Chapter 9: Chapter 9

I knocked hopefully on Ludwig's door and waited impatiently until he finally opened it and stood in front of me, covered only with a towel. His body looked sweaty and I blushed slightly when a woman appeared behind him, leaving me completely speechless.

"How can I help you Lou?" he asked kindly as always, whereupon I opened my mouth but couldn't get a word out. The brown-haired woman with the soft curls was standing right at his side, making me nervous before she kindly extended her hand while holding her red bathrobe with the other.

"I've heard a lot about you Malou, I'm Isabell."

I looked down at her hand from her face and hesitantly gave mine to her, but she radiated exactly the same calmness as the blonde next to her, so I assumed she must be an angel too.

"I'm glad," I smiled at her politely, before turning back to Ludwig. "Can we talk?"

He nodded and asked me to give him ten minutes, so they closed the door and I nervously stood in the street. I was really surprised to see a woman with him, but even so, my thoughts immediately refocused on Chace and the unknown blonde who was already hanging around my house like a bitch in heat.

"So, what's up?" Ludwig approached me dressed and tied his hair into a loose bun.

"You gave up on Chiara back then because you knew she was meant for Jayden. Why did you do that?"

He looked at me confused and seemed thoughtful for a moment until he smiled and shook his head.

"They were just companions and I had no right to interfere any further," he said, and his smile immediately turned to a worried expression.

"Why are you asking me that?"

I looked down at my white shoes and the hopelessness overwhelmed all my other feelings.

"Chace found his mate," I whispered, closing my eyes as I felt tears welling in them. I heard Ludwig approach and shortly afterwards felt his arms carefully wrapped around my body and then his hand stroking my back soothingly.

"I'm so sorry," he breathed and I immediately freed myself from his embrace and glared at him angrily.

"Why are you sorry?! I didn't say we were breaking up! Because we're not. We love each other and I'm just here to ask if there's any way he could talk about her quickly get away," I cried out in desperation, then held my breath to choke back tears.

The blonde avoided my gaze and looked down the street.

"He'll never get over her. Fate will always bring those who belong together back together."

He looked me in the eye again and I saw in his the deep pity he felt for me. I realized at that moment that if Chace really decided to accept his fate, everyone would be looking at me like that before long.

I'd just be Lou, the alpha's brief past that's been replaced with something better.

Deeply sad, I averted my gaze from him and just walked towards the hut without saying goodbye or doing anything else. My world would never be the same again, it kept running through my mind. Memories played out that showed me his laughter, which had always warmed my heart. His eyes, the way they literally undressed me when we cuddled and his soft lips, which had shown me over and over again how much he loved me, but from that day on, those images were all just bitter, blurry lies, driving me into a deep sadness let fall.

Arrived at the hut I was about to open the door in tears until I noticed a dark "Hey" behind me. I quickly wiped my tears and turned to look directly into Alec's eyes.

"Are you alright?" he slowly approached me, but I just gave him a deathly look and quickly disappeared into the house. Why did he have to show up? Why did she have to show up? The anger inside me literally tore my heart apart and out of anger I threw everything that was previously placed nicely on the table on the floor until only shards and broken plastic covered the floor. I cried again and went to the bedroom to get into Chace's arms, but he wasn't there. I ran down the hallway to the bathroom in a panic, but he wasn't there either.

Where was he? with her? How come?!!!

I sat down on the toilet in tears and only uttered tortured sounds that caused my heart such pain that it was almost unbearable.

We had just finished eating when I thanked Jo and wanted to go home when Jayden got up and offered to accompany me a bit.

The sun shone down on us as we walked down the street and it wasn't until he started a conversation that I took my eyes off the sky.

"What's the matter with you guys? And don't lie to me. I can tell that something is wrong," he explained and looked me seriously in the eyes, so that I stopped for a moment and looked down.

"You know about Lou's companions, don't you?" I asked, turning my gaze back to him.

"Yes, but what's the problem? She would never leave you. Fate doesn't interest her at all."

His words sent chills down my spine, but I continued, despite a heavy heart.

"My companion showed up shortly after."

His ice blue eyes widened and I could almost feel him understanding what that meant. After all, he was the one who predicted it and also the one I promised to always love his sister and never leave. It was cruel to look into his eyes and I avoided his gaze.

"What are you planning to do now?" he said calmly, but the tremor in his voice couldn't be ignored. Either he would pull himself together not to cut off my head, or he knew his sister would soon lose everything.

"That's it, I don't know anymore. I don't know anything anymore. I love Lou so much, you have to believe me, but I suddenly feel incomplete, like something is missing and this emptiness tears me apart. "

He put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me sadly.

"I dated so many women before Chiara came and I can only tell you that you will only find true happiness with your companion. Even if she is my sister, she is not your destiny and maybe you should just be talk in peace before I both break down trying to hold something together that never belonged together."

The words coming out of his mouth made me freeze for a moment. He was absolutely right, but how am I supposed to explain that to Lou. She wasn't like us, she would never understand. I had promised her so many things and now I would have to break her heart. I couldn't, even thinking about it took my breath away.

"Do what you think is right. We are here for you, anytime."

He pulled me briefly to his chest and gave me a friendly pat on the back before turning and heading back home.

"What I think is right," I whispered to myself and closed my eyes, which made Samira appear to me immediately, who had taken everything in me just by two encounters. How could that be? While I was there when Jayden fought for Chiara, I never imagined those connections to be so intense.

With an aching heart, I made my way to our hut and then, after taking deep breaths several times, opened the door to first admire the pure chaos. There was broken glass everywhere and before I could even realize what had happened, Lou ran out of the hallway and jumped into my arms.

"You're back," she sobbed into my t-shirt, clutching my body tightly with her arms and legs. Oh god, I thought, how should I tell her that I was unhappy? How should I bring this over my heart? But if I didn't do it, she would never be happy either, because I couldn't give her what I gave her before Samira.

"Lou, we have to talk," I said calmly and wanted to pull her away from me, but she only made tortured noises and was shaking all over.

My heart wouldn't take it, it hurt so much and I could hardly breathe in this situation. I loved her and everything was fine. I wish I had never met Samira, but that was unstoppable. When the first tears threatened to run down my face, I had to use all my strength to pull Lou from my body, who was staring at me in terror.

Standing there, her hands shaking, her face wet with tears, her eyes already swollen. So dainty and small, my spider monkey, I had to close my eyes to not break what I was going to do to her.

"Chace?" she sobbed softly, whimpering so painfully that my whole body ached from the stress.

"I have to go," I breathed, opening my eyes again to watch her face drain from life. She only slowly realized what that meant and I saw her eyes getting bigger and bigger, the tears running faster and faster down her face and I quickly walked past her to pack some of my things into a backpack. I would move into Ethan's trailer, she shouldn't have to give up this cabin.

"Please, please," she stuttered, yelping over and over as she snuck into the bedroom and clung to my back.

"I have to, it's for the best for both of us," I whispered, having to pull myself together not to change my mind.

"No!" she suddenly cried out in desperation, clutching me even tighter.

"Lou, don't make it harder than it is."

I could have hit myself for those words, but what should I do? To stay with her for love of her, to be miserable forever?

"Don't you love me anymore?" she asked crying and turned me to her.

"Of course I love you," I said and now I couldn't hold back my tears either. "But love alone is not enough for happiness."

I kissed her forehead and let her stand so she couldn't see my tears. I wanted her to get over it all quickly and that there was no hope left in her.

"Chace!" she yelled, and as I closed the front door behind me, I heard one last yelp of agony before all went quiet.

I would ask Jayden to look after her and after that I needed some time to myself.