Confused

“Do not tell me you are coming in late today! I am already understaffed.” Rosco’s booming voice on the phone made Aria cringe.

“I am not… I swapped this evening’s shift with Shio. She’ll take care of it. But I wanted to ask if I can work only the night shift. Something has come up and I can’t work mornings anymore.”

“You want the shift no one else wants? Sure. Take it… all of them?”

“Yes, all of them. I want to do night shifts only,” she stated firmly.

No day shifts meant she wouldn’t have to see the Blackrock brothers anymore. She could finish work before they even arrived.

Rosco agreed to give her the night shifts, a bit more gleefully than she liked.

Limping around her apartment, she wished she wasn’t like this. For a moment, she wondered how her life would have been if she had been like the other alpha wolves in her family—strong and brave. Maybe the Blackrock who was supposed to be her mate would have fought for her, desired her.

Desire… a strange word she had no connection to. She had never been allowed to want anything. Any desire she dared to have only brought trouble when her father found out and stamped it out.

But alone, away from anyone, in the comfort of her own home, she wondered what it would be like to date Lucian or Damian.

Damian… the name sent a chill through her. The strong, beast-like man who barked orders and had them obeyed instantly. She imagined what it might be like if she were his mate and he claimed her. A blush rose to her cheeks, and she tried to push the thought away.

He was the Beast of Blackrock. He wouldn’t want someone as weak as her.

Meanwhile, Damian sat at home staring into space. His wolf had gone back to sleep for the moment, but he wondered who his mate was. Was she some beautiful businesswoman? Some cunning adversary he could win over?

Lucian had always been the one good with the ladies. Damian had always been the brute who didn’t bother with feelings and relied only on strength. Even as children, Lucian had girls fawning over him, cooing about how “cute” he was.

Damian often laughed at him, teasing and scoffing. He boasted that he didn’t care about validation from women.

But sitting here now, after feeling his wolf cry out for someone he hadn’t even seen, he wondered what it would be like to have a woman look at him with affection.

Maybe she was a warrior like him, strong and brave. A smile tugged at his lips at the thought. Maybe they would spar together. He was sure she would be a large woman like him, muscled and solid as a rock.

“Thinking about your lady love there?” Lucian interrupted with a knowing smile. Damian’s own smile disappeared immediately.

He shook his head. “Just wondering who it could have been.”

“Did the guy send you the list of guests who came that night?”

“He did, but as far as I know, there were no female werewolves there. The only women were humans.”

“What about the workers?”

“The workers? I didn’t think about them. I’ll ask him to send a list…”

“Are you sure it was from a mate? I haven’t found mine either,” Lucian shrugged.

“You killed yours…” Damian rolled his eyes.

“Won’t I get a new one?”

“That’s not how it works, brother. I warned you. Werewolves who hurt their mates are punished by the Moon Goddess…”

“She was a Hale. Dad told us to kill them. I did what I was told.” He shrugged. “Mate or not. Wouldn’t you kill your mate if Dad told you to?”

Damian wanted to reply, but the thought of his wolf tugging at his heart made him hesitate. He remembered how it felt—the gravity of the pull. If just being in the same building made him feel that way, then… imagine hugging her? Kissing her? Feeling her against him. The thought sent a shudder down his spine.

“Hello? Earth to Damian?” Lucian snapped his fingers in front of him. “Why are you thinking like this?”

“She would be my mate, Lucian… I only get one.”

“Hey. Enough of this nonsense. Dad has never steered us wrong. Why would you think that he would make you take a decision that would go against you?”

Damian didn’t say anything, his dream of a mate slowly going down the drain. Ever since they were young, his father had always favored Lucian. It hadn’t been obvious, but Damian had felt it. It was in the way their dad smiled at his brother and only nodded at him. How Damian was treated as an instrument of violence while Lucian was the heir of Blackrock.

Pushing the thoughts away, Damian tried to steel himself. What if his father hated his mate or decided she wasn’t worthy of the Blackrock family? He would make Damian kill her himself. The thought sent a shiver up his spine. Would his father… no, it wasn’t a question. Damian knew that was exactly what his father would do.

The elder Blackrock was not known for sympathy. Tales of his cruelty were known in every pack. Damian and Lucian always called it his passion, but deep down they knew he was a cruel man. He loved pain and suffering and never treated anyone beneath him with anything other than hate.

Damian walked out, his mind rushing with confusion.