Lily and James (werewolf novel) novel Chapter 83

Chapter 0083

(James POV)

“James, if you are here because you think that I can replace Stephanie, you should know… I am not Stephanie. Nor do I want to be.”

I look at Lily in confusion. “Is that what you think? That I am here because I want you to replace your sister?”

“Of course that is what she thinks, you a&&hole!” Luke links me. “Tell her it is not true!!!”

“I am not her, James,” Lily repeats.

“I know that, Lily!” I respond, almost angrily.

“Maybe you know that now… but that day at the waterfall….”

Oh, my Goddess. I had forgotten about the waterfall. I am an even bigger idiot than I thought.

I reach out and take Lily’s hand. ‘Lily, you are my mate. I admit that I used to think that Stephanie was…. but I was wrong. We were all wrong. You are my mate. You.”

“You mean that I am your second chance mate.”

“No, Lily, I mean that you are my first mate, my true mate, my only mate. Unless you had another mate that I am unaware of, which I am pretty sure is impossible, we are first and true mates.”

Lily shakes her head. She seems to be struggling with accepting all of this. “But you loved Stephanie. I cannot compete with her, and I do not want to.”

I sigh. “I did love Stephanie. Or at least I thought I did. I can’t change that. But she is gone now, and my prior love for her does not impact how I am feeling about you right now.”

Still holding her hand, I reach over and stroke her cheek with my other hand. She immediately recoils from my touch and yanks her hand away from me.

“No, James. Do not try to use the mate bond or the sparks as a weapon against me. I am trying to be

serious here.”

So she does still feel the sparks.

“The day that we rejected each other, I made some important decisions. I decided that I would no longer allow myself to live underneath Stephanie’s shadow; to be bullied and ridiculed; or to spend time with people who do not want me or care about me. Life is better for me now that I have left West Mountain. I

“You mean Brady,” I say bitterly. “You mean you have Brady around to care about you.”

She nods. “Brady, yes. But not just Brady. Dr. Hyder and his wife have become like surrogate parents for me. And I have friends now… friends who do not look at me like I am a murderer. Friends who are not