He crawled off the rock, going down to her level. She didn't break contact with him. If anything, she looked amazed.
After a few moments of silence, she took a few steps toward him. He tensed, and she stopped but only for a second. She tilted her head to the left, watching him.
She took several more until she was right in front of him. She pulled a hand up and carefully ran it over his back. He felt a spark roll over his body, and a little of his anger slipped away.
After a few moments, she took a step back and just stared at him. He could see her eyes taking in his form, going from his head over his body. She scanned his tail and his large paws. He watched her swallow, and she took another step back with a sigh.
She ran her hands through her hair before she leaned back, seating herself on a log. She rubbed her face, sighing again. She looked defeated.
He wanted to ask her why she didn't get in the car and go home. He wanted to ask her many things, ending with why she didn't believe they were meant to be together.
But she couldn't understand him, and he figured maybe they didn't need to talk. It seemed when they did, they didn't understand each other anyway.
She rubbed her hands together, and finally, she broke the silence. "When you grow up, you always think about what normal is. You try to fit yourself into that category, and you work hard every day to be what everyone else is. If you aren't what people see as normal, you're different."
She frowned, rubbing her thumbs together. "My parents made it hard to be normal, so I've tried to always be as close to it as I could get. I always thought normal was parents together and plenty of money with no worries."
She looked at him. "But seeing you like this, in your animal form, it's not normal. But the more I think about everything, I don't think there is a normal."
He watched as she sighed, looking back at her hands.
"There is a lot about you that I don't know, Devlin. And maybe you feel we are ready to be together, but I'm not feeling that. You're a shifter, and this is the first time I've ever seen you in this form. I can't imagine what else I don't know about you."
She had a point. There was a lot about him that she didn't know. He hadn't told her about his past, and he didn't want to. She had a point, but the rejection still hurt, nonetheless.
"And as much as I don't know you, you don't know me. I know that you believe we are fated mates, destined to be together, but I'm not going to lie and agree with you. I don't feel that we were destined to be together, and I don't feel that I can be a real partner in this relationship."
He wanted to talk, but damn he couldn't. His form didn't allow it, and it was these types of moments he hated. He wanted to shift, but she continued.
"What can I give you that you don't already have, Devlin? Honestly, I'm hardly together, let alone able to help you with anything. Because fated mates or not, I have to provide you with something. No ordinary woman is just going to go into a relationship feeling like she's just a side piece you were stuck with."
Was that how she felt? Just an odd piece he wanted to add?
She frowned, tilting her head to the side. "I want to be able to bring something to our relationship, Devlin. I want to be able to share in your dreams. Be able to make your favorite meal when you're sick and need a pick-me-up. I want to be there when you succeed, and I want to hold you when things crap out. I want to be able to grow with you, but how can I do that when you're already so far ahead of me? I can't be part of that when I don't feel a connection with you."
He wanted to shift even more. He wanted to explain to her that these were all things they could talk about if she had just brought them up. But he also knew he was in the wrong. He'd acted like a complete ass and didn't think about anything other than what he wanted.
He knew that she was human, and it would be harder for her to build a connection with him. While he felt the spark the second he laid eyes on her, it wasn't the same for her. He knew humans took longer to fall in love.
He'd said things he shouldn't have, and he knew he'd hurt her. Calling her cruel and jumping the gun was on him.
They both turned as they heard a rustle, and the driver came out of some shrubs. He sighed, catching his breath. "There you are, Kate. My god, it took forever to find you. Are you ready to get home?"
She couldn't leave when they were finally starting to get somewhere.
Kate pulled herself up, patting her outfit down. "My apologies. I didn't mean to make you wait. I just needed to say a few things to Devlin first." She turned back to him. "Think about everything, Devlin. I know I will."
He wanted to stop her, but he couldn't. He could see the hurt in her eyes and knew it was better she left. She made substantial points. He'd been thinking about himself this entire time and didn't think about her.
She had a good point. They hardly knew each other, and there was still so much they could learn.
She stood looking at him for a moment before she turned and walked away with the driver. He felt all his muscles contract, and he needed to start opening up to her.
If he really wanted something to work between him and her, he had to stop holding her an arm's length away. She just wanted him to be honest, and he knew that.
He stood frozen, thinking everything over. He didn't like the idea of her knowing the truth and knowing he had been involved in ruining people's lives, even unknowingly. He didn't want her to know the truth about what happened between him and his mentor. It was the entire reason he had a hard time trusting people.
But Kate had been open and honest about her past since day one, and she was only asking that he return the favor. Was that too much to ask? No, it wasn't.