Page 126 of Ice Devil
“She’s my mate.”
“So I heard.”
He flipped the burgers again, not bothering to look in my direction. Why did I have the distinct feeling he was annoyed with me?
“You have no fatherly advice?”
“Will you listen?”
“Yes. Maybe. I don’t know.” I took a pull on my beer, hating I was sweating like a pig.
“I thought so.” He was dancing to the music, acting as if he had no care in the world when mine was about ready to implode.
“It’s not only because of losing my contract. I don’t know if I care about playing hockey any longer.”
Even that didn’t cause a reaction.
“Okay, fine. I don’t want to lose her.”
“Then don’t.” He finally looked me directly in the eyes all while placing the patties on a serving platter.
“So you’re telling me I should forbid her to leave?”
“You don’t get it, son. Do you?”
“What does that mean?”
“You can’t chase what you don’t own. She’s not your property. She might be your mate, but she’s her own woman. She’s proven that time and time again. Let her go.”
“That sounds a lot like an oxymoron, Dad.”
He finally chuckled. “I realize you and your brothers and sister only recently realized your mother was human. Maybe we shouldn’t have waited so long to share that with you. I think that jaded your perceptions of what being lucky enough to find your mate truly means. Not every shifter does nor are they required to.”
“I don’t think I knew that.”
“That’s what I mean. Your mother crashed into my life much like Sloane did with you. Mags was exactly like Sloane. Willful. Her own woman. A professional with a job she loved. While we were close, she had a life in another state. Even after realizing we were meant for each other, she wasn’t certain she could stay. I made the mistake of chasing her like a rabid dog. All that did was push her away.”
“Okay. So I let her go and what, she’ll come back to me? She’ll figure out she can’t live without me because I’m such a catch?” I tried to laugh it off, even grinning as if I truly was all that and a bag of chips. But I knew better.
So did my father.
“You’re one annoying young man, Beck. As hell. Haven’t you ever heard the expression about letting something go?”
“Maybe, but I’m certain you’re going to refresh my memory.”
“You bet I am. A quote accredited to Khalil Gibran. ‘If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don’t, they never were.’ That’s something you need to understand and be prepared to live by. Even though physically she’s your mate, that doesn’t and won’t mean she’s your possession. That’s the difference in learning to be human instead of beasts of the wild. But in truth, you don’t want a woman without a backbone. That’s not how you were raised.”
I fiddled with the label on the beer bottle, noticing she continued to glance in my direction. “Yeah, I know.”
“And it hurts like hell. If that’s the case, then you know you love her. While chemistry and our DNA create a need, the difference that creates our lives and our happiness is all about appreciating love when it comes along. Not because it’s forced, but because it was meant to be. Let her go.”
“How did you finally turn Mom around?”
“Time and a dozen roses sent to her every day.”
“What?”
“Yep. I drained my bank account. She finally flew out to tell me to stop. After that? Well, my charm took over. Take these to the table.” He winked as he handed me the platter.
