b39 /b

    CHAPTER b39 /b

    RYAN’S POV

    The second I stepped out of the car, I could smell her. Anna. Her sent was everywhere around here, faint but strong enough that my chest tightened immediately, as if my whole body was alert and desperate just to see her. I looked around, turned left, right, even tried scanning the crowd outside the building, but I didn’t fit her. Still, deep down, I knew. She was here somewhere. My mate. My Anna.

    “Come on, Ryan, let’s go.” Sophie’s hand suddenly slid into mine and squeezed as if she owned me, tugging me toward the entrance of the restaurant. She had been too damn clingytely, and it was annoying the hell out of me. But I didn’t pull back, not because I wanted her there, but because I wanted to get this whole thing over with. I had to see her father, face him directly, and stop this stupid betrothal nonsense before it went any further wanted to end it today and make it clear that I already had my mate, the only person I wanted. Anna.

    I followed Sophie inside, but my mind wasn’t with her at all. My head was pounding with thoughts of Anna. Three whole days. Three days without hearing her voice, without touching her, without even seeing her face. It was torture. And the worst part? I hadn’t even called. I hadn’t texted. I hadn’t done a damn thing to reach out. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I couldn’t. That business trip had been sudden and brutal. Dad had taken me with him to meet influential men from different packs andpanies, introducing me everywhere, preparing me for the role of Alpha and CEO. The schedule was packed from morning till night, and it drained me. It was too much all at once. And when finallynded back today, first thing I did after taking à shower was grab my phone to call Anna, but my phone wasn’t there. Missing. Just gone. I tore my room apart searching, but it wasn’t there. My chest almost exploded with frustration because all I wanted was to hear her voice, to tell her how much I missed her.

    I’d decided to just go straight to her dorm, see her face–to–face, when Sophie suddenly appeared outside my house. I had no idea who gave her my address, and it pissed me off. She smiled and told me her dad wanted to see me. She said she had tried calling me, but my phone was switched off. Of course it was, I didn’t even have it. Annoyed, I wanted to tell her to get lost, but she insisted, and I thought maybe it was a chance to end this once and for all. So I followed her.

    Inside the private room, we sat, and the waiter brought the menu. told her I’d wait until her father arrived, because I wasn’t going to sit there pretending this was a date. But then she looked at me andughed, telling me it was actually all a trick, just to get me to sit down with her.

    “What?!” My voice came out sharp. I was furious. I stood up immediately, my hands balling into fists. “Are you kidding me right now, Sophie?”

    “Ryan, please, don’t be mad,” she rushed out, standing too, grabbing my arm as if she could calm me. b“/bI just wanted some time with you, okay? We’re supposed to be together, why can’t you just give us a chance?”

    I pulled my arm back, shaking my head. “No. No, Sophie, stop this. This… whatever it is… it’s never going to work. I don’t love you. I never loved you. I don’t even like you like that. I don’t want you.”

    Her eyes filled instantly with tears. “Why? Why not? We’re perfect for each other. Our parents are both Alpha Kings and Queens from different continents. We’re both royalty, Ryan. We’re meant to be. Don’t you see it? Everyone sees it.”

    Iughed bitterly, shaking my head again. “Perfect for each other? No. Sophie, I told youb, /bI already found my mate. I love her. And she’s the only one I want. I don’t give a damn about what anyone else sees, I know what I feel.”

    Her lip trembled, tears spilling down. “You can’t do this to me. You can’t throw me away like this.”

    I sighed, trying to stay calm. “You can find your mate, Sophie. You deserve to have someone who actually loves you. But that person isn’t me.”

    “No!” Her voice broke, louder now. “I already found him, but he’s so poor and useless. He’s not royalty, he’s nothing! And I hate him for it. I can’t be with someone like that. You’re the one I want, Ryan. You’re powerful, you’re an Alpha King’s son, you’re about to be CEO, you’re everything I need.”

    bAnd /bbjust /bblike /bbthat/bb, /bbI /bunderstood. My chest lightened, but not with bit/b, more like relief. Sophie bdidn’t /bwant me. She wanted bpower/b. She wanted status. She wanted the image of me, not who actually was.

    bI /bbstared /bat herb, /bcalmer now. “So that’s what this is. You don’t love the. You just love power. That’s all this has ever been about. And that’s exactly why this has to end. We’re not meant for each other, Sophie. We never were. We can still be friends, just friends like before, but nothing more. This betrothal thing, whatever our paretits thought, it’s not real. It’s not for bus/b.”

    Her tears slowed, but she looked desperate, as if she was fighting to hold onto something that had never existed. “Friends?” she whispered.

    “Yes,” I said firmly. “Friends. Nothing more. That’s all I can give byou/bb, /bSophie. That’s all I ever wanted to give you. When we met as kids at that partyb, /bI liked you, sure, but only as a friend. You know that. It was our parents who twisted everything, not me.b” /b

    Her head dropped. She didn’t speak. For a long second, the silence weighed heavy. I turned to leave.

    But then she suddenly rushed forward, grabbing my arm again. “A least stay,” she said, her voice breaking. “Please. Stay and eat with me. Atleast for the sake of our friendship.”

    I paused, ncing at the clock on the wall. I still had time before the g tonight. The g Anna had invited me to. The g I was going to attend with her as her partner. That thought alone made my bchest /bwarm. Even though I had a special invite myself, even though the school wanted me there as an honored alumnib, /bnone of that matteredpared to walking with Anna on my arm. She was all that mattered.

    I sighed and nodded once. “Fine. I’ll eat. But that’s it, Sophie.

    We sat back down. I ate quickly, barely tasting the food because my mind was far away. With Anna. Every second was too long without her, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I’d missed her, how badly I wanted to hold her again. I checked the time every few minutes, my chest tight with impatience.

    Finally, I was done. I stood, pulled out my wallet, and paid the bill before Sophie could even argue. “I’ve got to go,” I said simply.

    She didn’t argue. She just sat there, quiet, watching me leave.

    And the moment I stepped outside, I felt it again–Anna’s scent. Stronger now. Pulling me, guiding me. I followed it down the street until I stopped in front of a boutique. My heart pounded in my chest. I stepped inside.

    And there she was. My Anna. Standing at the counter, about to pay for something. My chest squeezed so hard I could barely breathe. Without thinking twice, I walked forward and told the cashier, “I’ll pay for that.”

    And just like that, our eyes met, and the whole world stopped.