Brayden’s Mate—Chapter 30

Brayden drove around the corner and parked the car.

Every turn of the wheel was like a stab in his heart. His one true love had the opportunity to make something of herself. All he could offer her was a cabin in the mountains. Sure, she could commute to the station in Fort Collins, but she’d never have a better offer than to work for the Weather Channel. They would even pay for her to get her master’s degree in meteorology while she was employed with them. That was quite an offer. If she turned it down for him, she’d resent him some day. It was better that she hate him now. They’d both get over it. She’d be successful and find someone else.

Brayden would never find anyone else that he would love as much as he loved her, but he would go on with his life knowing that she was happy. He would never forgive himself if she gave up her dream to be with him.

He took a deep breath and adjusted the air conditioning vent so that the cold air blew in his face. She would thank him one day. One day when she was doing the job that she was meant to do. She would look back and be grateful that he had left – before they fell in love.

It was already too late. It had been too late for Brayden the moment he’d seen her. He’d loved her from the moment he’d found her in the tree.

He raised his chin and forced himself to drive away. Tried to ignore the shards of pain that shot through his heart as he moved further and further away from her.

If he had any doubt before that she was his fated mate, that doubt disappeared by the mile. Every mile drove another shard into his heart.

By the time he got back to the lodge, there would be nothing left of him. He would be no more than a shell of a man.