Ch. 22 Train wreck

ALESTER:

"I'll ask my dad to contact your real employers. We wouldn't want you to lose any money."

He had wanted to be kind, he had, but his anger bubbled uncontrollably to the surface and morphed his generous offer into the train wreck it was.

"Excuse me?" Samantha blinked at him, her fork halfway to her mouth. Her face was blank while trying to process what he had said. Alester watched as Samantha's face went from shocked to enraged, and his anger plummeted into panic as he tried to backtrack.

"I was just saying-"

"Oh." She scoffed. "I think I know what you were 'Just saying.' "

Her eyes darkened, and she glared at him as if willing her eyes to shoot lasers. Her lips pursed and she let her fork drop before she stood up, rolled her eyes, and picked up her plate.

Alester grabbed her wrist, willing her to stay. A thrilling tingle ran up his arm and, for a second, he forgot everything except that touch. He could stay like that forever and he wanted to.

But Samantha jerked out of his grip and turned towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" He asked. His voice came out gruff, unable to hold back his hurt and confusion.

Samantha stopped in her tracks, her back towards him.

His wolf was asking him the same question. Why was he pursuing this female? He had a mate! Alester ignored his wolf. Why come out now of all times?!

Instead, he chased after her. He had almost reached her when her whole body tensed as if to command him to stay away.

She yelled over her shoulder. "Where does it look like I'm going?! I'm going to clean my dishes!"

"You're annoyed." He addressed her evenly. He wanted to understand the situation and calm her down as well.

She sneered. "Of course I am."

"Why?"

His wolf shouted in exasperation. 'Why do you care? She's not your mate! Let her leave!'

She spun around, both of her hands gripped the plate, and she glowered at him.

"Why? Because YOU don't know me! But you have apparently decided you do. You have avoided me and ignored me because what? You didn't like that I took someone's shift!? Was it too 'Shady' for you?" Samantha growled and continued on. "And I'm guessing the only reason you are talking to me now is because your mother told you to! Why else would she send me down here to see you!?"

She turned to put her dish in the sink, and Alester followed behind her, seething.

"Excuse you! I was plenty nice, not just because my mother said so. But because I wanted to be! I found you in the woods, gave you a place to sleep, cared for you and I am making sure you are getting properly trained so you don't hurt someone when you leave!" The words stung him as he said them, but how could she ignore all that he had done for her?

"You may have 'found me in the woods' but you left me to fend for myself as soon as we got back to this- mansion." She gestured to the room and snarled.

"You left me alone, in a room, with no way of knowing where I was or how to get back. Your mother found me and showed me where to go and then your father made sure I had a room, and Phiona is the one making sure I'm being trained by doing it herself! You haven't done anything for me at all!"

She crossed the line. He had done nothing for her? Ha. It was almost laughable. She still didn't understand how and why she had hurt him. She didn't understand just how much he had done or just how much he had cared.

"I went against my dad for you! He wanted you out! I vouched for you. And you lied to me! You're right, I don't know you because you weren't ever honest!"

She spoke between gritted teeth. "I'll pack my things."

"What?" Alester blinked. His anger became replaced by confusion. How could she have come to that conclusion? That wasn't what he wanted.

"I'll pack my things. I won't stay where I'm not welcome."

Samantha headed towards the door. She was going to leave.

"Wait! That's not what I meant!" He chased after her. His mind was in shambles, and his voice came out octaves too high in his panic.

Samantha stilled once more, leaving her back towards him. Why always her back?

His wolf piped up again 'Just let her leave.' But he couldn't do that. He had to get her to stay, but he didn't know how to.

"Then what did you mean?" She retorted. Her voice was thick, her anger half turned into sadness, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Because If you had to convince your dad to let me stay, I'm obviously not wanted here."

"That's not true."

"Oh. So I am wanted here? Who wants me here? Your dad doesn't, you sure don't!" She turned to face him, if only to gesture at him, at herself, and at the walls.

"Of course, I want you here!"

"Why?! You don't know me! You judge me! You hide from me! You can't even talk to me! And you already have a mate, so what am I doing here?"

"..."

"Exactly."

"You have to learn about your wolf..." He whispered. It was the only reason he had to give for wanting her to stay. He knew that wasn't what she was asking, but he didn't have an answer to her real question. He could only plead with his eyes for her to stay.

"Then I'll learn quickly and leave."

Samantha walked out the door as fast as she could.

Alester's hand reached out, willing her to come back. It was the same hand that had grabbed her wrist and the whisper of the sparks was still on his fingertips.

His heart beat painfully in his chest. How had their conversation come to this? He wondered, and suddenly, her point of view became clear to him. He had left her, ignored her, avoided her, and when she was being open, he had judged her. She was right; they didn't know each other and yet he had expected her to trust him after knowing him less than a minute. Would he have trusted anyone in under a minute? He had trusted her... and then completely disregarded her at the hint of dishonesty. That wasn't trust.

Alester stared at the doorway. His anger felt stupid now. She hadn't owed him anything, and yet, his pride ran her off over some misguided view that she did. Now all he wanted to do was chase after her and hold her, but she was just a stranger.