Chasing His Scentless Mate-Chapter 367 The Empty Space He Left

Ava’s POV

The situation with Nate was the last straw. Joseph’s father keeps sending flowers and invitations despite everything. I’ve been trying to ignore it all and pretend it has nothing to do with me.

After Nate’s tragedy, Joseph and I stood face to face at the hospital for hours without him saying a word. I’ve sent messages since then, but no response. We were supposed to stay at Ryan’s house together for safety, but Joseph never showed up. I kept waiting. Where had he disappeared to?

"Ava?" I felt Kyle’s hand on my shoulder. I’d been sitting in a chair in the living room, staring out the window for hours.

"Oh, hey Kyle. I was just... lost in thought."

"I noticed." She sat on the arm of my chair. "Waiting for Joseph?"

At her question, my eyes instantly welled up.

"Want to talk about it? I’m a good listener."

"Did I go too far, Kyle?" I asked, knowing she understood what I meant.

"Can I be brutally honest?"

I nodded.

"It wasn’t just too far, it was cruel, Ava. You gave him hope one minute and snatched it away the next."

"So what do I do now? He can’t even stand to be around me," I sighed, feeling the weight of my actions.

"Now you think about what kind of life you want, and you wait," Kyle said gently.

"Wait? For how long, Kyle?"

"Two weeks. Joseph is leaving for work tomorrow. He’ll be gone for two weeks. When he comes back, his head will be clearer, and you two can talk properly. He’s not here because he’s preparing for his business trip."

I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I went back to my room and cried like a child. In the days that followed, I just went through the motions, counting each day and longing for his return.

Days passed much slower than I expected; in fact, time dragged unbearably. Joseph had never been away traveling for two weeks before, and I couldn’t help wondering if he’d met someone interesting on this trip.

I’d done nothing but go between home and work, avoiding even meeting the girls as much as possible. I’d convinced Ryan it was safe for me to return to my place, saying security would be at my beck and call, which made me feel secure.

"You’ve been moping for days now," Nina said as she sat across from me at a café near my apartment. "I’m worried about you."

"I’m fine," I lied.

"You’re clearly not fine. You barely eat, you hardly sleep, and look at those dark circles! You haven’t even asked about Joseph once."

Nina reached across the table and took my hand. "Ava, I think you need help."

I knew she wanted me to see a therapist. I smiled and said, "I’m fine."

"No, you’re not! Your self-sabotage tendencies, for one." Nina didn’t back down. "You’ve been in love with Joseph since you met him, and the second things got real, you pushed him away. You drugged him, Ava. That’s not normal."

I wanted to argue, but deep down, I knew she was right. I’d acted crazy, pushing away the one person who actually loved me. What was wrong with me?

"I’ll think about it," I finally conceded.

"That’s all I ask."

Three days later, I was sitting in Dr. Marlowe’s office, fidgeting nervously with the hem of my sweater.

"So, Ava," she said, her voice warm and non-judgmental, "tell me why you’re here."

I took a deep breath and told her everything about Joseph—how we met, how I fell in love with him, and how I ended up sabotaging our relationship. I left out all the supernatural stuff. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"It sounds like you’re carrying a lot of emotional baggage," Dr. Marlowe said thoughtfully. "But I’m curious, why do you think you pushed Joseph away when things were getting serious?"

"I don’t know," I admitted. "I just... panicked."

"Did you think he would leave you, like your father left your mother?"

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. "I... maybe? I don’t know."

"It’s common for children of broken relationships to fear abandonment," she explained. "We often create situations where we can control the abandonment rather than waiting for it to happen to us."

By the end of our session, Dr. Marlowe had given me homework: to do something that made me happy, something just for me.

"You need to remember who you are outside of your relationship troubles," she advised. "Reconnect with yourself."

So the next day, I went to the Harbor Bay Shopping Center. I’d always loved shopping—not just buying things, but browsing around, feeling fabrics, trying on clothes.

I was examining a silky blue scarf when a deep, pleasant voice broke through my thoughts.

"That color would complement your eyes beautifully."

I turned around and there was Alpha Kenneth, dressed in an expensive tailored suit. His hair was perfectly styled, and he carried himself with confidence.

"Alpha Kenneth," I said, surprised. "I didn’t expect to see you here."

"Please, just Kenneth when we’re not in formal settings," he said with a warm smile. "I was just picking up a gift when I spotted you. You seemed... troubled."

I forced a smile. "Just lost in thought."

"Ah, the heaviest kind of burden." His eyes were kind, understanding. "Where’s that young Alpha of yours today? Joseph, isn’t it?"

My smile faltered. "He’s... on a business trip."

"I see." Kenneth nodded thoughtfully. "And you’re here alone, looking rather sad. Trouble in paradise?"

I let out a humorless laugh. "You could say that. I... I kind of ruined things."

"I doubt that very much," Kenneth said, his voice gentle. "A beautiful, intelligent woman like yourself? More likely he failed to appreciate what he had."

"That’s kind of you to say, but the truth is, I sabotaged us. I always do." I wasn’t sure why I was being so candid with him.

"Maybe it wasn’t meant to be," he said carefully. "The right relationship shouldn’t need sabotage to feel safe."

His words hit me hard. Had I been sabotaging things because I didn’t really feel safe with Joseph?

"You know," Kenneth continued, "you remind me of someone I knew long ago. She was brilliant and beautiful, but she always held herself back from happiness. She didn’t believe she deserved it."

"What happened to her?" I asked.

His face grew sad. "She never gave herself the chance to find out what she could really do."

We didn’t speak for a moment. Then Kenneth broke the silence.

"You look like you could use something to take your mind off things."

"My therapist did say I should do something to make myself happy," I admitted.

"Then let me help with that." Kenneth’s eyes brightened. "I know just the place. Somewhere special that always makes me feel better when I’m down."

"Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that."

"Don’t worry about it. It would be my pleasure. Sometimes we need a fresh view from someone who isn’t involved in our problems."

I wasn’t sure. Was it okay to go somewhere with another Alpha? But Kenneth was old enough to be my father. His concern felt genuine, like a parent’s.

"I promise, it’s nothing weird," he said, like he could read my mind. "Just a beautiful place not many people know about. Problems seem smaller there, and everything feels possible."

I thought about it. Joseph had been gone for days now. He hadn’t even sent a text. What did I owe him?

Kenneth held out his hand. His eyes were kind and his smile made me feel safe. "Trust me, Ava. Come with me."

I looked at his hand and made my choice. Maybe this was exactly what I needed. A chance to see things differently, even if just for today.

I took his hand.