Laurel

2:33 Laurel

I had walked quickly, tiny swift steps bridging me closer and closer to Damon. I could feel his energy, I don't know how I knew it was him. But I did. I kept going, closer and closer, hoping that I would feel what I wanted to feel. But when I crossed the border to the pack lands, and was just in front of him, so close we could finally touch again. But it wasn't there.

There was no mate spark.

No urge to claim.

Damon wasn't mine.

I felt fondly towards him, but after the overwhelming urge to take Delia as mine only moments ago, there was no way to deny this. Damon wasn't a mate, he wasn't mine. We were not meant to be. If my father's house could be trusted, Delia was my last mate. I had known it the moment I claimed her as mine, the second her blood touched my tongue that she was my last missing piece. I just didn't want to admit it to myself.

"I'm sorry" my voice a broken, choked sob as I fell to my knees, crying in the tall grass. I had finally made it back to him, but it didn't matter. Because nothing would ever be the same. My hands covered my face as I cried, everything I had done was to get back to him. To the first person who had made me feel like I was close to normal, that I was a woman who could be loved, not a freak show or someone to take advantage of. That me, just as I was, all at once was enough, he wasn't meant to be mine. This was it for our love affair. Our beautiful tragic love affair.

The ground shook as he fell to his knees in front of me, his hands lowering mine to my sides. "No tears my love, it's ok." he said, wiping the tears from my eyes with gentle hands. His voice honey in my ears just like I dreamed it would be when I finally found him again.

"But it's not!" I protested. "I don't feel it. You aren't my mate Damon, how can this be possible? I love you!" I was almost shouting. I could feel Delia and Brydel at a distance, their concern for me. I was glad they were giving us space right now. I needed it. I had set so much on this moment, how I pictured it would be. I hadn't ever imagined it would end like this.

"Shhhh My love it is ok" Damon was smoothing my hair back, comforting me, Brydel and Delia flared with jealousy, but they held themselves back. "I love you, and you loved me, just as we were. I'm so glad you are safe, I was so worried" he pressed his forehead to mine. "I've seen all of human and Fae history, you can't fight fate, I dared to hope because of you but fate will not be denied. I will always love you Laurel. It's ok. Be with your mates. It's all how it should be. I swear it." He was comforting me. I kissed him, deeply, passionately. But it didn't feel like it used to. He wasn't mine, I wanted him to be, but the kiss felt hollow. My skin burning with how wrong it all felt now. Fresh tears streamed from my eyes. "Shhhhhh, no more tears. You are safe, loved, and protected. I can feel it.That is all I wanted. I would have done all I could for you, but now the best thing I can do is let you go. Be amazing Laurel. Be you."

Damon stood, bending over to kiss my forehead as I sobbed on the ground, shaking my head. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I was supposed to be reunited with him and everything would make sense. But Delia was my mate and Damon was saying goodbye. It was too much. I had worked so hard to get back to him, so sure of how things would go. I had never made room in my mind for being wrong.

He looked towards Brydel and Delia, "Take care of her, she really is something special." and he teleported himself away. Leaving me with my mates. Without him. He was gone, he was gone and had never been mine. Fresh sobs wracked my body as Delia and Brydel came to kneel beside me, trying to comfort me. But the tears wouldn't stop. I kept crying as Brydel swept me up in his arms just as he had done for Delia after she became mine.

"What now?" I heard him ask her. "You're place here, or we can go back to Laurel's home, there is a private gateway she can control that will take us back to her home in Fae."