wake me. My arms instinctively tightened around her waist before my eyes even opened.

"Where do you think you’re going?" I murmured, my voice still thick with sleep.

She froze in my arms, a tiny guilty smile tugging at her lips. "Nowhere... just stretching," she whispered, her voice soft like she didn’t want to break the moment.

I smirked faintly and pulled her back down against me. "Liar."

She let out a quiet laugh, trying to wriggle free again, but I held her tighter. "Nathan..." she giggled, giving my chest a playful push.

"What?" I asked innocently, brushing my nose against hers. "You woke me up. Now you have to deal with the consequences."

She gasped in mock offense. "Consequences?"

Before she could react, I flipped her gently onto her back, leaning over her with a smug grin. Her laughter spilled out again, warm, flirtatious, and I couldn’t help but smile down at her.

"Thought you could escape me?" I teased, my hands braced on either side of her.

She shook her head, still laughing. "You’re impossible."

"I’ve been told," I murmured, letting my forehead rest lightly against hers.

For a while, we just stayed there, our eyes interlocked. I was about to kiss her when—

Knock, knock.

We both froze.

A voice came from the other side of the door. "Master Nathan, your father wants to see you in his study."

I exhaled slowly, leaning my weight on one arm. "Perfect timing," I muttered under my breath.

Hailee bit back a small smile. "You should go."

I looked at her for a beat longer, reluctant to move, then finally pushed myself off the bed. "Stay here," I told her, my tone half-command, half-plea.

She just smirked, pulling my blanket around her like a shield. "Hurry back."

I knocked lightly on the doorframe before stepping inside. "Father," I greeted.

He didn’t turn right away. He stood at the tall window, hands clasped behind his back. After a moment, he spoke.

"I believe Hailee isn’t gone."

My brows furrowed. He knows?

I tried not to react, but my wolf stirred restlessly inside me.

Finally, he turned, his eyes sharp in a way that told me he saw straight through me. "I know she spent the night in your room."

I stayed silent, my jaw tightening.

"What you have with Hailee..." he said, letting the words hang for a moment, "...has to stop."

The air in the room felt heavier.

"She is not right for you," he continued, his tone firm but almost pitying. "She is... complicated. Reckless. And if the rumors I’ve heard about her and the others are true, she’s playing a dangerous game—one that will leave you broken."

My wolf bristled at his words.

Father didn’t stop there. "You need stability, Nathan. Someone who will stand by your side, not pull you into chaos." His voice dropped slightly. "Hailee is not that person."

I opened my mouth to argue, but he lifted a hand, cutting me off. "I’ve been patient. I’ve watched you waste time, hoping you’d realize this on your own. But since you haven’t..."

He straightened to his full height. "Since you still haven’t found your mate, I’ve taken the liberty of looking out for you."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

His next words landed like a punch.

"I’ve found a fair she-wolf for you. Well-bred, beautiful, from a strong bloodline. She will be a perfect match for you and for this pack," my father said as if it were some great gift.

Something inside me snapped. My wolf growled low in my head, a sound that mirrored the rage rising in my chest.

"No."

His brows lifted slightly, but I saw the flash of disapproval in his eyes. "Nathan—"

"No, Father." My voice was sharp now, my tone leaving no room for negotiation. "I don’t care who she is or what bloodline she comes from. I am not marrying anyone you choose for me."

He exhaled slowly, as if I were a stubborn child refusing to eat my dinner. "You’re speaking with emotion, not reason. You think this... thing you have with Hailee is love, but it’s not. It’s a distraction. Infatuation. And if your mate comes—"

I stepped forward, my eyes locked on his. "Even if my mate comes, I’m not leaving Hailee."

His gaze hardened. "You would reject your own mate?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation. "Because I know what I feel for Hailee isn’t something I could ever feel for anyone else—not even my mate. She’s the one I want. The only one. And if you think I’ll leave her for some stranger you picked out, then you don’t know me as well as you think you do."

He shook his head, clearly displeased. "You’re letting your heart blind you. Your duty is to the pack—"

"My duty is also to myself," I cut in, my voice low but seething. "And I won’t spend the rest of my life tied to someone I don’t love just to satisfy some political or bloodline agenda."

His lips pressed into a thin line. "Nathan, this isn’t up for discussion. I’ve already made arrangements for—"

I took another step toward him, my voice dropping to a deadly calm. "Then you better take those arrangements and apply them to yourself. Because if you find another girl for me, she’s going to be your second wife, not mine. I will never marry her. Ever."

His eyes narrowed angrily, but I didn’t flinch. The silence between us was heavy, my words hanging in the air like a challenge.

"I’m done talking about this," I said finally. "And I’m done listening to you tell me who I should love."

Without waiting for his reply, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the study, my boots hitting the floor hard. My wolf was still growling inside me.

By the time I reached my hallway, I was breathing hard—not from exhaustion, but from the mix of rage and protectiveness that pulsed through me. I pushed open the door to my room, ready to crawl back into bed beside Hailee, to hold her close and let the anger fade in her warmth.

But the bed was empty.

The blanket she’d wrapped herself in earlier was crumpled at the foot of the bed. The faint scent of her lingered in the air, but it was fading quickly, like she had left some time ago.

My chest tightened painfully.

"Hailee?" I called out, stepping into the room as if she might suddenly appear from the bathroom or the corner. But the silence was deafening.

I scanned the space again; my wolf was already restless.

She was gone.