Rose Jade had met her mate last night. Given everything she had to say about him and what they did, I wasn’t exactly certain how she had untangled herself from the sheets long enough to find her way dress shopping for Lya’s luna ceremony with us. He sounded lovely, though. A career warrior here, but had recently made the switch over to Cyber. I had met him before, Daniel, but didn’t have much of an opinion of him, what with him finishing up his training as I was just starting. He had been stationed in the southernmost town of the pack until he made his transition over to Cyber. “He’s just dreamy,” Jade sighed. “I am so excited I had already agreed to accept a position here. Otherwise I’d have to enroll in the training program or something,” she giggled. Lya and Anna tittered on about Jade’s newfound mate with her while I just tried to avoid any and all conversations about mates. Something about salt in the wound. I had lost count of how many dresses Lya had tried on. Each one
Liam The pang that rung through my chest nearly brought me to my knees. A bitter taste soured my tongue, causing me to gag. ‘What is this?’ I demanded of Alo, wracking my brain for every illness that could hit a wolf like this. ‘That’s heartbreak,’ he said in a somber tone. I could feel him trying to push away from me, sending reassurance and comfort to his mate. Rose’s wolf had to be feeling it just as strongly if it was hitting us this hard. ‘Why?’ I growled, trying to rein my wolf back in. I didn’t need the two wolves forming any more of a connection than they had already. Alo didn’t respond, and rightfully so. He had more pressing matters. They should have been just as important to me, but the idea that the best thing for Rose was to be as far away from me as possible permeated all thoughts I had of trying to fix the bond. She would undoubtedly be good for me, but I wouldn’t be good for her. And because of that, we would destroy each other. Again, I never wanted a mate.
Rose I felt him before I saw him. I took too long to make a run for it, consumed by the soothing scent of a bonfire to make my escape. I turned slowly as my skin blazed. He took a step toward me. I was against the kitchen counter, though, with nowhere to go. “My bunny doesn’t run anymore.” His voice stoked on the embers quickly consuming me. I struggled to breath, the fire sapping all the oxygen out of the room. Why had I always thought proof of mate bonds were sparks, when this one was flames that would destroy you? Maybe it was a sign that this bond wasn’t right. But the mate bond was always right, wasn’t that what Lya said? “What do you want, Liam?” He reached out and snagged a strand of my hair, studying it closely. “Just to talk.” I huffed. “Then talk.” Finally, Liam looked up to me. “Alone.” He turned, walking out of the kitchen. His grasp around my wrist left me no option but to follow. To be honest, though, I would have followed him to the ends of the earth with
Liam We ran, enjoying the chase. Enjoying being chased. Part of me thought Alo was trying to run away from me. We fought for control, but Alo slowly conceded as he realized I was enjoying this as much as he was. I hated to admit it, but I adored my bunny. I would gather the stars from the sky for her if she just gave the slightest inclination that was what she wanted. And that was exactly why this needed to end. But I was selfish. She was faster than us, so soon enough we were chasing her. Trying to keep up with her, rather. We were out of her territory when Alo finally caught up with her. Alo stood at the edge of the clearing for a moment, watching his mate in her human form. He didn’t complain when I pushed forward and asked for control, though. I laid down beside her naked form, not even trying to hold up the walls I had previously tried to keep so firmly intact and in place. It took but a fleeting moment to realize this was all I ever wanted. “I’m a Wulver, Rose,” I
Rose I took my time making my way to the training grounds. I was so hurt, and I needed to blow off some steam. I was a scout, I didn’t need to clock as many training hours as my warrior counterparts did, but since meeting Liam, I had been keeping up with the warriors on the training field. My scouting skills were sharp enough to warrant me graduating a year early, so I figured I could take a week or so focusing more on combat. I worked in with a group from my graduating class, alternating between offense and defense. As a scout, my combat training was primarily in defensive maneuvers, but if things kept going this poorly with my mate, I was certain my offensive fighting would be up to snuff enough to be dual trained. “Rose!” Cody called across the field, pulling my attention away from the fight I was watching. I made my way over to him. “Yes, Gamma?” He was on the clock, he was Gamma right now. “You looking to make a career change or something?” he chuckled. “You’ve been out h
Liam I didn’t even look down at my little mate as she flitted out of Cody’s office and I marched in. I bit back the discomfort at her being in a room behind a closed door with him. I was quick to remind myself that he was my friend and her superior. I could trust him with her. Alo was still unsettled, though. I found Cody perched on the edge of his couch, Woodford in hand, a small smile flitting across his face. I grabbed for the bottle and a glass, plonking down in the spot I could tell Rose had just been sitting. “Did you lose your wolf when you rejected Ellie?” I demanded. Cody looked up at me, shock etched across his face. “What? No. You’ve seen me shift since then.” I nodded, a bit of relief sweeping over me. Sometimes, rejection was the thing you were supposed to do with a mate bond, it seemed. “That’s the second time I’ve been asked that today. What’s going on?” he asked. I shrugged my shoulders, having no idea why someone else would have asked him such a question.
Rose I sat in Anna’s closet room while Jade made the rounds, doing all our makeup, and Anna stayed on top of making sure all our mimosas stayed full. Lya kept making comments on how she didn’t see how this was any different from a wedding or an inauguration, and we all took turns telling her it was both. Hair, however, was where Jade shone. She tried desperately to add some volume to my stick straight hair, her frustration growing with every attempt. She settled on waterfall braids and somehow got some soft waves to stick. I knew they would fall flat by the ceremony, but it was a noble effort. I was envious of what she was able to do with Lya’s auburn curls, though, taming the waves and weaving in little gems to randomly placed braids. Anna’s deep brunette hair was done up in a sophisticated updo with curls framing her face, and even Jade’s chestnut waves looked professionally styled just down. I felt bland. I felt like an imposter surrounded by these ungodly gorgeous women. It
Liam I sat in Rose’s apartment, examining the space. It was small, just a little studio, but she had put her mark on it. It was organized, each area having a designation and its own color scheme. Her kitchen was kept neat, and she was apparently not one to make her bed. I claimed I was here to interrogate her on her date once she got back - assuming she came back - but truthfully, being surrounded by her scent was keeping me calm even when I knew she was with another man. I felt everything. Every time Cody touched her, I felt a mild burning sensation against my skin. When he held her hand, I wanted to rip my own off. When he drifted too far up her thigh, her scent was barely enough to contain me. Nothing hurt, per se, but the meaning behind it was too much. But I also felt that she didn’t reciprocate. Not once. She pulled her hand from his, making me decide my hand could remain attached another day. Her adjusting so his hand fell away from her leg was the only thing that kept