Chasing His Scentless Mate (Caroline) novel Chapter 129

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Chapter 129: Chapter 129 Ruined by Timing

Caroline’s POV

I had a quiet weekend. Jax sent countless messages apologizing for not being able to see me, as he had several pack emergencies to handle. As Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, which was smaller than Storm Valley, he had duties that couldn’t wait.

"I’m so sorry, Carrie," his text read Sunday morning."Rogue sightings along our border. Dad needs my help coordinating patrols with neighboring packs. Rain check on our coffee date?"

I understood his obligations, but couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.

Clara spent Sunday with us and spoiled Liam all day long. She got him a gift from London, and he loved it, a toy building set that made Buckingham Palace, with a small mat showing the streets and a red double-decker bus. Everything was bright, and the bus could move and light up.

"Clara, how am I supposed to compete with that?"Eleanor said with a smile, watching Liam laugh happily as he put together and took apart the blocks.

Clara gave me lots of advice about both Jax and Draven. She’d only been gone a few weeks, but somehow knew my problems better than I did.

"You know, Caroline," she said while Liam was napping, "the bond between mates is stronger than any human relationship. I’ve seen how Draven looks at you, even if he doesn’t know it yet."

"But I can’t be his mate," I whispered. "I don’t have a scent he can recognize."

Clara’s eyes softened. "Not all bonds are formed through scent alone."

She counseled me to take things slow with Jax, suggesting that my situation with Draven might still work out. I assured her that Jax was just a friend, and although he clearly wanted something more, my love for Draven was deeply rooted in my heart. But I couldn’t put my life on hold and simply wait for the day when, maybe, possibly, Draven would be free for me.

"The mating ceremony is in three months," Clara reminded me gently. "I’ve seen enough of these political matings to know they rarely bring happiness. Just... don’t close any doors yet."

After that, the week flew by. Jax sent me messages every day but had to make a last-minute trip to California to handle some business at his father’s company. He apologized profusely for having to cancel our plans again, promising to bring me a special gift when he returned.

"I’ll make it up to you," his message read. "There’s this little spot by the lake where the moonlight hits just right. Perfect for a late dinner under the stars. My wolf’s going crazy not seeing you."

The following Monday,Clara went back to London earlier than we wanted, making us miss her already. Eleanor and I wanted to take her to the airport, but she said Draven had already said he’d drive her before going to work.

"He’s trying, Caroline," she told me as we hugged goodbye. "He may not show it, but he’s fighting an internal battle every day. "

I arrived at my office and,as every Monday since I started working at Thorne Enterprises, there was a beautiful arrangement of tulips with a card from Draven. The message was always the same,that he would love me until his last breath and regretted putting us in this impossible situation. I admired the tulips for a moment, then sat at my desk and put the card in a small box at the back of my drawer, along with all the others.

"Good morning, Carrie. How are you today? I brought you something."

Ryan came in, cheerful as always, and placed a package of four chocolate chip muffins on my desk that were still warm.The rich, sweet aroma made my mouth water instantly. I looked at him with sparkling eyes and a childlike smile.

"I love chocolate chip muffins. Thank you, Ryan!"

"That’s great, because I brought this too." He placed a huge, steaming cup of cappuccino on my desk.

"You’re the best boss in the world! Just what I needed." I said and watched his smile widen.

"The audit team needs our quarterly projections today," he reminded me. "Clara left some notes before she left for London,said you’d know what to do with them."

Ryan went into his office, and I invited Ava to eat with me at my desk, but she declined since Ryan had brought her food too and she was swamped with work preparing documents for the ongoing audit.

I was eating my pastries while working through Clara’s meticulous notes when Draven walked into the room. My breath caught in my throat. He was gorgeous as always in a charcoal gray suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and tall frame.

He stopped by my side, scratched the back of his neck, and said,"I came to talk to Ryan."

"Of course, go ahead."

I couldn’t help but stare at him, completely mesmerized. How I loved him. We hadn’t seen each other the week before—with Clara visiting and the audit team taking over our floor, he had worked from his home office all week. I was dying to see him and couldn’t take my eyes off him.