Chapter 249

**Chapter 0249**

I bit my lower lip and nodded. I didn’t want to lie to him.

“Yes,” I admitted. “Are you okay?”

He looked at me closely for a moment.

His eyes searched my face, trying to see if I really cared about him and if he was okay. Once he found the answer he needed, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Yeah… she’s going to make things complicated,” he murmured. “She…”

“I can’t accept ‘no’ as an answer,” she said firmly.

“You did the right thing by telling her there was no chance,” I replied. “Leading her on wouldn’t have done any good.”

He nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I really don’t want to hurt her,” he said sincerely.

“I always say what I mean. I never thought I would find my mate. Honestly, I didn’t even think I wanted one,” he admitted.

“And now?” I asked, curious about his feelings.

He paused for a moment, lost in thought.

His eyes moved from my face to the ground.

“I’m still not sure,” he said honestly. “But the moment I saw her, I knew I had to see her again. I can’t let her go without talking to her first.”

Harper was right. I didn’t really know her. I hadn’t had a real conversation with her. If I let her go… it would feel like I was rejecting her. I would always regret not talking to her first.

I stared at him for a moment, trying to understand what he meant.

I nodded, thinking about his words.

“Okay… what do you suggest?” I asked him.

“Do you think you could have her come here?” he replied. “Maybe tonight? I can talk to her and…”

“Then we can decide together what to do. I think I should at least talk to her and include her in this decision. After all, rejection could really hurt her and her wolf if we aren’t on the same page about things.”

I bit my lower lip, feeling sad for my best friend.

“I think you owe her that much,” I said to him. “But it will have to wait until she’s feeling better.”

“She’s in the hospital until tomorrow,” I said.

Chester’s eyes widened as he turned to look at me. I could see his face go pale.

“W…what?” he stammered, sitting up straight. “What are you talking about?”

“She’s in the hospital,” I said again, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. “She spent the last few days drinking, and one of the beers she had was expired. That’s how she got alcohol poisoning. She had surgery earlier, and now…”

I paused, feeling a mix of worry and frustration. We all knew how much she struggled with her drinking. It was hard to watch someone you care about go down such a dangerous path. All we could do now was hope she would recover and find a way to change.

“She’s recovering,” I said.

Chester stopped breathing for a moment as he stared at me.

After what felt like a long time, I waved my hand in front of his face. He blinked a few times, as if he was just starting to remember where he was.

Chester hurried past me, his eyes filled with urgency. “I need to see her,” he said.

“Whoa there,” I replied, grabbing his arm to stop him. “I think she’s been through enough, Chester.”

He turned to face me, surprise written all over his face.

His wolf was at the surface, and his eyes were wild.

“What?” he asked.

—

**Chapter 02409**

“I said she’s been through enough. Let her rest,” I repeated. “I’ll bring her here tomorrow and—”

“Just let it go for now,” I said.

He looked at me for a moment longer, and I thought he might refuse my request and walk away. But to my surprise, he agreed. He sighed, dropped his hands, and relaxed.

He groaned softly, and I patted him on the back.

“Get some sleep,” I said gently. “Tomorrow, we’re picking up Nan from the hospital. And you, sir, will be driving.”

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