PARIS’s POV

"Paris, you should know better than to say things like this. You have a mate." Ember said, and I shook my head. Not even with Kate, had I felt such peace since I woke up in this hospital.


By her side, my wolf simply was.

"I know better, and that's why I say such things."

She looked at me for what felt like a lifetime, and I saw it all. The love we once shared, the joy it had brought, and all the sweet promises we had made to each other. Promises I had failed to keep, and so, I saw the pain, the sadness, and all the aches I brought into her life.


And God knew I wanted to beg. I wanted to beg, with tears and a bended knee, for her to take me back, because I saw a life without her, and it was a completely miserable one.

My wolf ached too, but he didn't give me the go-ahead,


"I don’t think she'll listen. You hurt her too much." my wolf said sadly, "but I know a way. It's been done since time immemorial."

I waited and listened, unsure of where he was going with this, "You may intercede with the moon goddess for a second chance, and most times it is granted to men. But only after three years."

Three years?!

"Yes, three years. It's the punishment period given to the likes of you, to make you see the error of your ways and to ensure that you are truly repentant."

I looked at Ember who had already withdrawn from me and my heart burst with an ache.

Three years? That was a long time. In fact, that was enough time for that William bloke to sweep her off her feet and take her from me permanently.

Ember's POV

I let him go, unable to be so close to him any longer. And then there was the way he looked at me. The look in his eyes reminded me of the way things were before Kate entered into the picture. All of it made my heart ache and my wolf yearned for a life and a love that was never meant to be.

"Why are you building up such a wall between us, Em?"

I looked up at him, fighting my wolf and my heart, "All that was ever put up, was because of you. You think I wanted things to be this way?" I asked, unable to restrain myself.

"but here we are, with a chance to go back to the way things were before, and you're avoiding it."

I shook my head at him, my hand over my heart, "I don't think you understand it, Paris. But things can never go back to the way they were before."

"why? Because you're with William now?"

"believe me when I tell you that William has absolutely nothing to do with this. This isn't about him."

"isn't it?" he asked raising a brow and I shook my head,

"No."

"Then why is he always there? Every time I see you, I see him. He even brought you to see me. Certainly, he took you back. So what exactly are you trying to say by telling me it's not about him?"

"because it isn’t. " I said calmly, and shook my head, "This is unbelievable. William and I are just friends. Good friends. That's all."

I knew there was a whole lot more and things went deeper when it came to William and I, but that was something I wasn't ready to discuss just yet. Especially not with Paris.

"friends. Just friends. Yeah right. I wasn't born yesterday, em."

"I never said you were. But none of that Is the problem on the ground at the moment. You need to get better."

I need to get better. I need you to get better. But here's the plot twist. You would rather be with William. You're unbelievable, Em. You couldn't even wait until we were properly divorced before you got entangled with him. It's no wonder you want nothing from me other than a divorce. You want to be free to be with that man as you please."

"Now, Paris, those are very serious allegations."

"Oh please." he bit out. My phone began to ring, and I prayed to God that It was anyone other than the person I thought it was, but it wasn't so. Because when I looked at my caller ID, it was exactly who I thought it would

"Of course," Paris said, snatching my phone out of my hand, and I looked at him in bewilderment,

"Paris, give me back my phone," I said, stretching out my hand to him, but he was unyielding,

"why? So you can get all loved up, before me? No." he said, and silenced the phone with a click,

"What did you just do?"

In reply, he tucked my phone underneath his pillow,

"Paris?!"

"I'm not going to sit here while you talk to some other man who wants nothing more than to take my place."

"What place?"

"mine."

"yours? Have you gone mad? Did that accident mess with your head?"

"be it as it may. He isn’t taking you from me."

"he can't be taking me from you, because I haven’t even been yours for a long time, Paris. A very long time." I said and got up in anger,

"Who do you even think you are?"

"I'm the man who sees a problem and tries to avoid it."

"Perhaps that's a new addition. Because there was a problem between us for years, and you neither avoided it nor tried to stop it until I walked away." I balled my fists, trying for control, and let out a calming breath, "You know what? Keep the damn phone, see if I care." I said, and grabbing my bag, I began walking to the door.

I had come here hoping to be a good Samaritan and only ended up fighting, and so I don't even see a reason to be there any longer,

"where are you going?"

"home," I said and was tugged back by him before I even got to the door. The impact was so unexpected, that I lost my footing and tumbled backward, but Paris caught me in his arms, keeping me from falling to the ground.

"Perhaps this is the sign that you shouldn't be going anywhere," he said, holding on to me snugly, his breath lingering on my skin.

But no.

There were various temptations in this lifetime, but this would not be mine,

"Let me go, Paris. I beg you." I said weakly. Perhaps there was something in my voice because he actually did let me go. I sighed and turned to face, but made sure to keep my distance,

"Why, em?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"What am I doing to you? I gave you my world. I gave you my life. I gave you every single thing, and what did that do for me? What did that lead me to? Heartaches. Constantly begging for your attention, and all of the maltreatment from your mother and sister."

"We already established that I didn't know about my sister and mother."

Alright, forget about your sister and your mother. What about Kate? What about all the ways you put her before me?"

"I couldn't help it. It was the bond!"

"Okay, alright. That's absolutely fine with me. I'm not arguing that there wasn't a bind keeping you looped in. but tell me this, tell me why it had to be after I left you that you decided that I meant something to you. Tell me why it took losing me for you to want to love me?"

He stood there quietly, while I pressed my lips together to keep from crying.

"That doesn't mean you have to go ahead and be with William." he finally said, "not when I'm here trying to fix things."

"I've told you, my decision has nothing to do with William. It's about me, and finally choosing myself. Finally choosing to be happy. Not William."

"I can make you happy, Em. Why won't you just let me try."

"Because you had five years to try!" I yelled, unable to rein in my emotions any longer, "Five years. Morning, noon, and night. But you never did." I said, putting trembling hands over my heart, "I loved you, and waited for you, again and again and again. But you didn't give me even so much thought. And now you want to try?" I asked weakly, and who looked at me like a broken man.

I wanted so much to run away from that place because I feared that if I stayed there any longer I was going to lose my footing.

"There was so much pain I felt while I lived with you, Paris. I loved you regardless and wanted to stay. But that wasn't enough for you. I was never enough for you. I don't want to ever go back to that time and place, Paris."

"Tell me what I can do, Em."

"nothing. You can't do anything. Just… just let me go."