Ace held his hand out for me waiting for me to take it, but I couldn't. All I could do was stare at him. I wanted to know what his game was.

Why was he asking me to take a walk with him? Why now after all this time?

Those were the questions I was trying to answer while staring at his hand. He must be planning something, he didn't have any other reason to want to talk to me.

Knowing myself though, I would keep wondering about all the what-ifs if I did not accept his offer. So like the curious person I was, I accepted his offer.

But although I was curious, I was not willing to accept any kindness from him. I knew that with him, kindness will only lead to pain and with pain it will only lead to my suffering.

I couldn't take any more pain especially from those I cared about and in Ace's case, I will always feel something towards. The mate bond will always be a reminder that no matter what I do, I can never get away from the pain. All I can do is try to ignore it and to lessen it.

So without accepting Ace's out stretched hand, I accepted his offer for a walk by standing up. I looked back just in time to see Ace's hand and his expression of determination drop.

I smiled while I looked at him. It made me happy to ruin at least one of his plans. 

Wanting to snap Ace out of his own world I said, "Well didn't you say you wanted to go on a walk."

Ace's head snapped up at my question and he nodded while taking a step towards me. I turned back around and started to walk to the forest line without waiting for Ace.

As I was walking in the midst of the crowd in the training field, my eyes caught Ryan's. He smiled at me but then his eyes went past me and caught sight of Ace. His smile turned into a frown and he glared at Ace.

As Ryan looked back at me, he took another look at Ace trailing behind me. Back and forth Ryan's glaze went, and finally, it clicked in his mind. His glaze slowly met mine, I could see his wolf trying to claw its way out and to take over Ryan.

Ryan began to stalk towards me slowly like a predator and I was his prey. When I saw that look in his eyes, I slowed down letting him catch up to me. I was paying too much attention to Ryan that I didn't notice that, by slowing down my pace, I was also allowing Ace to catch up too.

As I kept moving, my surroundings quickly changed. No more was I in a field meant for training, now I was surrounded by trees on every side of me. The only way out way behind me and the exit was being quickly swallowed up by the ever growing trees and two wolves making their way towards me.

I made sure I was far away from the field before I stopped. I needed to talk to both, Ryan and Ace, and I didn't want the pack to be able to hear our conversation. There was already enough gossip surrounding Ryan, Ace, and me. I didn't want to give Ace's pack any more information to gossip about for their amusement.

I stood in the middle of a small clearing waiting for Ryan to make his way to me. Knowing Ryan, he would quickly be making his way towards me. I was proven correct when I heard footsteps behind me. With every crack of the tree branches on the forest floor, I could hear him getting closer to me with every step.

I could sense that Ryan was behind me and I felt him as he moved around me. From the side of my eye, I could see him walk around me in order to stand in front of me. He stood with his head bent down towards the ground, not allowing me to see how he was feeling at that moment.

I shifted uncomfortably. There had never been a time where Ryan couldn't look me in the eyes. Not even the time that I had gone behind his back to make a deal with a neighboring alpha. I just knew he was disappointed in me. I was going to speak up and explain but Ryan beat me to it.

"Why? Why even give him a chance?"

Ryan lifted his head and I could see all the emotions he was feeling spiraling around in his eyes. There were disappointment and anger, but the emotion that overwhelmed all others was pain and sadness. When I made the decision to talk to Ace about the past, I knew Ryan would be hurt.

Yes, Ryan was angry but he was more overcome with pain because he knew everything Ace had done to me. He knew the pain I had gone through while living in the Blood Moon pack. He lived through the pain with me and he built me up brick by brick.

Not only did he give me everything I needed to build myself up again, but he also provided me with a purpose and a family. Ryan accepted me when no one else did and he knew what could happen if I talk with Ace.

I smiled a sad smile at Ryan, "I don't know. All I know is that I can't help it. Call me a sadist but I can't resist him. I have to know why. I have to know why...."

I paused letting out a shaky breath, "I need to know how he could treat me like he did. I could always build myself up again if he breaks me down again but I can't live with myself if I don't have the answers I need. I have to know what's wrong with me. What is so wrong with me that my mate could reject me? How I could be so bad that he could go against the Moon Goddess's wishes and reject his mate?"

Ryan sadly nodded, "I knew one day you would need your answers. I just hoped it wouldn't be until much later when you had found a man who loved and adored you and who you loved with all your heart. I had hoped that it would be the day that someone would bring up Ace and you would ask that person "who?" like the name Ace wasn't in your vocabulary. After you had grown older with a family and so much happiness in your life that the pain Ace had caused you had been overtaken by all the happiness you felt."

I felt a tear slip from my eye and I had to place a hand over my mouth to stop the sobs from escaping me. Ryan stepped towards me and caressed my cheek wiping away the tear that had slipped out of my eye without my permission.

Ryan hadn't met his mate yet but he knew that a mate could build you up or tear you down in a matter of seconds. He knew in the end that Ace would only break me down over and over again. I needed this to move on from the broken girl I once was. Because buried deep inside the steel armor I put on every day, I was still the little girl Ace broke years ago.

Ryan pulled me into his arms, "I know this is what you need, it doesn't mean I agree with your choice but I know this is what you need."

Ryan pulled away from me enough to look into my eyes, "I will always put you first."

Ryan took a step towards me again while pulling me into him. I closed my eyes and sighed in relief. I needed Ryan in my life and I needed him to understand why I had to talk to Ace.

While I had my eyes closed I felt Ryan's lips on my forehead for a second before he pulled away. I felt him lean in and his breath stroke my ear. Although no one was here he whispered so softly that only I could hear his next words, "I love you, Kat."

I felt him pull away from me, but I kept my eyes closed. I wanted to enjoy this moment before it ended before he left and I would be left alone again.

When I opened my eyes moments later, I was already alone. Ryan had already walked away and all I could see was his back facing towards me.

I stared at his back as I whispered, "I love you, Ryan."