The Wolf’s Fake Mate by Layla Silver
Chapter 14 – Hailey
Silas and I spent our journey to Boston in pleasant conversation about our lives before our first meeting a few weeks ago. Finally, when Silas pulled into a parking lot in an affluent area of the city and I saw the sign on the building before us, I realized he had taken me to Fuzion. I almost squealed in delight—I’d always wanted to visit the famous restaurant. I controlled my reaction. However, my partner seemed to be attuned enough to my body language that he noticed. Silas smiled brightly and leaned into my side of the car. Our lips met, and soon our tongues intertwined. We kissed passionately, forgetting that we were supposed to do something here.
When our lips finally parted, we were both out of breath. Silas looked at me warmly, and I saw his eyes darkened from lust. "Later," he whispered. "I'm going to fuck you so hard, you won't be able to walk tomorrow."
His dirty talk made me tingle all over. "Good, I have a free day tomorrow," I answered boldly. "So I don't really have to use my legs."
Silas stared at me in surprise, then smiled and kissed my temple. He always did that when he was pleased with me, and the gesture made me feel secure and cared for.
"Wait here," he stated as he got out of the car. I watched him walk over to my side and open the door for me. He also gave me his hand to help me out. He was beaming when I took hold and smiled at him. I understood that it was part of his panther nature to serve. If it pleased him, I could live with some chivalry. Opening doors for me, pulling out chairs, serving me food—Silas had grown up learning all of these niceties, and I found it pleasing to be at the receiving end of such courtesy.
Silas locked the car, and we walked inside the restaurant. I held my breath as I entered and looked around… only to be surprised by how empty it was. Fuzion had a futuristic decor—metallic and navy colors, very manly, elegant, somewhere between businesslike and playful. It was very much part Silas, part Renly, and one hundred percent panther. That fact didn't mean that I didn't enjoy the decor, though honestly the elegant dark green and dark wood of Sun and Moon pleased me more. Fuzion made me think of how I imagined Silas and Renly had been in their younger days. Sun and Moon made me think of who my partner was like now—a kind and professional expert at his work. Either way, both restaurants had a lot of personality; one had to give them that, at least.
However, what was most concerning to me right now was the lack of people. Where were the customers? Only two people came out to greet us—the Head Chef Ronald, according to his nameplate, and the Head Manager Beatriz.
Silas took my hand and led me to them.
Beatriz saluted him and smiled brightly at me. "Welcome to Fuzion, most esteemed customers. We will make sure to make this an unforgettable night for you. Ronald, our Head Chef," she gestured to the man, and he nodded, "has made the best cuisine one could desire, all for your pleasure. Now please allow me to lead you to your table."
Silas pulled me along with him, and I followed. The Head Manager led us to the VIP area: a separate room overlooking the whole restaurant. When we sat down, Silas ordered the entire menu. "So you can try a bit of everything," he said.
Inwardly, I cringed at how much money such an order would cost—and how much food would be wasted as we wouldn't be able to eat everything. Growing up in a family that wasn't well-off for most of our lives, I abhorred wasting food. But I was curious where Silas was going with this decision, so I didn't protest.
"Silas, why is the restaurant empty?" I asked instead. Saturdays were busy days, so it made no sense for there to be no customers, unless...
"I booked all the tables, so we could enjoy an evening in peace." Silas smiled brightly, admitting the truth as if it were the most natural thing.
I stared at him, speechless. Oh no. He was planning to do something today, something I was sure I wouldn't like. All my alarms went off.
"That was…" I looked for words, and I settled on, "completely unnecessary."
"Trust me." He winked at me. Whatever he was thinking, I wasn't following. However, two could play at this game, and I had to see this weird evening to an end.
The food arrived, warm and smelling divine. We dug in, but as I wasn’t a big eater, I soon ran out of space in my stomach to try everything. I nibbled at some salad as Silas chatted to me about this and that, and I answered where I thought I was expected to reply. The eerie feeling that something I didn't want to happen was about to occur didn't let me enjoy the evening. My partner didn't catch on to my uneasy mood at all though, as he continued to converse with me happily.
At one point, the lights went out, and before my eyes adjusted to see in the darkness—a trait I had as a wolf—they came back on. Silas wasn't sitting in his place anymore. No, he was kneeling in front of me, his arms outstretched and a box in one of his hands. With the other, he grasped mine. Then, smiling, he said the words I dreaded. "Hailey, I love you. Will you marry me and be my mate?"
I couldn't breathe. This wasn't happening. No-no-no. I didn't want such a relationship with Silas. I didn't want to fall in love with him, mate with him, have his children, only to see him walk away.
"Poor Hailey… it's only a matter of time…" My sister's words came back to me; her condescending smile. Then I thought of how Mom had been devastated when Father had left her; how I’d had to help take care of the whole family.
