Page 32 of Half Wolf Mate
“Then there’s no point wasting my time here,” she said. Hiking her handbag up on her shoulder, she turned and walked away. I watched her until she disappeared around the corner, fighting the urge to run after her.
Chapter 15 Sydney
“He called me a spawn,” I grumbled, stomping into the lobby of my apartment building. “A spawn. That disrespectful, loathsome ass. I hate him so much.”
Even as I said the words, deep down, I knew it wasn’t true. I tried so hard to hate Cole, to no avail. Releasing a long breath, I dropped into one of the armchairs in the lobby. I just had to take a moment to work through my anger before I made the journey up the five flights of stairs to my apartment. The walk home hadn’t been long enough for me to get over my conversation with Cole.
Whenever I was alone in my apartment, I had too much time to think. Doing that always led to feeling depressed and defeated. Afraid, too. In private, I didn’t have to play the tough-girl role, and I often wallowed in terror over what I’d do if the hunters were to find me.
After what the stranger—Adam—told me, I was worried. The older man from last night had been watching me for a while. He had to be a hunter. Maybe he’d gotten orders to watch me rather than kill me. He could be waiting to take me to that man I’d escaped from in Nebraska. Dropping my head into my hands, I shook my head. This was why I hated alone time nowadays. My mind automatically went to the worst places.
I had to stop this. Sitting up, I surveyed the space. It wasn’t a posh apartment building, but it was nice and in a decent neighborhood. It was also affordable, so I jumped at the chance to get a space here. Fortunately, the owner had lowered the price by the time I was ready to rent. It was shocking, but who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth? I’d gotten to keep a nice chunk of change, which I needed.
“I should focus on the good things that have happened,” I whispered. Yeah, that was what I needed to do, or else I’d totally lose my mind worrying. “I’ve got a friend.” Macy was awesome. “I’ve got my own place.” I’d never had my own space before. “Maybe I can go back to school.” Dropping out had been a bummer. “Think about the good things. The good things,” I chanted.
“Hello, Sydney.”
Gasping, I looked up and almost fell out of the chair. It was the man from the diner. The older one, whom Adam insisted was watching me. My eyes bulged as I stared at him, paralyzed by shock.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He smiled. “Sydney, that’s what you said your name is, right?”
Swallowing hard, I stood up. I wasn’t sure if I was preparing to run or scream bloody murder. He must have followed me here to take me out. My heart galloped as I glanced around the lobby. No one else was in sight.
I nodded. “And you’re Benjamin.” My voice wobbled, and so did my knees, but I was proud of myself for keeping it together.
“You look a little pale,” he said, peering at me. “Are you okay?”
Was he for real? Were we really going to make small talk before my possible murder? “I’m…What are you doing here?”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “I live here.”
“Really?”
“Moved in about two weeks ago.”
The exact time I moved in. Was Adam right? I was skeptical about trusting the man, who I’d learned was an Alpha like Cole. Plus, there was a possibility Adam had misinterpreted what he’d seen. Even if Benjamin stared inside the diner every night like a creep, it didn’t mean he was watching me. However, seeing the man here now had me suspicious.
“I see.” His relaxed stance told me he might not attack, so I asked, “You just moved to New Orleans?”
“Yes.”
Oh, God. He was stalking me.
“What about you? Do you live here, too?” he asked. “What a coincidence running into you here after meeting you this morning.”
I studied him closely as if I could somehow see if he was playing a game. His expression gave nothing away. “Yeah. I live here.”
“Nice. I hope we run into each other again, Sydney.”
“Er…uh, huh.”
Benjamin nodded. “See you, and get some rest. You’re still looking pallid.”
That was because I was nearly ready to keel over from sheer dread. As Benjamin walked away, I breathed easier. Maybe running into him here was just a coincidence. Maybe he wasn’t a killer stalking me.
I couldn’t continue like this. I had to get help from someone who could stand up against a hunter. Since my mother’s pack refused to even breathe in my direction, I’d have to look elsewhere for help. There just happened to be another Alpha in town. It was risky because Cole said Adam was no good, but I was desperate.
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