Chapter Two

Himera

Elliot refuses to leave the apartment until I agree to go to his pack with him later today.

“I promise you it'll be worth it,” he says. 

“I said I'll come,” I reply, my voice stern. “But that doesn't mean I'll let you or your brother claim me.”

His smirk morphs into a teasing grin.

“Sure,” he shrugs. “I'll pick you up at five PM.”

“Whatever,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Leave before I change my mind.”

He pumps a fist in the air playfully, completely oblivious to the plan forming in my mind. 

I pick up my phone the moment he leaves and FaceTime my best friend.

“Hey, you,” she says, trying to balance between holding the phone to her face and bouncing her pup on her lap. “How's Spain so far?”

“It's… weird,” I say, watching admiringly as her mate, Maxwell, lifts their pup off her lap, allowing her to hold the phone properly.

“Thanks, babe,” she says to him, and for a second, I imagine that it is me and Elliot living that life. 

Yeah. He's not leaving my mind anytime soon. And it'll only get worse until I let fate take its course. Until he marks me.

“Himera?” Wendy says, snapping me out of my thoughts. 

“Yeah?” I respond.

A wide grin spreads across her face.

“You're blushing.”

“No, I'm not,” I deny, even though I can clearly feel the heat in my cheeks.

“Talk to me,” she says. “I know you've called to tell me about one of your wild one-night stands.”

“I found my mate,” I blurt out, and she screams.

She screams so loudly it makes me want to hang up on her.

“I'm so happy for you, Himera,” she finally says. “Did you sleep with him? Did he mark you? What's his name?”

“Yes. No. Elliot,” I answer.

“Why didn't he mark you?” She asks, concerned.

“He said he couldn't do that while I was drunk,” I shrug. “And I'm so glad he didn't.”

“Such a gentleman,” Wendy says. “Why don't you seem to like him?”

“He claims his brother is my mate too,” I say. “Something about his bloodline being special… mates are shared between brothers.”

Wendy's jaw hangs open as she stares at me, probably just as shocked as I was by Elliot’s story.

“Say something,” I shrug, and somehow, she manages to close her mouth.

“So you have two mates?” She asks, raising two fingers.

“Aparently,” I say. “But I'm not letting that happen. I won't let them claim me.”

“What will you do?”

“Elliot is to take me to his pack later today so I can meet his older brother,” I say. “But by the time he comes to pick me up, I won't be here. I'll be on a flight back home.”

Wendy shakes her head.

“I'm sorry, but I'm not in support of that idea,” she says. “You can't run away from fate, but you can confront it. Go and meet his brother. If you still feel the same about having two mates afterward, then reject them and move on.”

“It's so easy for you to say…”

“Because I'm mated?” She cuts in. “Bullshit, Himera. You've waited years for your mate. Don't do anything stupid now that you've found not one, but two. Go and meet his brother, and let fate guide you.”

I hang up on her and immediately book a flight back to America. I don't care what Wendy thinks, but I'm not going against tradition by taking two mates. People would call me a whore. A polyandrous bitch. Heck, my parents would never agree to that.

I take a hot shower and scrub Elliot off my skin, memories of how animalistic we were last night flooding my mind the entire time and arousing me. He fucked me so well, it felt like I was discovering sex for the first time.

I keep on suppressing my wolf as I pack my belongings into my travel bag, ignoring its pain and desperate pleas to find Elliot. I hail a cab at the roadside and watch the city blur past as we drive toward the airport.

I'm an hour early, so I sit in the check-in area, waiting. But thirty minutes in, an announcement comes through–my flight has been cancelled. I don't even bother listening to the reason. I'm up and already on my feet, storming to the check-in desk.

“Are there any other flights flying to America?” I ask the woman behind the desk. “Maybe a private jet I could hop on? I really need to leave, it's an emergency.”

“No, Ma’am,” she says. “You'd need prior arrangements for that.”

“Look,” I say, trying to stay calm. “I have the money needed for an upgrade. I'm sure there's a flight headed to America soon.”

“America, huh?” A familiar voice says.

I turn and find Elliot standing there, a frown on his face.

“Mr. Leonard,” the woman behind the desk says. 

“Samantha,” he replies. “Is my jet ready?”

The woman nods, her cheeks flushing. “I bet it is.”

“Let's go,” he says, wrapping his hand around my wrist and leading me toward the private terminal.

How did he find me?

Perhaps it's my scent, but it can't be strong enough for him to track me, given that he hasn't marked me. 

So how did he find me?

I try to pull my hand free, but it's useless. It's like I'm not even trying.

“Let go of me,” I say, planting my feet, but he keeps walking, forcing me to follow unless I want to be dragged across the floor.

Elliot ignores me completely, scooping me into his arms before taking the airstairs. He only sets me down once we're inside, placing me in a seat across from him.

“What did you think you were doing?” He asks through gritted teeth. “Running away?”

I sigh, scanning for an escape even though I know there isn't one. Under normal circumstances, I'd be admiring the jet's interior, soaking in the experience of my first time on one–but right now, I'm panicking. And angry. So fucking angry.

“I'm talking to you, Himera,” Elliot says, his dark eyes fixed on me. 

“Yes, Elliot,” I snap. “I was running away, and you fucking ruined it.”

“I didn't ruin anything,” he says, nonchalantly. “You're the one who almost ruined everything by going against our agreement. You said you'd meet my brother.”

“I know,” I shout, “but that was the only way you were going to leave my apartment.”

He reaches out, placing his hand on my knee, rubbing it before giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I'm sorry,” he says. 

“For what?” I scoff. “Kidnapping me?”

“Anything to keep my mate,” he replies, before pouring two glasses of expensive liquor.