No, I didn't want that pain again. I couldn't trust Silas not to walk away from me. I just couldn't find the courage after all that I’d been through.
I was damaged, broken. I knew what I was about to do to him was bad. But Silas deserved to have someone perfect, someone without issues, as his mate. Not me.
"Hailey?" Silas looked at me, concerned.
I finally took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Silas. I can't marry you."
He stared at me with a shocked expression. Had he been so sure that I would say yes? Had I led him on? I thought he was content with our current partnership, but it seemed he’d had other plans.
"I'm very, very sorry." I felt myself crying. Tears fell from my eyes silently. "I can't. I just... can't."
Silas' shock turned to concern, and he put the box on the table. He got up and wanted to hug me, but before he could, I was on my legs and running past him.
"Hailey!" he called out after me.
I needed to get away from him; from the man I’d disappointed, from the future I ruined, from the love we would never have now. This was the right thing to do, wasn't it? I couldn't lead him on any longer. If he wanted a marriage, and I didn't, the correct decision was to stop this altogether.
Why did it hurt so much?
Outside of Fuzion, I managed to quickly catch a cab that was driving by. The last thing I saw was Silas at the entrance of the restaurant, looking at me with a devastated expression.
I would have to face him at work on Monday. But, until then, I could build up my defenses; if there were still any feelings from Silas to defend myself from in two days. After I’d hurt Silas like I had done just now, he was bound to simply give up on me.
I spent Sunday locked in my room, curled into a ball and crying. When the evening came, I braced myself for the next day, trying to sort through the mess of my emotions. I took them one by one—the fear, the self-loathing, the sadness—and put them into the box in my mind. I sat there in silence until midnight came. Only then was I sure I could face tomorrow.
***
Monday at Sun and Moon was genuinely awkward. Neither Silas nor I knew how to act around each other. I tried to put up my best front, but fear and disgust at myself for hurting this great man dragged me down.
During the break, Fran Russell approached me, a worried look on her face.
“Maybe it’s none of my business, but...” she started, running her hand through her brown curly hair, carefully styled like Marilyn Monroe.
I always found Fran so classy—she was into vintage fashion and cars, which suited her perfectly. Back when we had first moved to Florida, I’d had a slight girl crush on her. I’d wanted to be as elegant and graceful as she always was.
“Did Silas and you have a fight?” Fran continued after a pause.
She looked genuinely concerned, so I replied kindly. “It is your business, Fran. We’ll be family soon, after all.”
She gave me a warm smile, showing her perfect white teeth. I smiled back. But then when I thought back to the topic of our conversation, I felt cold and frowned again.
“Yes, you could say we had a fight,” I informed Fran. “You could also say that things are over between us.”
“Wait, but weren’t you mating? Aren’t you… like… meant to be?” she asked me, genuinely shocked.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t work out,” I said. Somehow I couldn’t keep the sadness out of my voice.
“Huh. That’s weird,” she said. “Well, fingers crossed you can get back together. And if not, maybe you’ll find someone else.”
I heard a deep threatening wolf growl. When Fran’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, I realized that it was me who was making that sound. Did the thought of being with someone else upset my wolf side that much? What was going on with me?
“All right, just do whatever will make you happy,” she replied, then she hastily exited the staff room. No sane wolf wanted to be in the vicinity of a pissed-off one. I understood that instinct. With deep breaths, I worked to calm my animal part down.
Still, since the day I’d bolted on Silas, I’d felt restless. I now realized that it was my wolf being upset at me. It felt as if she was running in circles in my soul—that was the only way I could describe the feeling. My wolf’s restlessness added to me being on edge, and my box of do-not-open emotions rattled, wanting to trip over and spill all the ugly contents out in the open.
Needless to say, I couldn’t focus on work, and I made plenty of mistakes. By the end of the day, I was glad my shift was over and I was tired of apologizing to Silas and Fran. I went back home and immediately fell into a restless sleep. I dreamed I was in a forest, the safe smell of pine trees surrounding me, yet I didn’t feel protected. Something was chasing me, and I was trying to outrun it. But I felt it would inevitably catch up with me. The dread, the sense of approaching doom, was intense in the air. I could smell the fear—my fear—and when my pursuer was almost upon me, I woke up with a start just before seeing its face.
I dragged myself out of bed, more tired than I’d been I’d first lain down for the night. Today was Tuesday and another day of the morning shift at Sun and Moon. The job I’d previously found fantastic was now something I dreaded; not only because I had to see Silas, but also because I was in a sensitive state where every mistake I made affected me personally and threw me off even more. I had to get a hold of myself. I knew I couldn’t live in fear all my life. I would go crazy trying to function in that condition.
But hell if I knew how to sort out my shit.
